Display method, portable terminal device, and display program

• US 20060143574A1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ito, Yuichi, Chiba, Toshiyuki, Morimoto, Yukako, Hama, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/800
• 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: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• 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

A display method includes displaying a plurality of icons in list form on a display device by a list-form displaying section, enlarging, to a predetermined size, an icon selected from the icons displayed, when a different icon is selected, reducing the icon selected and enlarged to the predetermined size so as to have a size substantially equal to the size of each of icons which are not selected, and performing control so that, when the different icon is selected while the icon selected is being enlarged, the selected icon is temporarily enlarged to the predetermined size, and immediately after the enlargement, the temporarily enlarged icon is reduced so as to have a size substantially equal to the size of each of icons which are not selected.

Claims

1. A display method comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of icons in list form on display means by list-form displaying means;

enlarging, by enlarging means, to a predetermined size, one icon selected with operating means by a user from the plurality of icons displayed on the display means;

when a different icon is selected with the operating means by the user, by reducing means, reducing said one icon selected and enlarged to the predetermined size so as to have a size substantially equal to the size of each of icons which are not selected; and

controlling the enlarging means and the reducing means by control means so that, when the different icon is selected by the user while said one icon selected by the user is being enlarged, said one icon selected is temporarily enlarged to the predetermined size, and immediately after the enlargement, the temporarily enlarged icon is reduced so as to have a size substantially equal to the size of each of icons which are not selected.

2. The display method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of adjusting the display positions of the plurality of icons by display-position adjusting means so that, in the step of displaying the plurality of icons in list form on the display means, the plurality of icons are displayed in column form on the display means by the list-form displaying means, and, even after said one icon selected by the user is enlarged in the step of enlarging said one icon, all the plurality of icons displayed in list form are displayed in column form.

3. The display method according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of icons are used as upper menus corresponding to menu groups which are each formed by grouping a plurality of lower menus;

in the step of displaying the plurality of icons in list form on the display means, when the different icon is selected with the operating means by the user in a state in which lower menus of a menu group corresponding to an icon presently selected are displayed by the list-form displaying means in list form along an arrangement direction of the plurality of icons displayed in column form, lower menus of a menu group corresponding to said one icon selected are controlled so as not to be displayed such that the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to said one icon selected are sequentially moved out of a display area of the display means along the arrangement direction, and lower menus of a menu group corresponding to an icon newly selected are controlled so as to be displayed such that the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to the icon newly selected are sequentially moved into the display area of the display means instead of the lower menus controlled so as not to be displayed; and

when the lower menus of the menu groups are controlled so as not to be displayed and so as to be displayed, displaying of the lower menus controlled so as not be displayed and displaying of the lower menus controlled so as to be displayed are controlled so that, after the controlled lower menus initially move at high speed along the arrangement direction, the controlled lower menus move at gradually decreasing speed and finally stop.

4. The display method according to claim 3, wherein, in the step of displaying the plurality of icons in list form on the display means, when different icons are sequentially selected with the operating means by the user, displaying of lower menus of a menu group corresponding to each of the different icons sequentially selected is controlled by the list-form displaying means so that the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to each of the different icons sequentially selected are moved at gradually increasing speed in accordance with a time in which the different icons are sequentially selected.

5. A portable terminal device comprising:

list-form displaying means which displays a plurality of icons in list form on display means;

enlarging means which enlarges, to a predetermined size, one icon selected with operating means by a user from the plurality of icons displayed on the display means by the list-form displaying means;

reducing means which, when a different icon is selected with the operating means by the user, reduces said one icon selected and enlarged to the predetermined size so as to have a size substantially equal to the size of each of icons which are not selected; and

control means which, when the different icon is selected by the user while the icon selected by the user is being enlarged by the enlarging means, controls the enlarging means to temporarily enlarge said one icon selected to the predetermined size, and which, immediately after the enlargement, controls the reducing means to reduce the temporarily enlarged icon so as to have a size substantially equal to the size of each of icons which are not selected.

