# US 10,871,871 B2 · Methods and systems for controlling window minimization and maximization on a mobile device

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- Number: US 10,871,871 B2
- Document ID: US10871871B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/385,888
- Filed: 2019-04-16
- Published: 2019-08-08
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2010-10-01
- Assignees: Z124
- Applicants: Z124
- Inventors: Ron Cassar; Paul E. Reeves; Volodimir Felixovich Lemberg; John S. Visosky
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871871B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
- G06F 1/16: Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F 1/1616: {with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position}
- G06F 1/1632: {External expansion units, e.g. docking stations}
- G06F 1/1641: {the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence)}
- G06F 1/1647: {including at least an additional display (G06F1/1692 takes precedence)}
- G06F 1/1677: {for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment}
- G06F 1/1694: {the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer}
- G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)}
- G06F 3/0346: with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
- G06F 3/041: Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
- G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display}
- G06F 3/0416: {Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers}
- G06F 3/048: Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
- G06F 3/04812: Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
- G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34)
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06F 3/0483: Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
- G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
- G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence)
- G06F 3/04845: for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
- G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
- G06F 3/0486: Drag-and-drop
- G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
- G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
- G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
- G06F 3/1423: {controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display}
- G06F 3/1446: {display composed of modules, e.g. video walls}
- G06T 3/02: Affine transformations (for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038)
- G06T 3/40: Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
- G09G 5/14: Display of multiple viewports
- H04L 12/1827: {Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation}
- G06F 3/044: by capacitive means
- G06F 2200/1614: Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
- G06F 2200/1637: Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
- G06F 2203/04803: Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
- G09G 2356/00: Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to methodologies and devices for handling maximizing and minimizing of hierarchically related windows.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a mobile device, a command to minimize or maximize two or more windows displayed by the mobile device, the two or more windows comprising at least a parent window and a child window of an application executing on the mobile device;
receiving, by the processor of the mobile device, an orientation of the mobile device;
determining, by the processor of the mobile device, if the command is a minimize command or the command is a maximize command;
if the command is the minimize command and the received orientation is a portrait orientation:
selecting, by the processor of the mobile device, a first touch sensitive display area of the mobile device for displaying the parent window in a minimized size, and
ceasing, by the processor of the mobile device, to display the child window on a second touch sensitive display area of the mobile device;
if the command is the maximize command and the received orientation is the portrait orientation:
selecting, by the processor of the mobile device, the first touch sensitive display area for displaying the parent window in a maximized size, and
causing the child window to be displayed on the second touch sensitive display area in the maximized size;
if the command is the minimize command and the received orientation is a landscape orientation:
selecting, by the processor of the mobile device, the first touch sensitive display area of the mobile device for displaying the parent window in the minimized size; and
displaying, by the processor of the mobile device, a desktop of the mobile device on the second touch sensitive display area of the mobile device; and
if the command is a maximize command and the received orientation is the landscape orientation:
displaying, by the processor of the mobile device, the parent window in both the first touch sensitive display area and the second touch sensitive display area in a maximized size.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the maximize command is a spread gesture.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein neither the parent window nor the child window is displayed in the second touch sensitive display area when the command is received, and wherein the child window appears to move from the first touch sensitive display area to the second touch sensitive display area, thereby revealing the parent window in the first touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the child window is displayed in the second touch sensitive display area when the command is received, wherein the parent window appears to move from the second touch sensitive display area to the first touch sensitive display area, whereby the parent window is displayed by the first touch sensitive display area and the child window is displayed by the second touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile device is in a portrait display mode and wherein the first touch sensitive display area is a right-most touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the minimize command is a pinch gesture.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the parent window and child window are concurrently displayed in the second touch sensitive display area and the first touch sensitive display area, respectively, when the minimize command is received, and wherein the parent window appears to move from the second touch sensitive display area to the first touch sensitive display area, thereby covering a lower level window previously displayed on the second touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the parent window and child window are concurrently displayed in the first touch sensitive display area and the second touch sensitive display area, respectively, when the minimize command is received, and wherein the child window appears to move from the second touch sensitive display area to the first touch sensitive display area and under the parent window, thereby disappearing under the parent window displayed on the second touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 9

