Integrated digital device and displaying method using the same

• US 8,072,416 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yang, Hong-seok, Lee, Yong-hyun, Lee, Ji-hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, DUC Q
• Application Number:
  US11/488,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

An integrated digital device and a displaying method are provided. The integrated digital device includes a display unit displaying a plurality of setup information items. A plurality of input keys positioned in the vicinity of the plurality of setup information items, respectively, are displayed on the display unit. A mode input unit selecting one among a plurality of modes in which different digital device functions are performed and a modifier modifying at least one of the setup information items according to at least one among the mode selected by the mode input unit and an input from at least one of the input keys.

Claims

1. A digital image capturing device comprising:

an image capturing unit;

a flash which provides light;

a display unit which displays at least one still or moving image captured by the image capturing unit or a plurality of menu or sub-menu items;

an input unit which allows a user to interact with the plurality of menu or sub-menu items displayed on the display unit;

a digital audio playback unit which controls the device so that at least one digital audio file can be played;

a storage unit which stores the at least one still or moving image captured by the image capturing unit and the at least one digital audio file playable by the digital audio playback unit;

a digital television (TV) broadcast signal receiver which receives a digital TV broadcast signal;

a connection interface unit which provides a connection between the device and an external device;

a controller which controls a plurality of operation modes, wherein the plurality of operation modes comprise a digital camera mode, a digital camcorder mode, a digital audio playback mode, a digital TV playback mode, and a digital still or moving image display mode; and

a mode selector configured to select a mode from the plurality of operation modes,

wherein at least one subset of the plurality of menu or sub-menu items is respectively assigned to at least one operation mode, and

wherein a plurality of corresponding menu or sub-menu items of the at least one subset are displayed according to an operation mode selected by the user using the mode selector, wherein a plurality of menu items corresponding to the selected operation mode are displayed in a first menu area and a plurality of sub-menu items corresponding to a respective menu item are displayed in a second menu area.

2. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein, when the digital TV playback mode is selected, a corresponding menu or sub-menu item comprising at least one channel list and favorite channel setup information can be displayed.

3. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, wherein, when the digital camera mode is selected by the user, a corresponding menu or sub-menu item comprising a flash item, a close-up shooting item, a self-timer item, a slideshow item, and an erase protection item can be displayed on the display unit.

4. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, wherein, when the digital camcorder mode is selected by the user, a corresponding menu or sub-menu item comprising an automatic exposure item, a white balance item, a color tone item, an erase protection item, and a video playback option item can be displayed on the display unit.

5. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, wherein, when the digital audio playback mode is selected by the user, a corresponding menu or sub-menu comprising a user playlist display item, a repeated playback item, an equalizer item, and a stored content list display item can be displayed on the display unit.

6. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a digital audio recorder unit,

wherein the plurality of operation modes further comprises an audio recorder mode, and

wherein, when the audio recorder mode is selected, a corresponding menu or sub-menu item comprising a repeated playback item, an erase protection item, and a stored content list display item can be displayed.

7. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a menu or sub-menu item as an icon indicating content of the corresponding menu or sub-menu item.

8. The digital image capturing device of claim 7, wherein an icon of each of the plurality of menu or sub-menu items can be varied when the content of the corresponding menu or sub-menu item is changed.

9. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, wherein, when an input from the input unit is received, a sub menu for the menu item which is controlled by the input can be displayed.

10. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, wherein the connection interface unit allows the device to be connected to the external device by using a wired communication method including Ethernet, universal serial bus (USB), IEEE 1394, serial communication, parallel communication, or a wireless communication method including infrared radiation, Bluetooth, home radio frequency (RF), or wireless local area network (WLAN).

11. The digital image capturing device of claim 10, further comprising a USB port to be connected to a computer to function as a USB storage.

12. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, wherein the digital audio file comprises a MPEG layer 3 (MP3) file.

13. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, wherein, while information corresponding to one of the plurality of menu or sub-menu items is set, the display unit makes an icon corresponding to the one of the plurality of menu or sub-menu items blink.

14. The digital image capturing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of menu or sub-menu items comprise at least one of a flash item, a close-up shooting item, a self-timer item, a slideshow item, an erase protection item, a channel list display item, a favorite channel item, a stored content list display item, a user playlist display item, a repeated playback item, an equalizer item, an automatic exposure item, a white balance item, a color tone item, and a video playback option item.

15. A digital device comprising:

an image capturing unit;

a flash which provides light;

a display unit which displays at least one still or moving image captured by the image capturing unit or a plurality of menu or sub-menu items;

an input unit which allows a user to interact with the plurality of menu or sub-menu items displayed on the display unit;

a digital audio playback unit which controls the device so that at least one digital audio file can be played;

a storage unit which stores the at least one still or moving image captured by the image capturing unit or displayable on the display unit and the at least one digital audio file playable by the digital audio playback unit;

a digital television (TV) broadcast signal receiver which receives a digital TV broadcast signal;

a connection interface unit which provides a connection between the device and an external device, the connection interface unit comprising a universal serial bus (USB) port; and

a controller which controls a plurality of operation modes, wherein the plurality of operation modes comprise a digital camera mode, a digital camcorder mode, a digital audio playback mode, a digital TV playback mode and a digital still or moving image display mode;

a mode selector configured to select a mode from the plurality of operation modes,

wherein at least one subset of the plurality of menu or sub-menu items is respectively assigned to at least one operation mode, and

wherein a plurality of corresponding menu or sub-menu items of the at least one subset are displayed according to an operation mode selected by the user using the mode selector, wherein a plurality of menu items corresponding to the selected operation mode are displayed in a first menu area and a plurality of sub-menu items corresponding to a respective menu item are displayed in a second menu area.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising an antenna for the digital TV broadcast signal receiver.