6. The portable terminal device according to claim 5, further comprising display-position adjusting means which adjusts the display positions of the plurality of icons so that the list-form displaying means displays the plurality of icons in list form on the display means by displaying the plurality of icons in column form, and, even after said one icon selected by the user is enlarged, all the plurality of icons displayed in list form are displayed in column form.

7. The portable terminal device according to claim 5, wherein:

the plurality of icons are used as upper menus corresponding to menu groups which are each formed by grouping a plurality of lower menus;

when the different icon is selected with the operating means by the user in a state in which lower menus of a menu group corresponding to an icon presently selected are displayed by the list-form displaying means in list form along an arrangement direction of the plurality of icons displayed in column form, the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to said one icon selected are controlled so as not to be displayed such that the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to said one icon selected are sequentially moved out of a display area of the display means along the arrangement direction, and lower menus of a menu group corresponding to an icon newly selected are controlled to be displayed such that the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to the icon newly selected are sequentially moved into the display area of the display means instead of the lower menus controlled so as not to be displayed, and, when the lower menus of the menu groups are controlled so as not to be displayed and so as to be displayed, displaying of the lower menus controlled so as not be displayed and displaying of the lower menus controlled so as to be displayed are controlled so that, after the controlled lower menus initially move at high speed along the arrangement direction, the controlled lower menus move at gradually decreasing speed and finally stop.

8. The portable terminal device according to claim 7, wherein, when different icons are selected in a sequentially consecutive manner with the operating means by the user, the list-form displaying means controls displaying of lower menus of a menu group corresponding to each of the different icons selected in the sequentially consecutive manner so that the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to each of the different icons are moved at gradually increasing speed in accordance with a time in which the different icons are selected in the sequentially consecutive manner.

9. A display program for allowing a computer to function as:

list-form displaying means which displays a plurality of icons in list form on display means;

enlarging means which enlarges, to a predetermined size, one icon selected with operating means by a user from the plurality of icons displayed on the display means by allowing the computer to function as the list-form displaying means;

reducing means which, when a different icon is selected with the operating means by the user, reduces said one icon selected and enlarged to the predetermined size so as to have a size substantially equal to the size of each of icons which are not selected; and

control means which, when the different icon is selected by the user while said one icon selected by the user is being enlarged by allowing the computer to function as the enlarging means, controls the enlarging means to temporarily enlarge said one icon selected to the predetermined size, and which, immediately after the enlargement, controls the reducing means to reduce the temporarily enlarged icon so as to have a size substantially equal to the size of each of icons which are not selected.

10. The display program according to claim 9, wherein the computer is allowed to function as display-position adjusting means which adjusts the display positions of the plurality of icons so that, when the computer functions as the list-form displaying means, the computer is allowed to function to display the plurality of icons in list form on the display means by displaying the plurality of icons in column form, and, even after said one icon selected by the user is enlarged, all the plurality of icons displayed in list form are displayed in column form.

11. The display program according to claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of icons are used as upper menus corresponding to menu groups which are each formed by grouping a plurality of lower menus; and

in a case in which the computer is allowed to function as the list-form displaying means, when the different icon is selected with the operating means by the user in a state in which lower menus of a menu group corresponding to an icon presently selected are displayed in list form along an arrangement direction of the plurality of icons displayed in column form, the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to said one icon selected are controlled so as not to be displayed such that the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to said one icon selected are sequentially moved out of a display area of the display means along the arrangement direction, and lower menus of a menu group corresponding to an icon newly selected are controlled so as to be displayed such that the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to the icon newly selected are sequentially moved into the display area of the display means instead of the lower menus controlled so as not to be displayed, and, when the lower menus of the menu groups are controlled so as not to be displayed and so as to be displayed, displaying of the lower menus controlled so as not be displayed and displaying of the lower menus controlled to be displayed are controlled so that, after the controlled lower menus initially move at high speed along the arrangement direction, the controlled lower menus move at gradually decreasing speed and finally stop.

