Method and device for switching tasks

• US 9,632,578 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Bae, Joo-yoon, Kang, Nam-wook, Lee, Keum-koo, Lee, Hye-won, Park, Yong-gook
• Primary Examiner(s): Dicke, Chad
• Application Number:
  US14/225,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Provided are a task switching method capable of rapidly and easily accessing a task of interest by using a button that may receive a touch-based input and a device for executing the task switching method. The device includes a button configured to receive an input; a display configured to display task switching screens; and a processor configured to set a task switching mode in response to the button receiving a first input, and control the display to display the task switching screens in response to the button receiving a second input.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a button configured to receive an input;

a display configured to display task switching screens for switching a plurality of task screens that are grouped into a plurality of task screen groups; and

a processor configured to;

in response to the button receiving a first input, set a task switching mode; and

in response to receiving a second input comprising a gesture-based input representing a moving direction of a touch input, switch the task screens according to the moving direction of the second input,

wherein the processor is configured to determine the moving direction in each of a first direction, a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and

a third direction that is in a diagonal direction between the first direction and the second direction,

wherein in response to the moving direction being the first direction, the task screens grouped in a first task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups are switched,

in response to the moving direction being the second direction, the task screens grouped in a second task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups are switched, and

in response to the moving direction being the third direction, the task screens grouped in a third task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups are switched,

wherein the first task screen group, the second task screen group, and the third task screen group are each selected from one group from among a plurality of groups comprising currently executed tasks, recently executed tasks, and favorite tasks.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to set the task switching mode by:

capturing a screen of a task that is currently being executed; and

arranging at least one task screen that is to be provided in response to the second input being received, based on the captured task screen.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to set the task switching mode by controlling the display to display information representing the second input and information about the at least one task screen that is to be provided in response to the second input being received.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the button comprises a home button of the device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the button is located in a region of the device other than a region of the device where the display is disposed.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch screen, and the button is located in a region of the device other than a region of the device where the touch screen is disposed.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, if no touch input is received via the button while the task switching screens are displayed on the display, execute a task mapped with a task screen centered on the display.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the button is configured to receive fingerprint data, and

wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display the task switching screens in response to the button receiving fingerprint data corresponding to fingerprint data that is registered in advance.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the button is configured to receive fingerprint data, and

wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display the task switching screens in response to the button receiving fingerprint data corresponding to fingerprint data registered in advance, and execute a guest mode of the device in response to the received fingerprint data not corresponding to the fingerprint data registered in advance.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the button is configured to receive fingerprint data, and

wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a task switching screen mapped with the fingerprint data in response to the button receiving fingerprint data corresponding to a piece of fingerprint data from among fingerprint data registered in advance, and execute a guest mode of the device in response to the received fingerprint data not corresponding to a piece of fingerprint data from among the fingerprint data registered in advance.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the button is configured to receive fingerprint data, and

wherein the processor is configured to ignore a subsequent touch input received by the button in response to the received fingerprint data not corresponding to fingerprint data registered in advance.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first input comprises a touch input to maintain a touch operation for at least a preset time.

13. A device comprising:

a button configured to receive fingerprint data and an input of a first user while an operation status of the device is a lock screen status;

a display configured to display task switching screens; and

a processor configured to;

in response to the received fingerprint data of the first user corresponding to fingerprint data registered in advance;

unlock the lock screen status,

receive a first input of the first user via the button,

set a task switching mode in response to the button receiving the first input of the first user, and control the display to display the task switching screens in response to the button receiving a second input of the first user,

detect a first finger of the first user or a second finger of the first user via the button,

in response to the received fingerprint data corresponding to the first finger of the first user, determine that task screens to be switched are the task screens grouped in a first task screen group among a plurality of task screen groups, or

in response to the received fingerprint data corresponding to the second finger of the first user, determine that task screens to be switched are the task screens grouped in a second task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups; and

in response to the received fingerprint data not corresponding to the fingerprint data registered in advance, maintaining the lock screen status.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to detect a third finger of the first user, and in response to the received fingerprint data corresponding to the third finger of the first user, determine that task screens to be switched are the task screens grouped in a third task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups.

35. The device of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to execute a task corresponding to a task screen of the task switching screens in response to the task screen being selected.

15. A task switching method comprising:

receiving, during execution of a task, a first input by a button on a device;

setting, in response to the first input being received, an operation mode of the device as a task switching mode;

receiving a second input by the button;

in response to a second input being received by the button, displaying on a display of the device, task switching screens, wherein the second input comprises a gesture-based input representing a moving direction of a touch input;

determining task screens that are to be switched according to the moving direction of the second input; and

determining the moving direction in each of a first direction, a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and a third direction that is in a diagonal direction between the first direction and the second direction,

wherein in response to the moving direction being the first direction, the task screens grouped in a first task screen group among a plurality of task screen groups are switched,

in response to the moving direction being the second direction, the task screens grouped in a second task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups are switched, and

in response to the moving direction being the third direction, the task screens grouped in a third task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups are switched,

wherein the first task screen group, the second task screen group, and the third task screen group are each selected from one group from among a plurality of groups comprising currently executed tasks, recently executed tasks, and favorite tasks.

16. The task switching method of claim 15, wherein the setting the task switching mode comprises:

capturing a screen of a task that is currently being executed; and

arranging at least one task screen that is to be provided in response to the second input being received, based on the captured task screen.

