Information processing apparatus and control method

Abstract

To improve the operability in selecting a screen for display from among a plurality of displays (screen areas).SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus performs: a first display process to display, when receiving a drag operation on a window displayed on one of a plurality of displays, first icons corresponding to the displays on the display where the drag operation was started; a first selection process to select a display corresponding to an icon selected by the drag operation from among the first icons corresponding to the displays, as a display where the window on which the drag operation has been performed is to be displayed; and a second display process to display a second icon for selecting a display area in which the window is displayed within a screen area of the selected display. In the first display process, the first icons corresponding to the displays are displayed in an arrangement based on the layout of the displays.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] There are information processing devices capable of displaying on multiple displays. For example, a dual-screen information processing device has been disclosed in which a display (display unit) is mounted on each of a first housing and a second housing that can rotate via a connecting portion (hinge mechanism) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). There is also an information processing device in which a flexible display (display unit) such as an organic EL display is provided across the first and second housings so as to be bendable in response to the rotation of the first and second housings (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In this case, the display area can be divided into one on the first housing side and one on the second housing side, allowing it to be used as a pseudo-dual-screen display. Furthermore, by connecting an external display, it is also possible to display on both the built-in display and the external display (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

[0003] In this way, in an information processing device capable of displaying on multiple displays, the user can display an application window on any of the multiple displays (screen areas) that is most convenient for the user to work in. Some devices also have a function (so-called snap display) that allows the screen area of ​​one display to be further divided horizontally or vertically, and a window to be displayed in each of the divided areas. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-233198 [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-13850 A [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-050873 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in information processing devices capable of displaying on multiple displays (screen areas), the operation for selecting the area in which to display a window can be confusing. For example, even when icons for selecting multiple displays are displayed, they are often the same design, or the only difference is the number "1" or "2" assigned in the system settings, making it difficult to distinguish between them, and making it difficult to intuitively understand which display each icon corresponds to.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide an information processing device and a control method that improve operability when selecting a display destination from multiple displays (screen areas). [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an information processing device according to a first aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that controls display on a plurality of displays, and includes: a memory that stores an application program; and a processor that controls displaying a window of the application on at least one of the plurality of displays by executing the application program stored in the memory. When the processor receives a drag operation on a window displayed on at least one of the plurality of displays, the processor performs the following steps: a first display process that displays first icons corresponding to each of the plurality of displays on the display on which the drag operation was started; a first selection process that selects a display corresponding to an icon selected by the drag operation from among the first icons corresponding to each of the plurality of displays as a display on which the window being dragged is to be displayed; and a second display process that displays second icons that allow selection of a display area in which the window is to be displayed within the screen area of ​​the display selected by the first selection process. In the first display process, the first icons corresponding to each of the plurality of displays are displayed in an arrangement based on the arrangement of the plurality of displays.

[0008] In the information processing device, the layout information of the plurality of displays may be setting information set in a system executed by the processor.

[0009] In the above information processing device, the arrangement of the multiple displays can be set by the system by changing the arrangement of third icons representing each display based on the actual arrangement of the multiple displays, and in the first display process, the processor may display the first icons in a vertical or horizontal arrangement, prioritizing the arrangement direction of the sides where the third icons representing each display are in contact with each other, based on arrangement information indicating the arrangement of the multiple displays set in the system.

[0010] In the above information processing device, in the first display process, if the third icons representing each display in the layout information of the multiple displays set in the system are adjacent only at a corner, the processor may display the first icons side by side.

[0011] In the above-mentioned information processing device, when controlling display on three or more displays, if, in the first display process, there is a third icon among the third icons representing each display in the layout information of the multiple displays set in the system that is adjacent to the sides of two or more other third icons, the processor may display the first icons in an intermediate position between the top and bottom or the left and the right in addition to being arranged vertically or horizontally.

[0012] In the information processing device, in the first display process, even if there is a third icon among the third icons representing each display in the layout information of the multiple displays set in the system that is in contact with the sides of two or more other third icons, if the third icon in contact with the sides of the two or more other third icons is in contact with any of the other third icons by a predetermined percentage or more, the processor may display the third icon side by side with the other third icons that are in contact with the predetermined percentage or more, rather than in a middle position above, below, or to the left or right.

[0013] In the above information processing device, the processor may further perform a second selection process of selecting a display area selected by the drag operation on the second icon as a display area in which to display the window being dragged, and a third display process of changing the display position of the window to the display area selected by the second selection process within the screen area of ​​the display selected by the first selection process in response to the drag operation on the window being completed.

[0014] Furthermore, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device that includes a memory that stores an application program and a processor that controls displaying a window of the application on at least one of a plurality of displays by executing the application program stored in the memory, and that controls display on the plurality of displays. The information processing device includes a first display step in which, when the processor receives a drag operation on the window displayed on at least one of the plurality of displays, a first icon corresponding to each of the plurality of displays is displayed on the display on which the drag operation was started; a first selection step in which the display corresponding to the icon selected by the drag operation among the first icons corresponding to each of the plurality of displays is selected as the display on which the window being dragged is to be displayed; and a second display step in which a second icon is displayed within the screen area of ​​the display selected in the first selection step so as to select a display area in which the window is to be displayed; and in the first display step, the first icons corresponding to each of the plurality of displays are displayed in an order based on layout information of the plurality of displays. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the above aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the operability when selecting a display destination from among a plurality of displays (screen areas). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of an information processing device in a bent state according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of an information processing apparatus in a flat state according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are views showing specific examples of various display modes of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing display examples of layout selection icons according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment is connected to an external display. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of display selection icons according to the embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first example of the arrangement of icons in a display selection icon display according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of the arrangement of icons in the display selection icon display according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a third example of the arrangement of icons in the display selection icon according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a fourth example of the arrangement of icons in the display selection icon display according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a fifth example of the arrangement of icons in the display selection icon display according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a sixth example of the arrangement of icons in the display selection icon display according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a seventh example of the arrangement of icons in the display selection icon display according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of selection of a display selection icon according to the embodiment; [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a list of display modes of display selection icons according to the embodiment; [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a display layout change process according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [External view of information processing device] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 10 according to this embodiment is a clamshell (notebook) type PC (personal computer). The information processing device 10 includes a first housing 101, a second housing 102, and a hinge mechanism 103. The first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are substantially rectangular, plate-shaped (e.g., flat) housings. One side of the first housing 101 and one side of the second housing 102 are coupled (connected) via the hinge mechanism 103, and the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are relatively rotatable around a rotation axis formed by the hinge mechanism 103. When the opening angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 about the rotation axis is substantially 0°, the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are overlapping and closed. A state in which the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are closed is referred to as a "closed state." In the closed state, the surfaces of the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 that face each other are referred to as the "inner surfaces," and the surfaces opposite the inner surfaces are referred to as the "outer surfaces." The opening angle θ can also be said to be the angle formed by the inner surfaces of the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. A state in which the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are open relative to the closed state is referred to as an "open state." The open state is a state in which the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are rotated relative to each other until the opening angle θ becomes larger than a preset threshold value (for example, 10°).

[0018] The information processing device 10 also includes a camera 16 and a display 150. The camera 16 is provided on the inner surface of the first housing 101. The display 150 is provided across the inner surface of the first housing 101 and the inner surface of the second housing 102. The camera 16 is provided, for example, on the inner surface of the first housing 101 outside the screen area of ​​the display 150, and is capable of capturing an image of a user or the like who is on the side facing the display 150. The display 150 is a flexible display that can be bent to match an opening angle θ resulting from relative rotation of the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). An organic EL display or the like is used as the flexible display. The information processing device 10 can control display using the entire screen area of ​​the display 150 as a single screen configuration, with the entire screen area being a single display area DA, or can control display using a dual-screen configuration by dividing the screen area of ​​the display 150 into two display areas, a first display area DA1 and a second display area DA2. Here, first display area DA1 and second display area DA2 are display areas that do not overlap each other. Here, the display area of ​​the screen area of ​​display 150 that corresponds to the inner surface of first housing 101 is referred to as first display area DA1, and the display area that corresponds to the inner surface of second housing 102 is referred to as second display area DA2. Hereinafter, the display mode that controls display in a single-screen configuration is referred to as the "single-screen mode," and the display mode that controls display in a dual-screen configuration is referred to as the "dual-screen mode."

[0019] A touch sensor is provided above the screen area of ​​the display 150. The information processing device 10 can detect a touch operation on the screen area of ​​the display 150. By opening the information processing device 10, the user can view the displays 150 provided on the inner surfaces of the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 and perform touch operations on the displays 150, thereby enabling the user to use the information processing device 10.