12. The display program according to claim 11, wherein, in a case in which the computer is allowed to function as the list-form displaying means when different icons are selected in a sequentially consecutive manner with the operating means by the user, displaying of lower menus of a menu group corresponding to each of the different icons selected in the sequentially consecutive manner is controlled so that the lower menus of the menu group corresponding to each of the different icons are moved at gradually increasing speed in accordance with a time in which the different icons are selected in the sequentially consecutive manner.

13. A display method comprising the steps of:

displaying, by menu displaying means, at least a plurality of upper menus in column form on display means, displaying, in list form, along an arrangement direction of the plurality of upper menus displayed in column form, on the display means, lower menus of a menu group corresponding to a selected upper menu among a plurality of menu groups formed by grouping a plurality of lower menus corresponding to each of the plurality of upper menus, and displaying, on the display means, a cursor for selecting a desired menu from the plurality of upper menus or the lower menus belonging to the menu group;

detecting, by moving operation detecting means, a moving operation on the cursor from one of the plurality of upper menus to one of the lower menus, and a moving operation on the cursor from one of the lower menus to one of the plurality of upper menus, the moving operations being performed with operating means by a user; and

when the moving operation on the cursor from one of the plurality of upper menus to one of the lower menus is detected in the step of detecting the moving operations on the cursor, displaying all the plurality of upper menus by displaying processing means in a form moved to a side opposite to the lower menus, and, after moving and displaying the lower menus in a margin area formed by moving the plurality of upper menus, when the moving operation from one of the lower menus to one of the plurality of upper menus is detected by the moving operation detecting means, displaying, by the displaying processing means, the lower menus by moving all the lower menus to a side opposite to the plurality of upper menus, and displaying the plurality of upper menus by moving the plurality of upper menus into a margin area formed by moving the lower menus.

14. The display method according to claim 13, wherein the step of displaying the upper menus and the lower menus by moving upper menus and the lower menus includes the step of:

by the displaying processing means, when the moving operation from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus is detected by the moving operation detecting means in the step of detecting the moving operations on the cursor, moving all the upper menus to a side opposite to the lower menus, reducing the moved upper menus before displaying the moved upper menus, and enlarging the lower menus before displaying the lower menus; and

, when the moving operation on the cursor from one of the lower menus to one of the upper menus is detected by the moving operation detecting means in the step of detecting the moving operations on the cursor, moving the all the lower menus to a side opposite to the upper menus, reducing the moved lower menus before displaying the moved lower menus, and enlarging the upper menus before displaying the upper menus.

15. The display method according to claim 14, wherein, in the step of reducing the upper menus and enlarging the lower menus, when the moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus is detected, the displaying processing means changes the color of the cursor, a character color of the lower menus, or the color of the cursor and the character color of the lower menus so that the lower menus are viewed through the cursor.

16. The display method according to claim 13, wherein:

at least the lower menus are grouped correspondingly to each of the upper menus, and the lower menus have a ring structure having virtual connection of groups so that a lower menu at the end of one group is followed by a lower menu at the start of the next group when the lower menus are displayed;

in the step of detecting the moving operations on the cursor, while a state in which one of the upper menus is selected with the cursor is being detected, the displaying processing means displays lower menus of a group corresponding to the selected upper menu with such transparency that the displayed lower menus are viewable by the user, and, when the moving operation on the cursor from a presently selected upper menu to a different upper menu is detected by the moving operation detecting means, the displaying processing means hides, in a form scrolled out of a display area of the display means, the lower menus of the group corresponding to the presently selected upper menu which are displayed with the transparency, and, instead of the hidden lower menus, the displaying processing means displays lower menus of a group corresponding to the different upper menu by scrolling, into the display area of the display means, the lower menus of the group corresponding to the different upper menu subsequent to the hidden lower menus.

