CONTENT FILE SEARCH METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20080147676A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: YOU, Byeong Gyun
• Application Number:
  US11/956,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20080147676A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42692 for reading from or writing on a volatile storage medium, e.g. Random Access Memory [RAM]
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A content file search method and apparatus for a mobile terminal, in which the mobile terminal stores content files and at least one image file associated in part or whole with each content file. The method includes: displaying, in response to a content file search mode command, an image corresponding to one of the at least one image file; and searching images displayed in a continuous manner while shifting the displayed images in response to an input signal. When image files are displayed in a continuous manner for browsing, one of the displayed image files is selected and then a content file associated with the selected image file is played. Thus, the user can perform an intuitive content search with the help of visual images.

Claims

1. A content file search method for a mobile terminal that stores content files and at least one image file including images associated in one of part and whole with each of the content files, the method comprising:

displaying in response to a content file search mode command, images corresponding to one of the at least one image file; and

searching images displayed in a continuous manner while shifting the displayed images in response to an input signal.

2. The content file search method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, upon selection of one of the images displayed in a continuous manner, a content file list associated with the selected image; and

playing, upon selection of one of content files in the content file list, the selected one of content files.

3. The content file search method of claim 1, further comprising outputting, in response to the content file search mode command, a content file search menu.

4. The content file search method of claim 1, wherein the at least one image file is a type selected from a still image, moving image, and screen capture image of a moving image.

5. The content file search method of claim 1, wherein the at least one image file is associated in one of part and whole with at least one content file through a media transfer protocol, and, upon selection of the associated at least one content file, an image file associated with the selected content file is displayed.

6. The content file search method of claim 1, wherein displaying an image further comprises:

sorting filenames of the at least one image file in alphanumeric order; and

displaying an image corresponding to one of the at least one image file in order of the sorted filenames.

7. The content file search method of claim 1, wherein searching images further comprises adjusting an image display time and image size of a displayed image according to the input signal.

8. The content file search method of claim 7, wherein the input signal is generated by a wheel key.

9. The content file search method of claim 8, wherein the image display time and image size decrease with increasing rotation speed of the wheel key, and the image display time and image size increase with decreasing rotation speed of the wheel key.

10. The content file search method of claim 2, wherein outputting a content file list further comprises:

reading a content file list associated with the selected image;

setting at least one display attribute selected from the group consisting of size, position and width-to-height ratio for the read content file list; and

displaying the content file list in accordance with the set at least one display attribute.

11. The content file search method of claim 2, further comprising storing, in response to a content file store command, content files and associated image files together, and wherein storing content files further comprises creating a database to save the image files, content files, and content file lists therein.

12. The content file search method of claim 8, wherein searching images further comprises:

shifting displayed images in response to rotation of the wheel key; and

changing a direction of image shifting according to a change in a rotational direction of the wheel key.

13. The content file search method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the image display time and image size further comprises adjusting the image display time and image size in stages according to at least one preset rotational speed of the wheel key.

14. A content file search apparatus for a mobile terminal, comprising:

a memory unit for storing content files and at least one image file associated in one of part and whole with the content files;

a display unit for displaying a file list of content files stored in the memory unit, and images corresponding to the associated at least one image file;

a key input unit having a rotatable wheel key; and

a control unit for controlling the display unit to display images in a continuous manner while shifting the displayed images in response to an input signal from the key input unit.

15. The content file search apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to shift images displayed on the display unit in response to rotation of the wheel key.

16. The content file search apparatus of claim 15, wherein the control unit is further configured to shift images displayed on the display unit in an up-down or left-right direction according to rotation of the rotatable wheel key.

17. The content file search apparatus of claim 15, wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust the image display time and image size of the displayed image according to an input signal from the key input unit.

18. The content file search apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust the image display time and image size of the displayed image in stages according to at least one preset rotational speed of the wheel key.

19. The content file search apparatus of claim 15, wherein the control unit is further configured to decrease the image display time and image size with an increasing rotation speed of the wheel key, and increases the image display time and image size with a decreasing rotation speed of the wheel key.

20. The content file search apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to read a content file list associated with a selected image, set at least one display attribute selected from the group consisting of size, position and width-to-height ratio for the content file list, and control the display unit to display the content file list according to the set display attribute.