Electronic apparatus, display controlling method for electronic apparatus and graphical user interface

• US 20060020969A1
• Filed: 07/11/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Hiroshi, Sakai, Shimon, Sato, Daisuke, Utsuki, Shingo, Ishimura, Yuji, Kanda, Satoshi, Nishizawa, Kazuto, Urano, Masahiro, Inaishi, Daisuke, Moriwaki, Kenichi, Kusanagi, Ko
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A graphical user interface is disclosed which achieves an easy search for a desired item upon scrolling. Plural first icons representing first items of a high hierarchy are arrayed along a direction of a display screen, and plural second icons representing second items of a low hierarchy which belong to a selected one of the first items are arrayed along an intersecting direction with the selected first item positioned at the intersecting position. The selected noticed icon from among the plural second icons is displayed emphatically at a fixed position on the display screen, and explanation information of the noticed item icon is displayed in the proximity of the display position of the noticed icon. In response to a scrolling instruction, scrolling is executed while explanation information of the second icons other than the noticed item icon is displayed.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a storage section for storing a plurality of display data of first representation images representing first items of a high hierarchy and a plurality of display data of second representation images representing second items of a low hierarchy which belong to each of the first items;

an operation inputting section for accepting an operation input of a user for images displayed on a display screen and including the first representation images and the second representation images and outputting the corresponding operation output signal; and

a display control section for displaying the plural first representation images using the display data stored in said storage section such that the plural first representation images are arrayed along a first direction of said display screen and one of said first representation images can be selected in response to an operation input through said operation inputting section and for displaying a plurality of second representation images representing a plurality of second items of the low hierarchy of the first item corresponding to the selected first representation image using the display data stored in said storage section such that the plural second representation images are arrayed along a second direction intersecting with the first direction with the selected first representation image positioned at the intersecting position and one of the second representation images can be selected in response to an operation input through said operation inputting section;

said display control section emphatically displaying the noticed representation image selected from among the plural second representation images with the display position of the selected noticed representation image fixed on said display screen, said display control section changing the noticed representation image in response to the operation output signal based on a selection operation of one of the second representation images through said operation inputting section, said display control section displaying explanation information of the noticed representation image in the proximity of the display position of the noticed representation image;

said operation inputting section being operable to accept an operation input of the user for scrolling the plural second representation images in the second direction and output a scrolling operation output signal;

said display control section executing the scrolling in response to the scrolling operation output signal such that explanation information of all of the second representation images arrayed along the second direction on the display screen including the noticed representation image is displayed additionally and the noticed representation image displayed as the selected representation image at the fixed position is successively changed during the scrolling.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display control section additionally displays, on said display screen, a bar display including a mark representing the position of the noticed representation image in the array of the plural second representation images including the noticed representation image in response to the scrolling operation output signal.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plural second representation images are divided into a plurality of groups based on attributes relating to the corresponding second items and the displaying order of the plural second representation images on said display screen is set collectively for each of the groups while the bar display is divided into a plurality of divisional portions in response to the plural groups and each of the divisional portions of the bar display is provided with a group display representing to which one of the groups the divisional portion belongs.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the speed of the scrolling is controlled so as to increase in accordance with the period of time after the scrolling is started in response to the scrolling operation output signal.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the explanation display regarding the second representation images other than the noticed representation image upon the scrolling is given with a smaller number of explanation items than that of the explanation display regarding the noticed representation image.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, upon the scrolling, the explanation display regarding the noticed representation image is displayed emphatically together with the noticed representation image.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first representation images are category representation images representing categories of processing functions or processing objects, and the second representation images are item representation images individually representing processing function items or items of processing object contents which belong to the categories.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said electronic apparatus is a receiver for broadcasting signals, and the second representation images individually represent broadcasting programs which can be received by said receiver while the groups include a television broadcasting group, a radio broadcasting group and a data broadcasting group by which the broadcasting programs are provided.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second representation images represent contents and the grouping is performed based on attributes of the contents.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the plural first representation images and the plural second representation images are to be displayed on the display screen, said display control section displays the plural first representation images and said plural second representation images in a translucent and overlapping relationship on the screen of an image of an image content displayed on said display screen.

11. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a storage section for storing a plurality of display data of first representation images representing first items of a high hierarchy and a plurality of display data of second representation images representing second items of a low hierarchy which belong to each of the first items;

an operation inputting section for accepting an operation input of a user for images displayed on a display screen and including the first representation images and the second representation images and outputting the corresponding operation output signal; and

a display control section for displaying the plural first representation images using the display data stored in said storage section such that the plural first representation images are arrayed along a first direction of said display screen and one of the first representation images can be selected in response to an operation input through said operation inputting section and for displaying a plurality of second representation images representing a plurality of second items of the low hierarchy of the first item corresponding to the selected first representation image using the display data stored in said storage section such that the plural second representation images are arrayed along a second direction intersecting with the first direction with the selected first representation image positioned at the intersecting position and one of the second representation images can be selected in response to an operation input through said operation inputting section;

said display control section emphatically displaying the noticed representation image selected from among the plural second representation images with the display position of the selected noticed representation image fixed on said display screen, said display control section changing the noticed representation image in response to the operation output signal based on a selection operation of one of the second representation images through said operation inputting section;

the plural second representation images being divided into a plurality of groups based on attributes relating to the second items while the displaying order of the plural second representation images on said display screen is set collectively for each of the groups;

said operation inputting section being operable to accept an operation input of the user for scrolling the plural second representation images in the second direction and output a scrolling operation output signal;

said display control section executing the scrolling in response to the scrolling operation output signal such that the noticed representation image displayed as the selected representation image at the fixed position is successively changed during the scrolling;

said display control section additionally displaying, on said display screen, a bar display including a mark representing the position of the noticed representation image in the array of the plural second representation images including the noticed representation image in response to the scrolling operation output signal, the bar display being divided into a plurality of divisional portions in response to the plural groups, each of the divisional portions of the bar display being provided with a group display representing to which one of the groups the divisional portion belongs.

12. A display controlling method for an electronic apparatus which includes a storage section for storing a plurality of display data of first representation images representing first items of a high hierarchy and a plurality of display data of second representation images representing second items of a low hierarchy which belong to each of the first items, an operation inputting section for accepting an operation input of a user for images displayed on a display screen and including the first representation images and the second representation images and outputting the corresponding operation output signal, and a display control section for displaying the plural first representation images using the display data stored in said storage section such that the plural first representation images are arrayed along a first direction of said display screen and one of the first representation images can be selected in response to an operation input through said operation inputting section and for displaying a plurality of second representation images representing a plurality of second items of the low hierarchy of the first item corresponding to the selected first representation image using the display data stored in said storage section such that the plural second representation images are arrayed along a second direction intersecting with the first direction with the selected first representation image positioned at the intersecting position and one of the second representation images can be selected in response to an operation input through said operation inputting section, said display control section emphatically displaying the noticed representation image selected from among the plural second representation images with the display position of the selected noticed representation image fixed on said display screen, said display control section changing the noticed representation image in response to the operation output signal based on a selection operation of one of the second representation images through said operation inputting section, said display control section displaying explanation information of the noticed representation image in the proximity of the display position of the noticed representation image, said display controlling method comprising:

a step executed by said operation inputting section of accepting an operation input of the user for scrolling the plural second representation images in the second direction and outputting a scrolling operation output signal; and

a step executed by said display control section of executing the scrolling in response to the scrolling operation output signal such that explanation information of one or ones of the second representation images in a preceding direction and/or a succeeding direction with respect to the noticed representation image is displayed additionally on said display screen.

13. The display controlling method for an electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, when the scrolling speed becomes a speed determined in advance, said display control section additionally displays, on said display screen, a bar display including a mark representing the position of the noticed representation image in the array of the plural second representation images including the noticed representation image.

14. The display controlling method for an electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the plural second representation images are divided into a plurality of groups based on attributes relating to the corresponding second items and the plural second representation images are arranged collectively for each of the groups while the location of the bar display corresponding to the scrolling direction is divided into a plurality of divisional portions in response to the plural groups and each of the divisional portions of the bar display is provided with a group display representing to which one of the groups the divisional portion belongs.