17. A portable terminal device comprising:

menu displaying means which displays at least a plurality of upper menus in column form on display means, and which displays, on the display means, in list form, along an arrangement direction of the upper menus displayed in column form, lower menus of a menu group corresponding to a selected upper menu among a plurality of menu groups which are each formed by grouping a plurality of lower menus corresponding to each of the upper menus, and displays, on the display means, a cursor for selecting a desired menu from the upper menus or the lower menus belonging to the menu group;

moving operation detecting means which detects a moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus, and a moving operation on the cursor from one of the lower menus to one of the upper menus, the moving operations being performed with operating means by a user; and

displaying processing means which displays all the upper menus in a form moved to a side opposite to the lower menus when the moving operation detecting means detects the moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus, and which, after moving and displaying the lower menus in a margin area formed by moving the upper menus, when the moving operation detecting means detects the moving operation from one of the lower menus to one of the upper menus, displays the lower menus by moving all the lower menus to a side opposite to the upper menus, and displays the upper menus by moving the upper menus into a margin area formed by moving the lower menus.

18. The portable terminal device according to claim 17, wherein:

when the moving operation detecting means detects the moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus, the displaying processing means displays the upper menus by moving all the upper menus to a side opposite to the lower menus and reducing the moved upper menus, and displays the lower menus after enlarging the lower menus; and

when the moving operation on the cursor from one of the lower menus to one of the upper menus is detected by the moving operation detecting means, the displaying processing means displays the lower menus after moving all the lower menus to a side opposite to the upper menus and reducing the moved lower menus, and displays the upper menus after enlarging the upper menus.

19. The portable terminal device according to claim 17, wherein, when the moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus is detected, the displaying processing means changes the color of the cursor, a character color of the lower menus, or the color of the cursor and the character color of the lower menus so that the lower menus are viewed through the cursor.

20. The portable terminal device according to claim 17, wherein:

at least the lower menus are grouped correspondingly to each of the upper menus, and the lower menus have a ring structure having virtual connection of groups so that a lower menu at the end of one group is followed by a lower menu at the start of the next group when the lower menus are displayed; and

while the moving operation detecting means is detecting a state in which one of the upper menus is selected with the cursor, the displaying processing means displays lower menus of a group corresponding to the upper menu selected with the cursor with such transparency that the lower menus of the group corresponding to the selected upper menu are viewable by the user, when the moving operation detecting means detects the moving operation with the cursor, in which selection of a presently selected upper menu is changed to selection of a different upper menu, the displaying processing means hides the lower menus corresponding to the presently selected upper menu which are displayed with the transparency by scrolling, out of a display area of the display means, the lower menus corresponding to the presently selected upper menu in accordance with a moving operation direction of the cursor, and the displaying processing means displays, instead of the hidden lower menus, lower menus of a group corresponding to the different upper menu in the display area of the display means by scrolling the lower menus of the group corresponding to the different upper menu subsequent to the hidden lower menus.

21. A display program for allowing a computer to function as:

menu displaying means which displays at least a plurality of upper menus in column form on display means, which displays, in list form, in an arrangement direction of the upper menus displayed in column form, on the display means, lower menus of a menu group corresponding to a selected upper menu among a plurality of menu groups which are each formed by grouping a plurality of lower menus corresponding to each of the upper menus, and displays, on the display means, a cursor for selecting a desired menu from the plurality of lower menus and the lower menus belonging to the menu group;

moving operation detecting means which detects a moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus and a moving operation on the cursor from one of the plurality of lower menus to one of the upper menus, the moving operations being performed with operating means by a user; and

displaying processing means which, when the moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus is detected by allowing the computer to function as the moving operation detecting means, displays the upper menus by moving all the upper menus to a side opposite to the lower menus, and which, when the moving operation on the cursor from one of the lower menus to one of the upper menus is detected by moving the lower menus into a margin area formed by moving the upper menus before displaying the moved lower menus and allowing the computer to function as the moving operation detecting means, displays the lower menus by moving all the lower menus to a side opposite to the plurality of upper menus, and displays the upper menus by moving the upper menus into a margin area formed by moving the lower menus.

