Method and apparatus for navigating a menu in a display unit of an electronic device

• US 7,685,533 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Huhn
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hassan; Rashedul
• Application Number:
  US11/280,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20060107237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/844, 715/814, 715/817, 715/818, 715/819, 715/820, 715/821, 715/822, 715/823, 715/828, 715/829, 715/830, 455/566, 455/556
• US Class Current: 715/844
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

A method and apparatus for navigating a menu shown on a display unit of an electronic device is provided. By measuring a time for moving a cursor on the menu and determining whether the measured cursor input time exceeds a pre-set threshold, one or more cursor moving methods may be applied in order to increase user convenience.

Claims

1. A method for navigating a menu in a display of an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a list of a plurality of items of the menu in a first position;

moving a cursor to select at least one item from the list of the plurality of items via the cursor;

highlighting the selected at least one item;

measuring a period of time from when the at least one item from the list was selected via the cursor;

moving the list of the plurality of items to a second position if the measured period of time exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the second position is a position where an equal amount of items are displayed above and below a position of the at least one item, or left and right of the position of the at least one item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of the plurality of items is arranged vertically or horizontally.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first position is maintained if the measured period of time does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cursor is moved according to a first cursor moving method selected from a group comprising a moving cursor method, a moving body method, or a moving cursor via pages method and wherein the moving cursor method enables the cursor to be moved vertically or horizontally on the menu, the moving body method enables the cursor to be fixed at a center region of the menu as the menu is moved vertically or horizontally, and the moving cursor via pages method divides the menu into a plurality of pages and enables the cursor to be moved vertically or horizontally within a single one of the plurality of pages.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first cursor moving method is the moving cursor method.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first cursor moving method is the moving cursor via pages method.

7. A method for navigating a menu in a display of an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a list of a plurality of items of the menu in a first position and a cursor on a display;

applying a default cursor moving method for moving the cursor on the display;

selecting at least one item from the list of the plurality of items via the cursor;

measuring a time for moving a cursor on the display according to the default cursor moving method;

executing a second cursor moving method if the measured time exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the second cursor moving method positions the list of the plurality of items in a second position where an equal amount of items are displayed above and below the at least one selected item, or left and right of the at least one selected item; and

executing the default cursor moving method sequentially after the second cursor moving method positions the list of the plurality of items in the second position.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the list of the plurality of items is arranged vertically or horizontally.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the default cursor moving method is maintained if the measured time does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the default cursor moving method comprises either a moving cursor method or a moving cursor via pages method, wherein the moving cursor method enables the cursor to be moved vertically or horizontally on the menu, and the moving cursor via pages method divides the menu into a plurality of pages and enables the cursor to be moved vertically or horizontally within a single one of the plurality of pages.

11. An apparatus for navigating a menu in a display of an electronic device, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit for displaying a list of a plurality of items in the menu in a first position and a cursor on the display;

an input unit adapted to receive input from a user and to control movement of the cursor on the display in order to select at least one item from the list of the plurality of items; and

a processor adapted to measure a time to move the cursor according to a first cursor moving method and apply a second cursor moving method if the measured time exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the second cursor moving method positions the list of the plurality of items in a second position where an equal amount of items are displayed above and below the at least one selected item, or left and right of the at least one selected item.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further adapted to control the display unit such that the cursor is displayed at a central portion of the display when the second cursor moving method positions the list of the plurality of items in the second position.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display unit is further adapted to display the list of the plurality of items vertically or horizontally.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display unit is further adapted to highlight at least one item selected from the list of the plurality of items.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the input unit is further adapted to receive either audible user inputs or tactile user inputs.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further adapted to maintain the first cursor moving method if the measured time does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further adapted to select the first cursor moving method from a group comprising a moving cursor method, a moving body method and a moving cursor via pages method.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first cursor moving method is the moving cursor method.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first cursor moving method is the moving cursor via pages method.

20. A mobile terminal for navigating a menu in a display, the mobile terminal comprising:

a display adapted to display a list of a plurality of items in the menu in a first position and a cursor on the display;

an input unit adapted to receive input from a user and to control movement of the cursor on the display to select at least one item from the list of the plurality of items via the cursor; and

a processor adapted to measure a period of time from when at least on time from the list was selected via the cursor and move the list of a plurality of items to a second position if the measured time exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the second position is a position where an equal amount of items are displayed above and below the position of the at least one selected item, or left and right of the position of the at least one selected item.