Gesture controls for multi-screen hierarchical applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016179367-A1
Application number	US-201514945844-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2015
Priority date	Oct 1, 2010
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Control of a computing device using gesture inputs. The computing device may be a handheld computing device with a plurality of displays. The displays may be capable of displaying a graphical user interface (GUI). The plurality of displays may be modified in response to receipt of a gesture input such that a hierarchical application having related GUI screens are modified in response to the gesture input. The modification may include changing the hierarchical application from being displayed in a single screen mode to being displayed in a multi screen mode or vice versa.

First claim

1 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . A method for controlling a plurality of displays of a handheld computing device, comprising:
providing the handheld device including at least a first display and a second display, wherein each display includes a touch screen display and an off-display touch sensor, wherein the off-display touch sensor is physically separate from the touch screen display; executing a hierarchical application on the handheld computing device, wherein the hierarchical application comprises a plurality of related familial screens; displaying a first screen of the plurality of related familial screens of the hierarchical application on a first touch screen display associated with the first display; displaying a desktop on a second touch screen display associated with the second display; receiving a first gesture input at the handheld computing device in a first off-display touch sensor associated with the first display, wherein the first gesture input has a first direction; in response to receiving the first gesture input, displaying a second screen of the plurality of related familial screens of the hierarchical application on the second touch screen display; in response to receiving the first gesture input, displaying the first screen on the first touch screen display; receiving a second gesture input at the handheld computing device in the first touch screen display associated with the first display, wherein the second gesture has the first direction; and in response to receiving the second gesture input, moving the first screen to display on the second touch screen display.

21 . The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein the moving of the first screen in response to receiving the second gesture input corresponds to a direction of the gesture input.

22 . The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the first gesture input comprises a drag gesture.

23 . The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein the first screen comprises a parent screen and the second screen comprises a node screen of the parent screen.

24 . The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein, in response to receiving the first gesture input and displaying the second screen on the second touch screen display, the desktop is not visible on the second touch screen display.

25 . The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein in response to receiving the second gesture input and to moving the first screen to display on the second touch screen display, displaying a different desktop on the first touch screen display and hiding the second screen.

26 . The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein in response to receiving the second gesture input and moving the first screen to display on the second touch screen display, hiding the second screen and displaying a root screen of the plurality of related familial screens of the hierarchical application on the first touch screen display, and wherein the first screen comprises a child screen of the root screen.

27 . A method for controlling a plurality of displays of a handheld computing device, comprising:
providing the handheld device including at least a first display and a second display, wherein each display includes a touch screen display and an off-display touch sensor, and wherein the off-display touch sensor is physically separate from the touch screen display; executing a hierarchical application on the handheld computing device, wherein the hierarchical application comprises a plurality of related familial screens; displaying a first screen of the plurality of related familial screens of the hierarchical application on a first touch screen display associated with the first display; displaying a second screen of the plurality of related familial screens of the hierarchical application on a second touch screen display associated with the second display, wherein the second screen is a child screen of the first screen; receiving a first gesture input at the handheld computing device in a second off-display touch sensor associated with the second display, wherein the first gesture input is a directional input to move the second screen to the first display, wherein the second off-display touch sensor is physically separate from the plurality of displays, and wherein the first gesture input has a first direction; in response to the first gesture input, displaying the first screen on the first touch screen display; in response to the first gesture input, the second screen moves to the first touch screen display, wherein the second screen is not displayed on the first and second touch screen displays; receiving a second gesture input at the handheld computing device in the second touch screen display associated with the second display, wherein the first gesture input and the second gesture input are similar; and in response to receiving the second gesture input, moving the first screen to display on the second touch screen display.

28 . The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein the first gesture input is directional from the second touch screen display to the first touch screen display and the movement of the second screen corresponds to the first direction of the first gesture input.

29 . The method as recited in claim 28 , wherein the first gesture input comprises a drag gesture.

30 . The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein, in response to the first gesture input, the second screen is hidden behind the first screen and a second desktop is displayed on the second touch screen display.

31 . The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein the first screen comprises a node screen and the second screen comprises a leaf screen.

32 . The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein, in response to the second gesture input, a first desktop is displayed on the first touch screen display.

33 . The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein in response to the first gesture input and moving the second screen to the first touch screen display, displaying a screen of another hierarchical application executing on the handheld computing device on the second touch screen display.

34 . A handheld computing device, comprising:
a processor operable to execute a hierarchical application comprising:
a plurality of related familial screens;
a first display comprising:
a first touch screen display in operative communication with the processor, the first touch screen display operable to display a first screen of said related familial screens;
a first off-display touch sensor in operative communication with the processor, the first off-display touch sensor operable to receive a first gesture input, wherein the first gesture input is a directional input to move the first screen to a second display, wherein the first gesture input has a first direction, and wherein the first off-display touch sensor is physically separate from the first touch screen display;
the second display physically hinged to the first display comprising:
a second touch screen display in operative communication with the processor and operable to display a second screen of said related familial screens;
a second off-display touch sensor in operative communication with the processor and operable to receive a second gesture input;
wherein the processor is operable to:
in response to the first gesture input, display the first screen on the second touch screen display and display a first desktop or other screen on the first touch screen display;
receive a second gesture input received in the second off-display touch sensor, wherein the second gesture has the first direction; and
in response to the second gesture inp

Assignees

• Z124

Inventors

• Gimpl Martin
• Sirpal Sanjiv

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 Primary

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

• G06F1/1647

  including at least an additional display (G06F1/1692 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

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

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title