22. The display program according to claim 21, wherein, when the moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus is detected by allowing the computer to function as the moving operation detecting means when the computer is allowed to function as the displaying processing means, all the upper menus are moved to a side opposite to the lower menus and are reduced before being displayed, and the lower menus are enlarged before being displayed, and, when the moving operation on the cursor from one of the lower menus to one of the upper menus is detected by allowing the computer to function as the moving operation detecting means, all the lower menus are moved to a side opposite to the upper menus and are reduced before being displayed, and the upper menus are enlarged before being displayed.

23. The display program according to claim 21, wherein, when the moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus is detected when the computer is allowed to function as the displaying processing means, the displaying processing means changes the color of the cursor, a character color of the lower menus, or the color of the cursor and the character color of the lower menus so that the lower menus are viewed through the cursor.

24. The display program according to claim 21, wherein:

at least the lower menus are grouped correspondingly to each of the upper menus, and the lower menus have a ring structure having virtual connection of groups so that a lower menu at the end of one group is followed by a lower menu at the start of the next group when the lower menus are displayed;

when the computer is allowed to function as the displaying processing means while a state in which one of the upper menus is selected with the cursor is being detected by allowing the computer to function as the moving operation detecting means, the displaying processing means displays lower menus of a group corresponding to the selected upper menu with such transparency that the lower menus of the group corresponding to the selected upper menu are viewable by the user; and

when the computer is allowed to function as the displaying processing means when the moving operation on the cursor from a presently selected upper menu to a different upper menu is detected by allowing the computer to function as the moving operation detecting means, the displaying processing means hides lower menus of a group corresponding to the presently selected upper menu in accordance with a moving operation direction of the cursor by scrolling, out of a display area of the display means, the lower menus of the group corresponding to the presently selected upper menu, and, instead of the hidden lower menus, the displaying processing means displays lower menus of a group corresponding to the different upper menu by scrolling, into the display area of the display means, the lower menus of the group corresponding to the different menu subsequent to the hidden lower menus.

25. A portable terminal device comprising:

a list-form displaying section displaying a plurality of icons in list form on a display device;

an enlarging section enlarging, to a predetermined size, one icon selected with an operating device by a user from the plurality of icons displayed on the display device by the list-form displaying section;

a reducing section configured to, when a different icon is selected with the operating device by the user, reduce said one icon selected and enlarged to the predetermined size so as to have a size substantially equal to the size of each of icons which are not selected; and

a control section configured to, when the different icon is selected by the user while the icon selected by the user is being enlarged by the enlarging section, controls the enlarging section to temporarily enlarge said one icon selected to the predetermined size, and configured to, immediately after the enlargement, controls the reducing section to reduce the temporarily enlarged icon so as to have a size substantially equal to the size of each of icons which are not selected.

26. A portable terminal device comprising:

a menu displaying section configured to display at least a plurality of upper menus in column form on a display device, and configured to display, on the display device, in list form, along an arrangement direction of the upper menus displayed in column form, lower menus of a menu group corresponding to a selected upper menu among a plurality of menu groups which are each formed by grouping a plurality of lower menus corresponding to each of the upper menus, and configured to display, on the display device, a cursor for selecting a desired menu from the upper menus or the lower menus belonging to the menu group;

a moving operation detecting section configured to detect a moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus, and a moving operation on the cursor from one of the lower menus to one of the upper menus, the moving operations being performed with an operating device by a user; and

a displaying processing section configured to display all the upper menus in a form moved to a side opposite to the lower menus when the moving operation detecting section detects the moving operation on the cursor from one of the upper menus to one of the lower menus, and configured to perform, after moving and displaying the lower menus in a margin area formed by moving the upper menus, when the moving operation detecting section detects the moving operation from one of the lower menus to one of the upper menus, displaying the lower menus by moving all the lower menus to a side opposite to the upper menus, and displaying the upper menus by moving the upper menus into a margin area formed by moving the lower menus.