Apparatus and method for displaying hierarchical menu in mobile communication terminal

• US 20050108657A1
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Jea-Hun
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An apparatus and method for displaying menu items of a hierarchical menu on a screen in such a manner that a function desired by a user can be traced and performed with a minimum number of key inputs. The top-level menu and bottom-level menu of the hierarchical menu can be simultaneously displayed in one screen picture, thereby enabling a user to reach from an upper-level menu to the bottom-level menu or from the bottom-level menu to the top-level menu with a minimum number of key inputs without passing through intermediate-level menus. Further, a certain menu can be displayed in one screen picture along with the one-level upper menu and one-level lower menu thereof or the one-level lower menu thereof so that the user can readily recognize the position of a current menu. Furthermore, the user can access all menus using only direction keys.

Claims

1. A menu display apparatus for an electronic device comprising:

at least one direction key for moving menu items displayed on a screen of the electronic device;

a first memory for storing a hierarchical user menu;

a second memory for storing a menu set containing a plurality of menu items to be displayed in one screen picture;

display means for partitioning said screen picture into a plurality of rows and columns and arranging and displaying said menu items of said menu set, respectively, in positions defined by the rows and columns; and

control means for locating and displaying a selection means in a specific position defined by a specific row of the plurality of rows and a specific column of the plurality of columns, fixed in said screen picture by said display means, and creating a new menu set containing menu items belonging to an upper-level menu and lower-level menu of a menu item located in said selection means with reference to said hierarchical user menu in said first memory upon sensing an input of said direction key.

2. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said menu items belonging to said lower-level menu of said menu item in said selection means are displayed in said rows located beneath said selection means and said menu items belonging to said upper-level menu of said menu item in said selection means are displayed in a row of said plurality of rows located above said selection means.

3. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said menu items belonging to said lower-level menu of said menu item in said selection means are displayed in a row of said plurality of rows located beneath said selection means and menu items belonging to a bottom-level menu of said menu item in said selection means are displayed in a bottom row of said plurality of rows.

4. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein menu items belonging to a brother menu of said menu item in said selection means are displayed in said specific row where said selection means is located.

5. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a top-level menu of said menu item in said selection means is displayed in a row of said plurality of rows located beneath said selection means if said menu item in said selection means belongs to a bottom-level menu.

6. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a bottom-level menu of said menu item in said selection means is displayed in a row of said plurality of rows located above said selection means if said menu item in said selection means belongs to a top-level menu.

7. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said menu items are in one-to-one correspondence to respective slots of a plurality of display slots of a n×

m matrix and said selection means is a cursor slot, said cursor slot being a specific slot selected from said plurality of display slots.

8. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said display means is adapted to display said screen picture while dividing it into a first part and a second part, said cursor slot being movable between the first part and the second part, said second part being composed of a single row arranged to display a bottom-level menu of a menu item in said cursor slot when said cursor slot is located in said first part.

9. A menu display method for an electronic device, said electronic device including a memory for storing a hierarchical menu and functioning to partition one screen picture into a plurality of rows and columns and to arrange and display menu items, respectively, in a plurality of slots of positions defined by the rows and columns, said slots including one cursor slot, said method comprising the steps of:

a) determining whether an input of a direction key is sensed;

b) if the direction key input is sensed, creating a menu set by performing the steps of;

b-1) extracting and storing a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot with reference to said hierarchical menu;

b-2) extracting and storing menu items corresponding to a slot of said plurality of slots located at the left-hand side and right-hand side of said cursor slot;

b-3) if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a top-level menu, extracting a bottom-level menu of said specific menu item, storing it in a different row of said plurality of rows from a row where said cursor slot is located, extracting a one-level lower menu of said specific menu item and storing it in a secondrow of said plurality of rows;

b-4) if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a bottom-level menu, extracting a top-level menu of said specific menu item, storing it in said different row, extracting a one-level upper menu of said specific menu item and storing it in said second row; and

b-5) if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to neither the top-level menu nor the bottom-level menu, extracting the one-level upper menu of said specific menu item, storing it in said different row, extracting the one-level lower menu of said specific menu item and storing it in said second row; and

c) displaying said menu set in said screen picture.

