Transitions and optimizations for a foldable computing device operating in a productivity mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11221759-B2
Application number	US-202016796837-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2020
Priority date	Oct 1, 2019
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A foldable computing device provides user interface (“UI”) transitions and optimizations while operating in a productivity mode. When the foldable computing device is operating in productivity mode, it can present a UI below a hardware keyboard placed over a display region and occluding only a top portion of the display region or a software keyboard presented in the display region occluding only the top portion of the display region. If the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard occlude only the bottom of the display region, a UI can be shown above the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard. The foldable computing device can adjust the position of UI windows that are occluded when the hardware or software keyboard is placed on the display region. The foldable computing device can move the UI windows back to their original positions if the hardware or software keyboard no longer occlude the display region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
determining whether a foldable computing device comprising a first display region and a second display region is operating in a productivity mode that separates the first display region and the second display region via a bend; and
while the foldable computing device is operating in the productivity mode,
determining (i) that a hardware keyboard has been placed over the second display region and occludes at least a portion of the second display region or (ii) that a software keyboard has been presented in the second display region and occludes at least the portion of the second display region;
presenting a user interface in the second display region above or below the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard, the user interface comprising a virtual trackpad and two virtual palm rejection areas;
determining that an application window, which is already displayed in the second display region when the hardware keyboard is placed over the second display region or when the software keyboard is presented in the second display region, is occluded by the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard; and
in response to determining that the application window is occluded by the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard, moving the application window from the second display region to the first display region.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first display region and the second display region are in a landscape orientation when the foldable computing device is operating in the productivity mode.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: while the foldable computing device is operating in the productivity mode and responsive to determining that the hardware keyboard has been placed over the second display region and occludes at least the portion of the second display region or the software keyboard has been presented in the second display region and occludes at least the portion of the second display region, presenting a second user interface in the second display region above or below the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the second user interface comprises an image or video, an emoji, a graphics interchange format image, or contents of a clipboard.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining that the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard no longer occludes at least the portion of the second display region and that a windowing state of the foldable computing device remains unchanged; and responsive thereto, moving the application window from the first display region back to an original position of the application window in the second display region.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising snapping the application window in the first display region.

7. A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a foldable computing device, cause the foldable computing device to:
detect, using one or more sensors and while the foldable computing device is operating in a productivity mode that separates a first display region from a second display region via a bend, (i) that a hardware keyboard has been placed over the second display region and occludes at least a portion of the second display region or (ii) that a software keyboard has been presented in the second display region and occludes at least the portion of the second display region;
determine that an application window, which is already displayed in the second display region when the hardware keyboard is placed over the second display region or when the software keyboard is presented in the second display region, is occluded by the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard; and
in response to determining that the application window is occluded by the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard, move the application window from the second display region to the first display region.

8. The computer storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the first display region and the second display region are in a landscape orientation when the foldable computing device is operating in the productivity mode.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 7 , having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon to cause the foldable computing device to present a user interface in the second display region above or below the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the user interface comprises an image or video, an emoji, a graphics interchange format image, or contents of a clipboard.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 7 , having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon to cause the foldable computing device to: determine that the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard no longer occludes at least the portion of the second display region and that a windowing state of the foldable computing device remains unchanged; and responsive thereto, move the application window from the first display region back to an original position of the application window in the second display region.

12. A foldable computing device, comprising:
one or more processors; and at least one computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the foldable computing device to:
detect, using one or more sensors and while the foldable computing device is operating in a productivity mode that separates a first display region from a second display region via a bend, (i) that a hardware keyboard has been placed over the second display region and occludes at least a portion of the second display region or (ii) that a software keyboard has been presented in the second display region and occludes at least the portion of the second display region;
determine that an application window, which is already displayed in the second display region when the hardware keyboard is placed over the second display region or when the software keyboard is presented in the second display region, is occluded by the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard; and
in response to determining that the application window is occluded by the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard, move the application window from the second display region to the first display region.

13. The foldable computing device of claim 12 , wherein the first display region and the second display region are in a landscape orientation when the foldable computing device is operating in the productivity mode.

14. The foldable computing device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one computer storage medium has further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon to cause the foldable computing device to present a user interface in the second display region above or below the hardware keyboard or the software keyboard.

15. The foldable computing device of claim 14 , wherein the user interface comprises an image or video, an emoji, a graphics interchange format image, or contents of a clipboard.

16. The foldable computing device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one computer storage medium has further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon to cause the foldable computing device to:
determine that the hardware keyboard of the software keyboard no longer occludes at least the portion of the second display region and that a windowing state of the foldable computing device remains unchang

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Klein Christian
• Pendlay Ryan
• Hammerquist Peter
• Carlson Julia Christine
• Hansen Christoffer Peter Hart
• Edelmeier Lauren
• Schenone Scott

Classifications

• G06F3/021

  Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

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

• G06F1/1669

  Detachable keyboards · CPC title

• G06F1/169

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033) · CPC title