Window stack modification in response to orientation change

• US 9,229,474 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Gimpl, Martin, Reeves, Paul Edward, Visosky, John Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Long, Andrea
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LINDA TANG
• Application Number:
  US13/247,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11-689, 707600-899, 709200-253, 715200-867
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 3/0483 : Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 : for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 : Drag-and-drop
• 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
• 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: G06T 3/02 : Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 : Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 : Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 : Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation

Abstract

A multi-screen user device and methods for controlling data displayed thereby are disclosed. Specifically, the control of data displayed by at least one of the multiple screens of the multi-screen user device is conditioned upon the relative orientation of the multiple screens, whether the device orientation is changed from a first state to a second state, and user input received.

Claims

1. A method of modifying a window stack in response to an orientation change of a multi-display device, the method comprising:

placing the multi-display device in a portrait orientation, wherein a first display and a second display of the multi-display device are oriented with a shorter display dimension horizontal, and wherein an upper portion of the first display and an upper portion of the second display form a horizontal line;

displaying a first window of a first open application on the first display of the multi-display device and displaying a second window of a second open application on the second display of the multi-display device;

determining that the multi-display device has rotated from the portrait orientation to a landscape orientation, wherein the first and second displays are oriented with the shorter display dimension vertical, wherein the upper portion of the first display and the upper portion of the second display are parallel, and wherein the rotation of the multi-display device is determined, at least in part, based on data received from an accelerometer;

determining a relative size and orientation of the first and second windows in a window stack stored in a memory of the multi-display device based on the rotation of the multi-display device to the landscape orientation,

wherein the window stack comprises a logical arrangement that describes an order of all open windows and desktops,

wherein each window and desktop is arranged by a unique stack position identifier from a top to a bottom of the window stack and an inactive window comprises a window that is not being displayed,

wherein the stack position identifier of the first window and the stack position identifier of the second window are sequential, and

wherein each of the one or more windows and desktops are configured to be displayed entirely within the displays of the multi-display device;

generating a logic structure for each of the one or more windows and desktops based on the window stack, wherein the logic structure comprises two or more of;

a window identifier adapted to identify each window and desktop in relation to the other windows and desktops;

dimensions that delineate a portion of one or more of the first display and the second display that each window and desktop occupies;

a stack position identifier adapted to identify a unique position in the window stack for each window and desktop, wherein the stack position identifier represents a location of each window and desktop within the window stack, and wherein the stack position identifier of each window and desktop can change based on user input; and

a display identifier adapted to identify one or more of the first and second displays of the multi-display device with which each window is associated;

after determining that the multi-display device has rotated to the landscape orientation with the first display above the second display, receiving a user input on the first window to control a movement of a third window of a third open application that is inactive;

responding to the user input on the first window with a command that, based on a direction of the user input;

moves the second window from the second display, wherein the second window is inactive and is not displayed;

moves the first window from the first display to the second display, wherein the first window is active;

moves the third window to the first display, wherein the third window is active and displayed; and

the first, second, and third applications are open; and

after determining that the multi-display device has rotated to the landscape orientation with the second display above the first display, receiving a user input on the second window to control a movement of a fourth window of a fourth open application that is inactive; and

responding to the user input on the second window with a command that moves the first and second windows, wherein, after the movement, the first window is inactive and is not displayed, the second window is active and is displayed on the first display, the fourth window is active and is displayed on the second display, and the first, second, third, and fourth applications are open.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the window stack is composed of a plurality of stacks, and wherein the first display is associated with a first stack in the plurality of stacks and the second display is associated with a second stack in the plurality of stacks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-display device includes a first display controller associated with the first display and a second display controller associated with the second display, and wherein the user input on the first window is received by the first display controller.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein responding to the user input on the first window comprises a multi-display management module of the multi-display device sending the command to a task management module of the multi-display device, wherein the multi-display management module is operable to manage the display of all applications and desktops on the first and second displays and the movement of an application or desktop from one display to the other display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, in response to receiving the command, the task management module of the multi-display device suspends the operation of the second application associated with the second window that is inactive, and the second display controller ceases display of the second window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the landscape orientation, when the first display is above the second display, the window stack is a reverse logical arrangement compared to the window stack when the first display is below the second display.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising wherein the dimensions of each window can change, and wherein the dimension comprise one or more of:

coordinates for two or more corners of each window, and

one coordinate and a height and a width of each window.

8. The method of claim 1, each window can move from the first display to the second display and from the second display to the first display.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause a multi-display computing system to execute a method, the instructions comprising:

instructions that determine that the multi-display computing system is in a portrait configuration, wherein a first display and a second display of the multi-display computing system are oriented with a shorter display dimension horizontal, and wherein an upper portion of the first display and an upper portion of the second display form a horizontal line;

on the first display and display a second window of a second open application on the second display;

instructions that determine that the multi-display computing system has rotated from the portrait orientation to a landscape orientation, wherein the first and second displays are oriented with the shorter display dimension vertical, wherein the upper portion of the first display and the upper portion of the second display are parallel, and wherein the rotation of the multi-display device is determined, at least in part, based on data received from an accelerometer;

