METHODS FOR SUPPORTING MULTITASKING IN A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20090325563A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: HEINZINGER, Gregory, HORODEZKY, Samuel Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 8,229,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device

Abstract

Methods are provided for effectively accessing and managing open applications on a mobile device. In response to an End key key-press event, an open application is terminated and another open application is promptly maximized. In an embodiment, another key may be pressed to access to an Applications Menu which indicates open applications. Open applications can be selected on the Applications Menu and selectively maximized or terminated. In an embodiment a key may be pressed to access an Open-Applications Menu which lists open applications. Open applications can be selected on the Open-Applications Menu and selectively maximized or terminated.

Claims

1. A method for terminating an application on a mobile device having a plurality of applications open in a multiprocessing environment, the mobile device having a keyboard including an End key, comprising:

recognizing a press of the End key while an application is running;

terminating the running application in response to the press of the End key; and

maximizing one of the plurality of open applications immediately following termination of the running application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting one of the plurality of open applications to be maximized from a prioritized list of the open applications.

3. The method of claim 2, where in the prioritized list of the open applications prioritizes the open applications in an order inverse to that in which the open application were opened.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sounding an audible annunciator in conjunction with maximizing the one of the plurality of open applications.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving application data prior to terminating the running application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an applications menu in response to the key press event, the applications menu displaying a list of applications available on the mobile device and includes icons indicating which of the listed applications are open;

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of open applications;

receiving a user input to maximize the selected one of the plurality of open applications; and

maximizing the selected one of the plurality of open applications.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the key press event is a press of an Application key.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an applications menu in response to the key press event, the applications menu displaying a list of applications available on the mobile device and includes icons indicating which of the listed applications are open;

receiving a user selection of one or more of the plurality of open applications;

receiving a user input to terminate the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications; and

terminating the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the key press event is a press of an Application key.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising saving application data prior to terminating the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an open-applications menu in response to the key press event, the open-applications menu displaying a list of currently open applications;

receiving a user selection of one of the listed currently open applications;

receiving a user input to maximize the selected one of the listed currently open applications; and

maximizing the selected one of the listed currently open applications.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the key press event is a press-and-hold of an Application key.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an open-applications menu in response to the key press event, the open-applications menu displaying a list of currently open applications;

receiving a user selection of one or more of the listed currently open applications;

receiving a user input to terminate the selected one or more of the listed currently open applications; and

terminating the selected one or more of the listed currently open applications.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the key press event is a press-and-hold of an Application key.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising saving application data prior to terminating the selected one or more of the listed open applications.

16. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor;

a user interface keypad coupled to the processor, the keypad including an End key;

a memory coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured with processor executable software instructions to perform steps comprising;

recognizing a press of the End key while an application is running;

terminating the running application in response to the press of the End key; and

maximizing one of the plurality of open applications immediately following termination of the running application.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with processor software instructions to perform steps further comprising selecting one of the plurality of open applications to be maximized from a prioritized list of the open applications.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, where in the prioritized list of the open applications prioritizes the open applications in an order inverse to that in which the open application were opened.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with processor software instructions to perform steps further comprising sounding an audible multitasking annunciator in conjunction with maximizing the one of the plurality of open applications.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with processor software instructions to perform steps further comprising saving application data prior to terminating the running application.

21. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with processor software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an applications menu in response to the key press event, the applications menu displaying a list of applications available on the mobile device and includes icons indicating which of the listed applications are open;

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of open applications;

receiving a user input to maximize the selected one of the plurality of open applications; and

maximizing the selected one of the plurality of open applications.

22. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the keypad includes an Application key and the key press event is a press of the Application key.

23. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with processor software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an applications menu in response to the key press event, the applications menu displaying a list of applications available on the mobile device and includes icons indicating which of the listed applications are open;

receiving a user selection of one or more of the plurality of open applications;

receiving a user input to terminate the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications; and

terminating the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications.

24. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the keypad includes an Application key and the key press event is a press of the Application key.

25. The mobile device of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured with processor software instructions to perform steps further comprising saving application data prior to terminating the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications.

26. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with processor software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an open-applications menu in response to the key press event, the open-applications menu displaying a list of currently open applications;

receiving a user selection of one of the listed currently open applications;

receiving a user input to maximize the selected one of the listed currently open applications; and

maximizing the selected one of the listed currently open applications.

27. The mobile device of claim 26, wherein the keypad includes an Application key and the key press event is a press-and-hold of the Application key.

28. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with processor software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an open-applications menu in response to the key press event, the open-applications menu displaying a list of currently open applications;

receiving a user selection of one or more of the listed currently open applications;

receiving a user input to terminate the selected one or more of the listed currently open applications; and

terminating the selected one or more of the listed currently open applications.

29. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein the keypad includes an Application key and the key press event is a press-and-hold of the Application key.

30. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured with processor software instructions to perform steps further comprising saving application data prior to terminating the selected one or more of the listed open applications.

