Mode-switching in ultra mobile devices
View Patent ↗Arrangements for managing displays of ultra-mobile devices (UMD's). Automatically or manually, a small-mode interface on a UMD screen, wherein one application window is visible, is switched to a large-mode interface.
1. A method comprising:
providing an ultra-mobile device (UMD) computer system, the UMD computer system comprising a screen;
effecting a small-mode user interface on the UMD computer system screen, the small-mode user interface managing one application window on the UMD computer system screen;
wherein the small-mode user interface occupies substantially all of the UMD computer system screen and is not a sub-portion thereof;
effecting a large-mode user interface responsive to one or more large-mode user interface conditions being detected, the large-mode user interface managing a plurality of application windows; and
switching between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said switching comprises automatically switching between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a large-mode user interface condition.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said switching comprises:
automatically switching from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a connection with a docking station; and
automatically switching from the large-mode user interface to the small-mode user interface responsive to detection of a lack of a connection with a docking station.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said switching comprises:
automatically switching from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a connection with a large-screen monitor; and
automatically switching from the large-mode user interface to the small-mode user interface responsive to detection of a lack of a connection with a large-screen monitor.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said switching comprises:
automatically switching from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a connection with a keyboard; and
automatically switching from the large-mode user interface to the small-mode user interface responsive to detection of a lack of a connection with a keyboard.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said switching comprises:
automatically switching from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a connection with a mouse; and
automatically switching from the large-mode user interface to the small-mode user interface responsive to detection of a lack of a connection with a mouse.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said switching comprises manually switching between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said switching comprises manually switching from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface via a manual actuator connected with the UMD computer system.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said effecting of a small-mode user interface comprises effecting a reduction in power consumption of the UMD computer system.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said effecting of a reduction in power consumption comprises re-nicing a UMD computer system process.
11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said effecting of a reduction in power consumption comprises terminating a UMD computer system process.
12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said effecting of a reduction in power consumption comprises suppressing a backlight associated with the screen.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the small-mode interface is a single application interface for single tasking with navigation elements geared toward easy access to common applications.
14. An ultra-mobile device (UMD) computer system comprising:
a CPU;
a system memory in communication with said CPU;
a screen;
an arrangement for effecting a small-mode user interface on the UMD computer system screen, the small-mode user interface managing one application window on the UMD computer system screen;
wherein the small-mode user interface occupies substantially all of the UMD computer system screen and is not a sub-portion thereof;
an arrangement for effecting a large-mode user interface responsive to one or more large-mode user interface conditions being detected, the large-mode user interface managing a plurality of application windows; and
an arrangement for switching between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface.
15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said switching arrangement acts to automatically switch between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a large-mode user interface condition.
16. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said switching arrangement acts to:
automatically switch from the small-mode user interface to the large-mode user interface responsive to detection of a connection with a docking; and
automatically switch from the large-mode user interface to the small-mode user interface responsive to detection of a lack of a connection with a docking station.
17. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said switching arrangement acts to manually switch between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface.
18. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said arrangement for effecting a small-mode user interface acts to effect a reduction in power consumption of said UMD computer system.
19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine, the program of instructions comprising:
instructions that provide an ultra-mobile device (UMD) computer system, the UMD computer system comprising a screen;
instructions that effect a small-mode user interface on the UMD computer system screen, the small-mode user interface managing one application window on the UMD computer system screen;
wherein the small-mode user interface occupies substantially all of the UMD computer system screen and is not a sub-portion thereof;
instructions that effect a large-mode user interface when one or more large-mode user interface conditions are detected, the large-mode user interface managing a plurality of application windows; and
instructions that switch between the small-mode user interface and the large-mode user interface.