10. The menu display method as set forth in claim 9, wherein said screen picture has 3 rows and 3 columns, said cursor slot being a central slot of the second row, said different row being the first row, said second row being the third row.

11. A menu display method for an electronic device, said electronic device including a memory for storing a hierarchical menu and functioning to partition a screen picture into a plurality of rows and columns and arrange and display menu items, respectively, in slots of positions defined by the rows and columns, said slots including a cursor slot, said screen picture being displayed while being divided into a first part and a second part, said cursor slot being movable between the first part and the second part and fixed in a corresponding position of the first or second part, said method comprising the steps of:

a) determining which of said first part and second part in which said cursor slot is present, according to a type of a direction key upon sensing an input of the direction key;

b) if said cursor slot is present in said first part, creating a menu set by performing the steps of;

b-1) extracting and storing a new menu item to be located in said cursor slot with reference to said hierarchical menu according to the type of said direction key if said direction key is not an up direction key, and extracting a bottom-level menu item of an existing menu item located in said cursor slot if said direction key is the up direction key and the existing menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a top-level menu, and extracting aone-level upper menu item of said existing menu item in said cursor slot if said direction key is the up direction key and said existing menu item in said cursor slot does not belong to the top-level menu, and storing the extracted menu item as said new menu item in said cursor slot;

b-2) extracting and storing menu items corresponding to said slots located at the left-hand side and right-hand side of said cursor slot;

b-3) extracting a top-level menu of said new menu item in said cursor slot if said new menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a bottom-level menu, and extracting a one-level lower menu of said new menu item in said cursor slot if said new menu item in said cursor slot does not belong to the bottom-level menu, and storing the extracted menu in a row of said plurality of rows subsequent to that where said cursor slot is located; and

b-4) extracting a bottom-level menu of said new menu item in said cursor slot and storing it in said second part;

c) if said cursor slot is present in said second part, creating a menu set by performing the steps of;

c-1) extracting and storing a new menu item to be located in said cursor slot according to the type of said direction key; and

c-2) extracting and storing menu items corresponding to said slots located at the left-hand side and right-hand side of said cursor slot; and

d) displaying said menu set created at said step b) or c) in said screen picture.

12. The menu display method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said step b-4) includes the step of selecting the same number of menu items as that of said columns from among all menu items in the bottom-level menu of said new menu item in said cursor slot according to their priorities and storing the selected menu items in said second part.

13. A menu display apparatus for an electronic device, said electronic device including a hierarchical user menu containing a plurality of menu items, said apparatus comprising:

at least one direction key for selecting the menu items;

display means for partitioning a screen picture into at least three groups of slots for display of the menu items, said slots including a cursor slot; and

control means responsive to an input of said direction key for selecting a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot and at least an upper-level menu item, at least a lower-level menu item and at least a brother menu item of the specific menu item from said hierarchical menu, and arranging the selected upper-level menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said first group, the selected lower-level menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said second group and the selected brother menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said third group, respectively.

14. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said control means is adapted to, if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a top-level menu, select at least one menu item in a bottom-level menu of said specific menu item and arrange the selected menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said first group.

15. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said control means is adapted to, if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a bottom-level menu, select at least one menu item in a top-level menu of said specific menu item and arrange the selected menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said second group.

16. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein said slots are defined by rows and columns and said groups are defined by the rows.

17. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein said slots are defined by rows and columns and said groups are defined by the rows.

18. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said slots are defined by three rows and three columns, said cursor slot being located in the second column of the second row, said slots of said first group being located in the first row, said slots of said second group being located in the third row, said slots of said third group being located in the second row.

19. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein said slots are defined by three rows and three columns, said cursor slot being located in the second column of the second row, said slots of said first group being located in the first row, said slots of said second group being located in the third row, said slots of said third group being located in the second row.

20. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein said slots are defined by rows and columns and said groups are defined by the columns.

21. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein said slots are defined by rows and columns and said groups are defined by the columns.

22. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein said slots are defined by three rows and three columns, said cursor slot being located in the second column of the second row, said slots of said first group being located in the first column, said slots of said second group being located in the third column, said slots of said third group being located in the second column.

23. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 21, wherein said slots are defined by three rows and three columns, said cursor slot being located in the second column of the second row, said slots of said first group being located in the first column, said slots of said second group being located in the third column, said slots of said third group being located in the second column.

