Electronic device having two displays and a method for executing a different application on each display of the electronic device based on simultaneous inputs into a plurality of application icons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10466856-B2
Application number	US-201514964789-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first display, a second display, and a processor configured to display execution screens of applications corresponding to at least two icons on the first display and the second display, when detecting the least two icons in at least one display among the first display and the second display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first display;
a second display; and
a processor configured to:
receive a first input for selecting a first icon and a second input for selecting a second icon in the first display or in the second display, while the first icon and the second icon are displayed on the first display or the second display,
in response to detecting the first input and the second input within a predetermined time, display a first execution screen of a first application corresponding to the first icon on the first display and a second execution screen of a second application corresponding to the second icon on the second display,
determine whether the first icon and the second icon are displayed within a threshold distance of each other when receiving the first input and the second input in the first display or the second display,
determine an input frequency of the first icon and the second icon in response to determining that the first icon and the second icon are not displayed within the threshold distance of each other, and
move at least one of the first icon or the second icon to be displayed within the threshold distance in response to determining that the input frequency of the first icon and the second icon is equal to or larger than a threshold value when one of the first execution screen or the second execution screen is removed.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
display a third execution screen for a third application corresponding to a third icon on both the first display and the second display according to a third input for selecting the third icon.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to display the first execution screen and the second execution screen on a plurality of windows, respectively, when receiving the first input and the second input while displaying the plurality of windows on the first display.

4. A method for executing an application by an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving a first input for selecting a first icon and a second input for selecting a second icon in a first display or a second display, while the first icon and the second icon are displayed on the first display or the second display;
in response to detecting the first input and the second input within a predetermined time, displaying a first execution screen of a first application corresponding to the first icon on the first display and a second execution screen of a second application corresponding to the second icon on the second display;
determining whether the first icon and the second icon are displayed within a threshold distance of each other when receiving the first input and the second input in the first display or the second display;
determining an input frequency of the first icon and the second icon in response to determining that the first icon and the second icon are not displayed within the threshold distance of each other; and
moving at least one of the first icon or the second icon to be displayed within the threshold distance in response to determining that the input frequency of the first icon and the second icon is equal to or larger than a threshold value when one of the first execution screen or the second execution screen is removed.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
displaying a third execution screen for a third application corresponding to a third icon on both the first display and the second display according to a third input for selecting the third icon.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the displaying of the first execution screen comprises displaying the first execution screen and the second execution screen on a plurality of windows, respectively, in response to receiving the first input and the second input while displaying the plurality of windows on the first display.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the displaying of the first execution screen and the displaying of the second execution screen comprise:
receiving the first input in a first page screen of the first display or the second display, in an input mode of a plurality of page screens;
receiving the second input in a second page screen of the first display or the second display, after receiving the first input; and
in response to the receiving of the first input and the second input:
displaying the first execution screen on the first display, and
displaying the second execution screen on the second display.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which instructions are stored for executing at least one operation, the instructions being configured to cause at least one processor to:
receive a first input for selecting a first icon and a second input for selecting a second icon in a first display or a second display, while the first icon and the second icon are displayed on the first display or the second display, and
in response to detecting the first input and the second input within a predetermined time, display a first execution screen of a first application corresponding to the first icon on the first display and a second execution screen of a second application corresponding to the second icon on the second display,
determine whether the first icon and the second icon are displayed within a threshold distance of each other when receiving the first input and the second input in the first display or the second display,
determine an input frequency of the first icon and the second icon in response to determining that the first icon and the second icon are not displayed within the threshold distance of each other, and
move at least one of the first icon or the second icon to be displayed within the threshold distance in response to determining that the input frequency of the first icon and the second icon is equal to or larger than a threshold value when one of the first execution screen or the second execution screen is removed.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shin Sang-Min
• Kim Min-Kyu
• Park Ui-Jeong

Classifications

• G06F2203/04803

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

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  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

• G06F3/048 Primary

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G06F3/04817 Primary

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