instructions that determine a position of the first and second windows in a window stack stored in a memory of the multi-display computing system based on the rotation of the multi-display computing system, wherein the window stack comprises a logical arrangement that describes an order of all windows and desktops executing on the multi-display computing system, wherein each window and desktop is arranged by a unique stack position identifier with respect to other windows and desktops, wherein the stack position identifier of each window and desktop represents a location of the window or desktop from a top to a bottom of the window stack, wherein the stack position identifier of each window and desktop can change based on user input, and wherein an inactive window or desktop is not displayed;

instructions that generate a logic structure for each window and desktop based on the window stack, wherein the logic structure comprises one or more of;

an identifier that identifies each window and desktop in relation to the other windows and desktops;

dimensions that delineate a portion of one or more of the first display and the second display that each window or desktop occupies;

the stack position identifier that identifies a position in the window stack for each window and desktop; and

a display identifier that identifies one or more of the first and second displays of the multi-display computing system with which each window and desktop is associated;

instructions that determine whether the first display is above the second display in the landscape orientation;

when the first display is determined to be below the second display, instructions that receive a user input on the second window displayed by the second display to control a movement of a third window of a third open application that is inactive, wherein the third window is a next window in the window stack;

instructions that respond to the user input on the second window with a command that moves the first and second windows based, at least in part, on a direction of the user input, and wherein after the movement;

the second window is inactive and is not displayed,

the first window is active and is displayed on the second display,

the third window is active and is displayed on the first display, and

the first, second, and third applications are open; and

when the first display is determined to be above the second display, instructions that receive a user input on the first window to control a movement of a fourth window of a fourth open application that is inactive; and

instructions that respond to the user input on the first window with a command that moves the first and second windows, wherein, after the movement, the first window is inactive and is not displayed, the second window is active and is displayed on the first display, the fourth window is active and is displayed on the second display, and the first, second, third, and fourth applications are open.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the relative size and orientation of the window stack can be associated with at least one of the first display and the second display of the multi-display computing system.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the window stack is composed of a plurality of stacks, and wherein the first display is associated with a first stack in the plurality of stacks and the second display is associated with a second stack in the plurality of stacks.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first display is on a first screen of the multi-display computing system and the second display is on a different second screen of the multi-display computing system.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions configured to respond to the user input on the second window further comprise:

instructions that send, by a multi-display management module of the multi-display computing system, the command to a task management module of the multi-display device, wherein the multi-display management module is operable to manage the display of all applications and desktops on the first and second displays and the movement of an application or desktop from one display to the other display;

instructions that suspend, by the task management module, the operation of the second application associated with the second window that is inactive; and

instructions that cease display, by a second display controller of the multi-display computing system, display of the second window, wherein the second display controller is associated with the second display and a first display controller of the multi-display computing system is associated with the first display.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein a first display controller controls the operation of the first display and a second display controller controls the operation of the second display.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein one of the first display controller and the second display controller receives the user input.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the dimensions of each window can change, and wherein the dimension comprise one or more of:

coordinates for two or more corners of each window, and

one coordinate and a height and a width of each window.

17. A multi-display user device, comprising:

a first display controlled by a first display controller;

a second display controlled by a second display controller;

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the first and second display controllers, and each of the first and second displays, the processor programmed to;

create a window stack, wherein the window stack is a logical arrangement stored in the memory that describes an order from a top to a bottom of all open windows and desktops associated with both the first and second displays;

determine a stack position identifier of a first window of a first open application, wherein the first window is active and displayed on the first display;

determine the stack position identifier of a second window of a second open application, wherein the second window is active and displayed on the second display;

determine the stack position identifier of a third window of a third open application, wherein the third window is inactive and is not displayed;

determine the stack position identifier of a fourth window of a fourth open application, wherein the fourth window is inactive and is not displayed;

receive one of a first rotation and a second rotation of the multi-display user device, wherein the first rotation and the second rotation are in opposite directions;

after receiving the first rotation, determine that the multi-display user device has rotated from a portrait orientation to a landscape orientation with the first display positioned above the second display, wherein, in the portrait orientation, the first display and the second display are oriented with a shorter display dimension horizontal and an upper portion of the first display and an upper portion of the second display form a horizontal line, and wherein, in the landscape orientation, the first and second displays are oriented with the shorter display dimension vertical and the upper portion of the first display and the upper portion of the second display are parallel;

receive one of a first user input and a second user input on the first window, wherein the second user input has a direction that is opposite to a direction of the first user input,

in response to receiving the first user input, determine a new order of windows and desktops in the window stack, wherein;

the first window is moved from the first display and becomes inactive,

the second window is moved from the second display to the first display, and

the fourth window is displayed on the second display and becomes active; and

in response to receiving the second user input, determine a new order of windows and desktops in the window stack, wherein;

the second window is moved from the second display and becomes inactive,

the first window is moved from the first display to the second display, and

the third window is displayed on the first display and becomes active.

18. The multi-display user device of claim 17, wherein the first display is on a first screen of the multi-display user device and the second display is on a different second screen of the multi-display user device.

19. The multi-display user device of claim 17, further comprising:

a multi-display management module operable to manage the display of all applications and desktops on the first and second displays and the movement of an application or desktop from one display to the other display; and

a task management module operable to suspend the operation of applications associated with windows that are inactive.

20. The multi-display user device of claim 17, wherein the window stack comprises a first window stack associated with the first display and a second window stack associated with the second display.