Patent Publication Number: US-2011061056-A1

Title: Portable device and method for providing shortcuts in the portable device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a portable device and a method for providing shortcuts in an operating system of the portable device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Portable devices store various applications to be executed. Generally, users have to terminate a foreground application and then he/she may choose another application from the main menu so as to select another application to operate. However, such operating behavior wastes too much time, especially in case of another application is disposed in a sub-menu of the main menu. 
     Accordingly, an improved portable device and method are called for in order to overcome the limitations described. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a portable device. 
         FIG. 2  is an example of a shortcut displayed in an operation window. 
         FIG. 3  is an exemplary embodiment of an application menu corresponding to a shortcut. 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method for providing a shortcut in an operating system of the portable device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In general, the word “unit” as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, for example, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the unit may be integrated in firmware, such as an EPROM. It will be appreciated that module may comprise connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and may comprise programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays or processors. The unit described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware unit and may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a portable device  1  comprising a system  10 . The system  10  is operable to provide a shortcut  41  in a user interface of an operating system of the portable device  1 . The system  10  provides a ready operation for activating functions and applications. The portable device  1  may include mobile phones, PDAs, or DSCs, for example. The portable device  1  further includes a storage system  20 , a processor  30 , a display unit  40 , a determination unit  50 , a setting unit  60 , and a calculation unit  70 . The processor  30  may execute one or more programs stored in the storage unit  20  to provide functions for the display unit  40 , the determination unit  50 , the setting unit  60 , and the calculation unit  70 . 
     The portable device  1  is generally controlled and coordinated by an operating system, such as UNIX, Linux, Windows, Mac OS, an embedded operating system, or any other compatible system. Alternatively, the portable device  1  may be controlled by a proprietary operating system. Typical operating systems control and schedule computer processes for execution, perform memory management, provide file system, networking, and I/O services, and provide a user interface, such as a graphical user interface (GUI), among other tasks. 
     The display unit  40  is operable to display the shortcut  41  in a user interface of the portable device  1  when a first process is operating in the operating system as a foreground process and display an application menu  42  corresponding to the shortcut  41  when the shortcut  41  is activated. The application menu  42  includes a list of a plurality of applications of the portable device  1 . The display unit  40  may be a display, such as an LCD, for example. 
     The processor  30  is further operable to execute the first process as a background process when one of the applications is selected on the user interface as a second process, execute the second process as a foreground process, and restore the first process as the foreground process when the second process is terminated. 
     The calculation unit  70  is operable to calculate an operation count of the background process. After the second process is executed, the calculation unit  70  adds one to the operation count. When the second process is terminated, the calculation unit  70  subtracts one from the operation count. 
     The setting unit  60  is operable to set a threshold k. The determination unit  50  is operable to determine whether the operation count is greater than or equal to the threshold k. The display unit  40  displays an alert window on the user interface to indicate an overflow of the background process if the operation count is greater than or equal to the threshold k. In one embodiment, the threshold k is set to be 2. In this way, the performance of the portable device is stable as only two background processes are suspended. 
       FIG. 2  is an example of the shortcut  41  displayed on an operation window  4 . The operation window  4  relates to an editing window of a short message of a mobile phone. The editing window relates to the first process. 
       FIG. 3  is an exemplary embodiment of the application menu  42  corresponding to the shortcut  41 . The application menu  42  may be displayed when the shortcut  41  is activated. The application menu  42  includes a list of a plurality of applications. One of the applications is selected to be the second process. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing the shortcut  41  in the operating system of the portable device. Depending on the embodiment, additional blocks in the flow of  FIG. 4  may be added, others removed, and the ordering of the blocks may be changed. 
     In block S 01 , the display unit  40  displays the shortcut  41  in the user interface when the first process is operative as the foreground process in the operating system. 
     In block S 02 , the display unit  40  displays the application menu  42  corresponding to the shortcut  41  when the shortcut  41  is activated. The application menu  42  includes a list of a plurality of applications. 
     In block S 03 , when one of the applications is selected as the second process from the application menu  42 , the processor  30  executes the first process as the background process. 
     In block S 04 , the processor  30  executes the second process as the foreground process. 
     In block S 05 , after the second process is executed, the calculation unit  70  adds one to the operation count of the background process. 
     In block S 06 , the determination unit  50  determines whether the operation count is greater than or equal to the threshold k. If the operation count is smaller than the threshold k, the process goes to block S 08 . 
     In block S 07 , if the operation count is greater than or equal to the threshold k, the display unit  40  displays the alert window on the user interface to indicate the overflow of the background process. 
     In block S 08 , when the second process is terminated, the processor  30  restores the first process as the foreground process. In addition, the calculation unit  70  subtracts one from the operation count. 
     The present disclosure provides a shortcut in a user interface to readily activate other applications when a first process is operating in a portable device. Convenient operation for the portable device is provided. 
     Although certain inventive embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.