Electronic device and method of controlling display of information
View Patent ↗A method of controlling a first electronic device having a display includes, in a time mode, controlling analog watch hands disposed over the display to display a time on a watch dial that includes the display, and in response to receipt of an input to enter a display mode, rotating the watch hands to new locations relative to the display such that display of the time utilizing the watch hands is discontinued and displaying information on the display, wherein rotating the watch hands comprises rotating the hands to the new locations to avoid obscuring the information on the display.
1. A method of controlling a first electronic device having a display, the method comprising:
in a time mode, controlling analog watch hands disposed over the display to display a time on a watch dial that includes the display;
in response to receipt of an input to enter a display mode:
rotating the watch hands to new locations relative to the display such that display of the time utilizing the watch hands is discontinued and the display is segmented by the watch hands into at least two segments; and
displaying first information in a first one of the at least two segments and displaying second information in a second one of the at least two segments on the display, wherein rotating the watch hands comprises rotating the hands to the new locations to avoid obscuring the information on the display;
wherein the first information and the second information relate to different applications or different functions of an application.
2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising returning to the time mode from the display mode.
3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising returning to the time mode in response to receipt of an input to return to the time mode while in the display mode.
4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising automatically returning to the time mode after a predetermined period of time.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the display is turned off such that information is not displayed when in the time mode.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the application or applications are executed by a processor of the electronic device.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information displayed comprises information received from a second electronic device in communication via short-range communications with the first electronic device.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the input to enter the display mode comprises receipt of a communication from the second electronic device.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the watch hands include a plurality of hands including an hour hand, a minute hand, and at least a third hand that is stacked on one of the hour hand and the minute hand when the portable electronic device is in the time mode and the hands are spread apart when the portable electronic device is in the display mode for segmenting the display into three or more segments.
10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of the portable electronic device to perform the method according to claim 1 .
11. A portable electronic device comprising:
a watch dial including a display;
analog watch hands disposed on a first side of the display; and
an analog watch mechanism disposed on a second side of the display, which second side is opposite the first side, wherein the analog watch mechanism is coupled to the analog watch hands disposed on the first side of the display;
a processor coupled to the analog watch mechanism and to the display to:
in a time mode, control the analog watch hands to display a time on the watch dial;
in response to receipt of an input to enter a display mode:
rotate the watch hands to new locations relative to the display such that display of the time utilizing the watch hands is discontinued and the display is segmented into at least two segments; and
display first information in a first one of the at least two segments and display second information in a second one of the at least two segments on the display,
wherein rotating the watch hands comprises rotating the hands to the new locations to avoid obscuring the information on the display and wherein the first information and the second information relate to different applications or different functions of an application.
12. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the watch hands include a plurality of hands including an hour hand, a minute hand, and at least a third hand that is stacked on one of the hour hand and the minute hand when the portable electronic device is in the time mode and the hands are spread apart when the portable electronic device is in the display mode to segment the display into three or more segments.
13. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the display is turned off when the portable electronic device is in the time mode.
14. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , comprising short range communications coupled to the processor for communicating with a second portable electronic device.
15. The portable electronic device according to claim 14 , wherein the input to enter the display mode comprises receipt of a communication from the second portable electronic device.
16. The portable electronic device according to claim 14 , wherein the information displayed when in the display mode comprises information received from the second portable electronic device.
17. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the portable electronic device automatically returns to the time mode, from the display mode, after a predetermined period of time.
18. The portable electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the input to enter the display mode comprises a user-interaction input directly to the portable electronic device.