17. The task switching method of claim 16, wherein the setting of the task switching mode further comprises displaying information representing the second input and information about the at least one task screen that is to be provided in response to the second input being received.

18. The task switching method of claim 15, wherein the button comprises a home button of the device.

19. The task switching method of claim 15, wherein the button is located in a region of the device other than a region of the device where the display is disposed.

20. The task switching method of claim 15, wherein the display is configured as a touch screen, and the button is located in a region of the device other than a region of the device where the touch screen is disposed.

21. The task switching method of claim 15, further comprising executing, while the task switching screens are displayed on the display, a task mapped with a task screen centered on the display if no touch-based input is received by the button.

22. The task switching method of claim 15, wherein the task switching screens comprise at least one of a switching screen to switch between tasks that are being executed by the device, a switching screen to switch between tasks based on usage history information of the device, a switching screen to switch between folders set in the device, and a switching screen to switch between tasks registered in the device in advance,

wherein each of the tasks is based on an application, and

wherein the displaying of the task switching screens comprises determining tasks that are to be switched in response to the second input being received.

23. The task switching method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving fingerprint data by the button; and

executing the task switching method in response to the received fingerprint data corresponding to fingerprint data registered in advance.

24. The task switching method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving fingerprint data by the button;

executing the task switching method in response to the received fingerprint data corresponding to fingerprint data registered in advance; and

executing a guest mode of the device in response to the received fingerprint data not corresponding to the fingerprint data registered in advance.

25. The task switching method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving fingerprint data by the button;

executing the task switching method so as to display a task switching screen mapped with the fingerprint data in response to the received fingerprint data corresponding to a piece of fingerprint data registered in advance; and

executing a guest mode of the device in response to the received fingerprint data not corresponding to a piece of the fingerprint data registered in advance.

26. The task switching method of claim 15, wherein the first input is a touch input which maintains a touch operation for at least a preset time.

27. The task switching method of claim 15, wherein the displaying of the task switching screens comprises displaying task switching screens that vary based on a moving direction represented by the second input.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a program for executing the task switching method of claim 15.

29. A task switching method executed by a device, the task switching method comprising:

receiving fingerprint data of a first user via a button on the device while an operation status of the device is a lock screen status;

in response to the received fingerprint data of the first user corresponding to fingerprint data registered in advance;

unlocking the lock screen status;

receiving a first input of the first user via the button;

setting a task switching mode in response to the first input of the first user being received;

receiving a second input of the first user via the button;

displaying task switching screens on a display of the device in response to the second input being received;

detecting a first finger of the first user or a second finger of the first user via the button,

wherein in response to the received fingerprint data corresponding to the first finger of the first user, determining that tasks that are to be switched are the tasks grouped in a first task group among a plurality of task groups, or

in response to the received fingerprint data corresponding to the second finger of the first user, determining that tasks that are to be switched are the tasks grouped in a second task group among the plurality of task groups; and

in response to the received fingerprint data of the first user data not corresponding to the fingerprint data registered in advance, maintaining the lock screen status.

30. A task switching method executed by a device, the task switching method comprising:

receiving fingerprint data of a first user via a button on the device while an operation status of the device is a lock screen status;

unlocking the lock screen status in response to the received fingerprint data of the first user corresponding to fingerprint data registered in advance;

receiving a first input of the first user via the button;

setting a task switching mode in response to the first input of the first user being received;

receiving a second input of the first user via the button;

displaying task switching screens on a display of the device in response to the second input of the first user being received; and

detecting a first finger of the first user or a second finger of the first user via the button,

wherein in response to the received fingerprint data corresponding to the first finger of the first user, determining that tasks that are to be switched are the tasks grouped in a first task group among a plurality of task groups, or

in response to the received fingerprint data corresponding to the second finger of the first user, determining that tasks that are to be switched are the tasks grouped in a second task group among the plurality of task groups.

31. A device comprising:

an input unit configured to receive a user input;

a display configured to display task switching screens; and

a controller configured to control the device to enter a task switching mode in response to a first user input being received by the input, and control the display to display the task switching screens in response to a second user input being received by the input while the device is in the task switching mode,

wherein the second user input comprises a gesture-based input representing a moving direction of a touch input,

wherein the controller is configured to determine task screens that are to be switched according to the moving direction of the second user input,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the moving direction in each of a first direction, a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and a third direction that is in a diagonal direction between the first direction and the second direction, and

wherein in response to the moving direction being a first direction, the task screens grouped in a first task screen group among a plurality of task screen groups are switched,

in response to the moving direction being the second direction, the task screens grouped in a second task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups are switched, and

in response to the moving direction being the third direction, the task screens grouped in a third task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups are switched,

wherein the first task screen group, the second task screen group, and the third task screen group are each selected from one group from among a plurality of groups comprising currently executed tasks, recently executed tasks, and favorite tasks.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein in response to the device entering the task switching mode, the controller is further configured to capture a screen of a currently executed task and arrange the task switching screens based on the currently executed task.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein in response to the device entering the task switching mode, the controller is further configured to display message information,

wherein the message information includes at least one from among a current mode of the device and arrows indicating available scrolling directions of the task switching screens.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the controller is further configured to arrange the task switching screens in response to user fingerprint data being received by the input.