A mobile device comprising:
one or more screens comprising a first touch sensitive display area and a second touch sensitive display area;
a processor coupled with the one or more screens; and
a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to control display of windows on the one or more screens by:
receiving a command to minimize or maximize two or more windows displayed by the mobile device, the two or more windows comprising at least a parent window and a child window of an application executing one the mobile device;
receiving an orientation of the mobile device;
determining if the command is a minimize command or the command is a maximize command;
if the command is the minimize command and the received orientation is a portrait orientation:
selecting a first touch sensitive display area of the mobile device for displaying the parent window in a minimized size, and
ceasing to display the child window on a second touch sensitive display area of the mobile device;
if the command is the maximize command and the received orientation is the portrait orientation:
selecting the first touch sensitive display area for displaying the parent window in a maximized size, and
causing the child window to be displayed on the second touch sensitive display area in the maximized size;
if the command is the minimize command and the received orientation is a landscape orientation:
selecting the first touch sensitive display area of the mobile device for displaying the parent window in the minimized size; and
displaying a desktop of the mobile device on the second touch sensitive display area of the mobile device; and
if the command is a maximize command and the received orientation is the landscape orientation:
displaying the parent window in both the first touch sensitive display area and the second touch sensitive display area in a maximized size.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the maximize command is a spread gesture.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The mobile device of claim 10, wherein neither the parent window nor the child window is displayed in the second touch sensitive display area when the command is received, and wherein the child window appears to move from the first touch sensitive display area to the second touch sensitive display area, thereby revealing the parent window in the first touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the child window is displayed in the second touch sensitive display area when the command is received, wherein the parent window appears to move from the second touch sensitive display area to the first touch sensitive display area, whereby the parent window is displayed by the first touch sensitive display area and the child window is displayed by the second touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is in a portrait display mode and wherein the first touch sensitive display area is a right-most touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the minimize command is a pinch gesture.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the parent window and child window are concurrently displayed in the second touch sensitive display area and the first touch sensitive display area, respectively, when the minimize command is received, and wherein the parent window appears to move from the second touch sensitive display area to the first touch sensitive display area, thereby covering a lower level window previously displayed on the second touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the parent window and child window are concurrently displayed in the first touch sensitive display area and the second touch sensitive display area, respectively, when the minimize command is received, and wherein the child window appears to move from the second touch sensitive display area to the first touch sensitive display area and under the parent window, thereby disappearing under the parent window displayed on the second touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 17

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to control display of windows on one or more screens of a mobile device by:
receiving a command to minimize or maximize two or more windows displayed by the mobile device, the two or more windows comprising at least a parent window and a child window of an application executing one the mobile device;
receiving an orientation of the mobile device;
determining if the command is a minimize command or the command is a maximize command;
if the command is the minimize command and the received orientation is a portrait orientation:
selecting a first touch sensitive display area of the mobile device for displaying the parent window in a minimized size, and
ceasing to display the child window on a second touch sensitive display area of the mobile device;
if the command is the maximize command and the received orientation is the portrait orientation:
selecting the first touch sensitive display area for displaying the parent window in a maximized size, and
causing the child window to be displayed on the second touch sensitive display area in the maximized size;
if the command is the minimize command and the received orientation is a landscape orientation:
selecting the first touch sensitive display area of the mobile device for displaying the parent window in the minimized size; and
displaying a desktop of the mobile device on the second touch sensitive display area of the mobile device; and
if the command is a maximize command and the received orientation is the landscape orientation:
displaying the parent window in both the first touch sensitive display area and the second touch sensitive display area in a maximized size.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein neither the parent window nor the child window is displayed in the second touch sensitive display area when the command is received, and wherein the child window appears to move from the first touch sensitive display area to the second touch sensitive display area, thereby revealing the parent window in the first touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the child window is displayed in the second touch sensitive display area when the command is received, wherein the parent window appears to move from the second touch sensitive display area to the first touch sensitive display area, whereby the parent window is displayed by the first touch sensitive display area and the child window is displayed by the second touch sensitive display area.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the mobile device is in a portrait display mode and wherein the first touch sensitive display area is a right-most touch sensitive display area.