24. A menu display apparatus for an electronic device, said electronic device including a hierarchical user menu containing a plurality of menu items, said apparatus comprising:

at least one direction key for selecting the menu items;

display means for partitioning one screen picture into at least three groups of slots for display of the menu items, said slots including one cursor slot; and

control means responsive to an input of said direction key for selecting a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot and at least one lower-level menu item, at least one bottom-level menu item and at least one brother menu item of the specific menu item from said hierarchical menu, and arranging the selected lower-level menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said first group, the selected bottom-level menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said second group and the selected brother menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said third group, respectively.

25. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 24, wherein said control means is adapted to, if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a bottom-level menu, select at least one menu item in a top-level menu of said specific menu item and arrange the selected menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said first group.

26. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein said display means is adapted to display said screen picture while dividing it into a first part including said first and third groups and a second part including said second group, said cursor slot being movable between the first part and the second part, said second part displaying a bottom-level menu of said specific menu item in said cursor slot when said cursor slot is located in said first part.

27. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 26, wherein said slots are defined by rows and columns and said groups are defined by the rows.

28. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 27, wherein said slots are defined by three rows and three columns, said cursor slot being located in the second column of the first row, said slots of said first group being located in the second row, said slots of said second group being located in the third row, said slots of said third group being located in the first row.

29. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 26, wherein said slots are defined by rows and columns and said groups are defined by the columns.

30. The menu display apparatus as set forth in claim 29, wherein said slots are defined by three rows and three columns, said cursor slot being located in the first column of the second row, said slots of said first group being located in the second column, said slots of said second group being located in the third column, said slots of said third group being located in the first column.

31. A menu display method for an electronic device, said electronic device including a memory for storing a hierarchical menu containing a plurality of menu items and functioning to partition one screen picture into at least three groups of slots, said slots including at least one cursor slot, said method comprising the steps of:

a) selecting and arranging a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot with reference to said hierarchical menu in response to an input of a direction key;

b) selecting at least one brother menu item of said specific menu item in said cursor slot;

c) selecting at least one one-level upper menu item and at least one one-level lower menu item of said specific menu item in said cursor slot; and

d) arranging the selected one-level upper menu item, one-level lower menu item and brother menu item in said first, second and third groups, respectively.

32. The menu display method as set forth in claim 31, further comprising the step of:

e) if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a top-level menu, selecting at least one menu item in a bottom-level menu of said specific menu item and arranging the selected menu item in a corresponding one of said slots of said first group.

33. The menu display method as set forth in claim 31, further comprising the step of:

e) if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a bottom-level menu, selecting at least one menu item in a top-level menu of said specific menu item and arranging the selected menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said second group.

34. A menu display method for an electronic device, said electronic device including a memory for storing a hierarchical menu containing a plurality of menu items and functioning to partition one screen picture into at least three groups of slots, said slots including one cursor slot, said method comprising the steps of:

a) selecting and arranging a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot with reference to said hierarchical menu in response to an input of a direction key;

b) selecting at least one brother menu item of said specific menu item in said cursor slot;

c) selecting at least one one-level lower menu item and at least one bottom-level menu item of said specific menu item in said cursor slot; and

d) arranging the selected one-level lower menu item, bottom-level menu item and brother menu item in said first, second and third groups, respectively.

35. The menu display method as set forth in claim 34, further comprising the step of:

e) if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a bottom-level menu, selecting at least one menu item in a top-level menu of said specific menu item and arranging the selected menu item in a corresponding one of said slots of said first group.

36. The menu display method as set forth in claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

e) if said direction key is an up direction key, determining whether an existing menu item located in said cursor slot belongs to a top-level menu; and

f) if said existing menu item in said cursor slot belongs to the top-level menu, selecting a bottom-level menu item of said existing menu item and arranging the selected menu item as said specific menu item in said cursor slot.

37. The menu display method as set forth in claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

e) determining a position of said cursor slot;

f) if the position of said cursor slot is in said second group, selecting a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot with reference to said hierarchical menu according to a type of said direction key and arranging the selected menu item in said second group; and

g) selecting at least one brother menu item of said specific menu item arranged in said second group and arranging the selected menu item in said second group.