31. A mobile device, comprising:

means for maintaining a plurality of open applications including one running application;

means for recognizing a press of an End key while the running application is running;

means for terminating the running application in response to recognizing the press of the End key; and

means for maximizing one of the plurality of open applications immediately following termination of the running application.

32. The mobile device of claim 31, further comprising means for selecting one of the plurality of open applications to be maximized from a prioritized list of the open applications.

33. The mobile device of claim 32, further comprising means for prioritizing the open applications in an order inverse to that in which the open application were opened.

34. The mobile device of claim 31, further comprising means for sounding an audible annunciator in conjunction with maximizing the one of the plurality of open applications.

35. The mobile device of claim 31, further comprising means for saving application data prior to terminating the running application.

36. The mobile device of claim 31, further comprising:

means for recognizing a key press event;

means for displaying an applications menu in response to the key press event, the applications menu displaying a list of applications available on the mobile device and includes icons indicating which of the listed applications are open;

means for receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of open applications;

means for receiving a user input to maximize the selected one of the plurality of open applications; and

means for maximizing the selected one of the plurality of open applications.

37. The mobile device of claim 36, wherein the key press event is a press of an Application key.

38. The mobile device of claim 31, further comprising:

means for recognizing a key press event;

means for displaying an applications menu in response to the key press event, the applications menu displaying a list of applications available on the mobile device and includes icons indicating which of the listed applications are open;

means for receiving a user selection of one or more of the plurality of open applications;

means for receiving a user input to terminate the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications; and

means for terminating the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications.

39. The mobile device of claim 38, wherein the key press event is a press of an Application key.

40. The mobile device of claim 38, further comprising means for saving application data prior to terminating the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications.

41. The mobile device of claim 31, further comprising:

means for recognizing a key press event;

means for displaying an open-applications menu in response to the key press event, the open-applications menu displaying a list of currently open applications;

means for receiving a user selection of one of the listed currently open applications;

means for receiving a user input to maximize the selected one of the listed currently open applications; and

means for maximizing the selected one of the listed currently open applications.

42. The mobile device of claim 41 wherein the key press event is a press-and-hold of an Application key.

43. The mobile device of claim 31, further comprising:

means for recognizing a key press event;

means for displaying an open-applications menu in response to the key press event, the open-applications menu displaying a list of currently open applications;

means for receiving a user selection of one or more of the listed currently open applications;

means for receiving a user input to terminate the selected one or more of the listed currently open applications; and

means for terminating the selected one or more of the listed currently open applications.

44. The mobile device of claim 43, wherein the key press event is a press-and-hold of an Application key.

45. The mobile device of claim 44, further comprising means for saving application data prior to terminating the selected one or more of the listed open applications.

46. A tangible processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform steps comprising:

recognizing a press of an End key while an application is running;

terminating the running application in response to the press of the End key; and

maximizing one of a plurality of open applications immediately following termination of the running application.

47. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 46 having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising selecting one of the plurality of open applications to be maximized from a prioritized list of the open applications.

48. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 47, wherein the prioritized list of the open applications prioritizes the open applications in an order inverse to that in which the open application were opened.

49. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 46 having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising sounding an audible multitasking annunciator in conjunction with maximizing the one of the plurality of open applications.

50. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 46 having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising saving application data prior to terminating the running application.

51. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 46 having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an applications menu in response to the key press event, the applications menu displaying a list of applications available on the mobile device and includes icons indicating which of the listed applications are open;

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of open applications;

receiving a user input to maximize the selected one of the plurality of open applications; and

maximizing the selected one of the plurality of open applications.

52. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 51, the key press event is a press of an Application key.

53. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 46 having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an applications menu in response to the key press event, the applications menu displaying a list of applications available on the mobile device and includes icons indicating which of the listed applications are open;

receiving a user selection of one or more of the plurality of open applications;

receiving a user input to terminate the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications; and

terminating the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications.

54. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 53, wherein the key press event is a press of an Application key.

55. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 53 having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising saving application data prior to terminating the selected one or more of the plurality of open applications.

56. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 46 having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an open-applications menu in response to the key press event, the open-applications menu displaying a list of currently open applications;

receiving a user selection of one of the listed currently open applications;

receiving a user input to maximize the selected one of the listed currently open applications; and

maximizing the selected one of the listed currently open applications.

57. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 56, wherein the key press event is a press-and-hold of an Application key.

58. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 46 having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

recognizing a key press event;

displaying an open-applications menu in response to the key press event, the open-applications menu displaying a list of currently open applications;

receiving a user selection of one or more of the listed currently open applications;

receiving a user input to terminate the selected one or more of the listed currently open applications; and

terminating the selected one or more of the listed currently open applications.

59. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 58, wherein the key press event is a press-and-hold of an Application key.

60. The tangible processor-readable storage medium of claim 58 having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising saving application data prior to terminating the selected one or more of the listed open applications.