METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING GUI

• US 20100162118A1
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Ki-ho, KIM, Deok-ho
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 : Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71

Abstract

A GUI providing method and a GUI providing apparatus are provided. According to the GUI providing method, a GUI from among GUIs for an external apparatus connected to a video apparatus is determined and displayed. Accordingly, if there are many GUIs for an apparatus, a GUI most suitable for the current circumstance is automatically determined and provided to a user.

Claims

1. A method for providing a Graphical User Interface (GUI), comprising:

receiving a selection of an external apparatus from among external apparatuses connected to a video apparatus, as a selected external apparatus;

determining a GUI from among GUIs, for the selected external apparatus; and

displaying the determined GUI.

2. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing a connection method between the video apparatus and the selected external apparatus;

wherein the determining determines the GUI from among GUIs for the selected external apparatus based on the connection method.

3. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 2, wherein the determining determines a first GUI from among GUIs for the selected external apparatus if the connection method is a first connection method, and determines a second GUI from among GUIs for the selected external apparatus if the connection method is a second connection method.

4. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 2, wherein the analyzing analyzes the connection method based on information received from the video apparatus.

5. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selected external apparatus operates in an operation mode depending on the connection method with the video apparatus.

6. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing whether an event occurs in the selected external apparatus;

wherein the determining determines the GUI from among GUIs for the selected external apparatus based on information regarding whether the event occurs.

7. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

displaying a second GUI for the selected external apparatus if the event occurs in the selected external apparatus while a first GUI for the selected external apparatus is displayed.

8. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displaying is a second displaying, the method further comprising:

first displaying the GUIs, the GUIs being for the selected external apparatus;

wherein the determining determines a GUI selected by a user as the GUI from among the GUIs for the selected external apparatus to be displayed in the second displaying.

9. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing a recent operation mode of the selected external apparatus and one of the most frequently used operation modes;

wherein the determining determines the GUI from among GUIs for the selected external apparatus to be displayed in the displaying based on the analyzing.

10. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving the selection, the determining, and the displaying are performed by an apparatus which receives a user'"'"'s command for the video apparatus and external apparatuses connected to the video apparatus.

11. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selected external apparatus operates in a mode from among a plurality of operation modes, and includes different GUIs for the corresponding plurality of operation modes.

12. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

transferring a first command for the video apparatus, to the video apparatus if the first command is received; and

transferring a second command for the selected external apparatus to the selected external apparatus via the video apparatus if the second command is received.

13. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GUIs for the external apparatuses are received directly from the external apparatuses, from the external apparatuses via the video apparatus, or via an external network, and are retained.

14. The method for providing a GUI as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving contents from the selected external apparatus via the video apparatus; and

reproducing the received contents.

15. The method for providing the GUI as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GUI includes at least one of a menu screen for the selected external apparatus, a list of contents stored in the selected external apparatus, a file browser for browsing files stored in the selected external apparatus, and a graphic interface for the selected external apparatus.

16. A method for providing a Graphical User Interface (GUI), comprising:

receiving a selection of an external apparatus from one of the video apparatus and external apparatuses connected to the video apparatus, as a selected apparatus;

determining a GUI from among GUIs, for the selected apparatus; and

displaying the determined GUI.

17. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) providing apparatus, comprising:

a GUI generation unit which generates a GUI; and

a control unit which, if a user selects an external apparatus from among external apparatuses connected to the video apparatus, determines the GUI from among GUIs for the selected external apparatus, and controls the GUI generation unit so that the determined GUI is displayed on a display.

18. The GUI providing apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the control unit analyzes a connection method between the video apparatus and the selected external apparatus, and determines the GUI from among GUIs for the selected external apparatus based on the connection method.

19. The GUI providing apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the control unit analyzes whether an event occurs in the selected external apparatus, and determines the GUI from among GUIs for the selected external apparatus based on information regarding whether the event occurs.

20. The GUI providing apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a communication unit which communicates with the video apparatus;

wherein the control unit transfers a first command for the video apparatus, to the video apparatus via the communication unit if the first command is received, and transfers a second command for the selected external apparatus, to the selected external apparatus via the communication unit and the video apparatus if the second command is received.

21. The GUI providing apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a storage unit which stores the GUIs for the external apparatuses;

wherein the control unit controls the GUI generation unit so that the determined GUI from among GUIs stored in the storage unit is displayed on the display.

22. The GUI providing apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least one external apparatus from among the external apparatuses is directly connected to the GUI providing apparatus.

23. The GUI providing apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the GUI includes at least one of a menu screen for the selected external apparatus, a list of contents stored in the selected external apparatus, a file browser for browsing files stored in the selected external apparatus, and a graphic interface for the selected external apparatus.

24. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) providing apparatus, comprising:

a GUI generation unit which generates a GUI; and

a control unit which, if a user selects one of a video apparatus and external apparatuses connected to the video apparatus as a selected apparatus, determines the GUI from among GUIs for the selected apparatus and controls the GUI generation unit so that the determined GUI is displayed on the display.

25. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) generating method comprising:

receiving user selection of an external device of a plurality of external devices, as a selected external device; and

automatically determining one of a plurality of GUIs based on the user selection and based on predetermined criteria.

26. The GUI generating method of claim 25, wherein the predetermined criteria is a connection method between the selected external device and a DTV.

27. The GUI generating method of claim 25, wherein the predetermined criteria is an occurrence of an event in the selected external device.

28. The GUI generating method of claim 27, wherein the an event is one of a receipt of a message and an operating mode of a plurality of operating modes of the selected external device.