[0020] Next, usage forms and screen modes of the information processing device 10 will be described in detail. First, usage forms of the information processing device 10 can be divided into a bent state in which the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are bent (Bent form) and a flat state in which the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are not bent (Flat form) depending on the opening angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. Hereinafter, the bent state in which the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are bent will be simply referred to as the "Bent form," and the flat state in which the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are not bent will be simply referred to as the "Flat form." In the bent state, the display 150 provided across the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 is also bent. In the flat form, the display 150 is also flat.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of the information processing device 10 in a bent state (bent form). The display 150 is disposed across (straddles) the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. The screen area of ​​the display 150 (display area DA shown in FIG. 1) can be bent (flexed) at a fold line at a portion corresponding to the hinge mechanism 103. The display area on the first housing 101 side of the fold line is shown as a first display area DA1, and the display area on the second housing 102 side is shown as a second display area DA2. The display 150 bends in response to the rotation (opening angle θ) of the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. The information processing device 10 determines whether it is in a bent state (bent form) in response to the opening angle θ. For example, if 10°<θ<170°, the information processing device 10 determines that it is in a bent state (bent form). This state corresponds to a usage mode known as a clamshell mode or a book mode.

[0022] 3 is a side view showing an example of the information processing device 10 in a flat state (Flat form). The information processing device 10 typically determines that it is in a flat state (Flat form) when the opening angle θ is 180°, but as an example, it may also determine that it is in a flat state (Flat form) when 170°≦θ≦180°. For example, when the opening angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 is 180°, the display 150 is also in a flat state. This state corresponds to a usage form known as a tablet mode.

[0023] [Display mode explanation] Next, display modes according to various usage patterns of the information processing device 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4 is a diagram showing specific examples of various display modes of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. The display mode of the information processing device 10 differs depending on the usage form, which is classified by the opening angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, the attitude (orientation) of the information processing device 10, whether it is a single-screen mode or a dual-screen mode, etc. Note that one screen is also called a single screen, and two screens are also called a split screen or dual screen.

[0024] Display mode (a) is a display mode when the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 are in a closed state (Closed) as a usage pattern. For example, in this closed state, the information processing device 10 is in a standby state such as a sleep state or a hibernation state, and the display 150 is in a display-off state. This standby state such as a sleep state or a hibernation state corresponds to, for example, a system power state S3 or S4 defined by ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface).

[0025] Display mode (b) is a display mode in which the display 150 is in a bent state (bent form) and in a dual-screen mode in which the screen area of ​​the display 150 is divided into two display areas, a first display area DA1 and a second display area DA2, and the display is controlled by dividing the two areas. The orientation of the information processing device 10 is such that the first display area DA1 and the second display area DA2 are arranged horizontally and vertically. A vertically oriented display area means that the longer side of the four sides of the rectangular display area is vertical and the shorter side is horizontal. When the display area is vertically oriented, the display orientation is also vertical, with the direction along the longer side corresponding to the up-down direction and the direction along the shorter side corresponding to the left-right direction. This usage mode is such that the left and right pages of an open book correspond to the left and right screens, and corresponds to a so-called book mode. This usage form is also called "Fold Landscape" because the display is bent, the first display area DA1 and the second display area DA2 are arranged side by side, and the combined display area is horizontally long.

[0026] In this display mode (b), for example, in a normal operating state, the information processing device 10 is in a dual-screen display mode, with the first display area DA1 on the left side serving as the primary screen and the second display area DA2 on the right side serving as the secondary screen. Note that in display mode (b), the correspondence between the first display area DA1 and the second display area DA2 and the primary screen and secondary screen may be reversed.

[0027] Display mode (c-1), like display mode (b), is a display mode in which the display 150 is in a bent state (bent form) and in a dual-screen mode in which the screen area of ​​the display 150 is divided into two display areas, a first display area DA1 and a second display area DA2, for display control, but the orientation of the information processing device 10 is different. The orientation of the information processing device 10 is an orientation in which the first display area DA1 and the second display area DA2 are arranged horizontally and vertically one above the other. A horizontal display area orientation refers to an orientation in which the long side of the four sides of the rectangular display area is horizontal and the short side is vertical. When the display area is horizontal, the display orientation is also horizontal, and the direction along the short side corresponds to the up-down direction and the direction along the long side corresponds to the left-right direction. This usage mode is one of the common usage modes for clamshell-type PCs.

[0028] In this display mode (c-1), the information processing device 10, for example, in a normal operating state, is in a dual-screen display mode, with the first display area DA1 as the primary screen and the second display area DA2 as the secondary screen. Note that in the display mode (c-1), the correspondence between the first display area DA1 and the second display area DA2 and the primary screen and the secondary screen may be reversed.

[0029] For example, the information processing device 10 automatically switches from display mode (b) to display mode (c-1) or from display mode (c-1) to display mode (b) by detecting a change in the attitude (orientation) of the information processing device 10 (Switch by Rotation). For example, since display mode (c-1) is a state in which the display 150 is rotated 90 degrees to the right relative to display mode (b) in the illustrated example, the information processing device 10 switches to display mode (c-1) when it detects that the display 150 has rotated a predetermined angle (e.g., 45 degrees) or more to the right from the display mode (b) state. Also, since display mode (b) is a state in which the display 150 is rotated 90 degrees to the left relative to display mode (c-1) in the illustrated example, the information processing device 10 switches to display mode (b) when it detects that the display 150 has rotated a predetermined angle (e.g., 45 degrees) or more to the left from the display mode (c-1) state.

[0030] The display mode (c-2) is similar to the display mode (c-1), in that the information processing device 10 is in the bent state (Bent form) and oriented in the same manner. However, the difference is that an external keyboard 30 (Dockable mini KBD: Keyboard) connectable to the information processing device 10 is connected. This usage mode is a typical usage mode of a clamshell PC with a physical keyboard 30 connected. For example, the keyboard 30 is approximately the same size as the second display area DA2 and is configured to be able to be placed on the second display area DA2. As an example, the keyboard 30 has a magnet on the inside (edge) of the bottom surface. When placed on the second display area DA2, the magnet is attracted to and fixed to a metal portion on the inner edge of the second housing 102. This results in a usage mode similar to that of a conventional clamshell PC that is originally equipped with a physical keyboard. The information processing device 10 and the keyboard 30 are connected via, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark). In this display mode (c-2), the information processing device 10 controls the second display area DA2 to be displayed in black or turned off because the second display area DA2 cannot be seen due to the keyboard. In other words, this display mode (c-2) is a display mode in which only half of the screen is effective for display (hereinafter referred to as "half screen mode"), and is a one-screen mode that uses only the first display area DA1.

[0031] For example, when the information processing device 10 detects connection of an external keyboard in the display mode (c-1), the display mode (c-1) is automatically switched to the display mode (c-2) (Switch by Dock).

[0032] Display mode (d) is in a bent state (Bent form) like display mode (b), and the orientation of the information processing device 10 is also the same, but it is a single-screen mode in which the entire screen area of ​​the display 150 is controlled as a single display area DA. This usage mode differs from display mode (b) in that it is a single-screen mode, but is also called "Fold Landscape" because it is in a bent state (Bent form) and the display area DA is horizontally long. The display area DA is oriented horizontally, and the display orientation is also horizontal.

[0033] Here, switching between the single-screen mode and the dual-screen mode in the bent state (Bent form) can be performed by, for example, a user operation. For example, the information processing device 10 displays an operator as a UI (User Interface) capable of switching between the single-screen mode and the dual-screen mode somewhere on the screen, and switches from display mode (b) to display mode (d) based on an operation on the operator (Switch by UI).

[0034] Display mode (e) is in a bent state (bent form) like display mode (c-1), and the orientation of the information processing device 10 is also the same, but it is a single-screen mode in which the entire screen area of ​​the display 150 is controlled as a single display area DA. This usage mode differs from display mode (c-1) in that it is a single-screen mode, but it corresponds to the usage mode of a clamshell PC in terms of the bent state (bent form) and the orientation of the information processing device 10. The display area DA is in portrait orientation, and the display orientation is also portrait.

