Method for displaying menu screen in electronic devicing having touch screen

• US 20100318905A1
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Rakesh, Gohel
• Application Number:
  US12/802,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318905A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic device is configured to display a menu screen. Then electronic device is capable of displaying the menu screen composed of a plurality of main menu items each of which has a plurality of subordinate menu items. The method further includes modifying the displayed menu screen by moving the subordinate menu items in response to a first drag input in a first direction or by moving the main menu items in response to a second drag input in a second direction. The method allows a user to perform a search for two or more subordinate menu items of different groups at a time on a single screen. Therefore, the number of times being key-pressed for a menu search is decreased, and the time required for a menu search is reduced.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a menu screen in an electronic device having a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying the menu screen composed of a plurality of main menu items each of which has a plurality of subordinate menu items; and

modifying the displayed menu screen by moving the subordinate menu items in response to a first drag input in a first direction or by moving the main menu items in response to a second drag input in a second direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the menu screen includes:

arranging the subordinate menu items in the first direction and;

arranging the main menu items in the second direction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displaying of the menu screen further includes:

arranging two or more main menu item blocks in the first direction, each of the main menu item blocks having the main menu items arranged in the second direction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the displayed menu screen includes:

removing at least one of the subordinate menu items from the displayed menu screen and instead offering at least one new subordinate menu item to the displayed menu screen when receiving the first drag input; and

removing at least one of the main menu items from the displayed menu screen and instead offering at least one new main menu item to the displayed menu screen when receiving the second drag input.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting up the menu screen.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the setting up of the menu screen includes:

displaying a menu list having a plurality of menu items stored in the electronic device;

receiving a user'"'"'s selection of the menu items; and

setting up the main menu items and the subordinate menu items to be displayed on the menu screen, depending on the received user'"'"'s selection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the setting up of the menu screen further includes:

setting up an arrangement direction of the main menu items.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the setting up of the menu screen further includes:

setting up a moving range of the menu items per drag input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the modifying of the displayed menu screen includes:

moving the main menu items and/or the subordinate menu items, depending on the moving range.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the menu screen includes:

displaying the main menu items and/or the subordinate menu items in descending order of the frequency used.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the menu screen includes:

displaying a name of each main menu item on the most frequently used one of the subordinate menu items.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the menu screen includes:

displaying a given number of the subordinate menu items selected in descending order of the frequency used.

13. An electronic device comprising:

a touch sensor unit configured to detect at least one of a touch input and a drag input;

a display unit configured to display a menu screen composed of a plurality of main menu items each of which has a plurality of subordinate menu items; and

a control unit configured to receive the drag input in a first or second direction from the touch sensor and control the display unit to modify the displayed menu screen by moving the subordinate menu items in response to the drag input in the first direction or by moving the main menu items in response to the drag input in the second direction.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the display unit such that the subordinate menu items are arranged in the first direction and the main menu items are arranged in the second direction.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the control unit is configured to:

control the display unit to remove at least one of the subordinate menu items from the displayed menu screen and instead offering at least one new subordinate menu item to the displayed menu screen when receiving the first drag input from the touch sensor; and

control the display unit to remove at least one of the main menu items from the displayed menu screen and instead offering at least one new main menu item to the displayed menu screen when receiving the second drag input from the touch sensor.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the control unit further is configured to set up the menu screen.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the control unit is configured to:

control the display unit to display a menu list having a plurality of menu items stored in the electronic device;

receive a user'"'"'s selection of the menu items from the touch sensor;

set up the main menu items and the subordinate menu items and control the display unit to display the set up main menu items and subordinate menu itemson the menu screen, according to the received user'"'"'s selection.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the control unit is configured to:

set up an arrangement direction of the main menu items.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the control unit is configured to:

set up a moving range of the menu items per drag input.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the control unit is configured to:

control the display unit to move the main menu items and/or the subordinate menu items, depending on the set up moving range.

21. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the display unit is configured to display the main menu items and/or the subordinate menu items in descending order of the frequency used.