Display device for executing a plurality of applications and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10386992-B2
Application number	US-201314096568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2013
Priority date	Dec 6, 2012
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

A display device for executing a plurality of applications and a method for controlling the display device are provided. The method includes displaying a plurality of windows in which applications are executed respectively, receiving an iconize input for executing the plurality of windows, checking window information about each of the plurality of windows and discontinuing the displaying of the plurality of windows, and generating a shortcut icon for executing the plurality of windows simultaneously, based on the checked window information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a display device, the method comprising:
when a plurality of applications are executed simultaneously, controlling a display of an electronic device to display at least two user interfaces corresponding to at least two applications of the plurality of applications, respectively;
setting a shortcut icon based on information related to each of the at least two applications, wherein the information includes information regarding a number of times the at least two applications are executed simultaneously;
ending the executed at least two applications and removing the at least two user interfaces on the display;
controlling the display to display the shortcut icon;
in response to receiving an input for selecting the shortcut icon, simultaneously starting execution of each of the at least two applications; and
when the shortcut icon is selected, obtaining window information about the at least two user interfaces corresponding to the at least two applications and controlling the display to display the at least two user interfaces corresponding to the at least two applications based on the window information,
wherein the window information includes information about at least one of an application type, a position of the user interfaces, or a size of the user interfaces, and further includes information about an execution state of the application,
wherein the shortcut icon includes an object representing each of the at least two applications, and
wherein the shortcut icon is set when the number of times exceeds a threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
extracting iconization information about the at least two applications from use history,
wherein the iconization information is information indicating that the at least two applications have been used at a first time point, and
wherein the shortcut icon is set by assigning a name including information about the first time point to the shortcut icon.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the set shortcut icon to another electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shortcut icon is displayed as a composite image in which thumbnail images of each of the at least two applications are overlapped.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
editing the shortcut icon according to an edit command; and
displaying the edited shortcut icon.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the shortcut icon edit command is one of a command to rename the shortcut icon and a command to remove the shortcut icon.

7. An electronic device comprising:
a display; and
at least one processor configured to:
when a plurality of applications are executed simultaneously, control the display to display at least two user interfaces corresponding to at least two applications of the plurality of applications, respectively,
set a shortcut icon based on information related to each of the at least two applications, wherein the information includes information regarding a number of times the at least two applications are executed simultaneously,
end the executed at least two applications and remove the at least two user interfaces on the display,
control the display to display the shortcut icon,
in response to receiving an input for selecting the shortcut icon, start simultaneous execution of each of the at least two applications, and
when the shortcut icon is selected, obtain window information about the at least two user interfaces corresponding to the at least two applications and control the display to display the at least two user interfaces corresponding to the at least two applications based on the window information,
wherein the window information includes information about at least one of an application type, a position of the user interaces, or a size of the user interfaces, and further includes information about an execution state of the application,
wherein the shortcut icon includes an object representing each of the at least two applications, and

wherein the shortcut icon is set when the number of times exceeds a threshold value.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 ,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
extract iconization information about the at least two applications from use history,

wherein the iconization information is information indicating that the at least two applications have been used at a first time point, and
wherein the shortcut icon is set by assigning a name including information about the first time point to the shortcut icon.

9. The display electronic device of claim 7 , further comprising a communication transceiver configured to transmit the set shortcut icon to another electronic device.

10. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the shortcut icon is displayed as a composite image in which thumbnail images of each of the at least two applications are overlapped.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 ,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
edit the shortcut icon according to an edit command, and
control the display to display of the edited shortcut icon.

12. An electronic device comprising:
a display;
a communication transceiver; and at least one processor configured to:
receive a shortcut icon from another electronic device, wherein the shortcut icon includes an object representing each of at least two applications,
control the display to display the received shortcut icon,
in response to receiving an input for selecting the shortcut icon, start simultaneous execution of each of the at least two applications
set the shortcut icon based on information related to each of the at least two applications, and
when the shortcut icon is selected, obtain window information corresponding to the shortcut icon and control the display to display the at least two user interfaces corresponding to the at least two applications based on the window information,
wherein the information includes information regarding a number of times the at least two applications are executed simultaneously,
wherein the shortcut icon is set based on information related to each of the at least two applications,
wherein the shortcut icon is set when the number of times exceeds a threshold value, and
wherein the window information further includes information about execution states of the applications.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control execution of the at least two applications in the same execution states as the at least two applications executed in another device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shin Ki-Hyuck
• Kim Sung-Hwan
• Kim Doo-Hwan
• Lee Jae-Yeol
• Baek Kun-Woo
• Youn Hee-Ran

Classifications

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  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 title

• H04L65/403

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title