Windows position control for phone applications

• US 9,588,545 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Gimpl, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Takele, Meseker
• Application Number:
  US13/436,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20120242702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 715/790, 715/781, 715/802, 715/788
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface for a phone application are provided. More particularly, a change in the display mode of a multiple screen device can be determined. More particularly, a presentation of a user interface for an in-process call of a phone application can be retained after receiving a flick in an off-screen gesture area of the device. However, the user interface moves from a first screen to a second screen (or vice versa) in response to receiving the flick. The user interface provides detail information about a phone call that is currently in-process.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a device having at least first and second screens, the first and second screens including a touch sensitive display and each including a gesture capture area separate from each respective touch sensitive display, each gesture capture area adapted to receive an input, each gesture capture area having limited display capabilities relative to the touch sensitive displays and each capable of recognizing one or more gestures, wherein the device executes a phone application, and wherein the phone application is in an in-call mode;

in a first display mode, presenting a first user interface for the phone application on a first screen, wherein the first display mode includes displaying content in a landscape orientation and displaying content on the first screen;

receiving input from a user only on at least one of the first and second gesture capture areas associated with the first screen and the second screen, respectively, wherein the input is at least one of a pinch and a spread on at least one of the first and the second gesture capture areas, wherein the input includes a change in the display for the phone application;

determining a second display mode, wherein the second display mode includes displaying content in a portrait orientation and displaying content on the second screen; and

in response to the input and the determination that the device is in a second display mode, presenting the first user interface on the second screen;

wherein each of the first and second screens are configured to display at least content in a first display mode and a second display mode, wherein the device is configured to simultaneously display a first display mode on the first screen and a second display mode on the second screen, wherein the first display and the second display are of different display orientations that are independent of one another and do not display a single continuous image across the first and second display screens, wherein the device is further configured to simultaneously display a first content in a landscape orientation on the first screen and display a second content in a portrait orientation on the second screen, and wherein the first and the second content read to a user at 90 degrees to one another.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the first user interface presents the same content on the first or second screen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a desktop is presented on the second screen in the first display mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the phone application remains in a single application mode during the change in the display for the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the phone application is in a first application mode of two or more application modes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, in the in-call mode, the device is conducting an outgoing call, and in-coming call, or a previously made call.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the phone application;

receiving a manifest;

setting a display binding for the phone application based on the first display mode; and

providing the display binding to the phone application.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

setting a second display binding in response to the input; and

providing the second display binding to the phone application to present the first user interface in the second screen.

9. A device, comprising:

a first screen, the first screen including a touch sensitive display area and a separate gesture capture area adapted to receive an input and recognize one or more gestures, the first screen gesture capture area having limited display capabilities relative to the first screen touch sensitive display area;

a second screen, the second screen including a touch sensitive display area and a separate gesture capture area adapted to receive an input and recognize one or more gestures, the second screen gesture capture area having limited display capabilities relative to the second screen touch sensitive display area, wherein in a first display mode the first screen displays an in-call user interface, in a landscape orientation, and the second screen displays a desktop;

a memory;

a processor, the processor capable of receiving input from a user only on at least one of the first and second screen gesture capture areas associated with the first screen and the second screen, respectively, wherein the input is at least one of a pinch and a spread on the at least one of the first and the second screen gesture capture areas;

a phone application program stored in the memory and executed by the processor, wherein the phone application is in an in-call mode, and wherein the application programming is operable to;

send a manifest to a multi-display management module, the manifest providing a preferred display mode;

receive a display binding, the display binding providing a first display mode; and

present the first user interface in the first display mode;

wherein each of the first and second screens are configured to display at least content in a first display mode and a second display mode, wherein the device is configured to simultaneously display a first display mode on the first screen and a second display mode on the second screen, wherein the first display and the second display are of different display orientations that are independent of one another and do not display a single continuous image across the first and second display screens, wherein the device is further configured to simultaneously display a first content in a landscape orientation on the first screen and display a second content in a portrait orientation on the second screen, and wherein the first and the second content read to a user at 90 degrees to one another.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor in response to the, pinch or spread sends a second display binding to the phone application, and wherein the phone application program is further operable to:

receive the second display binding, the second display binding providing a second display mode; and

present a first user interface in a second screen while in the second display mode.

11. The device of claim 9, further comprising:

the phone application program further operable to;

receive an input for the phone application program;

in response to the input, send a second manifest to the multi-display management module, the second manifest providing a second preferred display mode; and

receive a second display binding, the second display binding providing the first display mode; and

present only the first user interface in the first display mode, wherein the first user interface is provided on the first screen.

12. The device of claim 9, further comprising a multi-display management module operable to:

receive the manifest;

determine a display mode;

create the display binding; and

send the display binding to the phone application program.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the first display mode is a dual display mode in landscape orientation with the first screen displays a window for the phone application, and wherein the second display mode is a dual display mode in landscape orientation with the second screen displays the window for the phone application.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for providing a user interface for a phone application, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions to execute the phone application, wherein the phone application is in an in-call mode;

instructions to generate a manifest for the phone application, wherein the manifest provides a preferred display mode for the phone application;

instructions to receive the manifest;

instructions to determine a configuration for a device, wherein the configuration is open with at least two screens visible by a user and in landscape orientation;

instructions to determine a first display mode for the device;

instructions to create a display binding for the phone application;

instructions to send the display binding to the phone application; and

in response to determining the first display mode and receiving the display binding;

instructions to generate a first user interface for a first screen and a desktop for the second screen;

instructions to receive input from a user only on at least one of a first and a second gesture capture area associated with the first screen and the second screen, respectively, wherein the input is at least one of a pinch and a spread on the first and the second gesture capture areas;

in response to receiving one of the pinch or spread, instructions to switch to a second display mode;

wherein each of the first and second gesture capture areas have limited display capabilities relative to the first screen and the second screen, respectively;

wherein each of the first and second screens are configured to display at least content in a first display mode and a second display mode, wherein the device is configured to simultaneously display a first display mode on the first screen and a second display mode on the second screen, wherein the first display and the second display are of different display orientations that are independent of one another and do not display a single continuous image across the first and second display screens, wherein the device is further configured to simultaneously display a first content in a landscape orientation on the first screen and display a second content in a portrait orientation on the second screen, and wherein the first and the second content read to a user at 90 degrees to one another.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising;

in response to switching to the second display mode, instructions to create a second display binding;

instructions to receive the second display binding; and

instructions to present the first user interface on the second screen.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first user interface is a call information window for an in-process call.