Electronic device and method of controlling the same

• US 9,081,477 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2011
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Minhun
• Primary Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US13/112,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20110296339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769, 715/782, 715848-852, 715/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/20 Details of the management of multiple sources of image data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

An electronic device having a display; a communication unit configured to communicate with a plurality of external electronic devices on a network; and a controller configured to cause displaying of a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display, the GUI having a plurality of areas, activate the GUI responsive to receiving a predetermined user input, identify a connection state of each of the plurality of external electronic devices having a connection to the electronic device, correspond each of the plurality of areas with a respective one of the plurality of external electronic devices, and cause displaying of content relating to each of the plurality of external electronic devices in their respective one of the plurality of areas.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving first and second touch inputs relative to a display of the electronic device;

displaying a three-dimensional (3D) graphical user interface (GUI) on the display;

activating and enlarging the displayed 3D GUI responsive to receiving both the first and second touch inputs within a defined time period;

receiving a stroke input proximate to the enlarged 3D GUI;

rotating the enlarged 3D GUI in a direction that corresponds to a direction of the stroke input;

establishing a connection between the electronic device and at least one external electronic device in a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network;

identifying a connection state relating to the established connection; and

changing the displayed 3D GUI for executing a control operation in the at least one external electronic device according to the identified connection state.

2. An electronic device, comprising:

a display unit displaying information;

a communication unit communicating with a plurality of external electronic devices in a network; and

a processor;

receiving first and second touch inputs relative to the display unit;

causing the display unit to display a three-dimensional (3D) graphical user interface (GUI);

activating and enlarging the displayed 3D GUI responsive to receiving both the first and second touch inputs within a defined time period;

receiving a stroke input proximate to the enlarged 3D GUI;

rotating the enlarged 3D GUI in a direction that corresponds to a direction of the stroke input;

establishing a connection between the electronic device and at least one of the plurality of external electronic devices in a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network;

identifying a connection state relating to the established connection; and

changing the displayed 3D GUI for executing a control operation in the at least one of the plurality of external electronic devices according to the identified connection state.

3. The electronic device claim 2, wherein the processor further establishes a correspondence between a plurality of areas of the 3D GUI and the at least one of the plurality of external electronic devices.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the processor further:

receives information about content or applications from the at least one of the plurality of external electronic devices; and

causes the display unit to display the received information in a corresponding at least one of the plurality of areas.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the processor further:

receives information about multiple content or applications from the at least one of the plurality of external electronic devices;

groups the received information; and

causes the display unit to display the grouped information in a corresponding at least one of the plurality of areas.

6. The electronic device claim 2, wherein the processor further:

divides an area of the display unit into a plurality of separated areas;

establishes a correspondence between each of the plurality of separated areas and one of the plurality of external electronic devices; and

causes the display unit to display information related to a specific one of the plurality of external electronic devices on a corresponding one of the plurality of separated areas.

7. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor further:

selects a first area of the 3D GUI corresponding to a first external electronic device of the plurality of external electronic devices responsive to receiving user contact with the display proximate to the first area; and

switches settings between the selected first area and a second area of the 3D GUI responsive to receiving a drag input that extends from the selected first area toward the second area,

wherein switching the settings comprises;

changing a setting of the first external electronic device to change a correspondence from the selected first area to the second area; and

changing a setting of a second external electronic device of the plurality of external electronic devices that corresponds to the second area to change a correspondence from the second area to the selected first area.

8. The electronic device claim 2, wherein the processor further sends a command to a specific electronic device of the plurality of external electronic devices for executing a specific operation according to the connection state of the specific electronic device responsive to receiving user contact with a corresponding one of a plurality of areas of the 3D GUI.

9. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor further executes a specific application of a plurality of applications associated with one of the plurality of external electronic devices when the controller determines that a number of multitasking applications being performed by the one of the plurality of external electronic devices is greater than a threshold value.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the processor further determines the one of the plurality of external electronic devices according to a type of the specific application.