User terminal apparatus and controlling method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9996212-B2
Application number	US-201314012369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2013
Priority date	Aug 28, 2012
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A user terminal apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a display which displays a screen, a storage which stores at least one template for defining a layout according to which a plurality of application windows is arranged on the screen, a user interface which receives a user command, and a controller which controls the display to arrange and display the plurality of application windows based on a template selected by the user command from among the at least one template on the screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A user terminal apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a display configured to display a screen;
a storage configured to store at least one template for defining a layout of application windows;
a user interface configured to receive user inputs; and
a processor configured to:
control to display a plurality of application windows having different order on a Z-axis on a single area of the screen,
control to rearrange the displayed plurality of application windows on a plurality of areas in the template selected by a user input, based on an order of the displayed plurality of application windows on a Z-axis and a number of the displayed plurality of application windows,
control to display the rearranged plurality of application windows on the screen, the template including a plurality of areas for displaying application windows, and
if a number of the displayed plurality of application windows is greater than a number of the plurality of areas in the template, control to display first application windows corresponding to a number of the plurality of areas among the displayed plurality of application windows in each of the plurality of areas and display the rest of windows among the displayed plurality of application windows to overlap with the first application windows,
wherein a window of an earliest order on the Z-axis among the rest of windows is displayed to overlap with a window of an earliest order on the Z-axis among the first application windows.

2. The user terminal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor arranges the displayed plurality of application windows on window areas within the selected template according to a predetermined arranging order.

3. The user terminal apparatus of claim 2 , wherein, in response to the number of the displayed plurality of application windows being more than the number of the window areas within the template, the processor overlaps and displays the plurality of application windows on the window areas within the template, and in response to the number of the displayed plurality of application windows being less than the number of the window areas within the template, the processor displays the window areas such that application windows are not arranged as blank among the window areas within the template.

4. The user terminal apparatus of claim 3 , wherein, in response to one displayed application window being arranged on one window area within the template and another displayed application window being arranged to be overlapped on the one window area within the template, the processor overlaps and displays the another application window on a lower portion of the one application window.

5. The user terminal apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor consecutively arranges at least one application window executed after selecting of the template on the window areas within the template according to an order of execution.

6. The user terminal apparatus of claim 5 , wherein, in response to a new application window being executed in a state in which the at least one executed application window is arranged and displayed on all the window areas within the template, the processor overlaps and displays the new application window on an upper portion of one of the displayed plurality of application windows.

7. The user terminal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the displayed plurality of application windows are consecutively arranged on window areas within the template based on a priority of a higher Z-order for arranging the displayed plurality of application windows on the Z-axis.

8. The user terminal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor provides, according to a predetermined user command, at least one of a window edit mode in which a plurality of executed application windows are arranged within the template according to user selection; and a template edit mode in which the user performs at least one of editing a prestored template and creating a new template.

9. The user terminal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, in response to a predetermined menu item being selected, the processor displays at least one template on an area of the screen.

10. The user terminal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user terminal apparatus includes an input unit into which a touch input is entered.

11. A method of controlling a user terminal apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving a user command to select a template for defining a layout of application windows;
rearranging the displayed plurality of application windows having different order on a Z-axis on a single area of the screen on a plurality of areas of the selected template according to the user command, based on an order of the displayed plurality of application windows on a Z-axis and a number of the displayed plurality of application windows; and
displaying the rearranged plurality of application windows on the screen, the template including a plurality of areas for displaying application windows, wherein the rearranging of the displayed plurality of application windows comprises:
if a number of the displayed plurality of application windows is greater than a number of the plurality of areas in the template, rearranging first application windows corresponding to a number of the plurality of areas among the displayed plurality of application windows in each of the plurality of areas, and arranging the rest of windows among the displayed plurality of application windows to overlap with the first application windows,

wherein a window of an earliest order on the Z-axis among the rest of windows is displayed to overlap with a window of an earliest order on the Z-axis among the first application windows.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rearranging of the displayed plurality of application windows comprises arranging the displayed plurality of application windows on window areas within the selected template according to a predetermined arranging order.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the rearranging of the displayed plurality of application windows comprises, in response to the number of the displayed plurality of application windows being more than the number of the window areas within the template, overlapping and displaying the plurality of applications windows on the window areas within the template, and in response to the number of the displayed plurality of application windows being less than the number of the window areas within the template, displaying the window areas such that application windows are not arranged as blank among the window areas within the template.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the rearranging of the displayed plurality of application windows comprises, in response to one executed application window being arranged on one window area within the template and another executed application window being arranged to be overlapped on the one window area within the template, overlapping and displaying the another application window on a lower portion of the one application window.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the rearranging of the displayed plurality of application windows comprises consecutively arranging at least one application window executed after selecting of the template on the window areas within the template according to an order of execution.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein, in response to a new application window being executed in a state in which the at least one executed application window is arranged and displayed on all the window areas within the template, the method further comprises overlapping and displaying the new application

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sun Kwang-Won
• Kim Kang-Tae
• Kim Duck-Hyun
• Kim Eun-Young
• Kim Chul-Joo
• Lee Jae-Yeol

Classifications

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• 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

• G06F3/0483

  Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor · CPC title

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  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

• G06F2203/04806

  Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation · CPC title