Dual screen application behaviour
View Patent ↗A multi-screen user device and methods for logically controlling the display behavior of applications and other displayable data are disclosed. Specifically, when a dual-screen application is displayed to the primary and secondary screens of a device the dual-screen application can be minimized to a single screen by closing the device. When the device is reopened, the minimized dual-screen application is maintained in a minimized state on the screen to which it was minimized. Specific rules can be implemented to determine whether the dual-screen application will be maximized to run on the primary and secondary screens of a device upon reopening.
1. A method of controlling the size of a dual-screen application displayed on a multi-screen device, comprising:
displaying a dual-screen application on a first screen and a second screen of the multi-screen device;
receiving a first predetermined input that represents an instruction to deactivate displaying to the second screen of the multi-screen device;
responding to the first predetermined input with an output that deactivates the second screen display and causes the dual-screen application to be displayed in a single-screen mode on the first screen of the multi-screen device;
receiving a second predetermined input that represents an instruction to reactivate displaying to the second screen of the multi-screen device;
responding to the second predetermined input with an output that reactivates displaying to the second screen and causes the dual-screen application to continue to be displayed in a single-screen mode on the first screen of the multi-screen device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in a dual-screen mode, the dual-screen application is displayed on the first and second screens and wherein the first predetermined input is caused by a physical change of state to the multi-screen device.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, in a dual-screen mode, the dual-screen application is displayed on the first and second screens and wherein the second predetermined input is caused by a physical change of state to the multi-screen device.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the physical change of state is effected by at least one of opening the multi-screen device and closing the multi-screen device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-screen device is running a second application stored in a virtual stack.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein, after receiving the second predetermined input, the second application is displayed to the second screen of the multi-screen device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein responding to the second predetermined input further includes referring to modal rules of the dual-screen application, and wherein the modal rules define the manner in which the dual-screen application is displayed to the first screen.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the modal rules define that the dual-screen application is maximized to display data to the first and second screens.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the modal rules define that the dual-screen application is displayed to the first screen.
10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause a computing system to execute a method, the instructions comprising:
instructions configured to display a dual-screen application on a first screen and a second screen of the multi-screen device;
instructions configured to receive a first predetermined input that represents an instruction to deactivate displaying to the second screen of the multi-screen device;
instructions configured to respond to the first predetermined input with an output that deactivates the second screen display and causes the dual-screen application to be displayed in a single-screen mode on the first screen of the multi-screen device;
instructions configured to receive a second predetermined input that represents an instruction to reactivate displaying to the second screen of the multi-screen device;
instructions configured to respond to the second predetermined input with an output that reactivates displaying to the second screen and causes the dual-screen application to continue to be displayed in a single-screen mode on the first screen of the multi-screen device.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein, in a dual-screen mode, the dual-screen application is displayed on the first and second screens and wherein the first predetermined input is caused by a physical change of state to the multi-screen device.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein, in a dual-screen mode, the dual-screen application is displayed on the first and second screens and wherein the second predetermined input is caused by a physical change of state to the multi-screen device.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the physical change of state is effected by at least one of opening the multi-screen device and closing the multi-screen device.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the multi-screen device is running a second application stored in a virtual stack.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein, after receiving the second predetermined input, the second application is displayed to the second screen of the multi-screen device.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein responding to the second predetermined input further includes referring to modal rules of the dual-screen application, and wherein the modal rules define the manner in which the dual-screen application is displayed to the first screen.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the modal rules define that the dual-screen application is maximized to display data to the first and second screens.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the modal rules define that the dual-screen application is displayed to the first screen.
19. A dual-screen user device, comprising:
a first screen including a first display area;
a second screen including a second display area;
a hinge configured to connect the first screen with the second screen;
a first sensor configured to produce a first signal indicative of a position of the hinge;
a processor in communication with the first screen, the second screen, and the first sensor, the processor operable to;
display a dual-screen application on the first screen and the second screen of the dual-screen device;
receive a first predetermined input that represents an instruction to deactivate displaying to the second screen of the dual-screen device;
respond to the first predetermined input with an output that deactivates the second screen and causes the dual-screen application to be displayed in a single-screen mode on the first screen of the dual-screen device;
receive a second predetermined input that represents an instruction to reactivate displaying to the second screen of the dual-screen device;
respond to the second predetermined input with an output that reactivates the second screen and causes the dual-screen application to continue to be displayed in a single-screen mode on the first screen of the dual-screen device, and
determine, based at least partially on the first signal, that the hinge has moved from a first position in which the first and second screens are open to a second position in which the first and second screens are closed.
20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the first and second predetermined inputs are derived from the first signal wherein, in a dual-screen mode, the dual-screen application is displayed on the first and second screens, and wherein the second position is the first predetermined input, and first position is the second predetermined input.