METHOD FOR PROVIDING GUI AND MULTIMEDIA DEVICE USING THE SAME

• US 20090073132A1
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Eun-hye, Seung, Jung-ah
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) and a multimedia device using the same. The method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) includes displaying first GUI items selectable by a user on a screen, removing from the screen at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen by zooming in or zooming out, and additionally displaying on the screen at least one second GUI item that was not displayed on the screen by zooming in or zooming out. Accordingly, a GUI to provide more convenient manipulation and better visual effect on a small screen can be provided.

Claims

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

displaying first GUI items selectable by a user on a screen;

removing from the screen at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen by zooming in or zooming out; and

additionally displaying on the screen at least one second GUI item that was not previously displayed on the screen by zooming-in or zooming-out.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the removing of the at least one of the first GUI items and the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item are performed simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of removed GUI items is the same as the number of second GUI items.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen is removed from the screen by zooming in, the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item comprises displaying the at least one second GUI item by zooming in.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the removing comprises moving the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen outside the screen by zooming in and removing the at least one of the first GUI items from the screen; and

the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item which is not previously displayed on the screen comprises moving the at least one second GUI item inside the screen by zooming in and displaying the at least one second GUI item on the screen.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the removing comprises decreasing a clarity of the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen by zooming in and removing the at least one of the first GUI items from the screen; and

the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item comprises increasing the clarity of the at least one second GUI item by zooming in and displaying the at least one second GUI item on the screen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen is removed from the screen by zooming out, the at least one second GUI item which is not displayed on the screen is displayed by zooming out.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the removing of the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen comprises moving the at least one of the first GUI items within the limits of the screen by zooming out and removing the at least one of the first GUI items from the screen; and

the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item which is not displayed on the screen comprises moving the at least one second GUI item from the outside of the screen to the inside of the screen by zooming out and displaying the at least one second GUI item on the screen.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the removing of the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen comprises decreasing a clarity of the least one of the first GUI items by zooming out and removing the at least one of the first GUI items from the screen; and

the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item which is not displayed on the screen comprises increasing a clarity of the at least one second GUI item by zooming out and displaying the at least one second GUI item on the screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the clarity of a medium-sized GUI item from among the first GUI items displayed on the screen is higher than the clarity of the remaining GUI items displayed on the screen.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphic indicating the GUI items displayed on the screen from among all GUI items.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the user drags a portion of the screen;

wherein the removing and the additional displaying are performed if the user drags the portion of the screen.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the number of removed GUI items and the number of additionally displayed second GUI items are determined according to the distance dragged by the user.

14. A multimedia device comprising:

a GUI generation unit to display first GUI items are selectable by a user on a screen;

a control unit to operate the GUI generation unit so as to remove from the screen at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen by zooming in or zooming out from the at least one of the first GUI items, and to additionally display on the screen at least one second GUI item which was not previously displayed on the screen by zooming in or zooming out.

15. The multimedia device of claim 14, further comprising:

a touch screen to display the first and second GUI items and to permit the user to manipulate the GUI items.

16. The multimedia device of claim 15, wherein the touch screen permits the user to manipulate the GUI items by dragging a finger across the touch screen.

17. The multimedia device of claim 14, further comprising:

a multimedia function block to perform at least one predetermined function of the multimedia device.

18. A multimedia device comprising:

a touch screen;

a GUI generation unit to display a plurality of GUI items selectable by a user on the screen; and

a control unit to control the GUI generation unit to display a plurality of first GUI items on the screen, to remove at least one of the first GUI items from the screen by zooming in toward or zooming out from one of the plurality of GUI items, and to display at least one second GUI items that was not previously displayed on the screen.

19. The multimedia device of claim 18, wherein, with respect to at least one third GUI item of the plurality of GUI items, the GUI generation unit displays only a portion of the third GUI item.

20. The multimedia device of claim 18, wherein, when zooming in toward or zooming out from the one of the plurality of GUI items, the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to increase a clarity of some of the at least one first GUI item and to decrease a clarity of others of the at least one first GUI item.

21. The multimedia device of claim 18, wherein:

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to zoom in when a user moves an input device in a first direction; and

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to zoom out when the user moves the input device in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

22. The multimedia device of claim 18, wherein the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to display a position guide indicating relative positions of each of the plurality of GUI items and including marks corresponding to each of the plurality of GUI items.

23. The multimedia device of claim 22, wherein marks corresponding to the at least one second GUI item that is not presently displayed on the screen is shown differently from marks corresponding to the first GUI items that are displayed on the screen.

24. The multimedia device of claim 22, wherein a clarity of a mark corresponding to a GUI item currently displayed on the screen corresponds to a clarity of the GUI item.

25. The multimedia device of claim 18, wherein:

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to continuously zoom in when a user moves an input device in a first direction; and

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to continuously zoom out when the user moves the input device in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

26. The multimedia device of claim 18, wherein:

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to move the GUI items in a first direction when a user moves an input device in the first direction; and

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to move the GUI items in a second directions when the user moves the input device in the second direction.