Display device for multi-screen mirroring of a first external device and a second external device paired with the first external device

• US 10,776,068 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Hong, Jihye, Jung, Woojun, Han, Soonbo, Park, Sangjo, Song, Hyojin, Jeong, Chisoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Al Kawsar, Abdullah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kenny
• Application Number:
  US15/246,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• 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

The present invention provides an electronic device and a method for controlling the electronic device. According to the present invention, in case a mirroring connection request is received from a first external device, a second external device paired with the first external device is also made to be mirrored so that a mirroring screen of the first external device and a mirroring screen of the second external device can be displayed together.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a communication unit;

a display;

a user input interface unit; and

a hardware controller configured to;

receive first screen data of a first external device via the communication unit;

receive second screen data, from the first external device via the communication unit, of a second external device paired with the first external device;

cause the display to display a first mirroring screen in a first region corresponding to the first screen data and a third region, the third region displaying one or more objects corresponding to at least one candidate external device having a pairing history with the first external device, when a mirroring connection request is received from the first external device via the communication unit, wherein the first mirroring screen includes a first execution screen of a first application executed at the first external device and wherein an object to be selected from the one or more objects is activated or deactivated based on a current pairing connection status of its corresponding candidate external device with the first external device;

receive, from the user input interface unit, a user input for selecting a displayed object corresponding to the second external device, wherein the displayed object is selected from the one or more objects displayed in the third region corresponding to the at least one candidate external device having the pairing history with the first external device; and

in response to receiving, from the user input interface unit, the user input for selecting the displayed object corresponding to the second external device, cause the display to display a second mirroring screen in a second region corresponding to the second screen data simultaneously with the first mirroring screen displayed in the first region, wherein the second mirroring screen includes a second execution screen of a second application executed at the second external device in connection with the first application.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a ratio of sizes of the first region, the second region and the third region is preset by a user.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the hardware controller is further configured to cause the display to display:

the object corresponding to the second external device to be selectable when the mirroring connection request is received; and

any remaining one or more objects to be non-selectable when the corresponding candidate external device of each of the remaining one or more objects is not paired with the first external device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the second screen data includes location information of the second external device when the mirroring connection request is received; and

the hardware controller is further configured to cause the display to divide the second mirroring screen into a plurality of regions, wherein each region includes updated second screen data corresponding to different locations of the second external device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a receiver, wherein the second region in which the second mirroring screen is displayed further comprises a content program screen received via the receiver, and wherein the second mirroring screen is displayed to be overlapped on the content program screen.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first execution screen of the first application is automatically executed at the first external device when the second application, executed at the second external device while the second external device is paired with the first external device, is related to the first application.

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

cause the display to display an additional screen corresponding to a third external device which is paired with the first external device; and

cause audio of media content being played at the first external device to be output via the third external device,

wherein the additional screen includes a displayed control object for controlling audio output of the third external device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the hardware controller is further configured to transmit authentication screen information to the second external device via the communication unit for displaying an authentication screen on the second external device when the first application executed on the first mirroring screen requires an authentication procedure, and

wherein the second mirroring screen includes information of the authentication procedure.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the second mirroring screen includes authenticating fingerprint information or authenticating handwriting input information received via the second external device.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the hardware controller is further configured to cause the display to display at least one recommended application associated with the first application being executed at the first external device when the mirroring connection request is received and the first application is not installed at the second external device.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the hardware controller is further configured to cause the display to display at least one recommended application stored in the first external device when the mirroring connection request is received while the second application is being executed,

wherein the second application is executed according to a gesture input received via the second external device, the at least one recommended application is controllable with gesture inputs, and one of the at least one recommended application is executed at the first external device in response to a selection.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the hardware controller is further configured to receive the mirroring connection request from the first external device while the first external device is paired with the electronic device via the communication unit.

13. A method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a mirroring connection request from a first external device via a communication unit of the electronic device;

receiving first screen data of the first external device via the communication unit;

receiving second screen data, from the first external device via the communication unit, of a second external device paired with the first external device;

causing a display of the electronic device to display a first mirroring screen in a first region corresponding to the first screen data and a third region, the third region displaying one or more objects corresponding to at least one candidate external device having a pairing history with the first external device, when a mirroring connection request is received from the first external device via the communication unit, wherein the first mirroring screen includes a first execution screen of a first application executed at the first external device and wherein an object to be selected from the one or more objects is activated or deactivated based on a current pairing connection status of its corresponding candidate external device with the first external device;

receive a user input from a user input interface unit of the electronic device for selecting a displayed object corresponding to the second external device, wherein the displayed object is selected from the one or more objects displayed in the third region corresponding to the at least one candidate external device having the pairing history with the first external device; and

in response to receiving, from the user input interface unit, the user input for selecting the displayed object corresponding to the second external device, cause the display to display a second mirroring screen in a second region corresponding to the second screen data simultaneously with the first mirroring screen displayed in the first region, wherein the second mirroring screen includes a second execution screen of a second application executed at the second external device in connection with the first application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the mirroring connection request is received from the first external device while the first external device is paired with the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first execution screen and the second execution screen correspond to a same application or are execution screens of related applications.