METHOD FOR GENERATING MULTIPLE WINDOWS FRAMES, ELECTRONIC DEVICE THEREOF, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT USING THE METHOD

• US 20100079392A1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Chiang, Ching-Liang, Chen, Chao-Yi, Chiang, Chi-Pang, Tai, Chih-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 8,547,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 3/0488 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

A method for generating multiple windows frames, an electronic device thereof, and a computer program product using the method are provided. In the present method, first, a touch trajectory generated by continuously touching a touch panel of the electronic device is detected, wherein the center of the touch panel is a display area, and a non-display area surrounds the display area. Then, whether the touch trajectory is started from one side of the non-display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another side of the non-display area is determined. If so, the display area is split according to the touch trajectory to display at least two windows frames. As a result, an intuitional and convenient method for generating multiple windows frames in the display area is provided, and the operation of the electronic device is made very convenient.

Claims

1. A method for generating multiple windows frames, suitable for an electronic device with a touch panel, wherein a center of the touch panel is a display area, and a non-display area surrounds the display area, the method comprising:

detecting a touch trajectory generated by continuously touching the touch panel;

determining whether the touch trajectory is started from one side of the non-display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another side of the non-display area; and

splitting the display area according to the touch trajectory to display at least two windows frames if the touch trajectory is started from one side of the non-display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another side of the non-display area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the step of detecting the touch trajectory, the method further comprises:

determining whether the touch trajectory is started from one edge of the display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another edge of the display area; and

splitting the display area according to the touch trajectory to display the windows frames if the touch trajectory is started from an edge of the display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another edge of the display area.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the display area is used for displaying a first operation windows frame of a first application program before the step of splitting the display area to display the windows frames.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein after the step of splitting the display area according to the touch trajectory to display the windows frames, the method further comprises:

displaying at least two of the first operation windows frame and a plurality of second operation windows frames related to the first application program in the split display area.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein after the step of splitting the display area according to the touch trajectory to display the windows frames, the method further comprises:

displaying at least two of the first operation windows frame and a second operation windows frame of at least one second application program in the split display area.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of splitting the display area according to the touch trajectory to display the windows frames comprises:

directly displaying a tool list related to the first application program at an intersection between two of the windows frames.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein after the step of splitting the display area according to the touch trajectory to display the windows frames, the method further comprises:

detecting a second touch trajectory; and

displaying a tool list related to the first application program at an intersection between two of the windows frames when the second touch trajectory overlaps the intersection.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of displaying the tool list comprises:

moving the windows frames to display the tool list.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch panel, for detecting a touch trajectory generated by continuously touching the touch panel, wherein a center of the touch panel is a display area, and a non-display area surrounds the display area;

a determination module, coupled to the touch panel, for determining whether the touch trajectory is started from one side of the non-display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another side of the non-display area; and

a windows frame split and display module, coupled to the determination module and the touch panel, for splitting the display area according to the touch trajectory to display at least two windows frames when the touch trajectory is started from one side of the non-display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another side of the non-display area.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the determination module determines whether the touch trajectory is started from one edge of the display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another edge of the display area, and the windows frame split and display module splits the display area according to the touch trajectory to display the windows frames if the touch trajectory is started from one edge of the display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another edge of the display area.

11. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the display area is used for displaying a first operation windows frame of a first application program before the windows frame split and display module splits the display area to display the windows frames.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the windows frame split and display module displays at least two of the first operation windows frame and a plurality of second operation windows frames related to the first application program in the split display area.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the windows frame split and display module displays at least two of the first operation windows frame and a second operation windows frame of at least one second application program in the split display area.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the windows frame split and display module directly displays a tool list related to the first application program at an intersection between two of the windows frames.

15. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the touch panel detects a second touch trajectory, and the windows frame split and display module displays a tool list related to the first application program at an intersection between two of the windows frames when the second touch trajectory overlaps the intersection.

16. A computer program product comprises at least one program instruction, the program instructions are suitable for being loaded into an electronic device to execute:

detecting a touch trajectory generated by continuously touching a touch panel of the electronic device, wherein a center of the touch panel is a display area, and a non-display area surrounds the display area;

determining whether the touch trajectory is started from one side of the non-display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another side of the non-display area; and

splitting the display area according to the touch trajectory to display at least two windows frames if the touch trajectory is started from one side of the non-display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another side of the non-display area.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein after detecting the touch trajectory, the program instructions determine whether the touch trajectory is started from one edge of the display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another edge of the display area and split the display area according to the touch trajectory to display the windows frames if the touch trajectory is started from one edge of the display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another edge of the display area.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the display area is used for displaying a first operation windows frame of a first application program before the program instructions split the display area to display the windows frames.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein after the program instructions split the display area according to the touch trajectory to display the windows frames, the program instructions display at least two of the first operation windows frame and a plurality of second operation windows frames related to the first application program in the split display area.

20. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein when the program instructions split the display area according to the touch trajectory to display the windows frames, the program instructions directly display a tool list related to the first application program at an intersection between two of the windows frames.