Display device, display program storage medium and display method

• US 20080170068A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Client Computing Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Maekawa, Hiroyuki, Funaki, Isao, Kita, Aki
• Granted Patent: US 7,986,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• 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: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

A display device which displays a list of data, including a date and time acquisition section which acquires the date and time associated with a piece of the data. The display device further includes: a three-dimensional display section which displays a three-dimensional space having axes respectively indicating the three kinds of time units, and arranges an icon indicating the piece of the data at a position corresponding to the date and time; and a two-dimensional display section which displays a two-dimensional space having axes indicating two kinds of time units including a first unit, which is the longest, among the three kinds of time units, and arranges a mark indicating that the data with which the date and time is associated exists at the position of the date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition section.

Claims

1. A display device which displays a list of data each of which a date and time is associated with, the display device comprising:

a date and time acquisition section which acquires the date and time associated with a piece of the data;

a three-dimensional display section which displays, when a date and time is expressed by a combination of three kinds of time units with different lengths, a three-dimensional space having axes respectively indicating the three kinds of time units, and arranges an icon indicating the piece of the data at a position corresponding to the date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition section, on the three-dimensional space; and

a two-dimensional display section which displays a two-dimensional space having axes respectively indicating two kinds of time units including a first unit, which is the longest, among the three kinds of time units, and arranges a mark indicating that the data with which the date and time is associated exists at the position of the date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition section, on the two-dimensional space.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the data is picture data indicating a picture.

3. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a specification section which displays a specification frame along the other axis than the axis indicating the first unit, and specifies a time area having the same length as the length of the first unit by moving the specification frame along the axis indicating the first unit in response to an operation; and

a display control section which causes the three-dimensional display section to arrange the icon, with the time area specified by the specification section positioned at the front.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the display device has multiple reference periods separated at predetermined dates and times,

when displaying the two-dimensional space, the two-dimensional display section displays only an area indicating one reference period on the two-dimensional space,

when displaying the three-dimensional space, the three-dimensional display section displays only an area corresponding to the area displayed by the two-dimensional display section on the three-dimensional space, and

when the specification frame is moved to a date and time beyond a reference period already displayed, on the two-dimensional space, by the specification section, the display control section causes the two-dimensional display section to change the display to an area indicating a reference period to which the date and time moved by the specification section belongs, and also causes the three-dimensional display section to change the display to an area corresponding to the area displayed by the two-dimensional display section.

5. The display device according to claim 4, further comprising a period specification section which specifies the length of the reference period,

wherein the two-dimensional display section displays only an area indicating one reference period separated with a length specified by the period specification section, on the two-dimensional space.

6. The display device according to claim 3, further comprising a number-of-data display section which displays the number of data with each of which a date and time within the time area specified by the specification section is associated.

7. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a mark selection section which, in response to specification of a mark arranged on the two-dimensional space, selects data associated with a date and time indicated by the position where the mark is arranged.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, when displaying the three-dimensional space, the three-dimensional display section displays the three-dimensional space excluding areas in which no icon is arranged.

9. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an icon selection section which, in response to specification of one of icons arranged on the three-dimensional space, collectively selects the specified icon and icons aligned with the specified icon in the direction of the axis indicating the first unit; and

an icon highlighting section which highlights the icons selected by the icon selection section.

10. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an icon selection section which, in response to specification of one of icons arranged on the three-dimensional space, collectively selects the specified icon and icons aligned with the specified icon in the direction of the axis indicating a week; and

a mark highlighting section which highlights marks corresponding to the icons selected by the icon selection section among marks arranged on the two-dimensional space.

11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the data is program data which indicates a program and with which the delivery date and time of the program is associated;

and

the date and time acquisition section acquires the delivery date and time.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional display section displays a three-dimensional space having axes indicating time, day of week, and week, respectively, and arranges an icon indicating the program at a position corresponding to the delivery date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition section on the three-dimensional space;

and

the two-dimensional display section displays a two-dimensional space having axes indicating the day of week, and the week, respectively, and arranges, at a position corresponding to the day of the delivery date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition section, a mark indicating that a program delivered on the day exists.

13. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the data is taken image data which indicates a taken image obtained by photographing a subject and with which the photographing date and time of the taken image is associated;

and

the date and time acquisition section acquires the photographing date and time.

14. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the three-dimensional display section displays a three-dimensional space having axes indicating three kinds of time units including the day and the time, respectively, and arranges an icon indicating the taken image at a position corresponding to the photographing date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition section on the three-dimensional space;

and

the two-dimensional display section displays a two-dimensional space having axes indicating the day and the time, respectively, and arranges, at a position corresponding to the photographing date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition section, a mark indicating that an image taken at the photographing date and time exists.

15. A display program storage medium storing a display program which is executed in a computer to construct a display device for displaying a list of data each of which a date and time is associated with, on the computer, the program constructing:

a date and time acquisition section which acquires the date and time associated with a piece of the data;

a three-dimensional display section which displays, when a date and time is expressed by a combination of three kinds of time units with different lengths, a three-dimensional space having axes respectively indicating the three kinds of time units, and arranges an icon indicating the piece of the data at a position corresponding to the date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition section, on the three-dimensional space; and

a two-dimensional display section which displays a two-dimensional space having axes respectively indicating two kinds of time units including a first unit, which is the longest, among the three kinds of time units, and arranges a mark indicating that the data with which the date and time is associated exists at the position of the date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition section, on the two-dimensional space.

16. The display program storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the data is picture data indicating a picture.

17. A display method for displaying a list of data each of which a date and time is associated with, the display method comprising:

a date and time acquisition step which acquires the date and time associated with a piece of the data;

a three-dimensional display step which displays, when a date and time is expressed by a combination of three kinds of time units with different lengths, a three-dimensional space having axes respectively indicating the three kinds of time units, and arranges an icon indicating the piece of the data at a position corresponding to the date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition step, on the three-dimensional space; and

a two-dimensional display step which displays a two-dimensional space having axes respectively indicating two kinds of time units including a first unit, which is the longest, among the three kinds of time units, and arranges a mark indicating that the data with which the date and time is associated exists at the position of the date and time acquired by the date and time acquisition step, on the two-dimensional space.

18. The display method according to claim 17, wherein the data is picture data indicating a picture.