User interface device and user interface method

• US 8,519,986 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Wan-je, Jang, Hyun-kook, Kim, Joon-hwan, Kwon, Heui-jin, Song, Sang-gon
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATTHEWS, ANDRE L
• Application Number:
  US11/653,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20070291018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,414 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 345/184
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An input device for effective navigation, a user interface device and a user interface method, and a computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program to perform the method, the user interface device including a display unit, a rotatable input unit used to instruct a movement and a selection of a highlighted item in the display unit, and a control unit to control the device to perform a function corresponding to the received signal when a movement signal or a rotation signal is received from the input unit.

Claims

1. A user interface device comprising:

a display unit to display a first menu comprising one or more selectable menu items parallel to a first direction and a second direction and a selection mark;

an input unit comprising;

a movement instruction unit to output a movement signal instructing a movement of the selection mark in the first direction or the second direction among the one or more selectable menu items parallel to the first direction and the second direction, and

a rotation unit that is rotatable to output a rotation signal instructing a selection of a selectable menu item distinguished by the selection mark in the display unit;

wherein the movement instruction unit is rotated along with the rotation unit, and outputs a movement signal instructing a movement of the selection mark in a third direction or a fourth direction perpendicular to the first and second directions when the rotation unit is rotated in a first rotation direction; and

a control unit to generate a second menu corresponding to the selectable item distinguished by the selection mark and to control the display unit to display the generated second menu, the second menu comprising menu items arranged parallel to the third and fourth directions, when a first rotation signal indicating that the rotation unit is rotated in the first rotation direction from the rotation unit, and

remove the second menu from the display unit when a second rotation signal indicating that the rotation unit is rotated in a second rotation direction from the rotation unit.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selection mark is a highlight.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement instruction unit receives a first direction input to instruct the movement of the selection mark in a first direction, and a second direction input to instruct the movement of the selection mark in a second direction.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the movement instruction unit comprises a touch sensor to sense touches in at least two directions to receive the first direction input or the second direction input; and

the movement signal is generated from the touches in the at least two directions.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the input unit comprises a portion on which the touch sensor operates that is visibly distinct on a surface of the input unit and is provided to have a length, longer than a width, running horizontally or vertically on the surface of the input unit.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation unit is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise at an angle of substantially 90°

by user manipulation.

7. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the movement instruction unit comprises at least two input keys to receive the first direction input or the second direction input; and

the movement signal is generated from presses of the at least two input keys.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input unit comprises a portion on which the movement instruction unit operates that is visibly distinct on a surface of the input unit and is provided to have a length, longer than a width, running horizontally or vertically on the surface of the input unit.

9. A user interface method used in a device including a rotatable input unit, the method comprising:

displaying a first menu in which one or more selectable menu items are arranged parallel to a first direction and a second direction;

in response to a movement signal from a movement instruction unit of the input unit, performing a movement of a selection mark in the first direction or the second direction among the selectable menu items parallel to the first direction and the second direction;

in response to a first rotation signal from a rotation unit of the input unit indicating that the rotation unit of the input unit is rotated in a first rotation direction, generating a second menu corresponding to the selectable item distinguished by the selection mark, the second menu comprising menu items arranged parallel to a third and fourth directions perpendicular to the first and second directions, displaying the generated second menu, and rotating the movement input unit along with the rotation unit;

in response to a movement signal from the rotated movement instruction unit, performing a movement of a selection mark in the third direction or the fourth direction among the menu items parallel to the third and fourth directions; and

in response to a second rotation signal from the rotation unit indicating that the rotation unit is rotated in a second rotation direction, removing the second menu from the display unit and rotating the movement input unit along with the rotation unit.

10. A computer readable recording medium encoded with the method of claim 9 implemented by a computer.