Screen display apparatus, program, and screen display method

• US 7,703,041 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Kazuhiro, Maruyama, Tetsuo, Ito, Akihiko, Nakano, Hiroaki, Eshita, Shusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonshock; Dennis
• Application Number:
  US10/896,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20050022236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 715/783, 715/788, 715/789, 715/792, 715/793, 715/800, 715/804, 715/853, 715/814, 725/43
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

A screen display apparatus for controlling the size each display area to appropriately display content information of each display area into one display screen. The screen display apparatus includes a selection accept block for accepting selection of first content information displayed in a first display area, a content information acquisition block for acquiring the content information associated with the selected first content information, this content information being second content information located on a layer below the first content information, and, in order to allocate a second display area for displaying the second content information to the display screen, a display area control block for controlling either or both of the first display area and the second display area.

Claims

1. A screen display apparatus for displaying at least one piece of content information on a display screen, comprising:

a reception block for receiving identification information through a broadcast wave or a network;

a selection accept block for accepting selection of first content information displayed in a first display area of the display screen;

a content information acquisition block for acquiring second content information associated with the first content information;

a display area control block for controlling at least one of the first display area and a second display area of the display screen to allocate the second display area for displaying the second content information on the display screen; and

a purchasing accept block for accepting selection of one or more content elements, displayed in a third display area, for purchase,

wherein the one or more content elements are associated with a selected item of the second content information,

wherein the second content information comprises a list of cast names,

wherein the selected item is one of the cast names,

wherein the first content information identifies an item of a first type of media,

wherein a type of media of the one or more content elements is different from the first type of media,

wherein the first type of media is a broadcast program,

wherein the list of the cast names comprises names of cast appearing on the broadcast program,

wherein the one or more content elements represent tangible items associated with the one of the cast names, and

wherein the first content information, the list of the cast names, and the one or more content elements are displayed on the display screen at a time of the purchase.

2. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control block dynamically controls at least one of the first display area and the second display area in accordance with an information amount of at least the second content information.

3. The screen display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display area control block controls the size of at least one of the first display area and the second display area.

4. The screen display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display area control block reduces the size of at least one of the first display area and the second display area.

5. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display area control block controls the size of at least one of the first display area and the second display area so as to allocate the first display area and the second display area into the display screen.

6. The screen display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the display screen displays the first display area and the second display area in a layered manner.

7. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control block controls a display area so as to display only a part of the content information onto the display area.

8. The screen display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display area control block reduces the size of the display area.

9. The screen display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the content information partially includes selected content information.

10. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a partial acquisition block for partially acquiring content information associated with a selected part of the content information.

11. The screen display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the screen display block displays a partially selected part of the content information and the associated part acquired by the partial acquisition block onto a display area.

12. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display area control block controls a pattern in which a display area changes in size.

13. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display area control block controls a pattern in which a display area changes in position.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having a program for causing a computer to perform a screen display method for displaying at least one piece of content information on a display screen, the method comprising:

receiving identification information through a broadcast wave or a network;

accepting selection of first content information displayed in a first display area of the display screen;

acquiring second content information associated with the selected first content information, the second content information being on a layer below the first content information;

controlling at least one of the first display area and a second display area of the display screen to allocate the second display area for displaying the second content information on the display screen;

receiving selection of an item of the second content information;

allocating a third display area on the display screen;

displaying one or more content elements associated with the item in the third display area; and

accepting selection of one or more of the one or more content elements for purchase,

wherein the second content information comprises a list of cast names,

wherein the item is one of the cast names,

wherein the first content information identifies an item of a first type of media,

wherein a type of media of the one or more content elements is different from the first type of media,

wherein the first type of media is a broadcast program,

wherein the list of the cast names comprises names of cast appearing on the broadcast program,

wherein the one or more content elements represent tangible items associated with the one of the cast names, and

wherein the first content information, the list of the cast names, and the one or more content elements are displayed on the display screen at a time of the purchase.

15. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, the method further comprising dynamically controlling at least one of the first display area and the second display area in accordance with an information amount of at least the second content information.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, the method further comprising controlling the size of at least one of the first display area and the second display area.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, the method further comprising reducing the size of at least one of the first display area and the second display area.

18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, the method further comprising controlling the size of at least one of the first display area and the second display area so as to allocate the first display area and the second display area into the display screen.

19. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the display screen displays the first display area and the second display area in a layered manner.

20. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, the method further comprising controlling a display area so as to display only a part of the content information onto the display area.

21. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, the method further comprising reducing the size of the display area.

22. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the content information partially includes selected content information.

23. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, the method further comprising partially acquiring content information associated with a selected part of the content information.

24. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein the display screen displays a partially selected part of the content information and the associated part acquired by the partial acquisition block onto the display area.

25. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, the method further comprising controlling a pattern in which a display area changes in size.

26. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, the method further comprising controlling a pattern in which a display area changes in position.

27. A screen display method for displaying at least one piece of content information on a display screen, comprising:

receiving identification information through a broadcast wave or a network;

accepting selection of first content information displayed in a first display area;

acquiring second content information associated with the selected first content information, the second content information being on a layer below the first content information;

controlling at least one of the first display area and a second display area to allocate the second display area for displaying the second content information on the display screen;

receiving selection of an item of the second content information;

allocating a third display area on the display screen;

displaying one or more content elements associated with the item in the third display area; and

accepting selection of one or more of the one or more content elements for purchase,

wherein the second content information comprises a list of cast names,

wherein the item is one of the cast names,

wherein the first content information identifies an item of a first type of media, and

wherein a type of media of the one or more content elements is different from the first type of media,

wherein the first type of media is a broadcast program,

wherein the list of the cast names comprises names of cast appearing on the broadcast program,

wherein the one or more content elements represent tangible items associated with the one of the cast names, and

wherein the first content information, the list of the cast names, and the one or more content elements are displayed on the display screen at a time of the purchase.

28. The screen display method according to claim 27, wherein, in accordance with an information amount of at least the second content information, the display control step dynamically controls at least one of the first display area and the second display area.

29. The screen display method according to claim 28, wherein the display area control step controls the size of at least one of the first display area and the second display area.

30. The screen display method according to claim 29, wherein the display area control step reduces the size of at least one of the first display area and the second display area.

31. The screen display method according to claim 27, wherein the display area control step controls the size of at least one of the first display area and the second display area so as to allocate the first display area and the second display area on the display screen.

32. The screen display method according to claim 31, wherein the display screen step displays the first display area and the second display area in a layered manner.

33. The screen display method according to claim 27, wherein the display area control step controls a display area so as to display only a part of the content information on the display area.

34. The screen display method according to claim 33, wherein the display area control step reduces the size of the display area.

35. The screen display method according to claim 34, wherein the content information partially includes selected content information.

36. The screen display method according to claim 27, further comprising:

partially acquiring content information associated with a selected part of the content information.

37. The screen display method according to claim 36, further comprising displaying a partially selected part of the content information and associated part acquired by the partial acquisition step onto the display area.

38. The screen display method according to claim 27, further comprising controlling a pattern in which a display area changes in size.