15. A display controlling method for an electronic apparatus which includes a storage section for storing a plurality of display data of first representation images representing first items of a high hierarchy and a plurality of display data of second representation images representing second items of a low hierarchy which belong to each of the first items, an operation inputting section for accepting an operation input of a user for images displayed on a display screen and including the first representation images and the second representation images and outputting the corresponding operation output signal, and a display control section for displaying the plural first representation images using the display data stored in said storage section such that the plural first representation images are arrayed along a first direction of said display screen and one of the first representation images can be selected in response to an operation input through said operation inputting section and for displaying a plurality of second representation images representing a plurality of second items of the low hierarchy of the first item corresponding to the selected first representation image using the display data stored in said storage section such that the plural second representation images are arrayed along a second direction intersecting with the first direction with the selected first representation image positioned at the intersecting position and one of the second representation images can be selected in response to an operation input through said operation inputting section, said display control section emphatically displaying the noticed representation image selected from among the plural second representation images with the display position of the selected noticed representation image fixed on said display screen, said display control section changing the noticed representation image in response to the operation output signal based on a selection operation of one of the second representation images through said operation inputting section, said display controlling method comprising:

the plural second representation images being divided into a plurality of groups based on attributes relating to the second items while the displaying order of the plural second representation images on said display screen is set collectively for each of the groups;

a step executed by said operation inputting section of accepting an operation input of the user for scrolling the plural second representation images in the second direction and outputting a scrolling operation output signal; and

a step executed by said display control section of executing the scrolling in response to the scrolling operation output signal such that the noticed representation image displayed as the selected representation image at the fixed position is successively changed during the scrolling and additionally displaying, on said display screen, a bar display including a mark representing the position of the noticed representation image in the array of the plural second representation images including the noticed representation image in response to the scrolling operation output signal, the bar display being divided into a plurality of divisional portions in response to the plural groups, each of the divisional portions of the bar display being provided with a group display representing to which one of the groups the divisional portion belongs.

16. A graphical user interface, comprising:

a plurality of first representation images representing first items of a high hierarchy and arrayed along a first direction on a display screen; and

a plurality of second representation images representing second items of a low hierarchy which belong to a selected one of the first items and arrayed along a second direction intersecting with the first direction with the selected first representation image positioned at the intersecting position;

a noticed representation image selected from among the plural second representation images being displayed emphatically at a fixed position on said display screen;

the noticed representation image being changed in response to a selection operation of the second representation images through an operation inputting section;

explanation information of the noticed representation image being displayed in the proximity of the display position of the noticed representation image;

the second representation images being scrolled in response to a scrolling instruction therefor inputted through said operation inputting section such that explanation information also of the second representation images other than the noticed representation image arranged along the second direction is displayed.

17. The graphical user interface according to claim 16, wherein, when the scrolling speed becomes a speed determined in advance, a bar display including a mark representing the position of the noticed representation image in the array of the plural second representation images which belong to the selected first representation image is displayed additionally on said display screen.

18. The graphical user interface according to claim 17, wherein the plural second representation images which belong to the selected first representation image are divided into a plurality of groups based on attributes relating to the second items and the plural second representation images are arranged collectively for each of the groups while the bar display is divided into a plurality of divisional portions in response to the plural groups and each of the divisional portions of the bar display is provided with a group display representing to which one of the groups the divisional portion belongs.

19. A graphical user interface, comprising:

a plurality of first representation images representing first items of a high hierarchy and arrayed along a first direction on a display screen; and

a plurality of second representation images representing second items of a low hierarchy which belong to a selected one of the first items and arrayed along a second direction intersecting with the first direction with the selected first representation image positioned at the intersecting position;

a noticed representation image selected from among the plural second representation images being displayed emphatically at a fixed position on said display screen;

the noticed representation image being changed in response to a selection operation of the second representation images through an operation inputting section;

the plural second representation images being divided into a plurality of groups based on attributes relating to the second items while the displaying order of the plural second representation images on said display screen is set collectively for each of the groups;

scrolling of the second representation images being performed in response to a scrolling instruction for the second representation images inputted through said operation inputting section together with a bar display which includes a mark representing the position of the noticed representation image in the array of the plural second representation images including the noticed representation image, the bar display being divided into a plurality of divisional portions in response to the plural groups, each of the divisional portions of the bar display being provided with a group display representing to which one of the groups the divisional portion belongs.