[0035] For example, the information processing device 10 automatically switches from display mode (d) to display mode (e) or from display mode (e) to display mode (d) by detecting a change in the attitude (orientation) of the information processing device 10 (Switch by Rotation). For example, since display mode (e) is a state in which the display 150 is rotated 90 degrees to the right as shown in the figure, the information processing device 10 switches to display mode (e) when it detects that the display 150 has rotated a predetermined angle (e.g., 45 degrees) or more to the right from the display mode (d). Also, since display mode (d) is a state in which the display 150 is rotated 90 degrees to the left as shown in the figure, the information processing device 10 switches to display mode (d) when it detects that the display 150 has rotated a predetermined angle (e.g., 45 degrees) or more to the left from the display mode (e) state.

[0036] Display mode (d') is a single-screen mode similar to display mode (d), in which the orientation of the information processing device 10 is such that the display area DA is horizontally long, but differs in that it is in a flat state (Flat form). The flat state (Flat form) is a state in which the opening angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102 is approximately 180°. This usage mode corresponds to the so-called tablet mode described with reference to FIG. 3, and is also referred to as "Flat Landscape" because it is in a flat state (Flat form) and the display area DA is horizontally long. This display mode (d') differs from display mode (d) only in the opening angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. Similar to display mode (d), the display area DA is horizontally oriented, and the display orientation is also landscape.

[0037] Display mode (e') is a single-screen mode similar to display mode (e), in which the orientation of the information processing device 10 is such that the display area DA is vertically long, but it differs in that it is in a flat state (Flat form). This usage mode is also called "Flat Portrait" because it is in a flat state (Flat form) and the display area DA is vertically long. This display mode (e') differs from display mode (e) only in the opening angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. Like display mode (e), the display area DA is vertically oriented, and the display orientation is also vertical.

[0038] For example, the information processing device 10 automatically switches from display mode (d') to display mode (e') or from display mode (e') to display mode (d') by detecting a change in the attitude (orientation) of the information processing device 10 (Switch by Rotation). For example, since the display mode (e') is a state in which the display 150 is rotated 90 degrees to the right as shown in the figure compared to the display mode (d'), the information processing device 10 switches to display mode (e') when it detects that the display 150 has rotated a predetermined angle (for example, 45 degrees) or more to the right from the display mode (d') state. Also, since the display mode (d') is a state in which the display 150 is rotated 90 degrees to the left as shown in the figure compared to the display mode (e'), the information processing device 10 switches to display mode (d') when it detects that the display 150 has rotated a predetermined angle (for example, 45 degrees) or more to the left from the display mode (e') state.

[0039] Here, switching between the single-screen mode and the dual-screen mode in the flat form can be performed by, for example, a user operation. For example, in the display mode (d') and the display mode (e'), the information processing device 10 can display an operator as a UI capable of switching between the single-screen mode and the dual-screen mode somewhere on the screen, as described above, and the user can operate this operator to switch to the dual-screen mode while remaining in the flat form. For example, when switching from the display mode (d') to the dual-screen mode, the display state in the flat form becomes the same as the display mode (b). Also, when switching from the display mode (e') to the dual-screen mode, the display state in the flat form becomes the same as the display mode (c-1).

[0040] Furthermore, when the information processing device 10 detects connection to the keyboard 30 while in the display mode (e'), it automatically switches from the display mode (e') to the display mode (c-2') (Switch by Dock). The display mode (c-2') is a flat state (Flat form), and differs from the display mode (c-2) only in the opening angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. In this display mode (c-2'), the information processing device 10 controls the second display area DA2 to be displayed in black or turned off because it cannot be seen due to the keyboard. In other words, like the display mode (c-2), this display mode (c-2') is a half-screen mode in which only half of the screen is effective for display.

[0041] The information processing device 10 can also automatically switch from the single-screen mode to the dual-screen mode by detecting a change from a flat state (Flat form) to a bent state (Bent form) (Switch by Hinge angle). For example, when the information processing device 10 detects a change from the display mode (d') to the bent form based on the hinge angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, the information processing device 10 automatically switches from the display mode (d') to the display mode (b). When the information processing device 10 detects a change from the display mode (e') to the bent form based on the hinge angle θ between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, the information processing device 10 automatically switches from the display mode (e') to the display mode (c-1).

[0042] Furthermore, information processing device 10 has a function of arranging application windows in desired display areas within a screen area (so-called snap display), in addition to switching between display modes such as the single-screen mode and dual-screen mode described above. For example, information processing device 10 displays controls as a UI (User Interface) that allows a user to select in which display area within the screen area of ​​display 150 a window is to be laid out, and displays the window in the display area selected by the user based on the user's operation of the controls. Hereinafter, the UI that allows a user to select the display area in which to lay out the window is referred to as a "layout selection icon."

[0043] The layout of the display area selectable by operating the layout selection icon is a layout for the entire screen area (display area DA) of display 150, regardless of whether the display mode described with reference to Fig. 4 is the single-screen mode or the dual-screen mode. In the half-screen mode, half of the screen area of ​​display 150 is the effective screen area, so the layout is for this half area.

[0044] [Example of layout selection icon] Next, a specific example of the layout selection icon will be described. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing examples of layout selection icons according to this embodiment. Fig. 5A shows an example of a layout selection icon L1 that is displayed when the usage mode is "Portrait (or Clamshell)" (display mode (c-1), display mode (e), display mode (e'), etc.).

[0045] In the layout selection icon L1, the portion indicated by the symbol R11 is a layout in which the entire screen area of ​​the display 150 is used as a single display area, and the entire screen area can be selected as the display area in which to place a window. The portion indicated by the symbol R12 is a layout in which the screen area is divided into two, vertically, and either the upper or lower display area within the screen area can be selected as the display area in which to place a window. The portions indicated by the symbols R13 and R14 are layouts in which the screen area is divided into three. The portion indicated by the symbol R13 is a layout in which the lower display area, which is obtained by dividing the screen area into two, vertically, is further divided into two, horizontally. The portion indicated by the symbol R14 is a layout in which the upper display area, which is obtained by dividing the screen area into two, vertically, is further divided into two, horizontally. The portions indicated by the symbols R13 and R14 are layouts in which any of the three display areas can be selected as the display area in which to place a window.

[0046] For example, when the usage mode is "Portrait (or Clamshell)," the user drags a window, causing a layout selection icon L1 to be displayed. As shown in the figure, when the dragging cursor CA is placed over the upper area of ​​the layout, which divides the screen area indicated by the reference symbol R12 into two, the display area corresponding to the upper area is selected. The display mode (color, brightness, etc.) of the selected area within the layout selection icon L1 is changed. When the dragging operation is completed, the window is displayed in the selected upper display area.

[0047] FIG. 5B shows an example of a layout selection icon L2 that is displayed when the usage mode is "Landscape" (display mode (b), display mode (d), display mode (d'), etc.).

[0048] In the layout selection icon L2, the portion indicated by reference symbol R21 is a layout in which the entire screen area of ​​the display 150 is used as a single display area, and the entire screen area can be selected as the display area in which to place a window. The portion indicated by reference symbol R22 is a layout in which the screen area is divided into two, left and right, and either the left display area or the right display area within the screen area can be selected as the display area in which to place a window. The portions indicated by reference symbols R23 and R24 are layouts in which the screen area is divided into three. The portion indicated by reference symbol R23 is a layout in which the screen area is divided into two, left and right, and the right display area is further divided into two, top and bottom. The portion indicated by reference symbol R24 is a layout in which the screen area is divided into two, left and right, and the left display area is further divided into two, top and bottom. The portions indicated by reference symbols R23 and R24 are layouts in which any of the three display areas can be selected as the display area in which to place a window.

[0049] For example, when the usage mode is "Landscape," the user drags a window, causing the layout selection icon L2 to be displayed. As shown in the figure, when the dragging cursor CA is placed over the upper right area of ​​the layout, which divides the screen area indicated by the reference symbol R23 into three, the display area corresponding to the upper right area is selected. The display mode (color, brightness, etc.) of the selected area within the layout selection icon L2 is changed. When the dragging operation is completed, the window is displayed in the selected upper right display area.

[0050] [Connection configuration with external display] The information processing device 10 can also be used by connecting it to an external display. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which an information processing device 10 according to this embodiment is connected to an external display. The information processing device 10 is connected to an external display device 20 (display device). Any connection method using HDMI (registered trademark), USB Type-C, DisplayPort, or the like can be applied. Note that the information processing device 10 may be connected to the external display device 20 wirelessly. The external display device 20 is configured to include a display 250 as an external display. In contrast to the external display, the display 150 of the information processing device 10 is a built-in display.

