Display apparatus and control method thereof

• US 20070143707A1
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Seong, Hye-young, Yun, Hyun-kyu
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• 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 21/47 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

Provided is a display apparatus including a display panel and a display frame to support the display panel. The display apparatus including an input unit, provided on the exterior surface of the display apparatus, for outputting a contact detection signal when a user contacts the input unit; a signal processor for generating a function adjustment user interface (UI) menu to be displayed on the display panel; and a controller for controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu corresponding to the user'"'"'s contact through the input unit when the user'"'"'s contact is detected based on a detection result of the input unit. Thus, provided is a display apparatus which improves accessibility to a function adjustment UI menu, simplifies a manipulation process of the function adjustment UI menu, and enables a user to quickly and easily access a desired adjustment item when the function adjustment UI menu is displayed, and a control method thereof.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising a display panel and a display frame to support the display panel, comprising:

an input unit, provided on the exterior surface of the display apparatus, for outputting a contact detection signal when a user contacts the input unit;

a signal processor for generating a function adjustment user interface (UI) menu to be displayed on the display panel; and

a controller for controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu corresponding to the user'"'"'s contact through the input unit when the user'"'"'s contact is detected based on a detection result of the input unit.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu on a display position that is adjacent to the input unit contacted by a user when the user'"'"'s contact is detected based on the detection result of the input unit.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display frame is divided into a plurality of input regions, and the input unit is respectively provided in at least one of the plurality of input regions.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of input regions comprises a first input region provided on one side of the display panel, and at least one second input region provided on the remaining sides of the display unit, and

wherein the input unit comprises a first contact detector provided in the first input region, and at least one second contact detector provided in the at least one second input region.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller controls the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu on a display position adjacent to the first input region of the display frame when the user'"'"'s contact is detected through the first contact detector, and to display the function adjustment UI menu on a display position adjacent to the second input region of the display frame when the user'"'"'s contact is detected through the second contact detector.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the contact detector of each of the input regions is divided into a plurality of contact detection regions.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the function adjustment UI menu comprises a plurality of adjustment items, and

wherein the controller controls the signal processor to arrange the respective adjustment items corresponding to the contact detection regions of a contact detector when displaying the function adjustment UI menu on the display position adjacent to the input region having the contacted contact detector.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, when the function adjustment UI menu is displayed and the user'"'"'s contact is detected through the contacted contact detector, the controller controls the signal processor to display a sub adjustment UI menu of the adjustment item corresponding to the contacted contact detection region if the sub adjustment UI menu exists, and performs a function according to the adjustment item if the sub adjustment UI menu does not exist.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the signal processor generates different kinds of function adjustment UI menus, and

wherein the controller stores information on the kind of function adjustment UI menu of the respective contact detectors in advance and controls the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu corresponding to the contacted contact detector on a display position adjacent to the input region having the contacted contact detector.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the different kinds of function adjustment UI menus comprise at least one of a channel adjustment UI menu to show the predetermined number of broadcast channel adjustment items, a video source adjustment UI menu to show the predetermined number of video source adjustment items supplying video signals, a output state adjustment UI menu to show the predetermined number of output state adjustment items to adjust an output state of a picture and sound, and a general operation adjustment UI menu to show the predetermined number of general adjustment items to adjust a general operation of the display apparatus.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller stores basic weight values of the plurality of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu, and increases and stores the weight values of the adjustment items corresponding to the contacted contact detection region when the function of the adjustment item corresponding to the contacted contact detection region is performed.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller compares the weight values between the plurality of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu when displaying the function adjustment UI menu, and controls the signal processor to arrange the predetermined number of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu in order of higher weight value corresponding to the respective contact detection regions.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an input function selector which is provided to turn on/off an input function of at least one of the respective contact detectors, and

wherein, when an input function of at least one of the respective contact detectors is selected to be turned off through the input function selector, the controller does not perform a control operation according to the contact detection signal output by the contact detector that is selected to be turned off.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller stores base weight values of the plurality of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu, and increases and stores the weight values of the adjustment items corresponding to the contacted contact detection region when the function of the adjustment item corresponding to the contacted contact detection region is performed.

15. The display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller compares the weight values between the plurality of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu when displaying the function adjustment UI menu, and controls the signal processor to arrange the predetermined number of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu in order of higher weight value corresponding to the respective contact detection regions.

