DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING WIDGET WINDOWS, DISPLAY SYSTEM INCLUDING THE DISPLAY APPARATUS, AND A DISPLAY METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090300146A1
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: SEO, Joon-kyu, BAE, Hee-jeong, PARK, Jong-chan, KIM, Yoon-ji, PARK, Da-hye, PARK, Hyun-cheol
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 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 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A method for displaying widget windows is provided, including generating a widget display screen including at least one widget window, determining if a display area of the at least one widget window satisfies a preset threshold condition, and adding a new widget display screen including a new widget window if the threshold condition is satisfied. Accordingly, services can be provided through widget windows without preventing the viewer from viewing the TV, thereby enhancing user convenience.

Claims

1. A display method, comprising:

generating a widget display screen including at least one widget window;

determining if a display area of the at least one widget window satisfies a preset threshold condition; and

adding a new widget display screen including a new widget window if the threshold condition is satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data regarding a content to be executed on the at least one widget window from an external server which provides contents.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

alternately displaying the generated widget display screen and the new widget display screen according to a user command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold condition is at least one of when a number of widget windows exceeds a threshold value which represents a number of widget windows allowable in a single widget display screen and when a size of the display area of the at least one widget window with respect to the entire widget display screen exceeds a preset threshold rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining operation, it is determined if the display area of the at least one widget window satisfies the threshold condition if a request for adding a widget window is input.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

adding the new widget window onto the generated widget display screen if the threshold condition is not satisfied.

7. The method of claim 1, in the adding operation, a user interface window to ask a user whether to add a new widget display screen is provided if the threshold condition is satisfied.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if one of the at least one widget window is selected and a direction is selected, changing and displaying a content or a content category which is provided by the selected widget window according to the selected direction.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving selection of a widget display pattern,

wherein a widget display pattern of the newly added widget display screen is the same as the widget display pattern of the generated widget display screen.

10. A display method, comprising:

generating a widget display screen including at least one widget window;

determining if a display area of the at least one widget window satisfies a preset threshold condition; and

reducing the display area of the at least one widget window if the threshold condition is satisfied.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving data regarding a content to be executed on the at least one widget window from an external server which provides contents.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the threshold condition is at least one of when a number of widget windows exceeds a threshold value which represents a number of widget windows allowable in a single widget display screen and when a size of the display area of the at least one widget window with respect to the entire widget display screen exceeds a preset threshold rate.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein in the determining operation, it is determined if the display area of the at least one widget window satisfies the threshold condition if a request for adding a widget window is input, and

in the reducing operation, the display area of the at least one widget window is reduced if the threshold condition is satisfied.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein in the reducing operation, if the threshold condition is satisfied, the display area of the at least one widget window is reduced and a user interface window to ask a user whether to add a new widget window is provided.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

if one of the at least one widget window is selected and a direction is selected, changing and displaying a content or a content category which is provided by the selected widget window according to the selected direction.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving selection of a widget display pattern.

17. A display apparatus, comprising:

a generation unit which generates a widget display screen including at least one widget window;

a determination unit which determines if a display area of the at least one widget window satisfies a preset threshold condition; and

a control unit which adds a new widget display screen including a new widget window if the threshold condition is satisfied.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control unit alternately displays the generated widget display screen and the new widget display screen according to a user command.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the threshold condition is at least one of when a number of widget windows exceeds a threshold value which represents a number of widget windows allowable in a single widget display screen and when a size of the display area of the at least one widget window with respect to the entire widget display screen exceeds a preset threshold rate.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the determination unit determines if the display area of the at least one widget window satisfies the threshold condition if a request for adding a widget window is input.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the control unit adds the new widget window onto the generated widget display screen if the threshold condition is not satisfied.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control unit provides a user interface window to ask a user whether to add a new widget display screen is provided if the threshold condition is satisfied.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein if one of the at least one widget window is selected and a direction is selected, the control unit changes and displays a content or a content category which is provided by the selected widget window according to the selected direction.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

an input unit which receives selection of a widget display pattern,

wherein a widget display pattern of the newly added widget display screen is the same as the widget display pattern of the generated widget display screen.

25. A display apparatus, comprising:

a generation unit which generates a widget display screen including at least one widget window;

a determination unit which determines if a display area of the at least one widget window satisfies a preset threshold condition; and

a control unit which reduces the display area of the at least one widget window if the threshold condition is satisfied.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the threshold condition is at least one of when a number of widget windows exceeds a threshold value which represents a number of widget windows allowable in a single widget display screen and when a size of the display area of the at least one widget window with respect to the entire widget display screen exceeds a preset threshold rate.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the determination unit determines if the display area of the at least one widget window satisfies the threshold condition if a request for adding a widget window is input, and

the control unit reduces the display area of the at least one widget window and adds a new widget window if the threshold condition is satisfied.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein if the threshold condition is satisfied, the control unit reduces the display area of the at least one widget window and provides a user interface window to ask a user whether to add the new widget window.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein if one of the at least one widget window is selected and a direction is selected, the control unit changes and displays a content or a content category which is provided by the selected widget window according to the selected direction.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

an input unit which receives selection of a widget display pattern.

31. A display system, comprising:

a server which provides data regarding a content to be executed on a widget window; and

a display apparatus which receives the data regarding the content from the server, generates a widget display screen including at least one widget window, determines if a display area of the at least one widget window satisfies a preset threshold condition, and adds a new widget display screen including a new widget window if the threshold condition is satisfied.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the display apparatus receives the data regarding the content from the server, and receives a user command to generate the widget display screen including the at least one widget window through an on-screen display (OSD).

33. A display system, comprising:

a server which provides data regarding a content to be executed on a widget window; and

a display apparatus which receives the data regarding the content from the server, generates a widget display screen including at least one widget window, determines if a display area of the at least one widget window satisfies a preset threshold condition, and reduces the display area of the at least one widget window if the threshold condition is satisfied.