Application program switching method and apparatus, and touchscreen electronic device

• US 9,791,962 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Long, Kaizhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/585,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An application program switching method and apparatus, and a touchscreen electronic device are provided that can rapidly implement switching between different application programs. The method includes identifying, by a touchscreen driver of the touchscreen electronic device, at least one user gesture when an interface of a first application program is displayed on a touchscreen of the touchscreen electronic device; matching the at least one user gesture with a preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device; and if a first preset symbol matching the at least one user gesture exists, triggering a second application program corresponding to the first preset symbol to execute an action bound to the first preset symbol. The embodiments of the present invention are applicable to, in an interface of any application program, implementation of automatic switching to another application program when a touchscreen electronic device is used.

Claims

1. An application program switching method for a touchscreen electronic device, comprising:

identifying, by a touchscreen driver of the touchscreen electronic device, at least one user gesture when an interface of a first application program is displayed on a touchscreen of the touchscreen electronic device;

matching, by the touchscreen driver, the at least one user gesture with a preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device; and

triggering, by the touchscreen driver, a second application program corresponding to the preset symbol to execute an action bound to the preset symbol in direct response to the preset symbol matching the at least one user gesture exists, wherein the second application program is in a non-standby state.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying, by the touchscreen driver of the touchscreen electronic device, the at least one user gesture comprises within a preset period of time after the touchscreen driver of the touchscreen electronic device starts to identify a first user gesture, identifying and storing the at least one user gesture including the first user gesture before the preset period of time elapses.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying, by the touchscreen driver of the touchscreen electronic device, the at least one user gesture comprises after the touchscreen driver of the touchscreen electronic device identifies and stores one user gesture, identifying and storing a next user gesture when a touch on the touchscreen is detected within a preset waiting time interval, and ending the identifying when no touch on the touchscreen is detected within the preset waiting time interval.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein matching, by the touchscreen driver, the at least one user gesture with the preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device comprises matching all user gestures, which are stored before identifying the at least one user gesture ends, with the preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein matching, by the touchscreen driver, the at least one user gesture with the preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device comprises matching all user gestures, which are stored before identifying the at least one user gesture ends, with the preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying, by the touchscreen driver of the touchscreen electronic device, the at least one user gesture, and matching the at least one user gesture with the preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device comprise:

identifying, by the touchscreen driver of the touchscreen electronic device, one user gesture; and

matching at least one user gesture, which is formed by the one user gesture and all previously stored user gestures, with the preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

storing the one user gesture and identifying a next user gesture within a preset waiting time interval after the one user gesture when the preset symbol matching the at least one user gesture does not exist; and

ending the identifying when the next user gesture is not identified within the preset waiting time interval.

8. An application program switching apparatus used for a touchscreen electronic device, comprising:

a memory configured to store executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the executable instructions and cause a touchscreen driver to;

identify at least one user gesture when an interface of a first application program is displayed on a touchscreen of the touchscreen electronic device;

match the at least one user gesture identified with a preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device; and

trigger a second application program corresponding to the preset symbol to execute an action bound to the preset symbol in direct response to a matching result of the preset symbol matching the at least one user gesture exists, wherein the second application program is in a non-standby state.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus further comprises a first timer configured to set a period of time from start of identifying the at least one user gesture to end of identifying the at least one user gesture, and wherein the processor is configured to start the first timer after a first user gesture starts to be identified, and identify and store the at least one user gesture including the first user gesture within the period of time set by the first timer until the first timer times out.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus further comprises a second timer configured to set a waiting time interval from a time point when one user gesture is identified to a time point when a next user gesture starts to be identified, and wherein the processor is configured to:

start the second timer after one user gesture is identified and stored;

identify and store the next user gesture when a touch on the touchscreen is detected within the waiting time interval that is set by the second timer; and

end identifying the at least one user gesture when no touch on the touchscreen is detected within the waiting time interval that is set by the second timer.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify one user gesture; and

match at least one user gesture, which is formed by the one user gesture identified by the processor and all previously stored user gestures, with the preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus further comprises a third timer configured to set a waiting time interval from a time point when one user gesture is identified to a time point when a next user gesture starts to be identified, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

store the one user gesture when a matching result of the preset symbol matching the at least one user gesture does not exist;

identify the next user gesture within the waiting time interval that is set by the third timer and after the one user gesture; and

end identifying the at least one user gesture when the next user gesture is not identified within the waiting time interval that is set by the third timer.

13. A touchscreen electronic device, comprising:

a touchscreen configured to receive a user gesture, and display an interface of an application program; and

a touchscreen driver configured to;

identify at least one user gesture when an interface of a first application program is displayed on the touchscreen;

match the at least one user gesture with a preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device; and

trigger a second application program corresponding to the preset symbol to execute an action bound to the preset symbol in direct response to the preset symbol matching the at least one user gesture exists, wherein the second application program is in a non-standby state.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the touchscreen driver is configured to:

identify and store the at least one user gesture including a first user gesture before a preset period of time elapses when an interface of a first application program is displayed on the touchscreen and within the preset period of time after the touchscreen driver starts to identify the first user gesture; and

match all user gestures, which are stored before identifying the at least one user gesture ends, with the preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the touchscreen driver is configured to:

identify and store a next user gesture when an interface of a first application program is displayed on the touchscreen, after the touchscreen driver of the touchscreen electronic device identifies and stores one user gesture, and when a touch on the touchscreen is detected within a preset waiting time interval;

end identifying the at least one user gesture when no touch on the touchscreen is detected within the preset waiting time interval; and

match all user gestures, which are stored before identifying the at least one user gesture ends, with the preset symbol stored in the touchscreen electronic device.

16. The device according to claim 13, wherein the touchscreen driver is configured to store a one user gesture and identify a next user gesture within a preset waiting time interval after the one user gesture when the preset symbol matching the at least one user gesture does not exist, wherein the at least one user gesture is formed by the one user gesture and all previously stored user gestures.