[0051] When information processing device 10 is connected to external display device 20 and controls display on multiple screen areas (multiple screen areas that do not overlap each other) including the screen area of ​​the built-in display and the screen area of ​​the external display, information processing device 10 can use the layout selection icon described with reference to Figure 5 to display windows on both the screen area of ​​the built-in display and the screen area of ​​the external display.

[0052] For example, information processing device 10 can display a window displayed in the screen area of ​​the built-in display in any of the display areas in each layout within the screen area of ​​the built-in display, or in any of the display areas in each layout of the external display. Similarly, information processing device 10 can display a window displayed in the screen area of ​​the external display in any of the display areas in each layout of the external display, or in any of the display areas in each layout within the screen area of ​​the built-in display.

[0053] When information processing device 10 is connected to external display device 20, before displaying the layout selection icon shown in Fig. 5, information processing device 10 displays a UI as an operator for selecting whether the built-in display or the external display is to be used as the screen area on which the window is to be displayed. This UI will be referred to as the "display selection icon" below.

[0054] [Example of display selection icon] 7 is a diagram showing an example of the display of a display selection icon according to this embodiment. When a drag operation is started on a window W displayed on the built-in display (display 150) or the external display (display 250), a display selection icon G1 is displayed near the position of the cursor CA used for the drag operation. This diagram shows an example when a drag operation is started on a window W displayed on the built-in display (display 150). The display position of this display selection icon G1 remains unchanged even when the cursor CA is moved by the drag operation.

[0055] The display selection icon G1 includes an internal display icon G11 corresponding to the screen area of ​​the internal display, and an external display icon G12 corresponding to the screen area of ​​the external display. The internal display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 are displayed with different designs (patterns, pictures) that imitate the types of their respective displays. That is, the internal display icon G11 is designed to imitate the internal display provided in the information processing device 10 (for example, a notebook PC). On the other hand, the external display icon G12 is designed to imitate the shape of the external display device 20. This makes it intuitively clear which icon is for selecting the internal display and which icon is for selecting the external display when using the display selection icon G1 to select the display destination (screen area), providing good operability.

[0056] Furthermore, the display mode (e.g., icon color (background color)) of the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 differs depending on whether the icon corresponds to the screen area where the drag operation was started. For example, in the illustrated example, the background color of the built-in display icon G11 corresponding to the screen area where the drag operation was started is blue, while the background color of the external display icon G12 outside the screen area where the drag operation was started is gray. The display mode of this display selection icon G1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 16 below.

[0057] Next, the arrangement of icons within the display selection icon G1 will be described. As described above, the information processing device 10 displays the icons within the display selection icon G1 in different designs (patterns, pictures) that mimic the types of displays, making display selection intuitively easy to understand. Furthermore, the icons within the display selection icon G1 are displayed in an arrangement based on the arrangement of each display. This makes the information processing device 10 more intuitively easy to understand and easier to operate.

[0058] For example, the information processing device 10 allows the user to set the display layout in the display settings within the system settings of the OS (Operating System). In the display settings, the user can change the layout of the icons representing the displays based on the actual layout of the multiple displays. Based on the layout information indicating the display layout set in the system settings of the OS, the information processing device 10 displays the icons within the display selection icon G1 in an order based on the actual layout of the multiple displays.

[0059] 8 is a diagram showing a first example of the arrangement of each icon in the display selection icon G1 according to this embodiment. Here, the display settings window DS shows the display arrangement setting state among the display settings in the system settings. Here, a square icon with a "1" written on it ("1 icon") is displayed as an icon indicating the built-in display (display 150) of the information processing device 10, and a square icon with a "2" written on it ("2 icon") is displayed as an icon indicating the external display (display 250) of the information processing device 10. The orientations of the "1" and "2" correspond to the display orientations.

[0060] The information processing device 10 displays the icons in the display selection icon G1 in a vertical or horizontal arrangement, prioritizing the arrangement direction of the sides where the icons representing the displays meet. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the display settings window DS displays the displays so that the top side of the icon "1" representing the built-in display meets the bottom side of the icon "2" representing the external display. That is, the displays are arranged in a vertical positional relationship with the built-in display on the bottom and the external display on the top. In this case, when the information processing device 10 displays the display selection icon G1, the built-in display icon G11 is displayed on the bottom and the external display icon G12 is displayed on the top.

[0061] In addition, when the bottom side of the "1" icon indicating the built-in display and the top side of the "2" icon indicating the external display are in contact in the display setting window DS, the information processing device 10 displays the display selection icon G1 in a vertical arrangement with the built-in display icon G11 on top and the external display icon G12 on the bottom.

[0062] 9 is a diagram showing a second example of the arrangement of the icons in the display selection icon G1 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the arrangement of the displays in the display settings window DS is such that the right side of the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the left side of the icon "2" indicating the external display are adjacent. That is, the built-in display is arranged on the left and the external display is arranged on the right, in a lateral positional relationship. In this case, when the information processing device 10 displays the display selection icon G1, the built-in display icon G11 is displayed on the left and the external display icon G12 is displayed on the right, in a lateral arrangement.

[0063] In addition, in the display setting window DS, if the left side of the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the right side of the icon "2" indicating the external display are adjacent, when the information processing device 10 displays the display selection icon G1, the built-in display icon G11 is displayed on the right and the external display icon G12 is displayed on the left in a left-right arrangement.

[0064] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a third example of the arrangement of icons within the display selection icon G1 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the arrangement of the displays in the display settings window DS is such that the right side of the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the left side of the icon "2" indicating the external display are offset from the center of the icons. Even when the icons are offset from each other in this way, the information processing device 10 ignores minor positional deviations and prioritizes the alignment direction of the adjacent sides, displaying the built-in display icon G11 on the left and the external display icon G12 on the right in a horizontal arrangement without any offset (display similar to the example shown in Fig. 9).

[0065] Similarly, in the display settings window DS, even if the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the icon "2" indicating the external display are offset from the center of each icon and are adjacent to each other above and below, the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 are displayed in a vertically aligned order without being offset.

[0066] 11 is a diagram showing a fourth example of the arrangement of icons within the display selection icon G1 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the arrangement of the displays in the display settings window DS is such that the lower left corner of the "1" icon representing the built-in display and the upper right corner of the "2" icon representing the external display are adjacent. For example, if the "1" icon representing the built-in display and the "2" icon representing the external display are adjacent only at their corners, the information processing device 10 displays the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 side by side when displaying the display selection icon G1.

[0067] In addition, when the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the icon "2" indicating the external display are connected only at a corner, the information processing device 10 may display the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 in a vertical arrangement when displaying the display selection icon G1.

[0068] Next, an example of controlling the display of three or more displays will be described. When an icon representing each display in the display setting window DS is in contact with the sides of two or more other icons, the information processing device 10 may display the display selection icons G1 in an intermediate position between the top and bottom or the left and the right, in addition to being arranged vertically or horizontally.

[0069] 12 to 14, an example will be described in which information processing device 10 is connected to two external display devices 20 and controls display on a total of three displays, one built-in display and two external displays. In Fig. 12 to 14, in addition to the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the icon "2" indicating the external display, the display setting window DS also displays a square icon with "3" written on it (the "3" icon) indicating the second external display.

[0070] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a fifth example of the arrangement of icons within the display selection icon G1 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the arrangement of the displays in the display settings window DS is such that the right side of the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the left side of the icon "2" indicating the external display are adjacent. Furthermore, the bottom side of the icon "3" indicating the second external display is adjacent to the top sides of the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the icon "2" indicating the external display. That is, the built-in display is positioned on the left and the external display is positioned on the right, and the second external display is positioned above the built-in display and the external display. In this case, when displaying the display selection icon G1, the information processing device 10 displays the built-in display icon G11 on the left and the external display icon G12 on the right, aligned horizontally, and also displays the external display icon G13 (the external display icon corresponding to the second external display) midway between the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12.

[0071] Note that even when the bottom side of the "3" icon indicating the second external display is in contact with two sides, namely the top side of the "1" icon indicating the built-in display and the top side of the "2" icon indicating the external display, the left-right position of the "3" icon may be closer to either the "1" icon or the "2" icon. For example, if the bottom side of the "3" icon is in contact with either the "1" icon or the "2" icon by a predetermined percentage (e.g., 70%) or more, when displaying the display selection icon G1, the information processing device 10 may display the external display icon G13 above (directly above) the icon of the built-in display icon G11 or the external display icon G12 that is in contact with the icon by a predetermined percentage (e.g., 70%) or more, rather than above a position midway between the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12.

