Image processing apparatus and control method thereof

• US 20070022450A1
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-hee, Kim, Yun-sung
• Application Number:
  US11/404,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022450A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

A control method of an image processing apparatus including a user input part and a display unit displaying an image according to a received broadcasting signal, includes determining whether broadcasting information is requested through operating the user input part; displaying a sub-channel image corresponding to at least one or more broadcasting channels in a portion of the display unit, when the broadcasting information is requested; and displaying channel information corresponding to the sub-channel image indicated by operating the user input part among at least one or more sub-channel images. Thus, an image processing apparatus and a control method thereof provide an electronic program guide (EPG) which is displayed on a portion of a screen of a display unit so that a user may easily browse broadcasting information on channels, when changing the channels.

Claims

1. A control method of an image processing apparatus comprising a user input part and a display unit which displays an image according to a received broadcasting signal, the control method comprising:

determining whether broadcasting information is requested through operating the user input part;

displaying a sub-channel image corresponding to one or more broadcasting channels in a portion of the display unit, when the broadcasting information is requested;

indicating one of the one or more sub-channel images as an indicated sub-image by operating the user input part; and

displaying channel information corresponding to the indicated sub-channel image among the one or more sub-channel images.

2. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an electronic program guide comprising the one or more sub-channel images, and the channel information of the indicated sub-channel image in a portion of the display unit if the broadcasting information is requested.

3. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the indicating of the sub-channel image of the electronic program guide comprises:

disposing a highlighting part fixed on the electronic program guide, moving the one or more sub-channel images to the left/right according to input of a navigation left/right key of the user input part, and indicating one sub-channel image with the highlighting part according as the sub-channel images move.

4. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sub-channel images correspond to images with programs at the same hour as a program of the indicated sub-channel image, among programs corresponding to at least one or more broadcasting channels.

5. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the displaying of the electronic program guide comprises:

arranging the indicated sub-channel image by the highlighting part and the one or more sub-channel images on the electronic program guide in a circular shape, and displaying the indicated sub-channel image more largely than the sub-channel images which is not indicated.

6. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the channel information comprises:

a channel number, a channel name, and program information by time corresponding to the broadcasting channel of the indicated sub-channel image.

7. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the displaying of the electronic program guide further comprises:

arranging the program information by time corresponding to the broadcasting channel of the indicated sub-channel image in a certain direction; and

displaying the indicated sub-channel image in the highlighting part which corresponds to the program according to the time indicated by operating the user input part from the program information arranged in the certain direction.

8. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the indicating of the program information by time of the electronic program guide moves the highlighting part on the electronic program guide via a navigation up/down key of the user input part.

9. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

the displaying the electronic program guide is performed to display the program information by time in the vertical direction corresponding to the indicated sub-channel image, and

up and down icons are provided to move the program information by time, displayed on the electronic program guide, along the vertical direction when a number of programs to be displayed is more than a number of programs capable of being displayed and there are more programs preceding the program being displayed in the top and succeeding the program being displayed in the bottom.

10. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sub-channel image is a thumbnail image showing the program by time corresponding to each broadcasting channel.

11. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein if the broadcasting signal corresponding to the sub-channel image indicated by the highlighting part is received, the displaying of the electronic program guide is performed to process an image signal of the broadcasting signal in a picture in picture (PIP) method and to display a motion picture processed in the PIP method as the indicated sub-channel image in the highlighting part.

12. The control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the displaying of the electronic program guide is performed to display the one or more sub-channel images, except the sub-channel image indicated by the highlighting part, in a half-tone method.

13. An image processing apparatus, comprising a user input part and a display unit which displays an image according to a received broadcasting signal, the image processing apparatus further comprising:

a processor which processes the broadcasting signal to be displayed in the display unit;

a UI generator which generates an electronic program guide comprising sub-channel images corresponding to one or more channels and channel information corresponding to an indicated sub-channel image of the one or more sub-channel images; and

a controller which controls the processor to display the received broadcasting signal and the UI generator to display the electronic program guide in a portion of the display unit if broadcasting information is requested through operating the user input part.