System and method for executing multiple tasks in a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10083047-B2
Application number	US-201213493194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2012
Priority date	Jun 14, 2011
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A multitasking system and method are provided. The system and method allows a mobile device with a limited amount of resources to execute applications in full and mini modes, thereby using a relatively small amount of resources and efficiently using the execution screens. The method includes detecting a first event for executing a first application, identifying the type of first execution event, executing the first application in at least one of a full mode and a mini mode according to the type of first execution event, and displaying an execution screen of the first application executed in the at least one mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for executing multiple tasks in a mobile device, the method comprising:
detecting, by the mobile device, a first execution event for executing a first application;
identifying a type of the first execution event;
executing the first application in one of a full mode and a mini mode according to the type of the first execution event;
displaying an execution screen of the first application executed in the one of the full mode and the mini mode;
after the displaying of the execution screen of the first application executed in the one of the full mode and the mini mode, subsequently detecting a second execution event for executing a second application represented by one of items included in a displayed tray, each of the items representing an application to be executed in one of the full mode and the mini mode;
executing the second application in another of the full mode and the mini mode in response to the detected second execution event; and
displaying an execution screen of the second application executed in the other of the full mode and the mini mode along with the displayed execution screen of the first application executed in the one of the full mode and the mini mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
executing, when the type of the first execution event corresponds to executing the first application in the full mode, the first application in the full mode and displaying the execution screen of the first application as an entire screen; and
executing, when the type of the first execution event corresponds to executing the first application in the mini mode, the first application in the mini mode and displaying the execution screen of the first application as a mini screen.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first execution event is created on a first shortcut item on a home screen or a second shortcut item on the tray.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
executing, when the second execution event occurs on the first shortcut item, the second application corresponding to the first shortcut item in the other of the full mode and the mini mode, according to a type of the second execution event.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
controlling, when the second execution event occurs on the second shortcut item, the second application corresponding to the second shortcut item in the mini mode.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving a function controlling event while the first application is executed in the one of the full mode and the mini mode.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
identifying a type of the function controlling event;
controlling, when the type of the function controlling event is a function executing event, a function of the first application;
switching, when the type of function controlling event is a mode switching event, a mode of the first application, and displaying an execution screen according to the switched mode; and
executing, when the type of the function controlling event corresponds to executing a new application, the new application in the full mode or the mini mode, and displaying an execution screen of the new application.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the mode switching event comprises at least one of:
an event for switching from the first application executed in the full mode to the first application executed in the mini mode;
an event for switching from the first application executed in the mini mode to the first application executed in the full mode;
an event for switching between the first application and the second application respectively executed in the full mode and the mini mode and the first application and the second application respectively executed in the mini mode and the full mode; and
an event for switching from one of the first application and the second application that is executed in a mode on a highest layer to another of the first application and the second application that is executed on a layer in the full mode or the mini mode.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
switching the full mode of the first application to the mini mode according to a user's input to a mode switching item, or switching the mini mode of the first application to the full mode according to a user's input to the mini screen in the mini mode.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing the mode switching item at a region on an execution screen where the first application is executed in the full mode,
wherein the mode switching item is provided in a toggle mode or an ordinary mode.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
moving, in a state where the first and second applications are executed in the full mode and the mini mode respectively, the execution screen where the second application is executed in the mini mode, in real time, when functions are operated via the execution screen in the full mode, according to regions on the execution screen where a user input occurs.

12. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
executing each of a plurality of applications in the full mode or the mini mode or in both the full mode and the mini mode.

13. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving an event for calling the tray on the execution screen of the first application in the full mode;
activating the tray on the execution screen of the first application;
creating the first execution event on the second shortcut item on the tray; and
executing the first application according to the second shortcut item in the mini mode, and displaying the execution screen as a mini screen on the full mode execution screen.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
deactivating the tray when executing the mini mode according to an input of the first execution event.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sharing, when the one of the mini mode and the full mode in which the first application is executed is interrupted, data, which is created when the first application is executed in the mini mode and the full mode, with the other mode of the full mode and the mini mode, and updating the execution screen.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
automatically sharing, when the one of the mini mode and the full mode in which the first application is executed is interrupted, information, data and primary functions, which have been used by the first application in the interrupted mode, with the other mode, and controlling the first application in the other mode.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when the execution screen of the second application is displayed in the full mode as the entire screen and the execution screen of the first application is displayed in the mini mode:
detecting a dragging event in a corner of the execution screen of the first application displayed in the mini mode;
moving a location of the execution screen of the first application displayed in the mini mode in response to the detected dragging event;
detecting a third execution event in a central portion of the execution screen of the first application displayed in the mini mode; and
displaying the execution screen of the first application in the full mode as the entire screen without displaying the execution screen of the second application.

18. A mobile device comprising:
a display unit configured to display screens of at least one application executed in a full mode or a mini mode;
a storage unit configured to store data created when the at least one

Assignees

• Kim Yung Kwan
• Kwon Yong Jin
• Joo Jae Sook
• Park Tai Soo
• Ji Hyeon
• Park Jeong Ah
• Sung Jung Sik
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Yung Kwan
• Kwon Yong Jin
• Joo Jae Sook
• Park Tai Soo
• Ji Hyeon
• Park Jeong Ah
• Sung Jung Sik

Classifications

• G06F9/44505 Primary

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