Electronic device for executing at least one application and method of controlling said electronic device

• US 9,927,973 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, HyunJeong, Park, Joonah, Suh, SungJoo, Han, SeungJu, Han, JaeJoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdin, Shaheda
• Application Number:
  US14/561,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Methods and systems of controlling an electronic device that executes at least one application include receiving a multipoint input; detecting input points of the multipoint input; and generating a layer for executing the at least one application based on the detected input points of the multipoint input.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electronic device that executes at least one application, the method comprising:

receiving, by the electronic device, a first multipoint input on a touchscreen of the electronic device, the first multipoint input being a gesture input received at a plurality of points;

detecting, by the electronic device, input points of the first multipoint input;

generating, by the electronic device, a first layer on the touchscreen to execute a first application, the first layer being a layer generated based on the detected input, points of the first multipoint input; and

editing, by the electronic device, the first layer based on sub point inputs of the first multipoint input and a relation between the first layer and a second layer, the second layer being a layer at which a user'"'"'s gaze is directed based on user gaze information among at least one layer on the touchscreen,

wherein the generating includes generating the first layer based on at least one of input coordinates, a shape, a size of the shape, a pressure, or an input direction recognized from the first multipoint input, and

wherein the editing includes at least one of copying, repositioning, deleting, changing a size and controlling execution of the first application with respect to the first layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises:

detecting at least one of (i) a shape formed by the input points of the first multipoint input and (ii) a size of the shape.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the editing comprises:

editing the first layer to execute the first application based on the detecting; and

displaying a new layer based on the editing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the editing comprises:

displaying a new layer with a boundary, the boundary being based on the input points of the first multipoint input.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the editing comprises:

displaying a ghost view for previewing a shape of a new layer with a boundary, the boundary being based on the input points of the first multipoint input;

receiving an instruction to generate the new layer; and

displaying the new layer corresponding to the ghost view when the instruction to generate the new layer is input.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying the ghost view when the first multipoint input is maintained; and

generating the new layer corresponding to the ghost view when at least one of (i) the first multipoint input is completed, (ii) a pressure of the first multipoint input is changed, and (iii) the pressure of the first multipoint input is changed from a first pressure to a second pressure.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to execute the first application in the new layer; and

executing the first application in the new layer in accordance with the instruction.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing a recommendation for executing at least one application in the new layer, based on at least one of (i) an application type of the at least one application, (ii) a shape of the new layer, (iii) a size of the new layer, and (iv) an aspect ratio of the new layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes at least one existing layer currently being displayed by the electronic device, and the editing includes deleting the at least one existing layer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving the first multipoint input on or within a boundary of the at least one existing layer; and

deleting the at least one existing layer corresponding to the first multipoint input.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes at least one existing, layer currently being displayed by the electronic device, and the generating comprises:

changing at least one of (i) a location and (ii) a size of the at least one existing layer.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a multipoint input in the first layer for executing the first application;

receiving a second multipoint input;

generating a third layer for executing the first application at a receiving location of the second multipoint input; and

providing the third layer including executing the first application within the third layer.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first sub-multipoint input while a multipoint input for executing the first application is being received in the first layer;

receiving a second sub-multipoint input while another multipoint input for executing a second application is being received in a third layer;

executing the second application in the first layer; and

executing the first application in the third layer.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a spatially successive input, the spatially successive input being a multipoint input including a plurality of input points that are relatively proximate to one another;

detecting an input direction of the spatially successive input; and

editing the first layer based on the input direction of the spatially successive input.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the user'"'"'s gaze;

determining a direction of the user'"'"'s gaze; and

editing the first layer based on the input points of the first multipoint input and the direction of the user'"'"'s gaze.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

executing the first application in the second layer when (i) the input points of the first multipoint input correspond to an instruction to execute the first application in the layer and (ii) the direction of the user'"'"'s gaze corresponds to the second layer.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating a third layer and

executing the first application in the third layer based on the first multipoint input when the direction of the user'"'"'s gaze corresponds to the first layer and the input points of the first multipoint input correspond to an area that does not include a layer.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying the first layer when the direction of the user'"'"'s gaze corresponds to the first layer and the first multipoint input corresponds to a flick gesture.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an input pressure of the first multipoint input; and

editing the first layer based on the detected input pressure.

20. An electronic device for executing at least one application, the electronic device comprising:

an input unit configured to receive a multipoint input on a touchscreen of the electronic device, the multipoint input being a gesture input received at a plurality of points;

a motion recognizer configured to detect input points of the multipoint input; and

a controller configured to generate a first layer on the touchscreen for executing the at least one application based on the detected input points of the multipoint input, the controller further configured to generate the first layer based on at least one of input coordinates, a shape, a size of the shape, a pressure, or an input direction recognized from the multipoint input, the controller further configured to edit the first layer based on sub point inputs of the first multipoint input and a relation between the first layer and a second layer,

wherein the second layer is a layer at which a user'"'"'s gaze is directed based on a user gaze information among at least one layer on the touchscreen.