Display method and mobile device

• US 9,948,523 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Won, Sungjoon, Kim, Daesung, Kim, Jinyong, Choi, Joah, Yang, Huichul, Jegal, Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dragoescu, Claudia
• Application Number:
  US14/613,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An information display method for displaying diverse communication protocol information in order is provided. The communication protocol information display method of a mobile device includes discovering devices connectable through diverse communication protocols, displaying information on the discovered devices, displaying symbols of communication protocols supported by the discovered devices respectively, and displaying image objects associated with applications or functions for use in interoperation with the discovered devices.

Claims

1. A communication protocol information display method of a mobile device, the method comprising:

discovering devices connectable through diverse communication protocols;

displaying information on the discovered devices;

displaying, for each of the discovered devices respectively, symbols indicating communication protocols respectively, wherein the communication protocols allow the discovered devices to communicate with the mobile device;

displaying, for each of the discovered devices respectively, image objects associated with applications or functions with which the mobile device is capable of interoperating with the discovered devices; and

attempting, when the mobile device is disposed to point at a position where at least one of the discovered devices is placed with the mobile device, a connection to the at least one of the discovered devices.

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

determining whether a touch gesture moves downward from a top edge of a screen of the mobile device or upward from a bottom edge of the screen; and

discovering, when the touch gesture moves downward from the top edge of the screen or upward form the bottom edge of the screen, the devices connectable through the diverse communication protocols.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the information on the discovered devices comprises:

sorting the discovered devices into connected devices and connectable devices; and

displaying the connected devices and connectable devices distinctly from each other.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the displaying of the image objects associated with the applications or functions comprises:

showing the applications or functions associated with the applications or functions interoperating with the connected devices; and

hiding the applications or functions associated with the applications or functions interoperating with the connectable devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the symbols comprises displaying each symbol indicating the communication protocols in an activated state or a deactivated state per discovered device distinctly from each other.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising toggling each symbol between the activated state and the deactivated state in response to a selection input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the symbols comprises displaying the symbols in an order of priorities of the communication protocols.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the image objects comprises:

receiving a user'"'"'s selection of one of the applications or functions;

installing, when the selected application or function is not installed in the mobile device, the selected one of the applications or functions in the mobile device; and

executing the installed one of the applications or functions.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising discovering, when an update input is detected, the devices connectable through a predetermined communication protocol or the diverse communication protocols.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising attempting, when a predetermined condition is fulfilled, a connection to a predetermined device or the device which has been connected under the condition with priority.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing, when a predetermined condition is fulfilled, a predetermined application or function with priority.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, when a predetermined condition is fulfilled, connected devices; and

transmitting, when one of the connected devices is selected, data to the selected device.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the method of claim 1.

13. A mobile device comprising:

at least one processor;

a transceiver; and

a display,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

discover devices connectable through diverse communication protocols,

control the display to display information on the discovered devices,

control the display to display, for each of the discovered devices respectively, symbols indicating communication protocols respectively, wherein the communication protocols allow the discovered devices to communicate with the mobile device,

control the display to display, for each of the discovered devices respectively, image objects associated with applications or functions with which the mobile device is capable of interoperating with the discovered devices, and

control the transceiver to attempt, when the mobile device is disposed to point at a position where at least one of the discovered devices is placed with the mobile device, a connection to the at least one of the discovered devices.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether a touch gesture moves downward from a top edge of a screen of the mobile device or upward from a bottom edge of the screen, and

discover, when the touch gesture moves downward from the top edge of the screen or upward form the bottom edge of the screen, the devices connectable through diverse communication protocols.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to sort the discovered devices into connected devices and connectable devices and display the connected devices and connectable devices distinctly from each other.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

control the display to display the applications or functions associated with the applications or functions interoperating with the connected devices, and

hide the applications or functions associated with the applications or functions interoperating with the connectable devices.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display each symbol indicating the communication protocols in an activated state or a deactivated state per discovered device distinctly from each other.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to toggle each symbol between the activated state and the deactivated state in response to a selection input.

19. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display the symbols in an order of priorities of the communication protocols.

20. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to detect a user'"'"'s selection of one of the applications or functions, install, when the selected one of the applications or functions is not installed in the mobile device, the selected application or function in the mobile device, and execute the installed one of the applications or functions.

21. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine, when an update input is detected, the devices connectable through a predetermined communication protocol or the diverse communication protocols.

22. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the transceiver to attempt, when a predetermined condition is fulfilled, a connection to a predetermined device or the device which has been connected under the condition with priority.

23. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute, when a predetermined condition is fulfilled, a predetermined application or function with priority.

24. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

control the display to display, when a predetermined condition is fulfilled, the connected devices, and

control the transceiver to transmit, when one of the connected devices is selected, data to the selected device.

25. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the image objects associated with the applications or functions are one of a side link icon, a manufacturer link icon, a file exchange icon, a settings icon, or a connection release icon.