Method and apparatus for controlling screen display on electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016124497-A1
Application number	US-201514928301-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device and a method of controlling a screen display of the electronic device are provided. The method includes displaying, in one screen, a first display area in which a main task is executed and a second display area in which a sub-task is executed; detecting a rotation of the electronic device; determining a direction of a user's face relative to the electronic device; and determining a direction of the display area based on an angle between a direction of the electronic device and the determined direction of the user's face.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a display unit configured to displaying a first display area in which a main task is executed and a second display area in which a sub-task is executed; a sensor unit configured to detect a rotation of the electronic device; a camera configured to photograph a user's face located in front of the electronic device; and a controller configured to determine a direction the a user's face relative to the electronic device based on the user's face photographed by the camera, and when the rotation of the electronic device is detected by the sensor unit, determining a display direction of the display area based on an angle between a direction of the electronic device and the determined direction of the user's face.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control display of a screen in an initial state before a rotation is detected, when the angle between the direction of the electronic device and the direction of the user's face corresponds to a first value, display the screen in a horizontal direction of the electronic device when the angle corresponds to a second value, and display the screen in a state, in which rotates the screen of the electronic device has been rotated by 180°, when the angle corresponds to a third value.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the display direction of the display area based on an angle between a direction from a bottom to a top of the electronic device and a direction from a bottom to a top of the user's face.

4 . An electronic device comprising:
a display unit configured to, in one screen, display a first display area in which a main task is executed and a second display area in which a sub-task is executed; a sensor unit configured to detect a rotation of the electronic device; a camera configured to photograph a movement of a user's eye located in front of the electronic device; and a controller configured to determine a position of a user's sight line by analyzing a movement of the user's eye photographed by the camera, and when the rotation of the electronic device is detected by the sensor unit, display the screen in a state in which the direction of a display area has been rotated, while displaying a task in one of the first and second display areas corresponding to the determined position of the sight line expanded to fill the entire screen.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein, based on a determination that the position of the user's sight line corresponds to the second display area, the controller is further configured to control display of a screen in a full-screen mode of a task corresponding to the second display area.

6 . An electronic device comprising:
a display unit configured to, in one screen, display a first display area in which a main task is executed and a second display area in which a sub-task is executed; a sensor unit configured to detect a rotation of the electronic device and a holding position of the electronic device; and a controller configured to, when the rotation of the electronic device is detected, display at least one of the first and second display areas in a state in which the direction of the display area has been changed in response to the rotation, while displaying the first display area to be arranged closer to the detected holding position of the electronic device than the second display area.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to control display of the first display area on a right side of the electronic device and the second display area on a left side of the electronic device when the detected holding position corresponds to the right side, and display of the first display area on the left side and the second display area on the right side when the detected holding position corresponds to the left side.

8 . An electronic device comprising:
a display unit configured to, in one screen, display a first display area in which a main task is executed and a second display area in which a sub-task is executed; a touch panel configured to detect a user event for a display area expansion; and a controller configured to, based on a determination that the user event for the display area expansion is detected, control display of one of the first and second display areas to expand an entire area in which the first display area and the second display area were previously displayed.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine that condition for the display area expansion is satisfied in one of the first display area and the second display area, and control display of a notification indicating the area in which the condition for the display area expansion is satisfied in the area.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein, when the user event is detected at a point in which the notification is displayed, the controller is further configured to control expansion of the display area, in which the condition for display area expansion is satisfied, to the entire screen.

11 . A method of controlling a screen display of an electronic device, the method comprising:
displaying, in one screen, a first display area in which a main task is executed and a second display area in which a sub-task is executed; detecting a rotation of the electronic device; determining a direction of a user's face relative to the electronic device; and determining a direction of the display area based on an angle between a direction of the electronic device and the determined direction of the user's face.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the direction of the display area comprises displaying an initial state screen before the rotation is detected, when the angle between the direction of the electronic device and the direction of the user's face corresponds to a first value, horizontally displaying a screen of the electronic device when the angle corresponds to a second value, and displaying a screen in a state in which the screen has been rotated by 180° when the angle corresponds to a third value.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining of the direction of the display area comprises determining a direction of the display area based on an angle between a direction from a bottom to a top of the electronic device and a direction from a bottom to a top of the user's face.

14 . A method of controlling a screen display of an electronic device, the method comprising:
displaying, in one screen, a first display area in which a main task is executed and a second display area in which a sub-task is executed; detecting a rotation of the electronic device; determining a position of a user's sight line based on a movement of a user's eye located in front of the electronic device when the rotation of the electronic device is detected; and displaying the screen in a state in which the direction of the screen has been rotated, while displaying a task in one of the first and second display areas corresponding to the determined position of the sight line expanded to fill the entire screen.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein displaying the task expanded to fill the entire screen comprises, when the determined position of the user's sight line corresponds to the second area, and the sub-task in the second display area is a widget mode of a second task, displaying the second in a full-screen mode on the entire screen.

16 . A method of

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sungsik
• Lee Sukjae

Classifications

• G06F3/012 Primary

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• G06F3/005 Primary

  Input arrangements through a video camera · CPC title

• G06V10/242

  by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees · CPC title

• G06T3/40

  Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title