Systems and methods relating to user interfaces for docking portable electronic

• US 8,732,373 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Reeves, Brian, Reeves, Paul, Schrock, Rodney, Reeves, David, Teltz, Richard, Lam, Kean Wing Kin
• Primary Examiner(s): Zaman, Faisal M
• Application Number:
  US13/252,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20120117290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 710/303, 710/304
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• 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 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• 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: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored

Abstract

Systems and methods related to the user interface of docking portable electronic devices. A master device may be docked with a slave device to control operation of the slave device. The master device may be operable to display a user interface. The user interface of the master device may be adapted to be used with the slave device that may include different display and/or input devices than that of the master device. In one embodiment, the master device may be a handheld device such as a smart phone and the slave device may be a tablet device.

Claims

1. A method for use with docking portable electronic devices, comprising:

displaying, on a master device, a user interface, wherein a plurality of screens are displayed on corresponding ones of a plurality of master device displays;

docking the master device with a slave device;

adapting the user interface to be displayed on a slave device display; and

dividing the slave device display into a plurality of display portions, each of the display portions corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of master device displays,

wherein each screen displayed on one of the plurality of master device displays is displayed on one of the plurality of display portions of the slave device display.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of screens correspond to one or more applications executing on the master device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the docking comprises establishing communication between the master device and one or more hardware components of the slave device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adapting comprises resizing at least one of the screens to be displayed on the slave device display.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the adapting comprise changing the orientation of the screen to be displayed on the slave device display.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the slave device is responsive to gesture inputs to control the display of the plurality of screens on the plurality of display portions of the slave device display when the master device is docked with the slave device in a manner corresponding to the control of the plurality screens on the plurality of master device displays when the master device is not docked with the slave device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dividing comprises allocating at least a first display area of the slave device display to a first portion and at least a second display area of the slave device display to a second portion.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first display portion corresponds to a first master device display and the second display portion corresponds to a second master device display.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the master device comprises a handheld device and the slave device comprises a tablet.

10. A system for docking of portable electronic devices, comprising:

a master device having a plurality of master device displays, wherein the plurality of master device displays are operable to display one or more screens thereon; and

a slave device having a slave device display, wherein the slave device is operable to receive the master device in a docked position and, when in the docked position, the master device is in operative communication with the slave device display,

wherein, when in said docked position, the master device is operable to divide the slave device display into a plurality of display portions corresponding with the plurality of master device displays, and wherein the one or more screens displayed on the plurality of master device displays are displayable on corresponding ones of the plurality of display portions of the slave device display.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the master device is a handheld device and the slave device is a tablet device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the handheld device includes a first display and a second display, and wherein the slaved device display is divided into a first display portion corresponding to the first display and a second display portion corresponding to the second display.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more screens is resized when displayed on a corresponding one of the plurality of display portions of the slave device display.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein an orientation of at least one of the one or more screens is changed when displayed on a corresponding one of the plurality of display portions of the slave device display.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein, when not in the docked position, the master device is operable to control the display of the one or more screens on the plurality of master device displays in response to received gesture inputs, and, when in the docked position, the master device is operable to control the display of the one or more screens on the plurality of display portions of the slave device display.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the control of the display of the one or more screens in response to the received gesture inputs on the plurality of display portions of the slave device display is substantially the same as the control of the display of the one or more screens in response to the received gesture inputs on the plurality of master device displays.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the master device includes a master device gesture sensor adjacent to the plurality of master device displays and wherein the slave device includes a slave device gesture sensor adjacent to the slave device display.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the slave device includes a retention mechanism for receivably engaging the master device in the docked position.

19. A slave device, comprising:

a slave device display; and

a docking member operable to receive a master device in a docked position, wherein, when in the docked position, the master device is in operative communication with the slave device display,

wherein, when in said docked position, the master device is operable to divide the slave device display into a plurality of display portions corresponding with a plurality of master device displays, and wherein one or more screens displayed on the plurality of master device displays are displayable on the corresponding portions of the slave device display.

20. A master device, comprising

a plurality of master device displays, wherein the plurality of master device displays are operable to display one or more screens thereon;

and

a communication port operable to establish operative communication with a slave device having a slave device display,

wherein the master device is receivably engageable with the slave device in a docked position, wherein, when in the docked position, the master device is in operative communication

with the slave device display;

wherein, when in said docked position, said master device is operable to divide the slave device display into a plurality of display portions corresponding with the plurality of master device displays, and wherein the one or more screens displayed on the plurality of master device displays are displayable on the corresponding portions of the slave device display.