Device having a screen region on a hinge coupled between other screen regions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10346117-B2
Application number	US-201615347764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2016
Priority date	Nov 9, 2016
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

Techniques are described herein that are capable of making a state-based determination of information to be displayed on a screen region of a hinge that is coupled to other screen regions. For instance, a state of a hinge that is coupled between a first screen region and a second screen region may be determined. Information that is to be displayed on a third screen region that is provided on the hinge may be determine based at least in part on the state of the hinge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a plurality of screen regions, including at least a first screen region, a second screen region, and a third screen region;
a hinge coupled between the first screen region and the second screen region,
the third screen region provided on the hinge; and

one or more processors that perform operations comprising:
determine information to be displayed on the third screen region based at least in part on a state of the hinge;
determine whether content is dragged from the first screen region to the third screen region; and
provide the content as an input to an application that is associated with the third screen region based at least in part on the content being dragged from the first screen region to the third screen region.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
determine the information based at least in part on a hinge angle between a first surface of the first screen region and a second surface of the second screen region.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
determine one or more virtual controls to be displayed on the third screen region based at least in part on the hinge angle being greater than zero degrees and less than 180 degrees; and
wherein at least one of the one or more virtual controls enables a user of the device to provide an input to control an application that is displayed on at least one of the first screen region or the second screen region.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
detect a gesture that is directed to the third screen region; and
determine an interface element to be displayed on the third screen region based at least in part on the hinge angle being greater than zero degrees and less than 180 degrees and further based at least in part on detection of the gesture.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
determine a notification to be displayed on the third screen region based at least in part on the hinge angle being either a) greater than zero degrees and less than 180 degrees or b) greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
determine one or more virtual controls to be displayed on the third screen region based at least in part on the hinge angle being greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees; and
wherein at least one of the one or more virtual controls enables a first user of the first screen region and a second user of the second screen region to provide respective inputs that cause operations to be performed by an application of which a first representation is displayed on the first screen region and a second representation is displayed on the second screen region.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
detect a gesture that is directed to the third screen region; and
copy or move content that is displayed on the first screen region to the second screen region based at least in part on the hinge angle being greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees and further based at least in part on detection of the gesture.

8. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
determine a portion of an image to be displayed on the third screen region based at least in part on the hinge angle being approximately 180 degrees; and
display the image such that the image spans the first screen region, the second screen region, and the third screen region based at least in part on the hinge angle being approximately 180 degrees.

9. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
display a first application on the first screen region;
display a second application that is different from the first application on the second screen region; and
determine the information, which indicates how to move one or more interface elements that are related to the first application from the first screen region to the second screen region, to be displayed on the third screen region based at least in part on the hinge angle being approximately 180 degrees.

10. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
display a first application on the first screen region; and
determine the information, which indicates a second application that is different from the first application and that is associated with the second screen region, to be displayed on the third screen region based at least in part on the hinge angle being approximately 360 degrees.

11. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
determine a notification to be displayed on the third screen region based at least in part on the hinge angle being approximately zero degrees.

12. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
determine the information based at least in part on the hinge angle being approximately zero degrees and further based at least in part on one or more processes being executed by the device.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
provide first audio content to a user of the device,
the first audio content associated with a first application that is displayed on the first screen region;

detect a gesture that is directed to the third screen region; and
cause audio content that is provided by the one or more processors to the user to change from the first audio content to second audio content that is associated with a second application that is displayed on the second screen region based at least in part on detection of the gesture.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors perform the operations comprising:
determine one or more virtual controls to be displayed on the third screen region based at least in part on the state of the hinge; and
wherein at least one of the one or more virtual controls enables a user of the device to control a process that is executed by the device.

15. A method comprising:
determining a state of a hinge that is coupled between a first screen region and a second screen region;
determining information to be displayed on a third screen region that is provided on the hinge based at least in part on the state of the hinge;
determining that content is dragged from the first screen region to the third screen region; and
providing the content as an input to an application that is associated with the third screen region based at least in part on the content being dragged from the first screen region to the third screen region.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the state of the hinge comprises:
determining a hinge angle between a first surface of the first screen region and a second surface of the second screen region; and
wherein the information is based at least in part on the hinge angle.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
providing first audio content to a user of a device that includes the first screen region, the second screen region, and the third screen region,
the first audio content associated with a first application that is displayed on the first screen region;

detecting a gesture that is directed to the third screen regi

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Sylvan Roger Sebastian
• Burns Aaron M
• Kiemele Kenneth L
• Jeune Charlene Mary
• Sadak Christian
• Hesketh John B
• Sipko Jeffrey R
• Klein Christian
• Wygonik Gregg R
• Khut Sophors
• Thomas Michael R
• Reyes Ricardo Arturo Espinoza

Classifications

• G06F1/1677

  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 title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G06F1/1618

  the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure · CPC title

• G06F3/04886

  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 title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title