Mode-switching in ultra mobile devices

• US 9,360,986 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Thrasher, James J., Dubs, Justin T., Perrin, Steven R., Rutledge, James S., Vanover, Michael T., Zawacki, Jennifer G.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US11/831,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,234 Days
• Field of Search: 715/748, 715/864, 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Arrangements for managing displays of ultra-mobile devices (UMD'"'"'s). Automatically or manually, a small-mode interface on a UMD screen, wherein one application window is visible, is switched to a large-mode interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an ultra-mobile device (UMD) computer system, the UMD computer system comprising a screen;

effecting a small-mode user interface on the UMD computer system screen, the small-mode user interface managing one application window on the UMD computer system screen;

wherein the small-mode user interface occupies substantially all of the UMD computer system screen and is not a sub-portion thereof;

effecting a large-mode user interface responsive to one or more large-mode user interface conditions being detected, the large-mode user interface managing a plurality of application windows; and

switching between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said switching comprises automatically switching between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a large-mode user interface condition.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said switching comprises:

automatically switching from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a connection with a docking station; and

automatically switching from the large-mode user interface to the small-mode user interface responsive to detection of a lack of a connection with a docking station.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said switching comprises:

automatically switching from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a connection with a large-screen monitor; and

automatically switching from the large-mode user interface to the small-mode user interface responsive to detection of a lack of a connection with a large-screen monitor.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said switching comprises:

automatically switching from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a connection with a keyboard; and

automatically switching from the large-mode user interface to the small-mode user interface responsive to detection of a lack of a connection with a keyboard.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said switching comprises:

automatically switching from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a connection with a mouse; and

automatically switching from the large-mode user interface to the small-mode user interface responsive to detection of a lack of a connection with a mouse.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said switching comprises manually switching between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said switching comprises manually switching from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface via a manual actuator connected with the UMD computer system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said effecting of a small-mode user interface comprises effecting a reduction in power consumption of the UMD computer system.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said effecting of a reduction in power consumption comprises re-nicing a UMD computer system process.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said effecting of a reduction in power consumption comprises terminating a UMD computer system process.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said effecting of a reduction in power consumption comprises suppressing a backlight associated with the screen.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the small-mode interface is a single application interface for single tasking with navigation elements geared toward easy access to common applications.

14. An ultra-mobile device (UMD) computer system comprising:

a CPU;

a system memory in communication with said CPU;

a screen;

an arrangement for effecting a small-mode user interface on the UMD computer system screen, the small-mode user interface managing one application window on the UMD computer system screen;

wherein the small-mode user interface occupies substantially all of the UMD computer system screen and is not a sub-portion thereof;

an arrangement for effecting a large-mode user interface responsive to one or more large-mode user interface conditions being detected, the large-mode user interface managing a plurality of application windows; and

an arrangement for switching between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said switching arrangement acts to automatically switch between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a large-mode user interface condition.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said switching arrangement acts to:

automatically switch from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a connection with a docking; and

automatically switch from the large-mode user interface to the small-mode user interface responsive to detection of a lack of a connection with a docking station.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said switching arrangement acts to manually switch between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein said arrangement for effecting a small-mode user interface acts to effect a reduction in power consumption of said UMD computer system.

19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine, the program of instructions comprising:

instructions that provide an ultra-mobile device (UMD) computer system, the UMD computer system comprising a screen;

instructions that effect a small-mode user interface on the UMD computer system screen, the small-mode user interface managing one application window on the UMD computer system screen;

wherein the small-mode user interface occupies substantially all of the UMD computer system screen and is not a sub-portion thereof;

instructions that effect a large-mode user interface when one or more large-mode user interface conditions are detected, the large-mode user interface managing a plurality of application windows; and

instructions that switch between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface.