Dynamically controlling display mode of external device coupled to user equipment

Abstract

Described embodiments provide a method and user equipment for dynamically controlling a display mode of an external device coupled to user equipment. The method may include determining whether to detect connection to an external device and upon the detection of the connection, controlling the coupled external device to display image data produced in the user equipment on a display unit of the coupled external device in a display mode different from a display mode of the user equipment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of dynamically controlling a display mode of an external device coupled to user equipment, the method comprising:
 detecting a connection of the user equipment to an external device,   wherein, upon the detection of the connection,   controlling the coupled external device, and   displaying image data produced in the user equipment on a display unit of the coupled external device in a display mode different from a display mode of the user equipment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display mode of the coupled external device is a multiscreen display mode and the display mode of the user equipment is a single screen display mode. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controlling includes:
 creating image data in a multiscreen mode display setting associated with applications running in a multitasking mode of the user equipment and information on the coupled external device;   transmitting the created image data to the coupled external device; and   controlling the coupled external device to display the transmitted image data in a multiscreen display mode based on the associated multiscreen mode display setting.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controlling includes:
 determining whether a display size of the coupled external device is greater than a reference display size upon the detection of the connection; and   when the display size of the coupled external device is determined as being greater than a reference display size, controlling the coupled external device to display the image data produced by the user equipment on the display unit of the coupled external device in a multiscreen display mode.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controlling includes:
 determining whether a display size of the coupled external device is greater than a reference display size upon the detection of the connection;   determining a number of applications running in a multitasking mode of the user equipment when the display size of the coupled external device is determined as being greater than a reference display size;   obtaining a multiscreen mode display setting of the coupled external device based on the determined number of applications running in a multitasking mode of the user equipment and information on the coupled external device; and   controlling the coupled external device to display the produced image data on the display unit of the coupled external device in a multiscreen display mode based on the obtained multiscreen mode display setting.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing a host-device connection between the user equipment and the coupled external device and setting a host-device connection display setting based on information on a display unit of the coupled external device upon the detection of the connection;   creating image data by running an application in the user equipment based on the host-device connection display setting;   transmitting the created image data to the coupled external device and controlling the coupled external device to display the transmitted image data in a single screen mode;   determining whether a user input is received for activation of one of applications installed in the user equipment;   upon the receipt of the user input for activation, creating image data of the currently activated application;   creating multiscreen image data by combining the created image data of the currently activated application and the created image data of the running application based on an associated multiscreen mode display setting; and   transmitting the created multiscreen image data to the external device,   wherein the controlling includes:
 controlling the coupled external device and displaying the transmitted multiscreen image data in a dual screen display mode based on the associated multiscreen mode display setting. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing a host-device connection between the user equipment and the coupled external device upon the detection of the connection;   determining whether a display size of the coupled external device is greater than a reference display size upon the detection of the connection;   determining a number of applications running in a multitasking mode of the user equipment when the display size of the coupled external device is greater than a reference display size; and   obtaining a multiscreen mode display setting based on the determined number of applications running in a multitasking mode of the user equipment and information on the coupled external device,   wherein the controlling includes:
 creating multiscreen image data by combining image data produced by each application running in the multitasking mode of the user equipment based on the obtained multiscreen mode display setting; 
 transmitting the created multiscreen image data to the coupled external device; and 
 controlling the coupled external device to display the transmitted multiscreen mode image data in a multiscreen display mode based on the obtained multiscreen mode display setting. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining a multiscreen mode display setting based on a number of applications running in the user equipment and information on the coupled external device,   wherein the multiscreen mode display setting includes at least one of information on a number of application windows in the multiscreen display mode, a maximum number of allowed application windows, a display size of each application window, a position and a display orientation of each application window, arrangement of each application window, control menus and icons for controlling an overall graphic user interface of the multiscreen display mode and each application window, arrangement and sizes of the control menus and icons.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the obtaining includes retrieving, from a memory of the user equipment, the multiscreen mode display setting associated with the number of multitasking applications running in the user equipment and the information on the coupled external device,   wherein information on the multiscreen mode display setting is stored as a lookup table in the memory of the user equipment.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the obtaining includes:
 determining the multiscreen mode display setting based on the number of multitasking applications running in the user equipment and the information on the coupled external device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether an user input is received for activation of a new application after controlling the coupled external device to display image data produced in the user equipment in the multiscreen display mode;   upon the receipt of the user input for activation of a new application, interrupting creating image data of one of running applications associated with the multiscreen display mode;   creating image data of the newly activated application and continuously creating image data of remaining applications associated with the multiscreen display mode;   creating multiscreen image data by combining the created image data of the newly activated application and the continuously created image data of the remaining applications based on an associated multiscreen mode display setting; and   transmitting the created multiscreen image data to the coupled external device,   wherein the controlling includes:
 controlling the coupled external device and displaying the transmitted multiscreen image data in the associated multiscreen display mode based on the associated multiscreen mode display setting. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the application interrupted to create image data is running in a background mode. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the determining includes:
 upon the receipt of the user input for activating a new application, determining whether a number of application windows in a current multiscreen display mode reaches a maximum number of application windows allowed within the current multiscreen display mode;   when the number of application windows in the current multiscreen display mode is less than the maximum number, obtaining a multiscreen mode display setting by increasing a number of associated multitasking applications by one;   creating multiscreen image data based on the newly obtained multiscreen mode display setting by additionally including image data produced by the newly activated application; and   transmitting the created multiscreen image data to the coupled external device and controlling the external device and displaying the transmitted multiscreen image data based on the newly obtained multiscreen mode display setting.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether an user input is received for closing one of application windows in the multiscreen display mode after controlling the coupled external device to display image data produced in the user equipment in the multiscreen display mode;   upon the receipt of the user input for closing one of application windows, interrupting creating image data of the application associated with the user input;   resuming one of applications running in a background mode to create image data and continuously creating image data of applications not associated with the user input;   creating multiscreen image data by combining the created image data of the resumed application and the continuously created image data of the applications not associated with the user input based on an associated multiscreen mode display setting; and   transmitting the created multiscreen image data to the coupled external device,   wherein the controlling includes:
 controlling the coupled external device and displaying the transmitted multiscreen image data in the associated multiscreen display mode based on the associated multiscreen mode display setting. 
   
