METHOD AND DEVICE FOR EXECUTING APPLICATIONS THROUGH APPLICATION SELECTION SCREEN

• US 20160077708A1
• Filed: 09/11/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HAN, Kapsu, GUNDAY, Noyan
• Granted Patent: US 10,747,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A method of operating a display device includes displaying one or more entities and one or more application icons associated with the one or more entities on an application selection screen; receiving a first input selecting an application icon of the one or more application icons, while continuing to display the application selection screen; and executing an application associated with the selected application icon, in response to the first input.

Claims

1. A method of operating a display device, the method comprising:

displaying one or more entities and one or more application icons associated with the one or more entities on an application selection screen;

receiving a first input selecting an application icon of the one or more application icons, while continuing to display the application selection screen; and

executing an application associated with the selected application icon, in response to the first input.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving a touch input selecting a first entity of the one or more entities and dragging the first entity to a second entity of the one or more entities, wherein a first application icon of the one or more application icons is displayed inside the first entity, and a second application icon of the one or more application icons is displayed inside the second entity, merging the first entity with the second entity to create a merged entity; and

displaying the first application icon and the second application icon inside the merged entity.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a display size of the merged entity based on the number of the one or more application icons displayed inside in the merged entity; and

displaying the merged entity in accordance with the determined display size.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the display size comprises limiting the display size of the merged entity to a maximum display size, wherein the maximum display size is based on an upper limit.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a maximum number of the one or more application icons to be displayed inside the merged entity; and

displaying a number of application icons inside the merged entity, wherein the number of application icons is less than the maximum number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

displaying the one or more entities as three-dimensional objects, and displaying two or more of the application icons inside the one or more entities in a manner that indicates that the two or more application icons have different depths.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a new arrangement of the two or more application icons in accordance with a user input for rotation of the one or more entities; and

displaying the two or more application icons using the new arrangement, while continuing to display the application selection screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

displaying the one or more entities as two-dimensional objects;

determining a new arrangement of the application icons included in the one or more entities in accordance with a user input of scrolling through the one or more entities; and

displaying the application icons included in the one or more entities using the new arrangement, while continuing to display the application selection screen.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input selecting a first application icon displayed inside a first entity of the one or more entities, wherein a second application icon is displayed inside the first entity;

receiving an input dragging the first application icon outside the first entity;

creating a second entity; and

displaying the second application icon inside the first entity and the first application icon inside the second entity.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a new display size of the one or more entities based on a user input for resizing the one or more entities; and

displaying the one or more entities in accordance with the determined new display size.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions which, when executed in one or more processors, perform the method of claim 1.

11. A display device comprising:

a display unit;

one or more processors; and

a memory configured to store computer program instructions executable by the one or more processors, including computer program instructions for;

displaying one or more entities and one or more application icons associated with the one or more entities on an application selection screen;

receiving a first input selecting an application icon of the one or more application icons, while continuing to display the application selection screen; and

executing an application associated with the selected application icon, in response to the first input.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the memory further stores computer program instructions for:

in response to receiving a touch input selecting a first entity among the one or more entities and dragging the first entity to a second entity of the one or more entities, wherein a first application icon of the one or more application icons is displayed inside the first entity, and a second application icon of the one or more application icons is displayed inside the second entity, merging the first entity with the second entity and creating a merged entity; and

displaying the first application icon and the second application icon inside the merged entity.

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores computer program instructions for:

determining a display size of the merged entity based on the number of the one or more application icons included in the merged entity; and

displaying the merged entity in accordance with the determined display size.

14. The display device of claim 13, wherein the memory further stores computer program instructions for:

limiting the display size of the merged entity to a maximum display size, wherein the maximum display size is based on an upper limit.

15. The display device of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores computer program instructions for:

determining a maximum number of the one or more application icons to be displayed inside the merged entity; and

displaying a number of application icons inside the merged entity, wherein the number of application icons is less than the maximum number.

16. The display device of claim 11, wherein the memory further stores computer program instructions for:

displaying the one or more entities as three-dimensional objects and displaying two or more of the application icons inside the one or more entities in a manner that indicates that the two or more application icons have different depths.

17. The display device of claim 16, wherein the memory further stores computer program instructions for:

determining a new arrangement of the two or more application icons in accordance with a user input for rotation of the one or more entities; and

displaying the two or more application icons using the new arrangement, while continuing to display the application selection screen.

18. The display device of claim 11, wherein the memory further stores computer program instructions for:

displaying the one or more entities as two-dimensional objects;

and determining a new arrangement of the application icons included in the one or more entities in accordance with a user input of scrolling through the one or more entities; and

displaying the application icons included in the one or more entities using the new arrangement, while continuing to display the application selection screen.

20. A display device comprising:

a display configured to display one or more entities and one or more application icons associated with the one or more entities on an application selection screen;

a receiver configured to receive a first input selecting an application icon of the one or more application icons, while continuing to display the application selection screen; and

a processor configured to execute an application associated with the selected application icon, in response to the first input.

21. A method of operating a display device, the method comprising:

displaying a first entity and a second entity on an application selection screen;

displaying a first application icon inside the first entity, and a second application icon inside the second entity;

receiving an input selecting the first entity and moving the first entity to within a first threshold distance from the second entity;

receiving an input releasing the selection of the first entity; and

in response to determining that the first entity is within a second threshold distance from the second entity when the input releasing the selection of the first entity is received, removing the first entity and displaying the first application icon and the second application icon inside the second entity.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving an input for rotating the first application icon and the second application icon; and

changing a position of the first application icon with respect to the second entity and a position of the second application icon with respect to the second entity in a manner that rotates the first application icon and the second application icon about a central axis of the second entity.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving an input selecting a border of the second entity, dragging the border of the second entity to a new location on the application selection screen, and releasing the border of the second entity at the new location;

determining a new display size of the second entity based on the new location; and

displaying the second entity using the new display size.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving an input selecting the first application icon and moving the first application icon outside of a third threshold distance from the second entity;

receiving an input releasing the selection of the first application icon; and

in response to determining that the first application icon is outside of a fourth threshold distance from the second entity when the input releasing the selection of the first application icon is received, creating a third entity and displaying the first application icon inside the third entity and the second application icon inside the second entity.