CN102736832A - Method for customizing user interface and electronic device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for customizing a user interface and an electronic device thereof. When the method is used for displaying the in-use window related to an application program on the screen of the electronic device, if a first type of input signal is detected, an execution picture of the in-use window is obtained, and the in-use window is closed. Then, a starting mechanism between the thumbnail of the execution picture and the execution picture is established, the thumbnail is added into the main picture of the electronic device, and the main picture is displayed on a screen. Therefore, the closed window is ensured not to occupy system resources any more, and the purpose of improving the efficiency of the electronic device is achieved.

Description

Method for customizing user interface and electronic device thereof

technical field

The invention relates to a user interface, in particular to a method for customizing the user interface and its electronic device.

Background technique

With the improvement of mobile technology, in addition to improving the functions of the device itself, the design of the user interface has also received more and more attention from manufacturers. Most of the smart phones on the market allow users to place icons (icons) of commonly used application programs on the main screen, so as to facilitate users to open and use them. In addition, there are also smart phones that allow users to add required interface tools (Widgets) to the main screen to enhance the fun of operation.

However, the user can only know the function of the application program through the icon of the application program and its text description, and cannot further understand the status of opening files or executing functions by using the application program just from the main screen. In other words, the user must click the icon to start the application, so that he can see the content of the previous operation. On the other hand, although the interface toolset can display information without the need for the user to click and execute, when the icon of the application program and the interface toolset coexist on the main screen, the two different usage patterns are easy for the user to Confused while operating.

In addition, in the operating mode of many smart phones, if you leave the currently executing application and return to the main screen, although the screen no longer displays the operation screen of the application, the application will continue to execute in the system without being blocked. really close. For example, assuming that the user executes a text editing program on a smart phone, when the writing of the text file ends and the user returns to the main screen and starts the multimedia player program, since the user is executing the multimedia player program to watch the video, the text editor The program is still running in the background, and the text editing program that has not been actually closed will occupy memory resources and cause the overall system performance to be low.

Contents of the invention

In view of this, the present invention provides a method for customizing the user interface and the electronic device thereof, so that the user can know the operation progress of the application program on the main screen, and at the same time, the performance can be improved by saving system resources.

The present invention provides a method for customizing a user interface, which is suitable for an electronic device including a screen. The method includes judging whether a first type of input signal is detected when an active window related to an application program is displayed on the screen. If the first type of input signal is detected, the execution image of the window in use is obtained, and then the window in use is closed. Next, an activation mechanism between the thumbnail of the execution screen and the execution screen is established, the thumbnail is added to the main screen of the user interface, and the main screen is displayed on the screen.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned electronic device further includes a main memory and an auxiliary memory, and the step of closing the in-use window includes obtaining execution information corresponding to the in-use window from the main memory, storing the execution information in the auxiliary memory, and Frees the space in main memory allocated to the in-use window to close the in-use window.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned method for customizing the user interface further includes, after the step of displaying the main picture on the screen, determining whether a second type input signal corresponding to the thumbnail picture is detected. If the second type of input signal is detected, the startup mechanism is executed to load the execution information stored in the auxiliary memory into the main memory, and display an execution screen according to the execution information through the application program.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned method for customizing the user interface further includes, after the step of displaying the main picture on the screen, determining whether a third type of input signal corresponding to the thumbnail picture is detected. If the third type of input signal is detected, the thumbnail image is removed from the main frame, and the execution information corresponding to the thumbnail image in the auxiliary memory is deleted.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned method for customizing the user interface further includes reacquiring the current window in use after the step of displaying the main screen on the screen, wherein the current window in use corresponds to the above-mentioned application. When the first type of input signal is detected, the execution image of the currently in-use window is acquired, and then the in-use window is closed. Then, a start-up mechanism between the thumbnail of the execution screen and the execution screen is established, and the thumbnail is added to the main screen and the main screen is displayed on the screen.

The invention provides an electronic device, which includes a screen, a detection module and a control module. Wherein the screen displays an in-use window about the application. The detection module is used for detecting the first type of input signal. The control module is coupled to the screen and the detection module. When the detection module detects the first type of input signal, the control module obtains the execution picture of the window in use, then closes the window in use, and establishes a start-up mechanism between the thumbnail of the execution picture and the execution picture, and adds the thumbnail to the Go to the main screen of the user interface, and display this main screen on the screen.

The electronic device further includes: a main memory coupled to the control module; and an auxiliary memory coupled to the control module, wherein the control module acquires an execution corresponding to the in-use window from the main memory information, store the execution information in the auxiliary memory, and release the space allocated to the active window in the main memory to close the user window.

In the electronic device, when the detection module detects a second type of input signal corresponding to the thumbnail image, the control module is used to execute the activation mechanism to load the execution information stored in the auxiliary memory into the main memory, and display the execution screen according to the execution information via the application program.

In the electronic device, when the detection module detects a third type of input signal corresponding to the thumbnail, the control module is used to remove the thumbnail from the main screen, and delete the corresponding The execution information of the thumbnail.

The electronic device, wherein the control module retrieves the current window in use, wherein the current window in use corresponds to the application program, and when the detection module detects the first type of input signal, the control module Obtain the execution screen of the currently in-use window, close the in-use window, establish the startup mechanism between the thumbnail of the execution screen and the execution screen, and add the thumbnail to the main screen, and display the The main picture is on this screen.

Based on the above, the present invention acquires the execution screen of the window in use and adds its thumbnail to the main screen of the electronic device, so that the user can clearly know from the thumbnail of the main screen that the application program was closed last time. execution progress. In addition, the present invention also closes the window in use after acquiring the execution screen, thereby saving system resources.

In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, the following specific embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a method for customizing user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a method for customizing user interface according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram of a main screen displayed according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram of an execution screen displayed according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5C is a schematic diagram of a main screen displayed according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5D is a schematic diagram of a main screen displayed according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of main component symbols

100, 300: electronic devices

110: screen

120: detection module

130, 330: control module

340: main memory

350: Auxiliary storage

502: Main screen

510, 510’, 520, 530, 540: thumbnail

560: Execution screen

S210～S250, S410～S470: process steps

Detailed ways

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the electronic device 100 may include (but not limited to) a screen 110 , a detection module 120 and a control module 130 . In this embodiment, the electronic device 100 is, for example, a mobile electronic device such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, or a tablet computer, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the electronic device 100 can also be any electronic device including a screen and a CPU function, such as a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, and a mainframe.

The screen 110 is coupled to the control module 130 , and the screen 110 can be a device that can provide a display function, such as a liquid crystal display, a capacitive touch screen, a resistive touch screen, and an optical touch screen.

The detection module 120 is coupled to the control module 130 and is a device for detecting user input operations. For example, the detection module 120 can be an electronic component that detects a signal generated by a user's input operation.

The control module 130 is used for generating a user interface of the electronic device 100 according to the signal detected by the detection module 120 . In this embodiment, the control module 130 may be a functional module implemented by hardware and/or software. Wherein, the hardware may include a central processing unit, a chipset, a microprocessor and other hardware devices with computing functions, or a combination of the above hardware devices, while the software may be an operating system, a driver, and the like.

In order to further illustrate the detailed operation of the electronic device 100 , another embodiment is given below to describe the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a method for customizing user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 at the same time.

First, as shown in step S210, when the screen 110 displays an active window about the application program, the detection module 120 repeatedly determines whether the first type of input signal is detected. Specifically, the user can start one or more applications on the mobile device 100, or use the same application to open more than one window, and the window in use refers to the window currently displayed on the top layer and capable of receiving user operations. . In this embodiment, the tool bar of the active window has a specific icon, and when the user clicks the specific icon with the input tool, the detection module 120 will detect the first type of input signal. In other embodiments, the first type of input signal may also be triggered when the user clicks a specific software button on the screen 110 or a specific physical button on the electronic device 100 .

Once the detection module 120 detects the first type of input signal, as shown in step S220 , the control module 130 obtains the execution screen of the window currently in use. That is to say, all operations performed by the user on the active window before triggering the first type of input signal will be reflected in the execution screen acquired by the control module 130 .

For example, when the application program corresponding to the window in use is a text editing program, the execution screen acquired by the control module 130 will show the current editing progress of the text file, assuming that the user has already completed the editing process when the first type of input signal is triggered. When the tenth line of the text file is edited, the execution screen acquired by the control module 130 will display the edited to the tenth line. When the application program corresponding to the window in use is multimedia player software, the execution screen acquired by the control module 130 will present the current playback progress of the multimedia file. When the video file is played to the 20th minute, the execution screen acquired by the control module 130 will be the content of the video file when the video file is played to the 20th minute. And when the application program corresponding to the window in use is the real-time communication software, the execution screen obtained by the control module 130 will present the picture of the user using the real-time communication software to chat at that time, including the conversation object and the content of the conversation. It must be noted that the control module 130 will also generate a thumbnail corresponding to the execution screen while acquiring the execution screen. The thumbnail can be in Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format or bitmap (Bitmap) format, etc., which is not limited here.

Then in step S230, the control module 130 closes the in-use window to release the system resources occupied by it. And as shown in step S240, a start-up mechanism between the thumbnail image and the execution screen is established. Finally, in step S250, the control module 130 adds the thumbnail to the home screen of the user interface of the electronic device 100, and controls the screen 110 to display the home screen. By establishing an activation mechanism between the thumbnail image and the execution image, the thumbnail image displayed on the main image can have the function of activating the corresponding application program in response to user operations.

As shown in FIG. 2 , when the user triggers the first type of input signal, the control module 130 will close the window currently in use and display a thumbnail image on the main screen of the electronic device 100 . Because the control module 130 will actually close the window in use at that time, instead of just hiding the window and running it in the background, it can release the system resources occupied by the window to achieve the purpose of improving performance. Moreover, since the control module 130 does not update the thumbnail after the thumbnail is displayed on the main screen, it does not need to occupy additional CPU resources. In another embodiment of the present invention, when the control module 130 closes the window in use, it will also turn off the power of the related device, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the electronic device 100 .

Also because the thumbnail image generated by the control module 130 corresponds to the execution screen of the window in use when the first type of input signal is triggered, even if the window is closed, the user can still view the window before the main screen. For the contents of the operation, you can also click the thumbnail on the main screen to reopen the window (the detailed operation method of opening the window will be explained later with the illustration). In other words, the thumbnail displayed on the main screen can present an effect similar to an interface tool set (widget). Users can not only see frequently used or recently opened files on the main screen, but also can see the context of using the corresponding application program before through the thumbnail, without actually executing the application program. In this embodiment, the user can not only feel that the window is continuously opened, but also reduce the consumption of system resources and improve the performance of the electronic device 100 .

It is worth mentioning that the method for customizing the user interface shown in FIG. 2 can generate two (or more than two) thumbnails corresponding to the same application program on the main screen, and these thumbnails correspond to different application programs respectively. window. For example, the user can use a text editing program to edit two files (for example, the first file and the second file) at the same time. When the window corresponding to the first file is an active window, the electronic device 100 can go through the The processing of each step is to display a thumbnail corresponding to the first file on the main screen. Afterwards, if the user triggers the first type of input signal when the window corresponding to the second file is an active window, the electronic device 100 will go through the steps shown in FIG. 2 to display the thumbnail corresponding to the second file on the main screen. Based on this, the user can see the thumbnails of two files edited by the same application program on the main screen, and click different thumbnails on the main screen to correspondingly open different files.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3 , the electronic device 300 includes a screen 110 , a detection module 120 , a control module 330 , a main memory 340 and an auxiliary memory 350 . Since the electronic device 300 is similar to the electronic device 100 of FIG. 1 , only the differences will be described below.

Please refer to FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, the screen 110 , the detection module 120 , the main memory 340 , and the auxiliary memory 350 are all coupled to the control module 330 . Wherein, the main memory 340 includes random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM). The auxiliary memory 350 can be a storage device such as an embedded multimedia card (Embedded Multi Media Card, eMMC) or a hard disk.

Further, the main memory 340 refers to a storage device that the central processing unit of the electronic device 300 can directly access. The main memory 340 is used for loading various programs and data for use by the CPU. That is, when all programs supported by the electronic device 300 are executed, their related execution information will be loaded into the main memory 340 . If many applications are opened at the same time or multiple files are opened with the same application, the space of the main memory 340 may be insufficient because the relevant execution information is loaded into the main memory 340. In this case, the part of the main memory 340 loaded Information must be swapped out to secondary storage 350 to free up space in primary storage 340 for other applications. In other words, once the space of the main memory 340 is insufficient, it will have a negative impact on the overall performance of the electronic device 300 .

In order to avoid the above situation, in the following embodiments, the control module 330 uses the auxiliary memory 350 to store the execution information originally stored in the main memory 340 when closing the active window. The detailed operation of the electronic device 300 will be described below with reference to FIG. 4 . Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 at the same time.

In step S410, when the screen 110 displays an in-use window of an application, the detection module 120 repeatedly determines whether the first type of input signal is detected (eg, determines whether the user clicks a specific icon on the in-use window). When the detection module 120 detects the above-mentioned first type of input signal, as shown in step S420, the control module 330 obtains the execution screen of the window currently in use.

