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EP-4217857-B1 - SPLIT-SCREEN DISPLAY IMPLEMENTATION IN COMPUTING DEVICE

EP4217857B1EP 4217857 B1EP4217857 B1EP 4217857B1EP-4217857-B1

Inventors

  • OPARA, Edward
  • HUDSON-POWELL, Jody

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20201208

Claims (13)

  1. A method (1600) for split screen display of multiple applications, the method comprising: in response to selecting, by a user of a device, a split screen application displayed in a form of an icon on a screen of the device, displaying a menu including: a prompt for the user to select applications included in a split screen mode, a search bar for the user to search for applications on the device, and a start button to initiate the split-screen mode, wherein the split screen application is an application used for displaying applications in the split screen mode; in response to selecting two or more applications to be used in the split screen mode and selecting the start button by the user, causing (1620) the two or more applications to each display their respective user interfaces on different display portions of a screen of the device; receiving, from the user, a drag of an item from a first display portion to a second display portion, each display portion corresponding to a different application; and in response to the drag of the item, conveying information about the item from an application associated with the first display portion to another application associated with the second display portion.
  2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to the two or more applications being selected, prompting the user of the device to save the two or more applications as a default group.
  3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: in response to the user selecting to save the two or more applications as the default group, generating a customized icon.
  4. The method of claim 3, wherein the customized icon is configured to, upon actuation, enter the split screen mode with applications saved as the default group.
  5. The method of claim 3, wherein an appearance of the customized icon includes a collage of visual cues representing each of the applications within the group of applications.
  6. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon is one of at least two icons displayed on the home screen, each of the at least two icons representing a different variant of the split screen mode.
  7. The method of claim 6, wherein each variant of the split screen mode has a different number of display portions for the split screen display.
  8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the user, an input including a desirable change in size, shape, and/or location for one display portion; and adjusting the one display portion based on the input, wherein the input includes dragging a first display portion and dropping thereof onto a second display portion, and wherein the adjusting includes: switching a location and a size of display between the first and second display portions.
  9. The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes a foldable screen display with a folding line, and wherein at least one split screen line, which separates one display portion from a neighboring display portion, is on the folding line.
  10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to the split screen application being opened, displaying a menu to prompt the user to select the number of display portions for the split screen mode.
  11. The method of claim 10, wherein the menu further comprises: a prompt for the user to select a layout of the display portions for the split-screen mode.
  12. A device comprising: a processor; and a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to: in response to selecting, by a user of a device, a split screen application displayed in a form of an icon on a screen of the device, display a menu including: a prompt for the user to select applications included in a split screen mode, a search bar for the user to search for applications on the device, and a start button to initiate the split-screen mode, wherein the split screen application is an application used for displaying applications in the split screen mode; in response to selecting two or more applications to be used in the split screen mode and selecting the start button by the user, cause the two or more applications to each display their respective user interfaces on different display portions of a screen of the device; receive, from the user, a drag of an item from a first display portion to a second display portion, each display portion corresponding to a different application; and in response to the drag of the item, convey information about the item from an application associated with the first display portion to another application associated with the second display portion.
  13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions, execution of which in a computer system causes the computer system to: in response to selecting, by a user of a device, a split screen application displayed in a form of an icon on a screen of the device, display a menu including: a prompt for the user to select applications included in a split screen mode, a search bar for the user to search for applications on the device, and a start button to initiate the split-screen mode, wherein the split screen application is an application used for displaying applications in the split screen mode; in response to selecting two or more applications to be used in the split screen mode and selecting the start button by the user, cause the two or more applications to each display their respective user interfaces on different display portions of a screen of the device; receive, from the user, a drag of an item from a first display portion to a second display portion, each display portion corresponding to a different application; and in response to the drag of the item, convey information about the item from an application associated with the first display portion to another application associated with the second display portion.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to a split-screen mode on a mobile user device, and more particularly, to a method for split screen display of multiple applications, a device and a non-transitory computer-readable medium. BACKGROUND On-screen time has exponentially increased over the recent decades. The increase in on-screen time can also be correlated to the increase in content available for viewing on a screen. In fact, many people have shifted from using other means to perform daily tasks to doing these tasks on a screen. For example, rather than visit a bank for regular transactions, people use applications associated with the bank to perform the same tasks. Another key factor has been the increase in the size and quality of the screen. These improvements have again transformed traditionally in-person activities to on-screen activities. For instance, rather than going to a yoga studio for exercise, people can now take online classes, which are clearly visible on larger screens. Thus, the state of the technology has improved in a drastic manner and has caused the drastic shift to a dependence on screens for performing tasks. Related technologies are known from patent application CN105573740A that describes a split-screen display mode where a user triggers the mode (e.g., by operating or dragging at least two app icons) and the terminal then divides the screen into multiple app display regions to show multiple application Uls at the same time. It also covers managing which apps appear (via an ordered "split-screen program sequence," swapping in the next app when one region is closed, and optionally recording preferred display-area ranges or priority rules to resolve layout conflicts). SUMMARY The invention is defined by the independent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The techniques introduced here may be better understood by referring to the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a display including variations of split-screen applications.Fig. 2A illustrates an example of a menu where the split-screen applications are located on a display.Fig. 2B illustrates an example the start-up menu of the selected split-screen application.Fig. 3A illustrates an example of customization of the split-screen mode.Fig. 3B illustrates the movement of applications within the split-screen mode.Fig. 4A illustrates an example of a location of the prompt to populate a menu within the split-screen mode.Fig. 4B illustrates an example of a menu within the split-screen mode.Fig. 5A illustrates an example of the full-screen mode.Fig. 5B illustrates an example of the split-screen mode after exiting the full-screen mode.Fig. 6 illustrates an example of content sharing within the split-screen mode.Fig. 7 illustrates another example of content sharing within the split-screen mode.Fig. 8 illustrates an example of an alert generated when content from one application is shared to another.Fig. 9A illustrates an example of how the content displayed within the split-screen mode is selected from the home screen of a user device.Fig. 9B illustrates an example of the updated appearance of the split-screen application icon on the home screen of a user device.Fig. 9C illustrates another example of how the content displayed within the split-screen mode is selected from the home screen of a user device.Fig. 10A illustrates an example of the initial menu when the split-screen mode is activated.Fig. 10B illustrates an example of the split-screen mode when the user selects "start 2 screens".Fig. 10C illustrates an example of the updated appearance of the split-screen application icon when the user selects "save 2 screens".Fig. 11A illustrates an example of a display with multiple split-screen applications.Fig. 11B illustrates an example of a saved preferences menu.Fig. 12 illustrates an example of split-screen mode display of a saved preference.Fig. 13A illustrates an example of a layout of a two-way split screen mode.FIG. 13B illustrates an example of a layout of a three-way split screen mode.Fig. 13C illustrates an example of a layout of a four-way split screen mode.Fig. 14 illustrates an example of a foldable phone.Fig. 15 illustrates a functional block diagram of an example device that can be utilized to implement the split-screen mode.Fig. 16 illustrates a flowchart showing an example method for implementing the split-screen mode.Fig. 17 illustrates a high-level block diagram showing an example of a mobile system in which at least some operations related to the techniques introduced here can be implemented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION References in this description to "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or the like, mean that the particular feature, function, structure, or characteristic being described is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Occ