Method and apparatus for controlling a display

• US 8,675,023 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2010
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry USA (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Vuong, Thanh Vinh
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US12/878,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20120062601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 345/661
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

According to embodiments described in the specification, a method and apparatus for controlling a display are provided. The method comprises providing a first interface on the display, the first interface comprising a representation of a first application at a default zoom level; receiving a command to launch a second application; and, responsive to receiving the launch command, providing an updated interface on the display, the updated interface comprising updated representations of the first application and the second application; wherein the updated representation of the first application is inactive and occupies a first portion of the area of the display, and the updated representation of the second application is active and occupies a second portion of the display area, the second portion being larger than the first portion.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a display of a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a first interface on the display, the first interface comprising a representation of a first application at a default zoom level;

receiving a command to launch a second application; and

,

responsive to receiving the launch command, providing an updated interface on the display, the updated interface comprising updated representations of the first application and the second application;

wherein the updated representation of the first application is inactive, such that selection of elements of the updated representation of the first application is disabled, and occupies a first portion of the area of the display, and the updated representation of the second application is active and occupies a second portion of the display area, the second portion being larger than the first portion;

receiving a switch command;

in response to the switch command, providing a further interface on the display, the further interface comprising further representations of the first and second applications;

wherein the further representation of the first application is active and occupies the second portion, and wherein the further representation of the second application is inactive and occupies the first portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions together occupy the entire display area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first portion occupies approximately 25% of the display area and wherein the second portion occupies approximately 75% of the display area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of an element of the representation of the first application prior to receiving the launch command.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing at least one menu option on the display, wherein receiving the launch command comprises receiving a selection of the at least one menu option.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the updated representation of the first application is centered on the selected element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated representation of the first application is at a zoom level greater than the default zoom level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application is an address book application, and wherein the second application is a map application.

9. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a memory for maintaining a first application and a second application; and

,

a processor interconnected with the display and the memory, the processor configured to control the display for providing a first interface, the first interface comprising a representation of the first application at a default zoom level;

the processor further configured to receive a command to launch the second application;

the processor further configured, responsive to receiving the launch command, to control the display for providing an updated interface, the updated interface comprising updated representations of the first application and the second application;

wherein the updated representation of the first application is inactive, such that selection of elements of the updated representation of the first application is disabled, and occupies a first portion of the area of the display, and the updated representation of the second application is active and occupies a second portion of the display area, the second portion being larger than the first portion;

the processor being further configured to receive a switch command, and to control the display for providing a further interface, the further interface comprising further representations of the first and second applications;

wherein the further representation of the first application is active and occupies the second portion, and wherein the further representation of the second application is inactive and occupies the first portion.

10. The mobile electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first and second portions together occupy the entire display area.

11. The mobile electronic device of claim 10, wherein the first portion occupies approximately 25% of the display area and wherein the second portion occupies approximately 75% of the display area.

12. The mobile electronic device of claim 9, the processor being further configured to receive a selection of an element of the representation of the first application prior to receiving the launch command.

13. The mobile electronic device of claim 12, the processor being further configured to control the display for providing at least one menu option;

the processor being further configured to receive the launch command by receiving a selection of the at least one menu option.

14. The mobile electronic device of claim 12, wherein the updated representation of the first application is centered on the selected element.

15. The mobile electronic device of claim 9, wherein the updated representation of the first application is at a zoom level greater than the default zoom level.

16. The mobile electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a switch button;

the processor being configured to receive the switch command responsive to a depression of the switch button.

17. The mobile electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first application is an address book application, and wherein the second application is a map application.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions embodied therein for execution by a processor, the computer-readable instructions implementing a method, the method comprising:

providing a first interface on the display, the first interface comprising a representation of a first application at a default zoom level;

receiving a command to launch a second application; and

,

responsive to receiving the launch command, providing an updated interface on the display, the updated interface comprising updated representations of the first application and the second application;

wherein the updated representation of the first application is inactive, such that selection of elements of the updated representation of the first application is disabled, and occupies a first portion of the area of the display, and the updated representation of the second application is active and occupies a second portion of the display area, the second portion being larger than the first portion;

receiving a switch command;

in response to the switch command, providing a further interface on the display, the further interface comprising further representations of the first and second applications;

wherein the further representation of the first application is active and occupies the second portion, and wherein the further representation of the second application is inactive and occupies the first portion.