Displaying categories of notifications on a dual screen device
View Patent ↗Embodiments are described for displaying indications of notifications received by a multi-screen device. The notifications may relate to a number of different categories including, without limitation, phone calls, SMS messages, email, notifications from applications, battery level, and signal strength. The multi-screen device includes a unified desktop that displays indications of the notifications regardless of the state of the multi-screen device, which in embodiments includes an undocked state and a docked state, in which a peripheral screen is used to display the indications. The indications may be displayed differently depending on the state of the multi-screen device.
1. A method, comprising:
providing a multi-display device;
displaying, by at least one processor of the multi-display device on a display of the multi-display device, an indication of a plurality of categories of notifications, wherein the indication displays a number of unread notifications for the category of notification;
docking the multi-display device with a dock connected to a peripheral screen;
determining, by at least one processor of the multi-display device, a state of the multi-display device, wherein the multi-display device is docked with the dock, and wherein the peripheral display is connected to the dock;
displaying, by at least one processor of the multi-display device, the indication of the plurality of categories of notifications as a notification menu, wherein the indication is displayed in the peripheral display in communication with the multi-display device through the dock, wherein the displaying the indication of the plurality of categories comprises listing the plurality of categories, wherein the notification menu highlights categories with notifications that have not been read, and wherein the notification menu displays a number of unread notifications for each of the plurality of categories;
receiving input selecting one of the plurality of categories of notifications, wherein the plurality of categories of notifications comprise one or more of calls, emails, messaging, and miscellaneous; and
displaying one or more notifications grouped in the one of the plurality of categories of notifications; and
wherein the displaying an indication of a plurality of categories comprises listing the plurality of categories horizontally in the notification menu.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of categories of notifications comprise each of calls, emails, messaging, and miscellaneous.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification menu also displays an indication of the number of notifications in each of the plurality of categories of notifications.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of a plurality of categories of notifications are displayed on a first display or a second display of the multi-display device if the multi-display device is undocked.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of a plurality of categories of notifications are also displayed in a notification area.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the notification area comprises an icon representing each of the plurality of categories of notifications.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a status of each of the plurality of categories is displayed.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the status of each of the plurality of categories also includes a number of notifications in each category.
9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by at least one processor perform a method comprising:
receiving a notification at a multi-display device;
identifying a category associated with the notification;
displaying an indication of the notification on the multi-display device, wherein the indication displays a number of unread notifications for the category associated with notification;
receiving an event that indicates that the multi-display is device docked with a dock connected to a peripheral screen;
determining a state of the multi-display device, wherein the state of the multi-display device is docked with the dock, and wherein the peripheral display is in communication with the dock;
based on the docked state of the multi-display device, displaying, by at least one processor of a multi-display device, the indication in the notification menu on the peripheral display through the dock, wherein the notification menu highlights categories with notifications that have not been read, wherein the notification menu displays a number of unread notifications for each of the plurality of categories, and wherein when the state of the multi-display device is undocked and the multi-display device is undocked, the displaying of the indication is on a first or second display of the multi-display device;
receiving input to open the notification menu;
displaying a plurality of categories of notifications in the notification menu;
receiving input selecting one of the plurality of categories of notifications; and
displaying one or more notifications grouped in the one of the plurality of categories of notifications; and
wherein the displaying an indication of a plurality of categories comprises listing the plurality of categories horizontally in the notification menu.
10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of categories of notifications comprise one or more of calls, emails, messaging, and miscellaneous.
11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of categories of notifications comprises a miscellaneous category that includes notifications from applications installed on the multi-display device.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the display of the notifications on the first or second display of the multi-display device is different from the display of notifications on the peripheral display.
13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the display of notifications on the first or second display is a vertical list of notification categories on a notifications page.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the notification menu displays a number of notifications for each of the plurality of categories.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of categories are displayed as icons.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein selecting an icon causes a drop down menu to appear associated with the category of notification.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the drop down menu includes two or more selectable notifications.
18. A dual display communication device, comprising:
a memory;
at least two displays;
a processor in communication with the memory and the at least two displays, the processor;
receiving, a notification at a multi-display device;
identifying a category associated with the notification;
displaying an indication of the notification on the dual-display device, wherein the indication displays a number of unread notifications for the category associated with notification;
receiving an event that indicates that the dual-display device docked with a dock connected to a peripheral screen;
determining a state of the multi-display device, wherein the state is docked with the dock, and wherein the peripheral display is in communication with the dock;
based on the docked state of the multi-display device, displaying the indication of a notification menu, wherein the indication is displayed as the notification menu on a peripheral display connected to the dual communication display device through the dock if the dual communication display device is docked, wherein the notification menu highlights categories with notifications that have not been read, and wherein the notification menu displays a number of unread notifications for each of the plurality of categories, and wherein when the state of the multi-display device is undocked and the multi-display device is undocked, the displaying of the indication is on a first or second display of the multi-display device;
receiving input to open the notification menu;
displaying a plurality of categories of notifications in the notification menu;
receiving input selecting one of the plurality of categories of notifications; and
displaying one or more notifications grouped in the one of the plurality of categories of notifications; and
wherein the displaying an indication of a plurality of categories comprises listing the plurality of categories horizontally in the notification menu.
19. The dual display communication device of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of categories of notifications comprise one or more of calls, emails, messaging, and miscellaneous.