Electronic apparatus comprising a display screen, and method of displaying graphics

• US 6,538,635 B1
• Filed: 03/16/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ringot, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Application Number:
  US09/270,444
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 345/126, 345/348, 345/352, 345/349, 345/350, 345/351, 345/146, 345/902, 345/683, 345/685, 178/18.01, 178/19.01
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/004 to give the appearance of moving signs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a screen configured to display a desired portion of a icons. A controller rotationally moves of icons along a fictitious ring so that the desired portion of the icons are displayed on the screen.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a screen for displaying a plurality of graphics,

movement means for moving said plurality of graphics, said movement means being constituted by means for rotating the plurality of graphics, and

a hardware key which controls said means for rotation to effectuate rotating said plurality of graphics.

2. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen shows a part of the plurality of graphics placed in a fictitious ring.

3. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen has an index with which each graphic symbol of said plurality of graphics can be caused to coincide.

4. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said hardware key activates the graphic symbol caused to coincide with said index.

5. A method of displaying graphics, used in an apparatus provided with a screen comprising:

arranging the graphics in a fictitious ring,

assigning a number of the graphics to be visualized at the same time,

displaying said number of the graphics on said screen, and

rotating the graphics at the request of a user so as to cause a portion of the graphics desired by the user to appear.

6. A method of displaying graphics as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

causing a graphic symbol of said graphics to coincide with a fixed index placed on the screen, and

validating said graphic symbol by touching a hardware key.

7. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a screen configured to display a desired portion of a plurality of graphics; and

a controller configured to perform a rotational movement of said plurality of graphics along a fictitious ring so that said desired portion of said plurality of graphics is displayed on said screen, wherein said controller is configured to assign a number of said plurality of graphics to be included in said desired portion for simultaneously displaying on said screen said number of said plurality of graphics.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein said screen includes an index with which each of said plurality of graphics can coincide in response to said rotationally movement.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a key for activating one of said plurality of graphics that coincides with said index.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein said controller performs said rotational movement in response to a user input.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein said user input includes operation of a key of said electronic apparatus.

12. A method for selecting an icon from a plurality of icons comprising:

arranging said plurality of icons in a fictitious ring;

displaying a desired portion of said plurality of icons;

rotationally moving said plurality of icons along said fictitious ring so that said desired portion of said plurality of icons are displayed on said screen; and

assigning a number of said plurality of icons to be included in said desired portion for simultaneously displaying on said screen said number of said plurality of graphics.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said rotationally moving act includes placing one of said plurality of icons at a location that coincides with an index of said screen.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising activating a key to activate said one of said plurality of graphics that coincides with said index.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising activating a key to activate one of said plurality of graphics that coincides with an index of said screen.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising activating a key to activate said rotationally moving act.