[0072] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a sixth example of the arrangement of icons within the display selection icon G1 according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the arrangement of the displays in the display settings window DS is such that the right side of the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the left side of the icon "2" indicating the external display are in contact. Furthermore, the bottom side of the icon "3" indicating the second external display is in contact with two sides: the top side of the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the top side of the icon "2" indicating the external display; however, a predetermined percentage (e.g., 70%) or more of the bottom side of the icon "3" is in contact with the top side of the icon "2". In this case, when displaying the display selection icon G1, the information processing device 10 displays the built-in display icon G11 on the left and the external display icon G12 on the right in a horizontal order, and also displays the external display icon G13 (the external display icon corresponding to the second external display) above the external display icon G12.

[0073] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a seventh example of the arrangement of icons within the display selection icon G1 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the arrangement of the displays in the display settings window DS is such that the right side of the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the left side of the icon "2" indicating the external display are in contact. Furthermore, the bottom side of the icon "3" indicating the second external display is in contact with two sides: the top side of the icon "1" indicating the built-in display and the top side of the icon "2" indicating the external display; however, a predetermined percentage (e.g., 70%) or more of the bottom side of the icon "3" is in contact with the top side of the icon "1". In this case, when displaying the display selection icon G1, the information processing device 10 displays the built-in display icon G11 on the left and the external display icon G12 on the right in a horizontal order, and also displays the external display icon G13 (the external display icon corresponding to the second external display) above the built-in display icon G11.

[0074] In this way, when the information processing device 10 displays the display selection icon G1, it displays the built-in display icon G11, external display icon G12, external display icon G13, etc. corresponding to each display in an order based on the actual layout of the displays, so it is intuitively easy to understand which display each icon corresponds to, and operability is good. In particular, when two or more external displays are connected, it is difficult to distinguish them based on the icon design, so by displaying multiple external display icons in an order based on the actual layout of the displays, it is easy to distinguish which display each icon corresponds to.

[0075] 15 is a diagram showing an example of selection of a display selection icon according to this embodiment. By placing the cursor CA being dragged over either the built-in display icon G11 or the external display icon G12 of the display selection icon G1, which is displayed by starting a drag operation on the window W described with reference to FIG. 7, it is possible to select the screen area of ​​the built-in display or the screen area of ​​the external display.

[0076] As shown in the figure, when the dragging cursor CA is hovered over the built-in display icon G11, the screen area of ​​the built-in display is selected. Furthermore, when the screen area of ​​the built-in display is selected, layout selection icons are displayed that allow the user to select the display area for each layout within the screen area of ​​the built-in display. The layout selection icon displayed is either layout selection icon L1 or layout selection icon L2, depending on whether the current usage mode is "Portrait (or Clamshell)" or "Landscape." Here, layout selection icon L2, which is displayed in "Landscape," is shown as an example. By selecting a display area for one of the layouts using this layout selection icon L2, as shown in FIG. 5, the window being dragged is displayed in the display area of ​​the selected layout.

[0077] When the external display icon G12 is selected (hovered), the layout selection icon displayed is layout selection icon L1 if the aspect ratio of the external display screen is portrait, and layout selection icon L2 if the aspect ratio is landscape. If the external display has a rotation function, the displayed layout selection icon will also change if the aspect ratio of the screen changes due to rotation.

[0078] Furthermore, even if an external display is not connected and only a built-in display is used, when a drag operation is performed on an application window, a display selection icon G1 that includes only the built-in display icon G11 out of the built-in display icon G11 and external display icon G12 shown in Fig. 7 may be displayed. If the layout selection icon L1 or layout selection icon L2 is displayed directly without displaying the display selection icon G1 at the time the drag operation is started, a relatively large area will be occupied within the screen area, but because there are cases where the user simply wants to move the window, it is advantageous to initially occupy a smaller area as this makes it easier to avoid erroneous operations (unintentional snapping).

[0079] Furthermore, the display manner of the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 included in the display selection icon G1 differs depending on whether the display (screen area) is the one on which the drag operation was started and whether it has been selected.

[0080] Here, the types of display modes of the display selection icon G1 that change depending on conditions will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a list of display modes of the display selection icon according to this embodiment.

[0081] (A1) to (A4) show examples of the display mode of the built-in display icon G11, and (B1) to (B4) show examples of the display mode of the external display icon G12. As mentioned above, the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 have different designs (patterns, pictures) that imitate the types of their respective displays.

[0082] The built-in display icon G11 changes to one of four display modes (A1), (A2), (A3), and (A4) depending on whether the display (screen area) where the drag operation was started is the display where the drag operation was started and whether the built-in display icon G11 is selected. Here, the state in which the built-in display icon G11 is selected refers to, for example, a state in which the cursor CA being dragged is hovered over the built-in display icon G11 (as described with reference to FIG. 15). When the cursor CA being dragged does not hover over the built-in display icon G11 (not hovered), the built-in display icon G11 is in an unselected state.

[0083] (A1) shows an example of the display when a drag operation is started on a display other than the built-in display (here, an external display) and no selection is made (not hovered), for example, with a dark gray background color. (A2) shows an example of the display when a drag operation is started on a display other than the built-in display (here, an external display) and selection is made (hovered), for example, with a light gray background color.

[0084] (A3) shows an example of the display when a drag operation is started on the built-in display but no selection is made (not hovered), for example, with a dark blue background color. (A4) shows an example of the display when a drag operation is started on the built-in display but selection is made (hovered), for example, with a light blue background color.

[0085] Similarly, the external display icon G12 changes into four display modes (B1), (B2), (B3), and (B4) depending on whether it is the display (screen area) where the drag operation started and whether it is selected. Here, the selected state of the external display icon G12 means, for example, a state in which the cursor CA being dragged is hovered over the external display icon G12. When the cursor CA being dragged does not hover over the external display icon G12 (not hover), the external display icon G12 is in an unselected state.

[0086] (B1) shows an example of the display mode when a drag operation is started on a display other than the external display (here, the built-in display) and no selection is made (not hovered), for example, with a dark gray background color. (B2) shows an example of the display mode when a drag operation is started on a display other than the external display (here, the built-in display) and selection is made (hovered), for example, with a light gray background color.

[0087] (B3) shows an example of the display mode when a drag operation is started on the external display and no selection is made (not hovered), for example, with a dark blue background color. (B4) shows an example of the display mode when a drag operation is started on the external display and a selection is made (hovered), for example, with a light blue background color.

[0088] In this way, when selecting the display on which to display a window from the built-in display and the external display, the designs (pattern, design) of the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 to be selected are different, and the display manner (for example, background color) of the icon on the display on which the drag operation was started is different from that of the icons on the other displays, so it is intuitively easy to understand which display each icon corresponds to, and operability is good.

[0089] [Configuration of information processing device] The specific configuration of the information processing device 10 will be described below. 17 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, a storage unit 13, a speaker 14, a display unit 15, a camera 16, a first acceleration sensor 161, a second acceleration sensor 162, a Hall sensor 17, a control unit 18, and an external connection terminal 19. These units are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a bus or the like.

[0090] The communication unit 11 includes, for example, a plurality of Ethernet (registered trademark) ports, a plurality of digital input / output ports such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), and a communication device that performs wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). For example, the communication unit 11 can communicate with the aforementioned external keyboard 30 or the like using Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0091] In the RAM 12, programs and data for processes executed by the control unit 18 are loaded, and various data is saved or erased as appropriate. For example, the RAM 12 also functions as a video memory (V-RAM) for display on the display 150. As an example, the RAM 12 functions as a video memory for data displayed in each display area within the screen area of ​​the display 150 (or the display 250 when the external display device 20 is connected). The RAM 12 also stores information about running apps, apps in use (active window apps) among the running apps, information about other inactive window apps, the display area in which each window is displayed, the layer in which each window is located, the size of the window, whether it is minimized, and the like. Note that the RAM 12 is a volatile memory, and therefore does not retain data when power supply to the RAM 12 is stopped. Data that needs to be retained when power supply to the RAM 12 is stopped is transferred to the storage unit 13.

[0092] The storage unit 13 is configured to include one or more of an SSD (Solid State Drive), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a ROM (Residual Only Memory), a Flash-ROM, etc. For example, the storage unit 13 stores programs and setting data for a BIOS (Basic Input Output System), an OS (Operating System), programs for applications that run on the OS, and various data used by the applications. The speaker 14 outputs electronic sounds, voices, and the like.

