Data displaying apparatus and method

• US 7,232,058 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Kwang-Bok
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US10/931,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20050194432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/487, 235/375, 235/376, 715/526, 715/851, 715/853, 707/1, 345/581, 345/629, 345/1.1, 345/9, 524/108, 549/364
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A data displaying apparatus that can efficiently display a plurality of data on a relatively small display screen. The data displaying apparatus includes a user input unit for outputting a data display request signal if there is a data display request from a user, a memory unit for storing a plurality of data and a plurality of identification information corresponding respectively thereto, a display unit, and a controller. The controller controls the display unit to display the plurality of data. Also, the controller controls the display unit to display the plurality of identification information if the data display request signal is inputted, display data corresponding to specific identification information via a first layer if the specific identification information is selected from among the plurality of identification information, and enlargedly display a specific area of the specific information via a second layer if the specific area is selected from the specific identification information via the first layer.

Claims

1. A data displaying apparatus comprising:

a user input unit for outputting a data-display request signal if there is a data-display request from a user;

a memory unit for storing a plurality of data and a plurality of identification information corresponding to said plurality of data;

a display unit for displaying the plurality of data; and

a controller for controlling said display unit to display the plurality of identification information if said data display request signal is inputted by the user, display data corresponding to specific identification information via a first layer if the specific identification information is selected from among the plurality of identification information, and display a specific area of the specific information in an enlarged form via a second layer if the specific area is selected from the specific identification information of the first layer.

2. The data displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of identification information is an icon.

3. The data displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first layer translucently displays the data corresponding to the specific identification information.

4. The data displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of identification information is a file name.

5. The data displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first layer translucently displays the data corresponding to the specific identification information.

6. The data displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of identification information is a folder name.

7. The data displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the first layer translucently displays the data corresponding to the specific identification information.

8. The data displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first layer translucently displays the data corresponding to the specific identification information.

9. A data displaying method comprising:

displaying a plurality of identification information corresponding respectively to a plurality of data if a data-display request signal is inputted by a user;

displaying specific data corresponding to a specific one of the plurality of identification information via a first layer if the specific identification information is selected from the plurality of identification information; and

enlarging and displaying a specific area of the specific data of the first layer via a second layer if the specific area is selected from the specific data displayed via the first layer, wherein the second layer enlarges the specific area.

10. The data displaying method as set forth in claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of identification information is an icon.

11. The data displaying method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first layer translucently displays the data corresponding to the specific identification information.

12. The data displaying method as set forth in claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of identification information is a file name.

13. The data displaying method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first layer translucently displays the data corresponding to the specific identification information.

14. The data displaying method as set forth in claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of identification information is a folder name.

15. The data displaying method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the first layer translucently displays the data corresponding to the specific identification information.

16. The data displaying method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the first layer translucently displays the data corresponding to the specific identification information.

17. A data displaying apparatus comprising:

a user input unit for outputting a data-display request signal if there is a data display request from a user;

a memory unit for storing a plurality of data and a plurality of identification information corresponding to said plurality of data;

a display unit for displaying the plurality of data; and

a controller for controlling said display unit in response to the data-display request by the user to display the plurality of identification information, said display unit further displaying data corresponding to specific identification information via a first layer if the specific identification information is selected from among the plurality of identification information, and displaying a specific area of the specific information in an enlarged form via a second layer if the specific area is selected from the specific identification information of the first layer.