Electronic device for executing a plurality of applications and method for controlling the electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016147388-A1
Application number	US-201514950954-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 24, 2015
Priority date	Nov 24, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device for executing a plurality of applications and a method for controlling the electronic device are provided. The method includes determining a first application related to an acquired user input from among the plurality of applications, and executing a task corresponding to the user input in the first application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for controlling an electronic device that executes a plurality of applications, the method comprising:
determining a first application related to an acquired user input from among the plurality of applications; and executing a task corresponding to the user input in the first application.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input includes at least one of a voice input, a gesture input, and a pen input.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first application comprises determining the first application using a stored database in which user inputs are mapped to tasks executable in each of the plurality of applications.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first application comprises detecting an application looked at by a user among the plurality of applications by tracking the eyes of the user.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the first application comprises determining an application detected to have been looked at by the user while acquiring the user input from among the plurality of applications to be the first application.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the first application further comprises storing detection histories of applications detected to have been looked at by the user for at least a predetermined time period.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the first application comprises determining an application detected a greatest number of times to have been looked at by the user from among the plurality of applications looked at by the user for at least the predetermined time period based on the detection history of the application to be the first application.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first application comprises acquiring an additional input indicating a predetermined application while acquiring the user input.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the first application comprises determining the predetermined application indicated by the additional input to be the first application.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first application related to the user input comprises:
displaying a pop-up window for receiving a selection of the first application related to the user input.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the first application comprises determining an application selected in the pop-up window by the user to be the first application.

12 . An electronic device comprising:
a touch screen configured to display a plurality of applications being executed; and a controller configured to determine a first application related to an acquired user input from among the plurality of applications, and to control execution of a task corresponding to the user input in the first application.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the user input includes at least one of a voice input, a gesture input, and a pen input.

14 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the controller determines the first application using a stored database in which user inputs are mapped to tasks executable in each of the plurality of applications.

15 . The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising a camera configured to capture a facial image of the user,
wherein the controller tracks the eyes of the user based on the captured facial image of the user and detects an application looked at by the user among the plurality of applications.

16 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the controller determines an application detected to have been looked at by the user while acquiring the user input from among the plurality of applications to be the first application.

17 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the controller controls storing of detection histories of applications detected to have been looked at by the user for at least a predetermined time period.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the controller determines an application detected a greatest number of times to have been looked at by the user from among the plurality of applications looked at by the user for at least the predetermined time period based on the detection history of the application to be the first application.

19 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the controller acquires an additional input indicating a predetermined application while acquiring the user input.

20 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the controller determines the predetermined application indicated by the additional input to be the first application.

21 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein, the controller controls display of a pop-up window for receiving a selection of the first application related to the user input.

22 . The electronic device of claim 21 , wherein the controller determines an application selected in the pop-up window by the user to be the first application.

23 . A method for controlling an electronic device that executes a plurality of applications, the method comprising:
executing a first application in a foreground and executing a second application in a background; acquiring a user input; and executing a task corresponding to the user input in the second application in the background.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the user input is of an input type that is not supported by the first application.

25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising allocating the acquired user input to the second application.

26 . An electronic device comprising:
a touch screen configured to display a first application being executed in a foreground and a second application being executed in a background; and a controller configured to acquire a user input and to control execution of a task corresponding to the user input in the second application in the background.

27 . The electronic device of claim 26 , wherein the user input is of an input type that is not supported by the first application.

28 . The electronic device of claim 27 , wherein the controller allocates the acquired user input to the second application.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shin Dong-Jun
• Cho Han-Ju
• Yang Ji-Eun
• Lee Eun-Ju

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

• G06F3/013 Primary

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/16

  Sound input; Sound output (speech processing G10L) · CPC title