[0093] The display unit 15 includes a display 150 and a touch sensor 155. As described above, the display 150 is a flexible display that can be bent to match the opening angle θ resulting from the relative rotation of the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. The display 150 performs display corresponding to each display mode described with reference to FIG. 4 under the control of the control unit 18. The touch sensor 155 is provided on the screen of the display 150 and detects touch operations on the screen. For example, in the single-screen mode, the touch sensor 155 detects touch operations on the display area DA. In addition, in the dual-screen mode, the touch sensor 155 detects touch operations on one or both of the first display area DA1 and the second display area DA2. Touch operations include tap operations, slide operations, flick operations, swipe operations, and pinch operations. The touch sensor 155 detects the touch operations and outputs operation information based on the detected operations to the control unit 18.

[0094] The camera 16 includes a lens, an imaging element, etc. The camera 16 captures an image (a still image or a moving image) according to the control of the control unit 18, and outputs data of the captured image.

[0095] First acceleration sensor 161 is provided inside first housing 101 and detects the orientation and changes in orientation of first housing 101. For example, if the direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of first display area DA1 is defined as the X1 direction, the direction parallel to the lateral direction is defined as the Y1 direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X1 and Y1 directions is defined as the Z1 direction, first acceleration sensor 161 detects acceleration in each of the X1, Y1, and Z1 directions and outputs the detection results to control unit 18.

[0096] The second acceleration sensor 162 is provided inside the second housing 102 and detects the orientation and changes in orientation of the second housing 102. For example, if the direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second display area DA2 is the X2 direction, the direction parallel to the lateral direction is the Y2 direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X2 and Y2 directions is the Z2 direction, the second acceleration sensor 162 detects acceleration in each of the X2, Y2, and Z2 directions and outputs the detection results to the control unit 18.

[0097] The Hall sensor 17 is provided to detect the connection of the keyboard 30. For example, when the keyboard 30 is placed on the second display area DA2 of the second housing 102, a magnet provided inside the bottom surface of the keyboard 30 approaches, changing the magnetic field, and changing the detection value (output value) of the Hall sensor 17. In other words, the Hall sensor 17 outputs a different detection result depending on whether the keyboard 30 is placed. Note that, although the Hall sensor 17 is used to detect whether the keyboard 30 is placed here, the detection method is not limited to this, and any detection method can be used.

[0098] The external connection terminal 19 is a connection terminal for connecting to an external display device 20 (external display). For example, the external connection terminal 19 is an HDMI (registered trademark) terminal, a USB Type-C terminal, a display port, etc. Note that the information processing device 10 and the external display device 20 may be connected wirelessly.

[0099] Control unit 18 is configured to include processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), and a microcomputer, and realizes various functions by executing programs (various programs such as a BIOS, an OS, and applications running on the OS) stored in storage unit 13, etc. For example, control unit 18 detects the attitude (orientation) of information processing device 10 based on the detection results of first acceleration sensor 161 and second acceleration sensor 162. Furthermore, control unit 18 detects whether information processing device 10 is in an open state or a closed state, and if in an open state, whether it is in a bent state (bent form) or a flat state (flat form), based on the detection results of first acceleration sensor 161 and second acceleration sensor 162.

[0100] Furthermore, the control unit 18 detects a connection with the keyboard 30 based on the detection result of the hall sensor 17. Note that this connection with the keyboard 30 refers to the placement of the keyboard 30 on the second display area DA2, and does not refer to a communication connection. The control unit 18 detects the communication connection with the keyboard 30 using a function such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0101] In addition, the control unit 18 controls the display of the display 150 described with reference to FIG. 4 by detecting the system state, the attitude (orientation) of the information processing device 10, whether it is in an open state or a closed state, and if it is in an open state, whether it is in a bent state (bent form) or a flat state (flat form), connection with the keyboard 30, etc.

[0102] In addition, by dragging a window displayed on display 150 (built-in display) or display 250 (external display), control unit 18 displays a display selection icon or a layout selection icon for selecting the display destination and screen layout of the window (see Figures 5, 7 to 16).

[0103] Next, a detailed description will be given of a display layout change process that changes the display destination and layout of a window using a display selection icon and a layout selection icon, among the processes executed by control unit 18. Note that in the following description, information processing device 10 will be described as controlling display on an internal display and an external display in a configuration connected to external display device 20, as shown in FIG.

[0104] 18 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration related to the display layout change processing of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. The control unit 18 includes a display arrangement information acquisition unit 180, a display selection icon display processing unit 181, a display selection processing unit 182, a layout selection icon display processing unit 183, a layout selection processing unit 184, and a display layout change unit 185 as functional configurations in which the CPU executes processing based on the OS or a program running on the OS.

[0105] The display layout information acquisition unit 180 acquires layout information indicating the layout of the displays from the setting information set by the OS. The layout information indicating the layout of the displays set by the OS is, for example, layout information based on the layout of the icons indicating the displays displayed in the display setting window DS shown in Figures 8 to 14.

[0106] The display selection icon display processing unit 181 performs a process for displaying display selection icons. For example, when a drag operation is received on a window displayed in at least one of the screen area of ​​the built-in display and the screen area of ​​the external display, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 displays a display selection icon G1 in the screen area where the drag operation was started (see FIG. 7). The display selection icon G1 includes a built-in display icon G11 corresponding to the screen area of ​​the built-in display and an external display icon G12 corresponding to the screen area of ​​the external display.

[0107] For example, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 displays the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 in different designs that resemble the respective display types (see FIGS. 7 and 16).

[0108] Furthermore, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 displays the icons (built-in display icon G11, external display icon G12, etc.) corresponding to each display in the display selection icon G1 in an order based on the layout of each display. For example, based on layout information indicating the layout of the displays acquired by the display layout information acquisition unit 180, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 displays the icons (built-in display icon G11, external display icon G12, etc.) corresponding to each display in the display selection icon G1 in an order based on the layout of each display.

[0109] For example, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 displays the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 in a vertical or horizontal arrangement, prioritizing the arrangement direction of the sides where the icons representing the displays displayed in the display setting window DS are in contact with each other (see Figures 8 to 10).

[0110] Furthermore, when the icons representing the displays displayed in the display setting window DS are in contact only at a corner, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 displays the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 side by side (see FIG. 11).

[0111] Furthermore, when controlling the display of three or more displays, if any of the icons representing the displays displayed in the display settings window DS is in contact with the sides of two or more other icons, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 displays the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 not only in a vertical or horizontal arrangement but also in a vertical or horizontal intermediate position (see FIG. 12).

[0112] Furthermore, when the display selection icon display processing unit 181 controls the display for three or more displays, even if there is an icon among the icons representing the displays displayed in the display setting window DS that is in contact with the sides of two or more other icons, if the icon that is in contact with the sides of the two or more other icons is in contact with one of the other icons by a predetermined percentage (for example, 70%) or more, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 will display the icon next to the other icon that is in contact with the icon by the predetermined percentage or more, rather than in a middle position above or below or to the left or right (see Figures 13 and 14).

[0113] Furthermore, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 differentiates the display mode of the icon corresponding to the screen area where the drag operation has started, either the built-in display icon G11 or the external display icon G12, from that of other icons. For example, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 differentiates the color (e.g., background color) of the icon corresponding to the screen area where the drag operation has started, either the built-in display icon G11 or the external display icon G12, from that of the other icons (see FIGS. 7 and 16).

[0114] In addition, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 changes the display mode when the built-in display icon G11 is selected by a drag operation and when it is not selected, and when the external display icon G12 is selected by a drag operation and when it is not selected (see FIG. 16).

[0115] For example, if the icon corresponding to the screen area where the drag operation has started is the built-in display icon G11, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 changes the background color of the built-in display icon G11 to blue and the background color of the external display icon G12 to gray. At this time, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 changes the background color of the built-in display icon G11 to, for example, dark blue when the drag operation has started (when not selected), and to, for example, light blue when selected. Furthermore, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 changes the background color of the external display icon G12 to, for example, dark gray when the drag operation has started (when not selected), and to, for example, light gray when selected.

[0116] Furthermore, for example, if the icon corresponding to the screen area where the drag operation has started is the external display icon G12, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 changes the background color of the external display icon G12 to blue and the background color of the built-in display icon G11 to gray. At this time, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 changes the background color of the external display icon G12 to, for example, dark blue when the drag operation has started (when not selected), and to, for example, light blue when selected. Furthermore, the display selection icon display processing unit 181 changes the background color of the built-in display icon G11 to, for example, dark gray when the drag operation has started (when not selected), and to, for example, light gray when selected.

