User interface method, system, and device in multitasking environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9258514-B2
Application number	US-48282106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2006
Priority date	Aug 30, 2005
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

In a user interface method, system and device in a multitasking environment, it is possible for a user to view all of a plurality of simultaneously executed applications by assigning different display areas to the plurality of applications. In the method, system and device, priorities of applications already being executed and of additional applications for which execution is requested are determined, and a display area size is determined and assigned to each application according to its priority. The system comprises a set-top box for performing the latter functions and a user terminal for transmitting a user request, while the device comprises a control unit for performing the latter functions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A user interface method in a multitasking environment, the method comprising:
receiving a request to execute a first application;
determining at least one priority of at least one application being executed, respectively, the at least one application comprising the first application;
determining a size of a display area for each application according to the determined at least one priority; and
displaying the at least one application in the display area in accordance with the determined size of the display area for each application.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising changing the determined size of the display area for said each application in response to an input.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one priority is determined in response to an input.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first application is assigned a highest priority.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one priority is determined according to stored priority information of each application.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in response to a request to execute a phone call application during execution of a television reception application, the phone call application is assigned a higher priority.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a call transmission application executed in response to a request is assigned a higher priority than a priority assigned to a call reception application executed in response to receiving a request from a party.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one priority comprises:
a first level in which an application is assigned 100 percent of the display area;
a second level in which an application is assigned a portion of the display area which is larger, by a determined amount, than portions of the display area assigned to other applications which are simultaneously executed;
a third level in which an application is assigned a portion of the display area which is smaller, by a determined amount, than portions of the display area assigned to other applications which are simultaneously executed; and
a fourth level in which an application is not assigned a portion of the display area and is executed.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein priority levels assigned to each application are changed in response to a request.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the change of the priority levels in response to the request is sequentially performed from the first level to the fourth level.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the change of the priority levels in response to the request is sequentially performed from the fourth level to the first level.

12. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising assigning the second level to a selected one of the at least one application being executed to display the selected one of the at least one application being executed in an area which is larger, by a determined amount, than a display area of a non-selected application of the at least one application being executed.

13. A user interface system in a multitasking environment, the system comprising:
a set-top box responsive to receive a request to execute a first application, to determine at least one priority for at least one application being executed, respectively, to determine a size of a display area for each application according to the determined at least one priority, and to display the at least one application in the display area in accordance with the determined size of the display area for each application; and
a terminal to transmit a second request to the set-top box to control the set-top box,
wherein the at least one application comprises the first application.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the set-top box changes the determined size of the display area for said each application in response to the second request.

15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one priority is determined in response to the second request.

16. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one priority is determined by referring to a history of executed applications.

17. A user interface device in a multitasking environment, the device comprising:
a control unit responsive to receive a request to execute a first application, to determine at least one priority for at least one application being executed, respectively, to determine a size of a display area for each application according to the determined at least one priority, and to display the at least one application in the display area in accordance with the determined size of the display area for each application,
wherein the at least one application comprises the first application.

18. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the control unit changes the determined size of the display area for each of the at least one application in response to an input.

19. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one priority is determined in response to an input.

20. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one priority is determined by referring to a history of executed applications.

21. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the control unit determines a highest priority for the first application.

22. The device according to claim 17 , wherein, in response to a phone call application being executed while a television reception application is being executed, the control unit assigns a higher priority to the phone call application.

23. The device according to claim 22 , wherein the control unit assigns a higher priority to a transmitting phone call application than to a receiving phone call application.

24. The device according to claim 17 , further comprising a storage unit to store priority information of each application,
wherein the control unit determines the at least one priority of the at least one application by referring to the priority information stored in the storage unit.

25. The device according to claim 24 , wherein the storage unit further stores size information of the display area determined according to the priority information; and
wherein the control unit determines the size of the display area for each application by referring to the size information stored in the storage unit.

26. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one priority comprises:
a first level in which an application is assigned 100 percent of the display area;
a second level in which an application is assigned a portion of the display area which is larger, by a determined amount, than portions of the display area assigned to other applications which are simultaneously executed;
a third level in which an application is assigned a portion of the display area which is smaller, by a determined amount, than portions of the display area assigned to other applications which are simultaneously executed; and
a fourth level in which an application is not assigned a portion of the display area and is executed.

27. The device according to claim 26 , wherein the second priority level is assigned to the first application.

Assignees

• Lee Si-Hyoung
• Park Nam-Choon
• Park Yi-Sak
• Kang Jung-Won
• Kim Ji-Hoon
• Shin So-Young
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Si-Hyoung
• Park Nam-Choon
• Park Yi-Sak
• Kang Jung-Won
• Kim Ji-Hoon
• Shin So-Young

Classifications

• H04N21/4788

  communicating with other users, e.g. chatting {(arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)} · CPC title

• H04N21/478

  Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application · CPC title

• H04N21/443

  OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• H04N21/4438

  Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface · CPC title