Electronic device and method for controlling display in electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10444920-B2
Application number	US-201715783432-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2017
Priority date	Oct 17, 2016
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a touchscreen, at least one processor electrically connected with the touchscreen, and a memory electrically connected with the processor. The memory may store instructions executed to enable the at least one processor to display a first window for running a first application and a second window for running a second application on the touchscreen, display a virtual keypad on a portion of the first window and a portion of the second window corresponding to a first input to a focused window of the first window and the second window, and vary a size of the virtual keypad corresponding to a second input to the virtual keypad.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a touchscreen;
at least one processor electrically connected with the touchscreen; and
a memory electrically connected with the at least one processor,
wherein the memory stores instructions executed to enable the at least one processor to:
display a first window for running a first application and a second window for running a second application on the touchscreen,
display a virtual keypad on a portion of the first window and a portion of the second window corresponding to a user input to a focused window of the first window and the second window,
identify a touch input on an edge portion of the virtual keypad, and
change a size and a shape of the virtual keypad based on a movement direction and a movement distance of the touch input.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when the movement distance of the touch input is greater than or equal to a designated threshold, the instructions enable the at least one processor to change the size of the virtual keypad into a designated size according to the movement direction of the touch input.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein a left side of the virtual keypad is positioned on a left side of the first window, and
wherein a right side of the virtual keypad is positioned on a right side of the second window that is disposed in parallel with the first window.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein, when the touch input is moved from a left side of the virtual keypad to a right side of the virtual keypad and the movement distance of the touch input is greater than or equal to a designated threshold, the instructions enable the at least one processor to change the size of the virtual keypad so that the left side of the virtual keypad is positioned on a left side of the second window.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the edge portion includes the left side of the virtual keypad.

6. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein, when the touch input is moved from a right side of the virtual keypad to a left side of the virtual keypad and the movement distance of the touch input is greater than or equal to a designated threshold, the instructions enable the at least one processor to change the size of the virtual keypad so that the right side of the virtual keypad is positioned on a right side of the first window.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the edge portion includes the right side of the virtual keypad.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions enable the at least one processor to:
change the size and the shape of the virtual keypad in the movement direction of the touch input in proportion to the movement distance of the touch input.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the touchscreen includes a rectangular shape with a horizontal size and a vertical size different from the horizontal size,
wherein the electronic device is operated in a horizontal mode where the first window and the second window are displayed in parallel with each other in a vertical direction of the touchscreen, and
wherein the first window and the second window do not overlap each other.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 ,
wherein the virtual keypad is positioned in an area of the first window, and
wherein, when a drag input for a boundary between the first window and the second window is received, the instructions enable the at least one processor to move the boundary in a direction of the drag input for the boundary in proportion to a length of the drag input for the boundary to adjust a horizontal size of the first window, the second window, and the virtual keypad.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions enable the at least one processor to:
display a cursor on a text entry window of an application run on the focused window, and
upon receiving a user input for a text entry window of the first window or the second window which is not the focused window, terminate the display of the cursor and display the cursor on a text entry window where the user input for the text entry window is sensed.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions enable the at least one processor to display the virtual keypad on a portion of the first window upon receiving a touch input to a text entry window of the first application of the first window while the virtual keypad is displayed on a portion of the second window.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the touchscreen is a single screen.

14. A method for controlling a display in an electronic device, the method comprising:
displaying a first window for running a first application and a second window for running a second application on a touchscreen of the electronic device;
displaying a virtual keypad on a portion of the first window and a portion of the second window corresponding to a user input to a focused window of the first window and the second window;
identifying a touch input on an edge portion of the virtual keypad; and
changing a size and a shape of the virtual keypad based on a movement direction and a movement distance of the touch input.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the changing of the size and the shape of the virtual keypad includes, when the movement distance of the touch input is a designated threshold or more, changing the size of the virtual keypad into a designated size according to the movement direction of the touch input.

16. The method of claim 14 ,
wherein a left side of the virtual keypad is positioned on a left side of the first window, and
wherein a right side of the virtual keypad is positioned on a right side of the second window that is disposed in parallel with the first window.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the changing of the size and the shape of the virtual keypad includes:
when the touch input is moved from a left side of the virtual keypad to a right side of the virtual keypad and the movement distance of the touch input is a designated threshold or more, changing the size of the virtual keypad so that the left side of the virtual keypad is positioned on a left side of the second window, and
when the touch input is moved from a right side of the virtual keypad to a left side of the virtual keypad and the movement distance of the touch input is a designated threshold or more, changing the size of the virtual keypad so that the right side of the virtual keypad is positioned on a right side of the first window.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the changing of the size and the shape of the virtual keypad includes, changing the size of the virtual keypad in the movement direction of the touch input in proportion to the movement distance of the touch input.

19. The method of claim 14 ,
wherein the touchscreen includes a rectangular shape with a horizontal size and a vertical size different from the horizontal size,
wherein the electronic device is operated in a horizontal mode where the first window and the second window are displayed in parallel with each other in a vertical direction of the touchscreen, and
wherein the first window and the second window do not overlap each other.

20. The method of claim 19 ,
wherein the virtual keypad is positioned on any one portion of the first window, and
wherein the changing of the size and the shape of the virtual keypad further includes, when a drag input for a boundary between the first window and the second window is received, moving the boundar

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sun-Young
• Ko Jeong-Won
• Kwon Joong-Hun
• Kim Chang-Hwan
• Nam Sang-Deuk
• Nam Seung-Wook
• Park Myoung-Soo
• Lee Kyung-Jun
• Lee Dong-Oh
• Jung Jun-Won
• Yang Hui-Chul
• LEE Hyun-Yeul
• Jeong Lim Soojin

Classifications

• G06F2203/04806

  Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation · CPC title

• G06F3/04886 Primary

  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

• G06F2203/04803

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

• H03K17/98

  having a plurality of control members, e.g. keyboard · CPC title

• H03K17/9622

  using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard · CPC title