Electronic device and method for controlling multi-windows in the electronic device

• US 10,055,115 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Bo-Kun, Hong, Ki-Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Ruay
• Application Number:
  US14/287,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20150012854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 715765, 715719, 715727, 715782, 715788, 715781, 345173, 345649, 345 13, 345214
• 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 2203/04808 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 3/0481 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

Abstract

An electronic device includes a controller and a display unit having a display screen configured for displaying an output of multi-windows on which executions of a plurality of applications are displayed. When rotation of the electronic device is detected, if frame rotation information of the multi-windows are different from each other, the controller controls a rotation of the frames of the multi-windows such that the frame rotation information respectively set for the multi-windows are maintained.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display unit; and

a controller operatively coupled to the display unit, configured to;

display, on the display unit, a plurality of windows corresponding to a plurality of applications, wherein the plurality of windows includes a first window displaying a first image associated with a first application in a first frame and a second window displaying a second image associated with a second application in a second frame, the plurality of windows are displayed concurrently, each one of the plurality of windows is displayed in a different portion of the display unit, and

when a rotation gesture on the first window is detected, rotate the first frame to a longitudinal direction or a perpendicular direction corresponding to the rotation gesture while maintaining direction of the second image of the second window and while a location of the first window is unchanged.

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

a memory; and

the controller is operatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute an input manager, an event manager, a frame manager, wherein;

the input manager receives an event and transmits the event to the event manager,

the event manager transmits, to the frame manager, a request for change of an execution location of an application in the plurality of applications from the first window to the second window, and

the frame manager detects whether directions corresponding to frame rotation information corresponding to the first window and the second window, respectively, are different from each other, and transmits an identifier of the second window to the application in response to detecting that the directions corresponding to frame rotation information are different.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller detects a request for changing an execution location of the first application from the first window to the second window, wherein the request is detected when the first image is displayed in the first window, when frame rotation information associated with the first window and the second window respectively are different from each other, the controller moves the first image from the first window in accordance with frame rotation information that is associated with the second window.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein in response to a request for activating respective virtual input units on the plurality of windows, when frame rotation information of the plurality of windows are different from each other, the controller is configured to activate and display the respective virtual input units on the plurality of windows, and

when a plurality of input values are generated through the respective virtual input units, the controller is configured to identify respective windows in which the plurality of input values are generated and provide corresponding input values to applications that are executed on the respective windows.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when a plurality of touches are concurrently performed on the plurality of windows, and frame rotation information of the plurality of windows are different from each other, the controller is further configured to identify respective input coordinates of the plurality of touches and frames of windows on which the plurality of touches are respectively performed, thereby allowing the applications corresponding to the plurality of windows to perform operations based on the respective input coordinates.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, when audio data are concurrently outputted from the plurality of applications, and frame rotation information of the plurality of windows are different from each other, output audio data that is generated by only one of the plurality of applications that is associated with a first priority among the plurality of applications.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to execute:

an input manager for receiving an event generated in the electronic device;

an event manager for identifying a type of the event;

a frame manager for receiving the event from the event manager and identifying a window corresponding to the event, transmitting the event to an application corresponding to the window; and

an orientation manager for registering respective frame rotation information of the plurality of windows and frame rotation information of the electronic device when the event is a rotation event.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a display unit displaying a split screen including at least two windows, the at least two windows are oriented in opposite directions towards at least two concurrent users; and

a controller operatively coupled to the display unit, configured to;

receive inputs from the at least two concurrent users of the electronic device, each user entering input on at least one of the at least two windows,

identify frame rotation information for each one of the at least two windows, the frame rotation information indicating orientations of the at least two windows with respect the at least two concurrent users, and

when a rotation of the electronic device is detected, automatically rotate the at least two windows based on the identified frame rotation information such that orientations of the at least two windows with respect to the concurrent users are maintained.

9. A method of an electronic device comprising:

displaying, by a processor on a display coupled to the processor, a plurality of windows corresponding to a plurality of applications, wherein the plurality of windows includes a first window displaying a first image associated with a first application in a first frame and a second window displaying a second image associated with a second application in a second frame, the plurality of windows are displayed concurrently, each one of the plurality of windows is displayed in a different portion of a display unit; and

when a rotation gesture on the first window is detected, rotating the first frame to a longitudinal direction or a perpendicular direction corresponding to the rotation gesture while maintaining direction of the second image of the second window and while a location of the first window is unchanged.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting a request for changing an execution location of the first application from the first window to the second window, wherein the request is detected when the first image is displayed in the first window; and

when frame rotation information associated with the first window and the second window respectively are different from each other, moving the first image from the first window to the second window in accordance with frame rotation information that is associated with the second window.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to a request for activating virtual input units on the plurality of windows, determining whether frame rotation information of the plurality of windows are different from each other;

when the frame rotation information of the plurality of windows are different from each other, activating and displaying the virtual input units on the plurality of windows; and

if a plurality of input values are generated through the virtual input units, identifying windows in which the plurality of input values are generated, and providing corresponding input values to applications that are executed on the windows.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to a plurality of touches that are concurrently generated on the plurality of windows, determining whether frame rotation information of the plurality of windows are different from each other;

when the frame rotation information of the plurality of windows are different from each other, identifying respective input coordinates of the plurality of touches and respective windows in which the plurality of touches are performed; and

providing the respective input coordinates to the applications that are executed on the respective windows.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to audio data are concurrently outputted from the plurality of applications, detecting whether frame rotation information of the plurality of windows are different from each other; and

when the frame rotation information of the plurality of windows are different from each other, outputting only audio data that is generated by an application having a first priority among the plurality of applications.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving by an input manager an event generated in an electronic device;

identifying, by an event manager, a type of the event;

identifying by a frame manager a window corresponding to the event, and transmitting the event to an application that is executed on the window; and

performing an operation corresponding to the event, by the application, the type of the event including an electronic device rotation event, a request event of change of application execution location, a request event of activation of virtual input unit, a generation event of input value inputted through virtual input unit, and a multi-touch event.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by an input manager executing on a processor, an event;

identifying, by an event manager executing on the processor, a type of the event received from the input manager and transmitting to a frame manager a request for change of an execution location of an application in the plurality of applications from the first window to the second window;

detecting, by the frame manager executing on the processor, whether directions corresponding to frame rotation information corresponding to the first window and the second window, respectively, are different from each other; and

transmitting an identifier of the second window to the application in response to detecting that the directions corresponding to the frame rotation information are different.

16. A method comprising:

displaying, by a display, a split screen including at least two windows, the at least two windows are oriented in opposite directions towards at least two concurrent users;

receiving, by a processor, inputs from the at least two concurrent users of an electronic device, each user entering input on at least one of the at least two windows;

identifying, by the processor, frame rotation information for each one of the at least two windows, the frame rotation information indicating orientations of the at least two windows with respect the at least two concurrent users; and

when a rotation of the electronic device is detected, automatically rotating the at least two windows based on the identified frame rotation information such that orientations of the at least two windows with respect to the concurrent users are maintained.