METHOD FOR PROVIDING GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR SELECTING BROADCAST PROGRAM AND AV APPARATUS THEREFOR

• US 20090049476A1
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Seong, Hye-young, JUNG, Jae-yoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A method for providing a GUI for selecting a broadcast program, and an AV apparatus are provided. According to the method for providing a GUI, a user selection regarding the broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected is set according to a user operation that is input in an area containing graphics representing broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected by a user. Therefore, if a user makes errors in selecting broadcast programs, for example, if a user selects two or more broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected, the errors may be corrected more easily, instantly and intuitively.

Claims

1. A method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

providing a GUI which displays graphics representing broadcast programs;

receiving a user operation that is input in an area containing graphics representing broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected from among the broadcast programs displayed by the GUI; and

setting a user selection regarding the broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected, according to the received user operation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GUI comprises an electronic program guide (EPG), which displays the graphics representing the broadcast programs.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected, are in broadcast time slots which at least partially overlap.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected comprise a first broadcast program and a second broadcast program, and

the area comprises at least a part of an area containing graphics representing the first broadcast program, which overlaps a broadcast time slot of the second broadcast program;

a part of an area containing graphics representing the second broadcast program which overlaps a broadcast time slot of the first broadcast program;

another part of the area containing the graphics representing the first broadcast program, which does not overlap the broadcast time slot of the second broadcast program; and

another part of the area containing the graphics representing the second broadcast program, which does not overlap the broadcast time slot of the first broadcast program.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected comprise a first broadcast program and a second broadcast program, and

the setting the user selection comprises selecting one among the first broadcast program, the second broadcast program, the first broadcast program and a portion of the second broadcast program not overlapping a broadcast time slot of the first broadcast program, and the second broadcast program and a portion of the first broadcast program not overlapping a broadcast time slot of the second broadcast program.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user operation comprises selecting the area containing the graphics representing broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected, using a pointer displayed on the GUI.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

performing at least one of scheduled viewing and scheduled recording of the broadcast program according to the set user selection.

8. An audio visual (AV) apparatus comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) generator which generates a GUI and combines the GUI with a video to be displayed; and

a controller which controls the GUI generator to generate a GUI which displays graphics representing broadcast programs, and which sets a user selection regarding broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected, according to a user operation that is input in an area containing graphics representing the broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected.

9. The AV apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the GUI comprises an electronic program guide (EPG), which displays the graphics representing the broadcast programs.

10. The AV apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected, are in broadcast time slots which at least partially overlap.

11. The AV apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected comprise a first broadcast program and a second broadcast program, and

the area comprises at least a part of an area containing graphics representing the first broadcast program, which overlaps a broadcast time slot of the second broadcast program;

a part of an area containing graphics representing the second broadcast program which overlaps a broadcast time slot of the first broadcast program;

another part of the area containing the graphics representing the first broadcast program, which does not overlap the broadcast time slot of the second broadcast program; and

another part of the area containing the graphics representing the second broadcast program, which does not overlap the broadcast time slot of the first broadcast program.

12. The AV apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected comprise a first broadcast program and a second broadcast program, and

the controller sets a user selection by selecting one among the first broadcast program, the second broadcast program, the first broadcast program and a portion of the second broadcast program not overlapping a broadcast time slot of the first broadcast program, and the second broadcast program and a portion of the first broadcast program not overlapping a broadcast time slot of the second broadcast program.

13. The AV apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the user operation comprises selecting the area containing the graphics representing broadcast programs that cannot be simultaneously selected, using a pointer displayed on the GUI.

14. The AV apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the controller performs at least one of scheduled viewing and scheduled recording of the broadcast program according to the set user selection.

15. A method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

providing a GUI which displays items;

receiving a user operation that is input in an area containing items that cannot be simultaneously selected; and

setting a user selection regarding the items that cannot be simultaneously selected, according to the received user operation.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the items that cannot be simultaneously selected have overlapping times of execution.