[0117] The display selection processing unit 182 selects the screen area corresponding to the icon selected by the drag operation, either the built-in display icon G11 or the external display icon G12, as the screen area where the dragged window is to be displayed.

[0118] Layout selection icon display processing unit 183 newly displays a layout selection icon that allows selection of a display area in which to display a window within the screen area selected by display selection processing unit 182 (see FIG. 8). For example, when the usage mode is "Portrait (or Clamshell)", layout selection icon display processing unit 183 displays layout selection icon L1 shown in FIG. 5(A), and when the usage mode is "Landscape", layout selection icon L2 shown in FIG. 5(B).

[0119] Layout selection processing unit 184 selects the display area selected by a drag operation on the layout selection icon as the display area for the window being dragged.

[0120] In response to the end of the drag operation on the window, the display layout change unit 185 changes the display position of the window to the display area selected by the layout selection processing unit 184 within the screen area of ​​the display selected by the display selection processing unit 182.

[0121] [Display layout change process] Next, the operation of the display layout change process executed by the control unit 18 will be described. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the display layout change process according to this embodiment.

[0122] (Step S101) When the control unit 18 receives that a drag operation on a window displayed in the screen area of ​​the built-in display or the external display has started, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0123] (Step S103) Control unit 18 displays a display selection icon G1 in the screen area of ​​the built-in display or the external display on which the drag operation was started (see FIG. 7). For example, control unit 18 displays built-in display icon G11 and external display icon G12 included in display selection icon G1 in different designs (patterns, pictures) that imitate the types of displays (see FIG. 7). Control unit 18 also displays built-in display icon G11 and external display icon G12 included in display selection icon G1 in an order based on the layout of the corresponding displays, based on layout information that indicates the layout of the displays set by the OS (see FIGS. 8 to 14). Then, the process proceeds to step S105.

[0124] (Step S105) The control unit 18 selects the screen area corresponding to the icon selected by the drag operation from the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 as the screen area of ​​the display destination for the dragged window (see FIG. 15). Then, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0125] (Step S107) The control unit 18 changes the display mode of the icon selected in step S105. For example, the control unit 18 changes the background color of the icon selected from the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 from dark blue to light blue, or from dark gray to light gray (see FIG. 16). Then, the process proceeds to step S109.

[0126] (Step S109) Control unit 18 newly displays a layout selection icon that allows selection of a display area in which to display a window within the screen area of ​​the display selected in step S105 (see FIG. 15). For example, when the usage mode is "Portrait (or Clamshell)", control unit 18 displays layout selection icon L1 shown in FIG. 5(A), and when the usage mode is "Landscape", control unit 18 displays layout selection icon L2 shown in FIG. 5(B). Then, the process proceeds to step S111.

[0127] (Step S111) The control unit 18 selects the display area selected by the drag operation on the layout selection icon as the display area for the dragged window, and then proceeds to the processing of step S113.

[0128] (Step S113) The control unit 18 changes the display mode (color, brightness, etc.) of the display area within the layout selection icon selected in step S111, and then proceeds to the processing of step S115.

[0129] (Step S115) When control unit 18 receives that the drag operation on the window has ended, the process proceeds to step S117.

[0130] (Step S117) Control unit 18 changes the display position of the window to a display area within the screen area of ​​the selected display.

[0131] [Summary of the embodiment] As described above, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment controls display on the built-in display (display 150) and the external display (display 250) (examples of multiple displays). The information processing device 10 includes a storage unit 13 (an example of a memory) that stores application programs, and a control unit 18 (an example of a processor such as a CPU, GPU, or microcomputer) that executes the application programs stored in the storage unit 13 to control display of the application windows on at least one of the built-in display (display 150) and the external display (display 250). When the control unit 18 receives a drag operation on a window displayed on at least one of the multiple displays, the control unit 18 performs a first display process to display display selection icons G1 (an example of a first icon) corresponding to each of the multiple displays on the display on which the drag operation was initiated. The control unit 18 also performs a first selection process to select a display corresponding to an icon selected by the drag operation from among a built-in display icon G11 and an external display icon G12 included in the display selection icons G1 corresponding to each of the multiple displays, as the display on which the dragged window is to be displayed. Furthermore, control unit 18 performs a second display process to display layout selection icons L1 or L2 (an example of a second icon) that allow selection of a display area in which to display a window within the screen area of ​​the display selected by the first selection process. Then, in the first display process, control unit 18 displays built-in display icons G11 and external display icons G12 corresponding to the multiple displays, respectively, in an order based on the arrangement of the multiple displays.

[0132] As a result, in the information processing device 10, the arrangement of the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 included in the display selection icon G1 roughly represents the arrangement of the actual displays, making it easy to see which display each icon corresponds to and allowing the user to intuitively select the display on which to display a window. Therefore, the information processing device 10 can improve operability when selecting a display destination from multiple displays. Furthermore, in the information processing device 10, because the user can determine which display each icon included in the display selection icon G1 corresponds to from the arrangement of the icons, there is no need to display numbers such as "1" and "2" corresponding to the displays set by the OS on the display.

[0133] For example, the layout information of the multiple displays is setting information set in the OS (an example of a system) executed by the control unit 18.

[0134] This allows the information processing device 10 to use the display layout information set in the OS to arrange the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 included in the display selection icon G1 based on the actual display layout.

[0135] The layout of the multiple displays can be set by the OS, and can be set by changing the layout of the icons representing each display (for example, the icons (an example of the third icon) in the display setting window DS shown in FIGS. 8 to 14) based on the actual layout of the multiple displays. In the first display process, the control unit 18 displays the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 in a vertical or horizontal arrangement, prioritizing the arrangement direction of the sides where the icons representing the displays are in contact with each other, based on the layout information indicating the layout of the multiple displays set by the OS (see FIGS. 8 to 10).

[0136] As a result, the information processing device 10 can use the display layout information set in the OS to arrange the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 included in the display selection icon G1 in a vertical or horizontal alignment in accordance with the arrangement direction of the actual displays. Furthermore, even if the positions of the actual displays are shifted vertically or horizontally, the information processing device 10 can ignore small deviations and arrange the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 included in the display selection icon G1 in a vertical or horizontal alignment.

[0137] Furthermore, in the first display process, if the icons representing the displays in the layout information of multiple displays set in the OS are adjacent only at the corners, the control unit 18 displays the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 side by side (see FIG. 11).

[0138] As a result, when the actual arrangement of the displays cannot be determined as either vertical or horizontal, the information processing device 10 fixes the arrangement of the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 included in the display selection icon G1 to a horizontal arrangement, thereby preventing the arrangement from changing each time and avoiding confusion for the user. Note that in this case, the arrangement of the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 may be fixed to a vertical arrangement instead of a horizontal arrangement.

[0139] Furthermore, when controlling the display on three or more displays, if there is an icon (for example, an icon in the display setting window DS shown in Figures 8 to 14) indicating each display in the layout information of multiple displays set by the OS that is adjacent to the sides of two or more other icons, the control unit 18 will display the display selection icons G1 (for example, the built-in display icon G11, the external display icon G12, and the external display icon G13) corresponding to each of the three or more displays in an intermediate position between the top and bottom or the left and right in addition to being arranged vertically or horizontally (see Figure 12).

[0140] As a result, even when the information processing device 10 controls display on three or more displays, the arrangement of the icons corresponding to each display included in the display selection icon G1 (for example, the built-in display icon G11, the external display icon G12, and the external display icon G13) roughly represents the arrangement of the actual displays, making it easy to see which display each icon corresponds to, and allowing the user to intuitively select the display on which the window is displayed.

[0141] In the first display process, even if there is an icon that is in contact with the sides of two or more other icons among the icons representing the displays in the layout information of multiple displays set by the OS (for example, icons in the display setting window DS shown in Figures 8 to 14), if the icon that is in contact with the sides of the two or more other icons is in contact with any of the other icons by a predetermined percentage (for example, 70%) or more, the control unit 18 may display the icon next to the other icons that are in contact with the icon by the predetermined percentage or more, rather than in a middle position above, below, or to the left or right (see Figures 13 and 14).

[0142] As a result, even when the information processing device 10 controls display on three or more displays, the arrangement of the icons corresponding to each display included in the display selection icon G1 (for example, the built-in display icon G11, the external display icon G12, and the external display icon G13) roughly represents the arrangement of the actual displays, making it easy to see which display each icon corresponds to, and allowing the user to intuitively select the display on which the window is displayed.

