Information processing method and electronic device thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9678703-B2
Application number	US-201414465215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

An information processing method and apparatus are provided in which a first switching operation instructs an electronic device to switch from a first mode to a second mode while the electronic device is in the first mode, in response to the first switching operation controlling the electronic device to switch from the first mode to the second mode, wherein a display unit set in a face of the electronic device acts as an auxiliary input unit and a projection unit, for projecting content, is set as an output unit while the electronic device is in the first mode; and wherein the display unit acts as an output unit and the projection unit is set as an auxiliary input unit while the electronic device is in the second mode.

First claim

We claim:

1. An information processing method comprising:
obtaining a first switching operation instructing an electronic device to switch from a first mode to a second mode in the case that the electronic device is in the first mode;
responding to the first switching operation; and
controlling the electronic device to switch from the first mode to the second mode;
wherein a display unit set in a face of the electronic device acts as an auxiliary input unit and a projection unit, for projecting content, is set as an output unit in the case that the electronic device is in the first mode;
wherein the display unit acts as an output unit and the projection unit is set as an auxiliary input unit in the case that the electronic device is in the second mode; and
wherein obtaining the first switching operation comprises: obtaining the first switching operation in the case that an angle between the display unit and a horizontal plane is adjusted to fall into a first predetermined range;
wherein the method further comprises:
obtaining a second switching operation instructing he electronic device to switch from the second mode to the first mode in the case that the electronic device is in the second mode;
responding to the second switching operation; and
controlling the electronic device to switch from the second mode to the first mode;
and wherein obtaining the second switching operation comprises: obtaining the second switching operation in the case that the angle between the display unit and the horizontal plane is adjusted to fall into a second predetermined range.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein
in the case that the electronic device is in the first mode, the method further comprises: enabling a first input unit of the electronic device so as to implement an auxiliary input function by the first input unit; and
in the case that the electronic device is in the second mode, the method further comprises:

enabling a second input unit of the electronic device so as to implement an input control function on a first display interface by the second input unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the case that the electronic device switches from the first mode to the second mode, the method further comprises:
adjusting the display direction of the auxiliary input unit to be consistent with the display direction of the output unit.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the case that the electronic device switches from the first mode to the second mode, the method further comprises:
exchanging the projected content of the projection unit and displayed content of the display unit.

5. An electronic device comprising:
a body;
a display unit set on a first face of the body, the display unit having a first edge and a second edge opposite to the first edge, wherein the second edge is parallel to the first edge;
a projection unit set inside the body and which projects the content to be projected onto a first display interface, the first display interface being projected at a first side corresponding to the first edge of the display unit, the display unit being capable of displaying a second display interface, a predetermined angle being formed between the first display interface and the second display interface; and
a processing unit which:
obtains a first switching operation instructing the electronic device to switch from a first mode to a second mode in the case that the electronic device is in the first mode;
responds to the first switching operation; and
controls the electronic device to switch from the first mode to the second mode;

wherein the display unit acts as an auxiliary input unit and the projection unit is set as an output unit in the case that the electronic device is in the first mode; and wherein the display unit acts as an output unit and the projection unit is set as an auxiliary input unit in the case that the electronic device is in the second mode;
wherein the processing unit further:
obtains the first switching operation in the case that the angle between the display unit and the horizontal plane is adjusted to fall into a first predetermined range;

wherein the processing unit further:
obtains a second switching operation instructing the electronic device to switch from the second mode to the first mode in the case that the electronic device is in the second mode;
responds to the second switching operation; and
controls the electronic device to switch from the second mode to the first mode;

and wherein the processing unit further obtains the second switching operation in the case that the angle between the display unit and the horizontal plane is adjusted to fall into a second predetermined range.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the electronic device further comprises:
a first input unit, which is enabled in the case that the electronic device is in the first mode so as to implement the auxiliary input function by the first input unit; and
a second input unit, which is enabled in the case that the electronic device is in the second mode so as to implement an input control function on the first display interface by the second input unit.

7. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein in the case that the electronic device switches from the first mode to the second mode, the processing unit is further configured to:
adjust the display direction of the auxiliary input unit to be consistent with the display direction of the output unit.

8. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein in the case that the electronic device switches from the first mode to the second mode, the processing unit further exchanges the projected content of the projection unit and the displayed content of the display unit.

9. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the body comprising:
a first body;
a second body; and
a rotational connection structure for rotatablely connecting the first body and the second body,
wherein the display unit is set on a first face of the first body, and the projection unit is set inside the first body.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a body;
a display unit set on a first face of the body, the display unit having a first edge and a second edge opposite to the first edge, wherein the second edge is parallel to the first edge;
a projection unit set inside the body and which projects the content to be projected onto a first display interface, the first display interface being projected at a first side corresponding to the first edge of the display unit, the display unit being capable of displaying a second display interface, a predetermined angle being formed between the first display interface and the second display interface; and
a processing unit which:
obtains a first switching operation instructing the electronic device to switch from a first mode to a second mode in the case that the electronic device is in the first mode;
responds to the first switching operation; and
controls the electronic device to switch from the first mode to the second mode; wherein the display unit acts as an auxiliary input unit and the projection unit is set as an output unit in the case that the electronic device is in the first mode; wherein the display unit acts as an output unit and the projection unit is set as an auxiliary input unit in the case that the electronic device is in the second mode,

wherein the processing unit further:
obtains the first switching operation in the case that a connection mechanism, rotatablely connecting a first body of the electronic device and a second body of the electronic device, is rotated so that the first display interface is located at a second side corresponding to the second edge of the display u

Assignees

• Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd
• Lenovo Beijing Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Weiwei
• Xia Jie

Classifications

• G09G3/002

  to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT · CPC title

• G06F3/1423

  controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display · CPC title

• G06F1/00

  Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 (architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76) · CPC title

• H04N9/31

  Projection devices for colour picture display {, e.g. using electronic spatial light modulators [ESLM]} · CPC title

• G03B21/145

  Housing details, e.g. position adjustments thereof · CPC title