Method and apparatus for switching tasks using a displayed task stack

• US 9,798,579 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Youngjoo, Park, Sehwan, Kang, Minjeong, Choi, Jinhee
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN H
• Application Number:
  US13/729,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20130174179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence

Abstract

A multitasking method and apparatus of a user device are provided in which an interaction requesting task-switching is received in a state where an execution screen of a certain application is displayed. A stack of tasks that are currently running are displayed. A task selected from the stack is switched to a foreground task. An execution window of the foreground task is presented.

Claims

1. A multitask management method of an electronic device, comprising:

receiving a first user input while a first execution screen of an application is displayed on a touchscreen of the electronic device;

displaying, on the touchscreen, a stack of partially overlaid visual elements in response to the first user input, each visual element corresponding to an application that is running in the electronic device and including a task termination item for terminating an application corresponding to the visual element;

receiving a second user input for selecting a visual element from the stack of partially overlaid visual elements;

displaying, on the touchscreen, an execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected visual element; and

in response to receiving a third user input on a task termination item of a visual element in the stack, terminating an application corresponding to the visual element the task termination item on which the third input is received and removing the visual element corresponding to the terminated application from the stack,

wherein the stack of partially overlaid visual elements comprises visual elements corresponding to each of all applications that are running and a visual element representing the first execution screen of the application is placed on top of the stack, and

wherein an interval between consecutive visual elements in the stack is adjusted based on the number of visual elements displayed on the touchscreen.

2. The multitask management method of claim 1, wherein displaying the stack of partially overlaid visual elements comprises:

determining, when the first user input is made within a region of a first execution screen, all applications that are currently running, the region being a portion of the first execution screen that is predetermined to receive input for displaying the stack of partially overlaid visual elements in place of the first execution screen;

calculating a size of the overlaid visual elements representing each application according to a number of the currently running applications; and

displaying the stack of overlaid visual elements based on the calculated size.

3. The multitask management method of claim 2, wherein calculating the size of the visual element comprises:

comparing the number of the currently running applications with a threshold;

re-sizing a width of the visual elements according to a result of the comparison; and

adjusting an interval between consecutive visual elements on the stack.

4. The multitask management method of claim 1, further comprising rearranging partially overlaid visual elements in response to a third user input.

5. The multitask management method of claim 4, wherein rearranging the visual elements comprises arranging the visual elements in accordance with one of a sequential task-switching manipulation, a direct task-switching manipulation, and a focused task-switching manipulation with a visual effect.

6. The multitask management method of claim 1, wherein displaying the execution screen comprises one of displaying the execution screen in the full screen view and displaying the execution screen on top of the stack.

7. The multitask management method of claim 1, wherein each visual elements comprises an index item for enhancing recognition of a corresponding application.

8. An article of manufacture for multitask management comprising a non-transitory machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

receiving a first user input while a first execution screen of an application is displayed on a touchscreen of the electronic device and including a task termination item for terminating an application corresponding to the visual element;

displaying, on the touchscreen, a stack of partially overlaid visual elements in response to the first user input, each visual element corresponding to an application that is running the electronic device;

receiving a second user input for selecting a visual element from the stack of partially overlaid visual elements;

displaying, on the touchscreen, an execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected visual element; and

in response to receiving a third user input on a task termination item of a visual element in the stack, terminating an application corresponding to the visual element in the task termination item on which the third input is received and removing the visual element corresponding to the terminated application from the stack,

wherein the stack of partially overlaid visual elements comprises visual elements corresponding to each of all applications that are running and a visual element representing the first execution screen of the application is placed on top of the stack, and

wherein an interval between consecutive visual elements in the stack is adjusted based on the number of visual elements displayed on the touchscreen.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a processor configured to;

control the touchscreen to receive a first user input while a first execution screen of an application is displayed on a touchscreen of the electronic device;

control the touchscreen to display a stack of partially overlaid visual elements in response to the first user input, each visual element corresponding to an application that is running in the electronic device and including a task termination item for terminating an application corresponding to the visual element;

control the touchscreen to receive a second user input for selecting a visual element from the stack of partially overlaid visual elements;

control the touchscreen to display an execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected visual element; and

in response to receiving a third user input on a task termination item of a visual element in the stack, terminate an application corresponding to the visual element the task termination item on which the third input is received and remove the visual element corresponding to the terminated application from the stack,

wherein the stack of partially overlaid visual elements comprises visual elements corresponding to each of all applications that are running and, a visual element representing the first execution screen of the application is placed on top of the stack, and

wherein an interval between consecutive visual elements in the stack is adjusted based on the number of visual elements displayed on the touchscreen.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to control the touchscreen to display the overlaid visual elements re-sized according to a number of applications.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a size of the visual elements according to the number of the applications currently running.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:

compare the number of the applications currently running with a threshold,

re-size a width of the visual elements according to a result of the comparison, and

adjust an interval between consecutive visual elements in the stack.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to arrange the visual elements in accordance with one of a sequential task-switching manipulation, a direct task-switching manipulation, and a focused task-switching manipulation with a visual effect.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to control the touchscreen to display the stack of the overlaid visual elements in accordance with one of a sequential task-switching manipulation, a direct task-switching manipulation, and a focused task-switching manipulation with a visual effect.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to control the touchscreen to display the execution screen in the full screen view or on top of the stack.

16. The electronic device of claim 9, L wherein each visual element comprises an index item for enhancing recognition of a corresponding application.