Method, an apparatus and a computer program for controlling an output from a display of an apparatus

• US 9,983,729 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2017
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ketola, Pekka, Tolonen, Ari, Johansson, Panu
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosario, Nelson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US15/470,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20170199623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 710 1- 74
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/44 responsive to changes in electrical conductivity
• 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method including: displaying information corresponding to a first output state, temporarily displaying information corresponding to a second output state while a user actuation is occurring; and displaying information corresponding to the first output state when the user actuation is no longer occurring.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying first information corresponding to a first output state;

while a user actuation is occurring, temporarily displaying information corresponding to a second output state; and

when the user actuation is released and is no longer occurring, returning to displaying the first information corresponding to the first output state, wherein the user actuation comprises temporarily inwardly deforming or bending only a front face of an apparatus, and not deforming or bending a back face of the apparatus.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

temporarily displaying information corresponding to a second output state while a user actuation is occurring until the user actuation is interrupted and then displaying the first information corresponding to the first output state.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user actuation comprises a temporary physical deformation of an apparatus.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user actuation comprises a temporary physical deformation of a surface of an apparatus.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user actuation comprises a temporary physical deformation of an internal supporting structure of an apparatus.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user actuation comprises a temporary bending of a body of an apparatus.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the apparatus has a front face comprising a display for display information and a back face, wherein bending the body of the apparatus compresses one of the faces and extends the other of the faces.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensor is a compression sensor positioned in association with the back face.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

detecting when the occurring user actuation exceeds a threshold;

displaying information corresponding to the second output state; and

displaying information corresponding to the second output state when the user actuation is no longer occurring.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the user actuation exceeds a threshold when a temporary physical deformation of an actuator exceeds a deformation threshold.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the user actuation exceeds a threshold when a temporary bending of an apparatus exceeds a deflection threshold.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pairing of the first output state and the second output state is selected from the group comprising:

the first information corresponding to the first output state is inactive state information and information corresponding to the second output state comprises additional or different information;

the first information corresponding to the first output state is a content of a page of a document and information corresponding to the second output state is a content of later pages of the document;

the first information corresponding to the first output state is a screen for a currently active one of multiple running applications each having a respective screen and information corresponding to the second state is at least part of a screen for one of the multiple running applications that is not active;

the first information corresponding to the first output state is a screen for a currently active one of multiple running applications each having a respective screen and

information corresponding to the second state is a whole of a screen for one of the multiple running applications that is not active.

24. An apparatus comprising means for performing the method of claim 1.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to respond to a user actuation by generating a sensor signal;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory comprising computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

controlling a display to display first information corresponding to a first output state;

while detecting the sensor signal from the sensor responsive to a user actuation, temporarily controlling the display to display information corresponding to a second output state, and

when no longer detecting the sensor signal from the sensor because the user actuation is released and is no longer occurring, automatically controlling the display to return to displaying the first information corresponding to the first output state, wherein the user actuation comprises temporarily inwardly deforming or bending only a front face of the apparatus, and not deforming or bending a back face of the apparatus.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal in response to physical deformation of the sensor.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sensor is positioned at a surface of the apparatus and is configured to generate a sensor signal in response to physical deformation of the surface of the apparatus.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sensor is positioned at an interior of the apparatus and is configured to generate a sensor signal in response to physical deformation of a supporting structure of the apparatus.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal in response to bending of the apparatus.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the apparatus has a front face comprising a display for displaying information and a back face, wherein bending the apparatus compresses one of the faces and extends the other of the faces.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the apparatus has a front face comprising a display for displaying information and a back face, wherein bending the apparatus compresses the back face and extends the other of the faces and wherein the sensor is a compression sensor positioned in association with the back face.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sensor configured to respond to a developing user actuation by generating a developing sensor signal;

detecting when the sensor signal exceeds a threshold;

displaying information corresponding to the second output state; and

displaying information corresponding to the second output state when the user actuation is no longer occurring.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal in excess of the threshold in response to physical deformation of the apparatus beyond a deformation threshold.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal in excess of the threshold in response to bending of the apparatus beyond a deflection threshold.

23. An apparatus comprising:

sensor means for responding to a user actuation by generating a sensor signal;

means for controlling a display to display first information corresponding to a first output state;

means for temporarily controlling the display to display information corresponding to a second output state while the sensor signal is being generated; and

means for controlling the display to display the first information corresponding to the first output state when the sensor signal is no longer being generated because the user actuation is released and is no longer occurring, wherein the user actuation comprises temporarily inwardly deforming or bending only a front face of the apparatus, and not deforming or bending a back face of the apparatus.

25. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium which when loaded into a processor enables the processor to:

enable displaying first information corresponding to a first output state;

while a user actuation is occurring, enable temporarily displaying information corresponding to a second output state; and

when the user actuation is released and is no longer occurring, enabling returning to displaying the first information corresponding to the first output state, wherein the user actuation comprises temporarily inwardly deforming or bending only a front face of the apparatus, and not deforming or bending a back face of the apparatus.