Method for displaying menu of TV

• US 7,061,545 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Joo, Kwang Cheol, Kweon, Hyek Seong
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke, Brian P.
• Application Number:
  US09/475,135
• Time in Patent Office: 2,357 Days
• Field of Search: 348563-569, 348580-584, 348588-589, 348599-600, 348714-716, 348/561, 345/800, 345/801, 725/44, 725/47, 725/39, 715/763, 715/810
• US Class Current: 348/569
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 a menu of a TV is disclosed, in which icons and characters are prevented, to the utmost, from being transformed in a screen mode having a variable width, such as a double window mode or a PIP mode, so that meanings of the icons and characters can correctly be discriminated by a user. The method for displaying a menu of a TV includes the steps of selecting a display mode of a TV screen, dividing a display area of the TV screen in accordance with a user'"'"'s selection, determining a menu display area for displaying a menu element of the TV, and varying the size of the element having a default size in accordance with the size of the menu display area.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a menu of a TV the method comprising the steps of:

setting a screen display mode to simultaneously display two or more screens on a TV, at least one screen displaying the menu;

automatically sizing displayed elements, including an interactive menu element, to a size proportionate with the size of said two or more screens;

determining whether or not a menu key is input to display interactive program specific information including broadcasting program information;

determining which screen display mode is the current screen display mode if it is determined that said menu key is input;

displaying each interactive menu element including an icon in the menu display screen depending on the screen display mode if all elements of the menu can be displayed on the determined display area in a default size without separately adjusting the size of an interactive menu element;

automatically reducing the size of said menu elements to a size other than a default size in accordance with the size of the screen on which the menu is displayed, to permit said menu elements to be displayed on the determined display area if the determined area is too small to display all menu elements; and

enlarging the reduced size menu elements by a factor that is less than a reciprocal number of the size reduction factor of the menu elements to display menu elements to be easily discriminated by a viewer on the display screen.

2. The method for displaying a menu of a TV as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the menu element includes the step of displaying the menu on a default screen if the current screen display mode is a mode which displays a plurality of screens.

3. The method for displaying a menu of a TV as claimed in claim 2, wherein the screen display mode displays two screens.

4. The method for displaying a menu of a TV as claimed in claim 3, wherein the two screens include a main display area and a sub display area.

5. The method for displaying a menu of a TV as claimed in claim 3, wherein the screen display mode which displays the two screens is a double window screen display mode.

6. The method for displaying a menu of a TV as claimed in claim 2, wherein the screen display mode is a multi-window screen display mode.

7. The method for displaying a menu of a TV as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the menu element includes the step of adjusting the size of the menu element in accordance with the size of the menu display screen.

8. The method of displaying a menu of a TV as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of adjusting the size of the menu element includes the steps of obtaining a first ratio between a region on which the menu is to be displayed and a region in which the menu is occupied, and reducing the size of the menu at a predetermined ratio if said first ratio is less than 1 to 1.

9. The method for displaying a menu of a TV as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of adjusting the size of the menu element includes the step of expanding or reducing the size of characters included in the menu element.

10. The method for displaying a menu of a TV as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of adjusting the size of the menu element includes the step of expanding or reducing the size of icons included in the menu element.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the menu screen to permit scrolling of a menu element.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising arranging the menu screen to permit scrolling of a menu element.

12. A method for displaying a menu of a TV, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a screen display mode to simultaneously display a plurality of screens on a TV;

automatically sizing displayed elements, including an interactive menu element, in direct proportion to the sizes of said plurality of screens;

setting one of the plurality of screens as an interactive menu display screen wherein a user may select program specific information from said menu, including broadcasting program information;

displaying each interactive menu element including said program specific information, including broadcasting information on the menu display screen if all elements of the menu can be displayed on the determined display area in a default size without separately adjusting the size of an interactive menu element;

automatically reducing the size of said interactive menu elements to a size other than a default size in accordance with the size of the screen on which the menu is displayed, to permit said menu elements to be displayed on the on the determined display area if the determined area is too small to display all menu elements; and

enlarging the reduced size menu elements by a factor that is less than a reciprocal number of the size reduction factor of the menu elements to display menu elements that are easily discriminated by a viewer on the display screen.

13. The method for displaying a menu of a TV as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of adjusting the size of the menu in accordance with the size of the menu display screen.

15. A method of displaying a menu in a TV screen, comprising the steps of:

displaying picture and display elements, including an icon, in proportion with a size of a display screen, depending on a screen display mode;

determining whether a menu key is input by a user to display an interactive menu for program specific information including broadcasting program information on a TV screen;

determining which display mode is the current display mode if said menu key is input;

dividing said TV screen into two or more first sub-display screens or into a main-display screen and one or more second sub-display screens according to which mode is determined to be the current display mode;

setting one of said first or second sub-display screens as an interactive menu-display screen;

displaying each interactive menu element including an icon in the menu display screen depending on the screen display mode if all elements of the menu can be displayed on the determined display area in the default size without separately adjusting the size of an interactive menu element;

automatically reducing the size of one or more interactive icons of said menu to a size other than a default size in accordance with the size of the screen on which the menu is displayed, to permit the interactive menu elements to be displayed on the determined display area if the determined area is too small to display all menu elements;

enlarging the reduced size interactive menu elements by a factor that is less than a reciprocal number of the size reduction factor of the menu elements to display menu elements that are so as to be distinguishably recognizable by said user when displayed on said menu-display screen; and

displaying the resized icons on said menu-display screen.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said current display mode is any one of a double-window mode, a multi-window mode, and a Picture-In-Picture (PIP) mode.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatically resizing step includes the steps of obtaining a first ratio between a region on which the menu is to be displayed and a region in which the menu is occupied, and reducing the size of the menu at a predetermined ratio if said first ratio is less than 100%.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatically resizing step includes the step of expanding or reducing a size of a text portion being included in each of said icons.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatically resizing step includes the step of expanding or reducing a size of a graphical portion being included in each of said icons.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising arranging the menu screen to permit scrolling of a menu element.

21. A method of displaying a menu in a TV screen, comprising the steps of:

determining whether a menu key is input by a user to display an interactive menu for program specific information including broadcasting information on a TV screen;

determining which display mode is the current display mode if said menu key is input;

dividing said TV screen into two or more first sub-display screens or into a main-display screen and one or more second sub-display screens according to which mode is determined to be the current display mode;

setting one of said first or second sub-display screens as an interactive menu-display screen;

displaying each interactive menu element including an icon in the menu display screen depending on the screen display mode if all elements of the menu can be displayed on the determined display area in a default size without separately adjusting the size of an interactive menu element;

automatically sizing one or more interactive icons of the interactive menu to a first size other than a default size, the first size being proportionate with a size of the menu-display screen, to permit the interactive menu elements to be displayed on the determined display area if the determined area is too small to display all menu elements;

automatically resizing the interactive icons to a new size based on a ratio between the first size and the size of the menu-display screen to permit said icon to be easily discriminated by a viewer; and

displaying the automatically resized icons on said menu-display screen.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said current display mode is any one of a double-window mode, a multi-window mode, and a Picture-in-Picture (PIP) mode.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said automatically resizing step includes the step of expanding or reducing a size of a text portion being included in each of said interactive icons.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said automatically resizing step includes the step of expanding or reducing a size of a graphical portion being included in each of said interactive icon.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising arranging the menu screen to permit scrolling of a menu element.

26. A system for displaying a menu of a TV, the system comprising:

means for setting a screen display mode to simultaneously display two or more screens on a TV, at least one screen displaying the menu;

means for automatically sizing displayed elements, including an interactive menu element, to a size proportionate with the size of said two or more screens;

means for determining whether or not a menu key is input to display interactive program specific information including broadcasting program information;

means for determining which screen display mode is the current screen display mode if it is determined that said menu key is input;

means for displaying each interactive menu element including an icon in the menu display screen depending on the screen display mode if all elements of the menu can be displayed on the determined display area in a default size without separately adjusting the size of an interactive menu element;

means for automatically reducing the size of said menu elements to a size other than a default size in accordance with the size of the screen on which the menu is displayed, to permit said all of the menu elements to be displayed on the determined display area if the determined area is too small to display all menu elements; and

means for enlarging the reduced size menu elements by a factor that is less than a reciprocal number of the size reduction factor of the menu elements to display menu elements that are easily discriminated by a viewer on the display screen.