Multi-Screen Device Gesture Desktop Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Single-screen handheld computing devices face challenges in efficiently displaying multiple applications and managing user input due to limited screen space, leading to user frustration and productivity loss, while dual-screen devices often inherit the limitations of single-screen designs.
Innovation Solution
A multi-screen device with two touch-sensitive displays that allows users to selectively display and manage multiple desktops and applications across screens through user gestures, enabling enhanced input and content management by moving applications between screens or hiding them from view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple applications are displayed on a single screen, then application availability increases, but screen space per application decreases and visual clutter increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional single-screen display to a three-dimensional multi-screen display arrangement, allowing applications to be distributed across multiple physical screens. This dimensional expansion provides additional display real estate while maintaining full application functionality, directly resolving the contradiction between application availability and screen space per application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the display area into multiple independent screens, each capable of displaying different applications or portions of applications. This segmentation allows each application to have dedicated screen space while maintaining overall system versatility, resolving the contradiction by dividing the display resource into separate functional units.
2Ease of operation
If a virtual keypad or user interface is superimposed on the display, then input capability is provided, but display area for applications is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the user interface and input elements to a separate second screen, physically separating the input function from the display function. This allows the primary application screen to maintain full display area while the secondary screen provides dedicated input capability through virtual keypads and controls, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and display area.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the device form factor is reduced, then portability increases, but display space and input area decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the third dimension by folding the display into multiple screens that can be arranged in various configurations. This allows a compact portable form factor when folded, while providing expanded display space when unfolded and configured in multi-screen mode, resolving the contradiction between portability and display space.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1G
Figure 1H~1J
AI summary
A dual-screen user device and methods are disclosed for revealing a combination of desktops on single and multiple screens. A determined number of desktops and/or running applications are displayed on dual screen displays conditioned upon inputs received and the state of the device. Desktop displays and applications can be shifted between the screens by user gestures, and/or selected desktop displays. Applications can be moved off of the screens by other user gestures and therefore hidden. Hidden desktops and screens can be re-displayed by other gestures. Desktops and applications are arranged in a window stack that represents a logical order therefore providing a user with an intuitive ability to manage multiple applications and desktops running simultaneously. The user gestures prevent the user from having to open and close the running desktops and applications that otherwise may require laborious efforts by the user to manage the multiple running desktops and applications.