[0143] The control unit 18 also performs a second selection process to select the display area selected by the drag operation on the layout selection icon L1 or L2 as the display area in which the dragged window will be displayed, and a third display process to change the display position of the window to the display area selected by the second selection process within the screen area of ​​the display selected by the first selection process, in response to the drag operation on the window being completed.

[0144] This allows the user to easily operate information processing device 10 to display (snap) a window in a display area within the screen area of ​​a desired display.

[0145] Furthermore, the control method in the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment includes: a first display step in which, when the control unit 18 receives a drag operation on a window displayed on at least one of a plurality of displays, the control unit 18 displays a display selection icon G1 (an example of a first icon) corresponding to each of the plurality of displays on the display on which the drag operation was started; a first selection step in which the control unit 18 selects the display corresponding to the icon selected by the drag operation from among the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 included in the display selection icon G1 corresponding to each of the plurality of displays, as the display on which the dragged window is to be displayed; and a second display step in which the control unit 18 displays a layout selection icon L1 or L2 (an example of a second icon) that allows selection of a display area in which to display the window within the screen area of ​​the display selected in the first selection step; and the built-in display icon G11 and the external display icon G12 corresponding to each of the plurality of displays are displayed in an order based on the arrangement of the plurality of displays in the first display step.

[0146] As a result, in the control method of information processing device 10, the arrangement of built-in display icon G11 and external display icon G12 included in display selection icon G1 roughly represents the arrangement of the actual displays, making it easy to see which display each icon corresponds to and allowing the user to intuitively select the display on which to display a window. Thus, the control method of information processing device 10 can improve operability when selecting a display destination from multiple displays.

[0147] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various design changes and the like are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, the configurations described in the above embodiments may be combined in any desired manner.

[0148] Furthermore, although the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment described above has one foldable display 150 provided across the inner surface of the first housing 101 and the inner surface of the second housing 102, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the information processing device 10 may be configured so that a display is provided only on the inner surface of the first housing 101. Furthermore, the information processing device 10 may be configured so that a display is provided on each of the inner surfaces of the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. Regardless of the configuration of the information processing device 10, by connecting it to an external display device 20, the display layout change process described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9 and 12 can be applied.

[0149] In the above-described embodiment, the multiple screen areas for which the information processing device 10 controls the display are two screen areas: the built-in display of the information processing device 10 and the external display of the external display device 20. However, this is not limiting. If the information processing device 10 is equipped with multiple built-in displays, the multiple screen areas for which the information processing device 10 controls the display may be the multiple built-in displays. If the information processing device 10 is connected to multiple external display devices 20, the multiple screen areas for which the information processing device 10 controls the display may be the multiple external displays, or the multiple external displays and one or more built-in displays. In other words, the multiple screen areas for which the information processing device 10 controls the display may be two screen areas, or three or more screen areas, and these screen areas may be the screen areas of either the built-in display or the external display.

[0150] In the above-described embodiment, the layouts selectable with the layout selection icon L1 or L2 (see FIG. 5) are three types: a layout in which the entire screen area of ​​the display 150 is used as one display area, a layout in which the screen area is divided into two parts, one above the other, and a layout in which the screen area is divided into three parts, but are not limited to these. For example, only some of the above three types of layouts may be selectable, or a layout in which the screen area is divided into four or more display areas may be selectable.

[0151] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, examples of touch operations on multiple touch panel type displays in which the input unit (touch sensor) and the display unit are integrated are described, but this is not limited to touch panel type displays.

[0152] The information processing device 10 described above includes an internal computer system. A program for implementing the functions of each component of the information processing device 10 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program may be loaded into a computer system and executed to perform processing in each component of the information processing device 10. Here, "loading a program recorded on a recording medium into a computer system and executing it" includes installing the program into a computer system. The term "computer system" here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. The term "computer system" may also include multiple computers connected via a network, including the Internet, a WAN, a LAN, a dedicated line, or other communication lines. The term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system. The recording medium storing the program may also be a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0153] The recording medium also includes internal or external recording media accessible from a distribution server for distributing the program. The program may be divided into multiple parts, downloaded at different times, and then combined by each component of the information processing device 10, or each divided program may be distributed by a different distribution server. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" also includes a medium that stores a program for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory (RAM) within a computer system that serves as a server or client when a program is transmitted over a network. The program may also be a medium that realizes part of the above-described functions. Furthermore, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-described functions in combination with a program already stored in the computer system.

[0154] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the information processing device 10 in the above-described embodiment may be realized as an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration). Each function may be individually implemented as a processor, or some or all of the functions may be integrated into a processor. The integrated circuit method is not limited to LSI, and may be implemented using a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology, an integrated circuit based on that technology may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0155] 10 Information processing device, 101 First housing, 102 Second housing, 103 Hinge mechanism, 11 Communication unit, 12 RAM, 13 Storage unit, 14 Speaker, 15 Display unit, 16 Camera, 150 Display, 155 Touch sensor, 161 First acceleration sensor, 162 Second acceleration sensor, 17 Hall sensor, 18 Control unit, 19 External connection terminal, 180 Display layout information acquisition unit, 181 Display selection icon display processing unit, 182 Display selection processing unit, 183 Layout selection icon display processing unit, 184 Layout selection processing unit, 185 Display layout change unit

Claims

1. An information processing device that controls display on a plurality of displays, a memory for storing an application program; a processor that controls displaying a window of the application on at least one of the plurality of displays by executing a program of the application stored in the memory; Equipped with The processor: a first display process for, when a drag operation is received on the window displayed on at least one of the plurality of displays, displaying first icons corresponding to the plurality of displays on the display on which the drag operation is started; a first selection process of selecting a display corresponding to an icon selected by the drag operation from among the first icons corresponding to each of the plurality of displays as a display destination for the window being dragged; a second display process for displaying a second icon that allows selection of a display area in which the window is to be displayed within the screen area of ​​the display selected by the first selection process; and In the first display process, displaying the first icons corresponding to the plurality of displays in an order based on an arrangement of the plurality of displays; Information processing device.

2. the layout information of the plurality of displays is setting information set in a system executed by the processor; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. an arrangement of the plurality of displays is configurable by the system by changing an arrangement of third icons representing the respective displays based on an actual arrangement of the plurality of displays; The processor: In the first display process, the first icons are displayed in a vertical or horizontal arrangement, with priority given to an arrangement direction of sides along which the third icons representing the displays are in contact with each other, based on arrangement information indicating an arrangement of the plurality of displays set in the system. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The processor: In the first display process, when the third icons representing the displays in the layout information of the plurality of displays set in the system are adjacent to each other only at a corner, the first icons are displayed side by side. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. When controlling display on three or more displays, The processor: In the first display process, when there is a third icon that is in contact with sides of two or more other third icons among the third icons that indicate the displays in the layout information of the plurality of displays set in the system, the first icons are displayed in an intermediate position between the top and bottom or the left and the right in addition to being arranged vertically or horizontally when displaying the first icons. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

6. The processor: In the first display process, even if there is a third icon that is in contact with sides of two or more other third icons among the third icons indicating each display in the layout information of the plurality of displays set in the system, if the third icon that is in contact with sides of the two or more other third icons is in contact with any of the other third icons by a predetermined percentage or more, the third icon is displayed side by side with the other third icon that is in contact with the third icon by the predetermined percentage or more, rather than being displayed at a middle position above or below or left or right of the other third icon. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. The processor: a second selection process for selecting a display area selected by the drag operation on the second icon as a display area for displaying the window being dragged; a third display process for changing the display position of the window to the display area selected by the second selection process within the screen area of ​​the display selected by the first selection process in response to the end of the drag operation on the window; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

8. A control method for an information processing device including a memory that stores an application program and a processor that controls display of a window of the application on at least one of a plurality of displays by executing the application program stored in the memory, the method comprising: the processor: a first display step of, when a drag operation is received on the window displayed on at least one of the plurality of displays, displaying first icons corresponding to the plurality of displays on the display on which the drag operation is started; a first selection step of selecting a display corresponding to an icon selected by the drag operation from among the first icons corresponding to each of the plurality of displays as a display destination for the window being dragged; a second display step of displaying a second icon that allows selection of a display area in which the window is to be displayed within the screen area of ​​the display selected in the first selection step; Including, In the first display step, displaying the first icons corresponding to the plurality of displays in an arrangement based on layout information of the plurality of displays; Control method.

Images