Portable electronic device, display method, program, and graphical user interface thereof

• US 7,728,812 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fujita, Kenji, Fukuda, Hirotomo, Oguchi, Tomoyuki, Mochizuki, Daisuke, Sato, Makoto, Chosokabe, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kevin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Almeida; Cory A
• Application Number:
  US11/117,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-178, 341 22- 26
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability

Abstract

The present invention provides a portable electronic device including an operator block, a display block, detection means, and control means. The operation block has a plurality of operation buttons arranged in matrix. The display block, arranged in the vicinity of the operator block, is capable of displaying a screen divided into a plurality of areas corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of operation buttons, displaying a cursor for selecting each the areas, and entering the selection by operation of each of the operation buttons. The detection means detects whether any one of the plurality of operation buttons has been operated. The control means positions the cursor to the area corresponding to the detected operation button and displays the cursor on the display block.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

an operator block having a plurality of operation buttons arranged in matrix;

a display block, arranged in the vicinity of said operator block, configured to display a screen divided into a plurality of areas corresponding to the arrangement of said plurality of operation buttons, to display a cursor for selecting each said areas, and to enter the selection by operation of each of said operation buttons;

a detection unit configured to detect whether any one of said plurality of operation buttons has been operated;

an item display control unit configured to relate an object displayed on said screen with a predetermined function executable by said portable electronic device, display a menu in plural areas of said screen, display an item frame assigned a function in said one area of said plural areas of the menu, and display a region on said screen corresponding to at least one of the operation buttons not to be assigned any function while the menu is displayed on the screen; and

a focus display control unit configured to focus a selected item frame and not to focus said region when said operation button corresponding to said region not to be assigned said function is operated,

wherein said item display control unit includes a scroll display control unit configured to execute control such that an image is displayed in scroll when said detection unit detects said first state in excess of a predetermined period of time

wherein said item display control unit is configured to display said object by a first number of objects on a row or column basis and said scroll display control unit includes a change unit configured to change the number of objects to be displayed in scroll from said first number of objects to a second number of objects smaller than said first number of objects when said screen has been scrolled by one of a predetermined number of rows and a predetermined number of columns, and

said change unit is configured to gradually change the number of objects from said first number of objects to said second number of objects, and to gradually change a color of said object to a color higher in brightness toward said scroll direction in synchronization with said gradual change in the number of objects.

2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said item display control unit is configured to execute control to change a color of said object and display said object of the changed color in accordance with a predetermined operation level.

3. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said detection unit is configured to detect a distinction between a first state in which an operation button is touched by a user and a second state in which said operation button is pressed by the user.

4. The portable electronic device according to claim 3, wherein said detection unit is configured to detect a distinction between an operation in which said operation button is released by the user from said first state and an operation in which said operation button is returned by the user from said second state to said first state.

5. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

said item display control unit includes,

an image display unit configured to display an image symbolizing content to be reproduced, and

a control unit configured to execute control such that said content is reproduced when said image is selected and the selection is entered by a user.

6. The portable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein said image display unit includes a zoom-in display unit configured to display said image when said detection unit detects said first state in excess of a predetermined period of time.

7. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said scroll display control unit executes scroll display when said detection unit detects that at least one of said operation buttons that is in one of an end row and an end column is touched by a user.