Handling gestures for changing focus

Abstract

Embodiments are described for handling focus when a gesture is input in a multi-screen device. In embodiments, if the gesture is incomplete a focus is maintained on a screen, display area, or displayed image that has the focus. If the gesture is determined to be complete, then the focus is changed to a different screen, display area, or displayed image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 providing a multi-display device having at least a first display and a second display, wherein each of the first display and the second display include a touch sensitive display area, which displays application content and receives touch gestures, and a gesture capture region, which does not display application content but receives touch gestures, and wherein the gesture capture region is within the first display and second display but is physically separate from the touch sensitive display area, wherein a focus is on the first display;   receiving, by the gesture capture region, on the first display, which receives touch gestures, a drag or other touch gesture indicating a request to change focus;   while the gesture is being received, displaying, on one or more of the first display or the second display, a transition that animates the gesture and is associated with the gesture;   determining, by at least one processor, whether the gesture is completed or is abandoned; and   in response to the at least one processor determining that the gesture is abandoned, maintaining a focus on the first display that has the focus.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to the at least one processor determining that the gesture is completed, changing the focus from the first display to the second display.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to the determining that the gesture is completed, further changing the focus from a first image displayed on the first display to a second image displayed on the second display.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 wherein the first displayed image is a displayed window and the second displayed image is a second window.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving input indicating that in response to an incomplete gesture, the focus should be maintained on the first display.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 highlighting a configurable area on the first display when the focus is on the first display; and   highlighting a second configurable area on the second display when the focus is on the second display.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
       in response to receiving the gesture, displaying at least one image displayed on the first display as moved from a previous position. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , in response to receiving the gesture, displaying the at least one image as moved in a direction of the gesture. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 in response to the determining that the gesture is incomplete, displaying the at least one image in the previous position.   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by at least one processor of a multi-display device, wherein the multi-display device includes at least a first display and a second display, wherein each of the first display and the second display include a touch sensitive display area, which displays application content and receives touch gestures, and a gesture capture region, which does not display application content but receives touch gestures, and wherein the gesture capture region is within the first display and second display but is physically separate from the touch sensitive display area, the instruction causing the processor to perform a method comprising:
 with a focus on a first image on the first display, receiving, by a gesture capture region, on the first or the second display, which receives touch gestures, a drag gesture or other touch gesture indicating a request to change focus;   while the gesture is being received, displaying, on one or more of the first display or the second display, a transition associated with the gesture;   determining, by at least one processor, whether the drag gesture is completed or is abandoned;   in response to the at least one processor determining that the drag gesture is not completed, maintaining the focus on the first image displayed on the first display; and   in response to the at least one processor determining that the gesture is completed, changing the focus from the first image to a second image displayed on the second display.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to the at least one processor determining that the drag gesture is not completed, maintaining a lighting of a portion of a first configurable area of the first display.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
 allowing input from the first configurable area.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to the at least one processor determining that the gesture is completed, darkening a first portion of the first configurable area of the first display and lighting up a second portion of a second configurable area of the second display.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
 allowing input from the second configurable area; and   not allowing input from the first configurable area.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving input indicating that in response to an incomplete gesture, the focus should be maintained on a displayed image with the focus.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the first displayed image is a first window and the second displayed image is a second window. 
     
     
         17 . A dual display communication device, comprising:
 a first display comprising:
 a first touch sensitive display area, which displays application content and receives touch gestures, and 
 a first gesture capture region within the first display, which does not display application content but receives touch gestures, which is separate from the first touch sensitive display area, and which receives a gesture; 
   a second display comprising:
 a second touch sensitive display area, which displays application content and receives touch gestures, and 
 a second gesture capture region within the second display, which does not display application content but receives touch gestures, which is separate from the second touch sensitive display area, and which receives a gesture;
 a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores computer executable instructions that when executed by at least one processor perform a method comprising:
 with a focus on the first display, receiving, by one of the first or second gesture capture region, the gesture indicating a request to change focus; 
 while the gesture is being received, displaying, on one or more of the first display or the second display, a transition associated with the gesture; 
 determining, by at least one processor, whether the gesture is completed or is abandoned; and 
 in response to the at least one processor determining that the gesture is abandoned, maintaining the focus on the first touch sensitive display. 
 
 
   
     
     
         18 . The dual display communication device of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to the at least one processor determining that the gesture is completed, changing the focus from the first touch sensitive display area to the second touch sensitive display area.   
     
     
         19 . The dual display communication device of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to the at least one processor determining that the gesture is not completed, allowing input from the first touch sensitive display area and not allowing input from a portion of the second touch sensitive display area.   
     
     
         20 . The dual display communication device of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to the at least one processor determining that the gesture is completed, allowing input from the second touch sensitive display area and not allowing input from a portion of the first touch sensitive display area.