User interfaces for devices with multiple displays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11079995-B1
Application number	US-201816147183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2017
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

In some embodiments, an electronic device displays and allows user interaction with content on multiple displays. In some embodiments, an electronic device displays three-dimensional content using coordinated views on multiple displays. In some embodiments, an electronic device shares content while displaying a video conferencing user interface. In some embodiments, an electronic device facilitates the display or keeping private of content on multiple displays. In some embodiments, an electronic device facilitates the display of information from applications using a shared graphical input coordinate space. In some embodiments, an electronic device presents indications of notifications. In some embodiments, an electronic device presents representations of items of content that are related to content presented on the one or more electronic devices. In some embodiments, an electronic device presents user interfaces including a soft keyboard.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at an electronic device having a first display, a second display, and one or more input devices:
while the first display has a first relative position with respect to the second display, displaying, on the first display and the second display, a user interface in a first mode, wherein displaying the user interface in the first mode includes concurrently displaying content on the first display and one or more controls associated with the content on the second display;
while displaying the user interface on the first display and the second display in the first mode, detecting a change in relative position of the first display with respect to the second display from the first relative position to a second relative position, different from the first relative position;
in response to detecting the change in the relative position of the first display with respect to the second display, displaying, on the first display and the second display, the user interface in a second mode, different than the first mode, wherein displaying the user interface in the second mode includes concurrently displaying the content on the first display and the second display;
before receiving a gesture input associated with a respective location on the second display, displaying, on the second display, the one or more controls associated with the content;
while displaying the content, receiving, via the one or more input devices, the gesture input associated with the respective location on the second display;
while receiving the gesture input, deemphasizing the one or more controls on the second display; and
in response to receiving the gesture input, manipulating the content in accordance with the gesture input.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while the first display has the second relative position with respect to the second display and the electronic device is displaying the user interface on the first display and the second display in the second mode, detecting a change in orientation of the electronic device from a first orientation to a second orientation, different than the first orientation; and
in response to detecting the change in the orientation of the electronic device from the first orientation to the second orientation, displaying, on the first display and the second display, the user interface in a third mode, different than the first mode and the second mode.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
displaying the user interface in the first mode includes concurrently displaying content on the first display and a detailed view of the content on the second display, and
displaying the user interface in the second mode includes concurrently displaying the content on the first display and one or more controls associated with the content on the second display, without displaying the detailed view of the content on the first display or the second display.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
displaying the user interface in the first mode includes concurrently displaying content on the first display and a detailed view of the content and a first set of controls associated with the content on the second display, and
displaying the user interface in the second mode includes concurrently displaying the content on the first display and a second set of controls, different than the first set of controls, associated with the content on the second display.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
displaying the user interface in the first mode includes displaying, on the first display, content that includes text and media integrated into the text, and
displaying the user interface in the second mode includes concurrently displaying the text without the media on the first display, and the media on the second display.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
while displaying the user interface in the second mode, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to select a first media item in the media on the second display; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to select the first media item on the second display, scrolling the text on the first display to a portion of the text that corresponds to the selected first media item.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
while the first display has the first relative position with respect to the second display, notifications are not suppressed on the electronic device, and
while the first display has the second relative position with respect to the second display, notifications are suppressed on the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the gesture input comprises an enlarging input to display an enlarged first portion of the content on the first display, the content including the enlarged first portion displayed on the first display and a second portion not displayed on the first display, and
the method further comprising:
while displaying the enlarged first portion of the content on the first display and the one or more controls associated with the content on the second display, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to edit the content; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to edit the content:
concurrently displaying, on the second display, the enlarged first portion of the content and one or more controls for editing the enlarged first portion of the content; and
displaying, on the first display, the first portion of the content and the second portion of the content.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
displaying the user interface in the first mode includes concurrently displaying:
on the first display, a content map for respective content, the content map including a representation of the respective content and a visual indication identifying a portion of the representation of the respective content, and
on the second display, a portion of the respective content corresponding to the identified portion of the representation of the respective content displayed on the first display.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
while displaying the user interface in the first mode, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to swap the display of content on the first and second displays; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to swap the display of content on the first and second displays, concurrently displaying:
the content map on the second display, including the visual indication identifying the portion of the representation of the respective content; and
the portion of the respective content on the first display corresponding to the identified portion of the representation of the respective content displayed on the second display.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while displaying the user interface in the first mode, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to selection of an affordance for adjusting operation of the second display; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the selection of the affordance, configuring the second display to act as a control element for the first display.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein before receiving the input corresponding to the selection of the affordance, the second display was displaying content, and configuring the second display to act as the control element for the first display includes deemphasizing the content on the second display.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while displaying

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hulbert Thomas Steven
• Cordier Madeleine
• Kim Seung Wook
• Lamberson Brigit E
• Roper Gemma
• Mccarthy Max L L
• Silvanto Mikael

Classifications

• 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

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/04815

  Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional [3D], e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object · CPC title

• G09G2360/06

  Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens · CPC title

• G09G2380/08

  Biomedical applications · CPC title