Electronic device, user interface method in the electronic device, and cover of the electronic device

• US 9,952,629 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chae, Soo-Hak, Kim, Jae-Ho, Lee, Saet-Byeol, Hwang, Jae-Yup
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRETT, RYAN S
• Application Number:
  US14/726,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• 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: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

Disclosed are an electronic device, a User Interface (UI) method in the electronic device, and a cover of the electronic device. The electronic device includes a touch screen, and a controller configured to determine whether a cover covers the touch screen, to define a first area and a second area on the touch screen respectively in correspondence with a window area and a keyboard area of the cover, when the cover covers the touch screen, and to control display of a keypad related to contents displayed in the first area in the second area.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a touch screen; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether a cover covers the touch screen,

define a first area and a second area on the touch screen, respectively, in correspondence with a window area and a keyboard area of the cover, in response to the cover being closed and covering the touch screen, wherein keys in the keyboard area are formed into square grids to align with the cover,

control display of a keypad in the second area related to contents displayed in the first area, wherein the keypad includes a reserved key,

receive a first user input on the reserved key,

control display of a plurality of functions and associated icons in the first area, in response to the first user input on the reserved key,

receive a second user input selecting a function among the plurality of functions displayed in the first area, and

control display of an icon corresponding to the selected function in the reserved key in the second area,

wherein the touch screen is displayed through the cover, and

wherein one key of the keypad exists per grid square of the cover.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein upon sensing the first user input in the keyboard area, the controller is further configured to determine a part of the keypad corresponding to a position of the sensed input and to control performing of a key manipulation corresponding to the determined part of the keypad.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the cover covers the touch screen, the controller is further configured to control display of at least one application in the first area corresponding to the window area and display of a keypad supporting the at least one application in the second area corresponding to the keyboard area.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein upon detection of a navigation input in the second area corresponding to the keyboard area, the controller is further configured to control display of movement between the at least one application, and upon detection of a selection input in the second area corresponding to the keyboard area, the controller is further configured to execute an application on which an indicator is positioned.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein upon execution of the application on which the indicator is positioned, the controller is further configured to control display of an execution screen of the application in the first area corresponding to the window area, and display of a keypad supporting the application in the second area corresponding to the keyboard area.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein when the cover is opened, the controller is further configured to control display of the execution screen of the application in full screen.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic force sensor configured to detect a magnetic force generated when the cover covers the touch screen.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises:

a front cover unit configured to cover the touch screen formed on a front surface of the electronic device; and

a rear cover unit configured to cover a rear surface of the electronic device,

wherein the front cover unit includes a transparent or semi-transparent window area and the keyboard area formed of a transparent material, and with the front cover unit covering the touch screen of the electronic device, the keyboard area includes square grids in which a keypad of the electronic device is projected.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising a magnetic force applier configured to generate a magnetic force at a position corresponding to a magnetic force sensor of the electronic device that detects the magnetic force generated when the front cover unit covers the touch screen.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein squares are arranged in a 4×

4 layout in the keyboard area, the 4×

4 layout including 4 squares horizontally and vertically arranged, respectively.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the keypad of the electronic device is related to contents displayed in a first area of the touch screen corresponding to the window area.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first user input comprises a user pressing the reserved key for a predetermined amount of time.

13. A User Interface (UI) method in an electronic device, the UI method comprising:

determining whether a cover covers a touch screen of the electronic device;

defining a first area and a second area on the touch screen, respectively, in correspondence with a window area and a keyboard area of the cover, in response to the cover being closed and covering the touch screen, wherein keys in the keyboard area are formed into square grids to align with the cover;

displaying a keypad related to contents displayed in the first area in the second area, wherein the keypad has a reserved key;

receiving a first user input on the reserved key;

displaying a plurality of functions and associated icons in the first area, in response to the first user input on the reserved key;

receiving a second user input selecting a function among the plurality of functions displayed in the first area; and

displaying an icon corresponding to the selected function in the reserved key in the second area,

wherein the touch screen is displayed through the cover, and wherein one key of the keypad exists per grid square of the cover.

14. The UI method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining, upon sensing the first user input in the keyboard area, a part of the keypad corresponding to a position of the sensed input; and

performing a key manipulation corresponding to the determined part of the keypad.

15. The UI method of claim 13, wherein displaying the keypad related to contents displayed in the first area comprises:

displaying, when the cover covers the touch screen, at least one application in the first area corresponding to the window area; and

displaying a keypad supporting the at least one application in the second area corresponding to the keyboard area.

16. The UI method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying, upon detection of a navigation input in the second area corresponding to the keyboard area, movement between the at least one application; and

executing, upon detection of a selection input in the second area corresponding to the keyboard area, an application on which an indicator is positioned.

17. The UI method of claim 16, further comprising displaying, when the cover is opened from a closed state, the execution screen of the application in full screen.

18. The UI method of claim 13, wherein the first user input comprises a user pressing the reserved key for a predetermined amount of time.