Menu display apparatus and method and recording medium storing computer program for executing the menu display method

• US 20060212827A1
• Filed: 01/09/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jung-won
• Application Number:
  US11/327,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212827A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A menu display apparatus and method, which enable a user to easily and quickly search for content of interest among a plurality of contents shared by a plurality of devices in a home network, are provided. The menu display method includes: receiving information regarding a zoom-in location or a zoom-out location on a current menu screen; and zooming in the current menu screen at the zoom-in location so that a plurality of menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in more detail, or zooming out the current menu screen at the zoom-out location so that the menus are displayed in less detail. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize content search delay and the user'"'"'s inconvenience related to a content search, such as too much screen scrolling, and to help the user to easily and quickly search for the content of interest.

Claims

1. A menu display method comprising:

receiving information regarding one of a zoom-in location and a zoom-out location on a current menu screen; and

one of (a) zooming in the current menu screen at the zoom-in location so that a plurality of menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in more detail or (b) zooming out the current menu screen at the zoom-out location so that the currently displayed menus are displayed in less detail.

2. The menu display method of claim 1, wherein the menus comprise a list of network-connectable devices and a list of contents of the devices, and in the zooming in or the zooming out of the current menu screen, the menus are displayed as a map to indicate locations of the devices.

3. The menu display method of claim 1, wherein the menus comprise a list of network-connectable devices and a list of contents of the devices, and in the one of zooming in and zooming out of the current menu screen, the menus are displayed as a map to indicate the storage capacities of the devices.

4. The menu display method of claim 1, wherein the menus comprise a list of network-connectable devices and a list of contents of the devices, and in the one of zooming in and zooming out of the current menu screen, the menus related to the devices list or the menus related to the contents list are displayed in different colors.

5. A menu display apparatus comprising:

an input unit which receives information regarding one of a zoom-in location and a zoom-out location on a current menu screen; and

a display unit which one of (a) zooms in the current menu screen at the zoom-in location so that a plurality of menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in more detail or (b) zooms out the current menu screen at the zoom-out location so that the menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in less detail.

6. The menu display apparatus of claim 5, wherein the menus comprise a list of network-connectable devices and a list of contents of the devices, and in the display unit, the menus are displayed as a map to indicate at least one of the locations and the storage capacities of the devices.

7. The menu display apparatus of claim 5, wherein the menus comprise a list of network-connectable devices and a list of contents of the devices, and in the display unit, the menus related to the devices list or the menus related to the contents list are displayed in different colors.

8. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for executing a menu display method, the menu display method comprising:

receiving information regarding one of a zoom-in location and a zoom-out location on a current menu screen; and

one of (a) zooming in the current menu screen at the zoom-in location so that a plurality of menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in more detail and (b) zooming out the current menu screen at the zoom-out location so that the menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in less detail.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the menus comprise a list of network-connectable devices and a list of contents of the devices, and in the one of zooming in and zooming out, the menus are displayed as a map to indicate at least one of locations and storage capacities of the devices.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the menus comprise a list of network-connectable devices and a list of contents of the devices, and in the one of zooming in and zooming out, the menus related to the devices list or the menus related to the contents list are displayed in different colors.

11. A menu display method comprising:

receiving information regarding a zoom-in location on a current menu screen; and

zooming in the current menu screen to the zoom-in location so that a plurality of menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in more detail.

12. The menu display method of claim 11, wherein in the receiving, the information regarding the zoom-in location is successively received an arbitrary number of times, and in the zooming in, the current menu screen is zoomed proportional to the arbitrary number of times.

13. The menu display method of claim 11, wherein in the zooming in, if the current menu screen is zoomed in to the extent that a plurality of lower menus below the menus currently displayed on the current menu screen can be displayed, the current menu screen is switched to a menu screen configured to display the lower menus in detail.

14. A menu display apparatus comprising:

an input unit which receives information regarding a zoom-in location on a current menu screen; and

a display unit which zooms in the current menu screen at the zoom-in location so that a plurality of menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in more detail.

15. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for executing a menu display method, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding a zoom-in location on a current menu screen; and

zooming in the current menu screen at the zoom-in location so that a plurality of menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in more detail.

16. A menu display method comprising:

receiving information regarding a zoom-out location on a current menu screen; and

zooming out the current menu screen at the zoom-out location so that a plurality of menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in less detail.

17. The menu display method of claim 16, wherein in the receiving, the information regarding the zoom-out location is successively received an arbitrary number of times, and in the zooming out, the current menu screen is zoomed out proportional to the arbitrary number.

18. The menu display method of claim 16, wherein in the zooming out, if the current menu screen is zoomed out to the extent that a plurality of upper menus above the menus currently displayed on the current menu screen can be displayed, the current menu screen is switched to a menu screen configured to display the upper menus in detail.

19. A menu display apparatus comprising:

an input unit which receives information regarding a zoom-out location on a current menu screen; and

a display unit which zooms out the current menu screen at the zoom-out location so that a plurality of menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in less detail.

20. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for executing a menu display method, the menu display method comprising:

receiving information regarding a zoom-out location on a current menu screen; and

zooming out the current menu screen at the zoom-out location so that a plurality of menus currently displayed on the current menu screen are displayed in less detail.