     
     
         15 . A user equipment for dynamically controlling a display mode of an external device coupled thereto, the user equipment configured to:
 detect connection to an external device; and   upon the detection of the connection, control the coupled external device to display image data produced in the user equipment on a display unit of the coupled external device in a display mode different from a display mode of the user equipment.   
     
     
         16 . The user equipment of  claim 15 , wherein the user equipment is configured to:
 create image data, as a result of running at least one application in the user equipment, based on a multiscreen mode display setting associated with a number of applications running in a multitasking mode of the user equipment and information on the coupled external device;   transmit the created image data to the coupled external device; and   control the external device to display the transmitted image data in a multiscreen display mode based on the associated multiscreen mode display setting.   
     
     
         17 . The user equipment of  claim 15 , wherein the user equipment is configured to:
 determine whether a display size of the coupled external device is greater than a reference display size upon the detection of the connection;   determine a number of applications running in a multitasking mode of the user equipment when the display size of the coupled external device is greater than the reference display size;   obtain a multiscreen mode display setting based on the determined number of applications running in a multitasking mode of the user equipment and information on the coupled external device; and   control the coupled external device to display the produced image data on the display unit of the coupled external device in a multiscreen display mode based on the obtained multiscreen mode display setting.   
     
     
         18 . The user equipment of  claim 15 , wherein the user equipment is configured to:
 establish a host-device connection between the user equipment and the coupled external device and set a host-device connection display setting based on information on a display unit of the coupled external device upon the detection of the connection;   create image data, as a result of running an application in the user equipment, based on the host-device connection display setting;   transmit the created image data to the coupled external device and control the coupled external device to display the transmitted image data in a single screen mode;   determine whether a user input is received for activation of one of applications installed in the user equipment;   upon the receipt of the user input for activation, create image data of the currently activated application;   create a multiscreen image data by combining the created image data of the currently activated application and the image data of the running application based on an associated multiscreen mode display setting;   transmit the created multiscreen image data to the external device; and   control the coupled external device to display the transmitted multiscreen image data in a dual screen display mode based on the associated multiscreen mode display setting.   
     
     
         19 . The user equipment of  claim 15 , wherein the user equipment is configured to:
 obtain a multiscreen mode display setting based on a number of applications running in the user equipment and information on the coupled external device,   wherein the multiscreen mode display setting includes at least one of information on a number of application windows in the multiscreen display mode, a maximum number of allowed application windows, a display size of each application window, a position and a display orientation of each application window, arrangement of each application window, control menus and icons for controlling an overall graphic user interface of the multiscreen display mode and each application window, and arrangement and sizes of the control menus and icons.   
     
     
         20 . The user equipment of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the user equipment is configured to determine whether an user input is received for at least one of activation of a new application and closure of one of the application windows in the multiscreen display mode, after controlling the coupled external device to display image data produced in the user equipment in the multiscreen display mode;   upon the receipt of the user input for activation of a new application, the user equipment is configured to:
 interrupt creating image data of one of running applications associated with the multiscreen display mode, 
 create image data of the newly activated application and continuously create image data of remaining applications associated with the multiscreen display mode, 
 create multiscreen image data by combining the created image data of the newly activated application and the continuously created image data of the remaining applications based on an associated multiscreen mode display setting, 
 transmit the created multiscreen image data to the coupled external device, and 
 control the coupled external device to display the transmitted multiscreen image data in the associated multiscreen display mode based on the associated multiscreen mode display setting; and 
   upon the receipt of the user input for closing one of application windows in the multiscreen display mode, the user equipment is configured to:
 determine whether a number of application windows in a current multiscreen display mode reaches a maximum number of application windows allowed within the current multiscreen display mode, 
 when the number of application windows in the current multiscreen display mode is smaller than the maximum number, obtain a multiscreen mode display setting by increasing a number of associated multitasking applications by one, 
 create multiscreen image data based on the newly obtained multiscreen mode display setting by additionally including image data produced by the newly activated application, 
 transmit the created multiscreen image data to the coupled external device, and 
 control the external device to display the transmitted multiscreen image data based on the newly obtained multiscreen mode display setting.