Then in step S430 , the control module 330 acquires execution information corresponding to the active window from the main memory 340 . Execution information is all state (context) information about the window in use. For example, when the application program is a multimedia player program, the execution information of its related in-use window includes the file name and playback progress of the currently playing multimedia file. If the application program is a text editing program, the execution information of its relevant in-use window includes the file name of the edited file and the edited content. If the application program is real-time communication software, the execution information of its related in-use window includes account information such as friend list and conversation records. If the application program is a browser, the execution information of its relevant in-use window includes browsing URL, webpage content, and the position where the user browses on the webpage at that time.

Next, as shown in step S440 , the control module 330 stores the execution information corresponding to the window in use in the auxiliary memory 350 . And in step S450, the control module 330 releases the space allocated to the in-use window in the main memory 340 to close the in-use window. It must be noted that the control module 330 will actually close the active window instead of allowing it to continue running in the background.

In this embodiment, the control module 330 generates a thumbnail of the acquired execution screen during the execution of the actions from step S430 to step S450 . However, in other embodiments, the control module 330 may also generate a thumbnail of the execution screen before or after the above actions are completed.

Next, as shown in step S460 , the control module 330 establishes a start-up mechanism between the thumbnail image and the execution screen. Finally, in step S470 , the control module 330 adds the thumbnail image to the main screen of the user interface of the electronic device 300 , and displays the main screen on the screen 110 .

For example, if the user triggers the first type of input signal while writing a file with a text editing program, the screen displayed on the screen 110 will be converted from the editing window of the file to the main screen, and the main screen will display the corresponding editing progress. thumbnail. Through steps S430 to S450 shown in FIG. 4 , since the execution information related to writing the file has been moved from the main memory 340 to the auxiliary memory 350, it can be ensured that the previous active file has been closed when the main screen is displayed on the screen 110. window, to prevent the window from continuing to execute in the system, thereby saving system resources and improving the overall operating efficiency of the electronic device 300 .

5A, FIG. 5B, FIG. 5C and FIG. 5D are used to illustrate that after the steps shown in FIG. How it behaves when managing windows or thumbnails. Please refer to FIG. 3 , FIG. 5A , FIG. 5B , FIG. 5C and FIG. 5D at the same time.

As shown in FIG. 5A , in this embodiment, it is assumed that the main screen 502 has three thumbnail images generated through the steps shown in FIG. 4 . Wherein, the first thumbnail 510 is the corresponding thumbnail of the first text file opened by the text editing program, the second thumbnail 520 is the corresponding thumbnail of the second text file opened by the text editing program, and the third thumbnail 530 It is the corresponding thumbnail of the first photo file opened with the photo browsing software.

When the screen 110 of the electronic device 300 displays the main image 502 , the detection module 120 constantly determines whether any second-type input signal corresponding to any thumbnail image is detected. Wherein, the second type of signal is triggered, for example, by the user clicking a thumbnail on the main screen 502 with an input tool.

If the detection module 120 detects the second type of input signal corresponding to the first thumbnail image 510 (for example, the user clicks the first thumbnail image 510 on the main screen 502), the control module 330 will execute the interface between the thumbnail image 510 and its execution screen. Activation mechanism, to load the execution information about the first thumbnail image 510 stored in the auxiliary memory 350 into the main memory 340, and present the first text file on the screen 110 according to the execution information through the text editing program when the first text file was closed last time Execution screen (shown as execution screen 560 in FIG. 5B ).

When the screen 110 displays the execution screen 560 (that is, the window displaying the first text file is an active window), the user can continue to edit the first text file through the text editing program. In an embodiment of the present invention, if the user triggers the first type of input signal again, the control module 330 will use the new execution information about the first text file in the main memory 340 to update the corresponding old execution information in the auxiliary memory 350 , and release the space for storing new execution information in the main memory 340 , and as shown in FIG. 5C , use the thumbnail 510 ′ corresponding to the new editing progress on the main screen 502 to cover the old first thumbnail 510 .

In another embodiment of the present invention, the control module 330 will retain the old execution information in the auxiliary memory 350, and additionally store the new execution information in the main memory 340 into the auxiliary memory 350, and then release the new execution information stored in the main memory 340 space for information. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5D , the control module 330 keeps the first thumbnail image 510 on the main screen 502 , and additionally displays a fourth thumbnail image 540 to present a new editing progress. Since on the main screen 502, the first thumbnail 510 and the fourth thumbnail 540 correspond to two different editing progresses of the first text file, therefore, when the user clicks the first thumbnail 510 or the fourth thumbnail 510 on the main screen 502 When thumbnailing 540, the control module 330 will load different editing progresses from the auxiliary memory 350 and display different execution screens to facilitate editing by the user.

On the other hand, please return to FIG. 5A , when the screen 110 of the electronic device 300 displays the main image 502 , the detection module 120 will also continuously determine whether the third type of input signal corresponding to any thumbnail image is detected. The third type of input signal can drive the control module 330 to delete the thumbnail on the main screen 502 . For example, the third type of input signal can be implemented by a corresponding software button or physical button, wherein the software button can be a delete icon displayed on the thumbnail or an icon displayed anywhere on the screen 110 .

Assuming that the user no longer needs to edit the first text file, he can click the delete icon on the first thumbnail image 510 to trigger the third type of input signal. At this time, the control module 330 not only removes the first thumbnail image 510 from the main frame 502 , but also deletes the execution information corresponding to the first thumbnail image 510 in the auxiliary memory 350 .

To sum up, the method for customizing the user interface and the electronic device thereof in the present invention obtain the execution screen of the application program in use in response to the user's operation, and present the thumbnail of the execution screen on the main screen . Accordingly, the user can directly know the context of using the application program before from the thumbnail image. And when the user clicks the thumbnail on the main screen, through the activation mechanism between the thumbnail and the execution screen, the application program will continue to execute in the previous state according to the execution information stored in the auxiliary memory. In addition, since the present invention will actually close the window in use when creating the thumbnail, it can prevent the window from continuing to occupy the resources of the main memory, thereby achieving the effect of improving system performance.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above with the embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any person skilled in the art may make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A method for customizing a user interface, suitable for an electronic device including a screen, the method comprising: When the screen displays an in-use window about an application program, determine whether a first-type input signal is detected; If the first type of input signal is detected, obtaining an execution image of the window in use; close the active window; establishing a launch mechanism between a thumbnail of the execution screen and the execution screen; and Adding the thumbnail image to a main picture of the user interface, and displaying the main picture on the screen. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a main memory and an auxiliary memory, and the step of closing the window in use comprises: obtaining execution information corresponding to the active window from the main memory; storing the execution information in the secondary memory; and freeing the space allocated to the in-use window in the main memory to close the in-use window. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein after the step of displaying the main picture on the screen, the method further comprises: judging whether a second-type input signal corresponding to the thumbnail is detected; if the second type of input signal is detected, executing the activation mechanism to load the execution information stored in the auxiliary memory into the main memory; and The execution screen is displayed according to the execution information via the application program. 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein after the step of displaying the main picture on the screen, the method further comprises: judging whether a third type input signal corresponding to the thumbnail is detected; If the third type of input signal is detected, the thumbnail is removed from the main screen; and The execution information corresponding to the thumbnail in the auxiliary storage is deleted. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the step of displaying the main picture on the screen, the method further comprises: reacquiring the current in-use window, wherein the current in-use window corresponds to the application; When the first type of input signal is detected, acquire the execution image of the current window in use; close the active window; establishing the launch mechanism between the thumbnail of the execution screen and the execution screen; and Add the thumbnail to the main picture, and display the main picture on the screen. 6. An electronic device comprising: a screen for displaying an in-use window of an application; a detection module, used to detect a first type of input signal; and A control module, coupled to the screen and the detection module, when the detection module detects the first type of input signal, the control module is used to obtain an execution image of the window in use, close the window in use, and establish the window in use An activation mechanism between a thumbnail of the execution screen and the execution screen, adding the thumbnail to a main screen of the user interface, and displaying the main screen on the screen. 7. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising: a main memory coupled to the control module; and an auxiliary memory coupled to the control module, Wherein the control module obtains an execution information corresponding to the in-use window from the main memory, stores the execution information in the auxiliary memory, and releases the space allocated to the in-use window in the main memory to close the user window. 8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein when the detection module detects a second type of input signal corresponding to the thumbnail image, the control module is used to execute the activation mechanism to save the information stored in the auxiliary memory The execution information is loaded into the main memory, and the execution screen is displayed according to the execution information via the application program. 9. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein when the detection module detects a third type of input signal corresponding to the thumbnail image, the control module is used to remove the thumbnail image from the main screen, and delete The execution information corresponding to the thumbnail in the auxiliary memory. 10. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the control module retrieves the current in-use window, wherein the current in-use window corresponds to the application program, and the detection module detects the first type of input signal, the control module acquires the execution screen of the currently in-use window, closes the in-use window, establishes the startup mechanism between the thumbnail of the execution screen and the execution screen, and adds the thumbnail to the main screen, and display the main screen on this screen.

Images