16. The display apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising an input function selector which is provided to turn on/off an input function of at least one of the respective contact detectors, and

wherein, when an input function of at least one of the respective contact detectors is selected to be turned off through the input function selector, the controller does not perform the control operation according to the contact detection signal output by the contact detector that is selected to be turned off.

17. The display apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an input function selector which is provided to turn on/off an input function of at least one of the respective contact detectors, and

wherein, when an input function of at least one of the respective contact detectors is selected to be turned off through the input function selector, the controller does not perform a control operation according to the contact detection signal output by the contact detector that is selected to be turned off.

18. A display apparatus comprising a display panel and a display frame to support the display panel, comprising:

an input unit, provided on the exterior surface of the display apparatus, for receiving a command from a user;

a signal processor for generating a function adjustment UI menu to be displayed on the display panel; and

a controller for controlling the signal processor to display a function adjustment UI menu corresponding to the command on a display position adjacent to the input unit which received the command.

19. A method of controlling a display apparatus comprising a display panel, a display frame to support the display panel and a signal processor for generating a function adjustment UI menu to be displayed on the display panel, the method comprising:

providing an input unit on the exterior surface of the display apparatus, the input unit outputting a contact detection signal when a user contacts the input unit;

determining whether the user'"'"'s contact is detected based on a detection result of the input unit; and

controlling the signal processor to display a function adjustment UI menu corresponding to the user'"'"'s contact through the input unit, when the user'"'"'s contact is detected.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu comprises controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu on a display position adjacent to the input unit contacted by a user.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the display frame is divided into a plurality of input regions, and the input unit is respectively provided in the plurality of input regions.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of input regions comprises a first input region provided in one side of the display panel, and at least one second input region provided in the remaining sides of the display panel, and

wherein the input unit comprises a first contact detector provided on the first input region, and at least one second contact detector provided on the at least one second input region.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu comprises:

controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu on a display position adjacent to the first input region of the display frame when a user'"'"'s contact is detected through the first contact detector, and

controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu on a display position adjacent to the second input region of the display frame when a user'"'"'s contact is detected through the second contact detector.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the contact detector of each of the input regions is divided into a plurality of contact detection regions.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the function adjustment UI menu comprises a plurality of adjustment items, and

wherein the controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu comprises controlling the signal processor to arrange the adjustment items corresponding to the contact detection regions of a contacted contact detector when displaying the function adjustment UI menu on a display position adjacent to the input region having the contacted contact detector.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:

determining whether a user'"'"'s contact is detected through the contacted contact detector while the function adjustment UI menu is displayed;

determining whether a sub adjustment UI menu of the adjustment item corresponding to the contacted contact detection region exists when a user'"'"'s contact is detected through the contacted contact detector while the function adjustment UI menu is displayed;

controlling the signal processor to display the sub adjustment UI menu if the sub adjustment UI menu of the adjustment item exists; and

performing a function corresponding to the adjustment item if the sub adjustment UI menu of the adjustment item does not exist.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the signal processor generates different kinds of function adjustment UI menus, and

wherein the controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu comprises controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu corresponding to the contacted contact detector.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising:

storing basic weight values of the plurality of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu; and

increasing and storing the weight value of the adjustment item corresponding to the contacted contact detection region when the function of the adjustment item corresponding to the contacted contact detection region is performed.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu comprises:

comparing the weight values between the plurality of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu when displaying the function adjustment UI menu; and

controlling the signal processor to arrange the predetermined number of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu in order of higher weight value, corresponding to the respective contact detection regions.

30. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

storing base weight values of the plurality of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu; and

increasing and storing the weight value of the adjustment item corresponding to the contacted contact detection region when the function of the adjustment item corresponding to the contacted contact detection region is performed.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu comprises:

comparing the weight values between the plurality of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu when displaying the function adjustment UI menu; and

controlling the signal processor to arrange the predetermined number of adjustment items displayable on the function adjustment UI menu in order of higher weight value, corresponding to the respective contact detection regions.

32. A display apparatus comprising a display, comprising:

an input unit, comprising a plurality of keys disposed in an array adjacent to an edge of the display, for outputting a signal corresponding to a selection of one of the plurality of keys;

a signal processor for generating a menu to be displayed on the display panel adjacent to the input unit, wherein the menu corresponds to the key selection; and

a controller for controlling the signal processor to display the menu corresponding to the key selection when the key selection is detected based on the signal received from the input unit.