Electronic device, controlling method thereof, controlling program thereof, and recording medium

• US RE47,224 E1
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCNT LLC
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Connected Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Hironobu, Furuki, Kenetsu, Fujii, Yoko, Nakajima, Yuko, Sugimoto, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, John M
• Application Number:
  US14/687,794
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 345659, 345649, 345655, 345656
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• 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 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• 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 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts

Abstract

A plurality of screen aspects is acquired; each screen layout is optimized; switching of the screen aspects is supported; and visibility and functionality of the display screen are improved. An electronic device (portable terminal apparatus) including a display function in a rotatable and/or openable/closable case includes a displaying unit that displays a vertically elongated vertical screen or a horizontally elongated horizontal screen and a controlling unit (CPU) that changes screen layouts correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen displayed on the displaying unit. The change in the screen layout corresponding to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen includes a change in arrangement of icons.

Claims

1. An electronic device including a display function in a rotatable and/or openable/closable case, the device comprising:

a displaying unit display that displays a vertically elongated vertical screen or a horizontally elongated horizontal screen;

and

a controlling unit that includes a central processing unit and a memory unit and that changes screen layouts correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen displayed on the displaying unit, display;

a movable arm that is supported by a fixed case in an openable/closable manner; and

a movable case that is rotatably supported by the movable arm, wherein the display is disposed on the movable case and is rotated or opened/closed,

wherein one or both of the movable arm and the movable case include a sensor that detects the rotation or opening/closing of the movable case,

the controlling unit displays a screen on an area of the display that protrudes from the fixed case when the movable case is in the closed state,

the controlling unit sets a first vertical display field and a second vertical display field, on the vertical screen, the first vertical display field displaying an image with a launched function, the second vertical display field displaying a mark, an icon, clock display or any combination thereof, the second vertical display field being arranged on the top of or on the bottom of the first vertical display field, and

the controlling unit sets a first horizontal display field and a second horizontal display field, on the horizontal screen, the first horizontal display field displaying, display contents corresponding to display contents of the first vertical display field, the second horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the second vertical display field, the second horizontal display field being arranged at the side of the first horizontal display field horizontally, and

the controlling unit further sets a third vertical display field on the vertical screen and sets a third horizontal display field on the horizontal screen, the third horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the third vertical display field, the second horizontal display field and the third horizontal display field being arranged one above the other.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein

a sensor unit that detects the rotation or the opening/closing of the displaying unit, wherein the controlling unit switches the displaying unit display to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen based on the rotation information or the open/close information acquired from the sensor unit.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the controlling unit sets a reference position, and rotated positions or opened positions at a predetermined angle or more to the right and/or left for the displaying unit display, and wherein the screen form of the displaying unit display is switched to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen at the reference position and the rotated positions or the opened positions.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the change in the screen layout corresponding to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen includes a change in arrangement of icons.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the controlling unit launches the function assigned to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen on the displaying unit display.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a movable arm that is supported by a fixed case in an openable/closable manner; and

a movable case that is rotatably supported by the movable arm, wherein the displaying unit is disposed on the movable case and is rotated or opened/closed.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein

one or both of the movable arm and the movable case include a sensor unit that detects the rotation or opening/closing of the movable case.

8. A controlling method of an electronic device including a display function in a rotatable and/or openable/closable case, the method comprising:

detecting, by a sensor, a rotation or an opening/closing of a movable case that is rotatably supported by a movable arm that is supported by a fixed case in an opening/closable manner;

displaying, on a displaying unit display disposed on the movable case, a vertically elongated vertical screen or a horizontally elongated horizontal screen;

and

changing, by a controlling unit, screen layouts correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen,; and

displaying a screen on an area of the display that protrudes from the fixed case when the movable case is in the closed state,

wherein said changing the screen layouts includes setting a first vertical display field and a second vertical display field, on the vertical screen, the first vertical display field displaying an image with a launched function, the second vertical display field displaying a mark, an icon, clock display or any combination thereof, the second vertical display field being arranged on the top of or on the bottom of the first vertical display field, or setting a first horizontal display field and a second horizontal display field, on the horizontal screen, the first horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the first vertical display field, the second horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the second vertical display field, the second horizontal display field being arranged at the side of the first horizontal display field horizontally, and

wherein said changing the screen layouts further includes setting a third vertical display field on the vertical screen, or setting a third horizontal display field on the horizontal screen, the third horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the third vertical display field, the second horizontal display field and the third horizontal display field being arranged one above the other.

9. The controlling method of an electronic device of claim 8, comprising:

wherein

detecting, by a sensor unit, the rotation or the opening/closing, wherein switching to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen is performed by the controlling unit based on the rotation information or the open/close information acquired from the sensor unit.

10. The controlling method of an electronic device of claim 8, comprising:

setting, by the controlling unit, a reference position, and rotated positions or opened positions at a predetermined angle or more to the right and/or left for the displaying unit display and switching a screen form of the displaying unit display to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen at the reference position and the rotated positions or the opened positions.

11. The controlling method of an electronic device of claim 8, wherein

the change in the screen layout corresponding to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen includes a change in arrangement of icons.

12. The controlling method of an electronic device of claim 8, comprising:

launching, by the controlling unit, the function assigned to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen on the displaying unit display.

13. A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer-readable control program of an electronic device including a display function in a rotatable and/or openable/closable case, the program being executed by a computer, the program comprising:

detecting a rotation or an opening/closing of a movable case that is rotatably supported by a movable arm that is supported by a fixed case in an openable/closable manner;

displaying a vertically elongated vertical screen or a horizontally elongated horizontal screen;

and

changing screen layouts correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen,; and

displaying a screen on an area that protrudes from the fixed case when the movable case is in the closed state;

wherein said changing the screen layouts includes setting a first vertical display field and a second vertical display field, on the vertical screen, the first vertical display field displaying an image with a launched function, the second vertical display field displaying a mark, an icon, clock display or any combination thereof, the second vertical display field being arranged on the top of or on the bottom of the first vertical display field, or setting a first horizontal display field and a second horizontal display field, on the horizontal screen, the first horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the first vertical display field, the second horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the second vertical display field, the second horizontal display field being arranged at the side of the first horizontal display field horizontally, and

wherein said changing the screen layouts further includes setting a third vertical display field on the vertical screen, or setting a third horizontal display field on the horizontal screen, the third horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the third vertical display field, the second horizontal display field and the third horizontal display field being arranged one above the other.

14. The recording medium storing a computer-readable control program of an electronic device of claim 13, the program further comprising:

wherein

detecting the rotation or the opening/closing, wherein switching to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen is performed based on the rotation information or the open/close information.

15. The recording medium storing a computer-readable control program of an electronic device of claim 13, the program further comprising:

setting a reference position, and rotated positions or opened positions at a predetermined angle or more to the right and/or left and switching to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen at the reference position and the rotated positions or the opened positions.

16. The recording medium storing a computer-readable control program of an electronic device of claim 13, wherein the change in the screen layout corresponding to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen includes a change in arrangement of icons.

17. The recording medium storing a computer-readable control program of an electronic device of claim 13, the program further comprising:

launching the function assigned to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen.