Method for controlling position of indicator

• US 7,154,473 B2
• Filed: 10/15/1999
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Phil-Tae
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US09/419,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20020122027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,629 Days
• Field of Search: 345/167, 345/157, 345/169, 345/160, 345/164, 345/902, 725/43, 725/40, 715/858, 715/856, 715/841, 715/810, 348/14.02, 348/14.05, 348/333.02, 341/176
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42213 for facilitating data entry
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

An apparatus and process for controlling the position of an indicator in a user interface using a menu is disclosed. By the method, when a menu having items selected and adjusted by an indicator is displayed, and the position and a size of the menu are changed, the indicator follows the changed menu. Thus, an interface can be easily realized.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

displaying a menu and an indicator for selecting one of menu items of said menu;

making a selection of a menu item by using said indicator;

displaying a sub menu corresponding to the selected menu item, with said sub menu being comprised of a plurality of sub menu items contextually related to said menu item;

automatically adjusting the position of said indicator to be located within said sub menu;

storing a location of the selected menu item within a display screen;

automatically adjusting the display of said indicator to the stored location of the selected menu item when said sub menu is erased;

initiating display of said menu on a display screen by manually pressing a selection key on said a remote controller;

moving said indicator within said screen by manipulating a cursor controller mounted on said remote controller; and

making said selection by manual manipulation of said selection key.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprised of automatically, initially displaying said indicator superimposed upon a first sub menu item of said sub menu upon displaying of said sub menu.

3. The method of claim 1, said indicator being a pointer.

4. The method of claim 1, said making step comprising user manipulation of a trackball on a remote controller causing said indicator to move on a display to the selected menu item followed by pressing a selection key on said remote controller, said automatically adjusting the position of the indicator step comprising sudden translation of said indicator across the display to the submenu at a time simultaneous with the displaying of the sub menu.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of erasing the submenu automatically causing said menu items to reappear and automatically and simultaneously causing said indicator to skip back to said previously selected menu item.

6. A television apparatus, comprising:

a trackball on a remote controller adapted to control the movement of an indicator on a television display screen relative to a predetermined initial position of said indicator on the screen to select a displayed menu item;

a trackball movement sensor sensing a shift value of the movement of said trackball along X-Y coordinates relative to the predetermined initial position of said indicator;

a selection key which selects said menu items;

a menu key which displays said menu on said television display screen;

a shift value data storage unit accommodating the storing shift value data corresponding to to the movement of said trackball relative to the initial indicator position;

a control commander selecting the control function corresponding to said menu item where said indicator is located when said selection key is activated;

a data generator, responsive to said remote controller for generating data corresponding to the stored shift value of said trackball received from said shift value data storage unit when said remote controller is activated; and

a transmitting unit accommodating coding and transmitting data from said data generator to an electrical appliance; and

wherein said electrical appliance comprises;

a receiver accommodating the data transmitted by said transmitting unit;

a display control unit, connected to said receiver, displaying a menu on said television display screen according to said received data;

an indicator display unit, said indicator display unit displays said indicator in a center point of a selected submenu;

said television display screen;

a microprocessor; and

a menu storage unit, connected to said display control unit, adapted to provide data which is displayed on said television display screen, the indicator display unit causing the location of the indicator on the television display screen to move on the display screen when the trackball moves, the indicator display unit also causing the indicator to suddenly and automatically jump to a new location on the television display screen when said television display screen displays a different menu.

7. The television apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an enlargement/reduction key adapted to cause the size and location of a displayed menu to suddenly change a size and a location on the display while simultaneously causing said indicator to jump to a new location within the changed menu when the enlargement/reduction key is depressed by the user, said jump in the location of the indicator not being brought about by said trackball.

8. The television apparatus of claim 6, the indicator display unit receiving manual movement of the indicator signals from the trackball movement sensor and automatic movement of the indicator from the command controller and moving the indicator based on a combination of signals from both of these sources.

9. The television apparatus of claim 6, the indicator display unit being configured to cause the location of the indicator on the television display screen to move on the display screen when the trackball moves, the indicator display unit also causing the indicator to suddenly and automatically jump to a new location on the television display screen when said television display screen displays a different menu.

10. The television apparatus of claim 6, the trackball enabling the indicator to gradually slide and not skip across the display screen.

11. A method of controlling a pointer on a display, comprising:

pressing a button on a control panel causing a main menu to appear and simultaneously and automatically causing the pointer to appear within the main menu, the main menu having a plurality of menu items, the pointer being automatically placed in a first of said plurality of menu items;

manually manipulating a device causing the pointer to gradually move to a user selected menu item; and

pressing a button on the control panel causing selection of said menu item containing said pointer and thus automatically causing a sub menu to appear on the display and simultaneously, suddenly and automatically causing said pointer to move to said sub menu, said device that is manually manipulated to move the pointer being a track ball, both the trackball and the control panel being on a same remote controller, the remote controller not being directly attached to the display.

12. The method of claim 11, each menu item in said main menu being represented by a tetragon, the pointer being in a geometric center of said first of said plurality of said menu items.

13. The method of claim 11, said sub menu comprising a plurality of sub menu items, each sub menu item being represented by a tetragon, said pointer being initially located in a geometric center of a first or top sub menu item.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising causing said submenu to disappear, causing said display to display said main menu with the pointer in said previously selected menu item of said main menu.

15. The method of claim 14, said pointer automatically reappearing in said previously selected menu item in said main menu without any user manipulation of any control when said main menu reappears.

16. The method of claim 15, the pointer reappearing at a geometric center of the previously selected menu item.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising pressing a button on said control panel causing an image on the display to disappear and causing said main menu to appear enlarged, said pointer being automatically moved to said enlarged main menu on said display without any further user manipulation.

18. The method of claim 11, said control panel being on a remote control device physically separated from the display.

19. The method of claim 11, said main menu disappearing from the display when said submenu appears.

20. The method of claim 11, the manual manipulating step being accomplished by moving a trackball, said trackball causing the pointer to slide and not skip across the display.

21. A method of controlling the location of a pointer on a display, comprising:

displaying a main menu having a plurality of menu items while simultaneously displaying the pointer on the display;

moving a location of the pointer on the display to one of said plurality of menu items on said main menu via user manipulation of a trackball;

selecting said menu item where said pointer is present by user pushing a button on a control; and

suddenly displaying a submenu comprising a plurality of sub menu items on said display while simultaneously and automatically having the location of the pointer on the display to skip to a location within said submenu, the trackball being on said control along with said button.

22. The method of claim 21, said submenu being distinguished from said main menu.

23. The method of claim 21, said main menu disappearing from the display when said submenu appears.

24. The method of claim 21, said display being a high definition television.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising reverting back to the main menu from the submenu causing the main menu to reappear at a location on the display different from where the submenu appeared, causing the pointer to automatically skip back to said selected menu item on said main menu.

26. A method, comprising:

displaying an indicator and a main menu comprising a plurality of main menu items on a display;

moving the indicator to one of said plurality of main menu items on the display via manipulation of a trackball on a remote controller;

selecting said one of said plurality of main menu items by pressing a button on said remote controller; and

displaying a sub menu related to said one of said plurality of main menu items, said indicator being automatically repositioned on the display within the sub menu.

27. The method of claim 26, said automatic repositioning of the indicator being accomplished without any further manipulation of the remote controller.

28. The method of claim 26, said sub menu comprising a plurality of sub menu items, said indicator being automatically repositioned to a first sub menu item of said of said plurality of sub menu items.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising pressing a button on said remote controller when said sub menu is being displayed causing said display to display said main menu with said indicator being automatically repositioned to be located within said one of said plurality of main menu items.

30. A method, comprising:

providing a display displaying an indicator and a menu comprising a plurality of menu items, said indicator being located within one of a plurality of menu items in said menu; and

pressing a button on a remote controller causing a size of said menu on said display to change while causing said indicator to be automatically repositioned within the changed menu, said indicator being automatically repositioned to said one of said plurality of menu items in said changed menu, said remote controller further comprising a trackball that is adapted to move the indicator.

31. A method, comprising:

providing a display displaying an indicator and a menu comprising a plurality of menu items, said indicator being located within one of a plurality of menu items in said menu; and

pressing a button on a remote controller causing a size of said menu on said display to change while causing said indicator to be automatically repositioned within the changed menu, further comprising moving said indicator to said one of said plurality of menu items on said display via a trackball on said remote controller prior to said pressing.

32. A method, comprising:

providing a display displaying an indicator and a menu comprising a plurality of menu items, said indicator being located within one of a plurality of menu items in said menu; and

pressing a button on a remote controller causing a size of said menu on said display to change while causing said indicator to be automatically repositioned within the changed menu, the changed menu comprising said plurality of menu items, the method further comprising pressing a button on said remote controller when said changed menu is being displayed, causing said menu to revert back to a size it was before being changed and causing said indicator to be automatically repositioned within said reverted main menu.