Apparatus and method of providing graphical user interface

• US 20090049412A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Sang-Wook, Lee, Ju-Hwan, Lea, Jong-Ho, Kim, Yeun-Bae
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of providing a graphical user interface, and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method of providing a graphical user interface that enables a user to rapidly search a desired menu.

An apparatus for providing graphical user interface according to an aspect of the invention includes an apparatus including an output unit outputting a first menu in which a plurality of menu items are arranged in a predetermined direction, and outputting a second menu having a first region and a second region that are classified from a menu item selected from the first menu according to a predetermined classification standard, and a control unit performing an operation that corresponds to a menu item selected from the second menu.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a graphical user interface, comprising:

an output unit outputting a first menu in which a plurality of menu items are arranged in a predetermined direction, and outputting a second menu having a first region and a second region that are classified from a menu item selected from the first menu according to a predetermined classification standard; and

a control unit performing an operation that corresponds to a menu item selected from the second menu.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs one of the first menu and the second menu.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the boundary between adjacent menu items in each of the first region and the second region of the second menu is displayed such that it seems to protrude from a screen.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

in the second menu, submenu items of the menu item selected from the first menu are classified according to a classification standard whose level is lower than that of the menu item selected from the first menu; and

the submenu items are included in each of the first region and the second region according to the lower-level classification standard.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the menu items included in the first region and the second region are displayed in different forms.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the menu items included in the first menu and the menu items included in the second menu are arranged in the same direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in the second menu, the priorities of the menu items included in the first region and the second region increase as the menu items become close to the boundary between the first region and the second region.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the priorities are predetermined or designated by a user.

9. A method of providing a graphical user interface, comprising:

outputting a first menu in which a plurality of menu items are arranged in a predetermined direction, and outputting a second menu having a first region and a second region that are classified from a menu item selected from the first menu according to a predetermined classification standard; and

performing an operation that corresponds to a menu item selected from the second menu.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the outputting of the first and second menus comprises outputting one of the first menu and the second menu.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the boundary between adjacent menu items in each of the first region and the second region of the second menu is displayed such that it seems to protrude from a screen.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein:

in the second menu, submenu items of the menu item selected from the first menu are classified according to a classification standard whose level is lower than that of the menu item selected from the first menu; and

the submenu items are included in each of the first region and the second region according to the lower-level classification standard.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the menu items included in the first region and the second region are displayed in different forms.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the menu items included in the first menu and the menu items included in the second menu are arranged in the same direction.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein, in the second menu, the priorities of the menu items included in the first region and the second region increase as the menu items become close to the boundary between the first region and the second region.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the priorities are predetermined, or are designated by a user.