Display device and controlling method thereof

• US 8,560,976 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jihwan
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, DAEHO D
• Application Number:
  US13/722,652
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/708, 715/863, 715/841, 345/156, 345/661
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a display device, which can control a user interface being displayed by a user'"'"'s gaze and touch input, and a controlling method thereof and a controlling method of the same. The method for controlling the display device includes a hierarchical user interface and also includes displaying at least one control interface, detecting a user'"'"'s gaze selecting one of the displayed control interface, transmitting information for providing a portable device with a sub-control interface of the control interface selected by the user'"'"'s gaze, to the portable device, and receiving a control signal respective to the selected control interface from the portable device, and executing the received control signal. Herein, the portable device may provide the sub-control interface to a user with tactile feedback, may generate the control signal in accordance with a detected touch input, and may transmit the generated control signal to the display device.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a display unit configured to display a first user interface;

a sensor unit configured to detect a user'"'"'s gaze selecting the displayed first user interface;

a communication unit configured to transmit information of the selected first user interface for providing a portable device with a second user interface to control the selected first user interface, to the portable device, to generate tactile buttons corresponding to the second user interface on the portable device, and to receive a control signal respective to the tactile buttons of the second user interface from the portable device; and

a controller configured to execute the received control signal,

wherein the portable device is configured to receive the information of the selected first user interface transmitted from the display device, to provide the second user interface according to the received information of the selected first interface, to detect a touch input respective to the second user interface, and to transmit the control signal according to the detected touch input to the display device,

wherein the second user interface is a subordinate user interface of the first user interface in a hierarchical user interface,

wherein the first user interface is displayed not in the portable device but in the display device, and

wherein the second user interface is displayed not in the display device but in the portable device.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the tactile buttons represent a position, size, and shape of the second user interface.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first user interface includes a fixed control interface and a movable control interface, and

wherein the second user interface is the movable control interface corresponding to at least a portion of the first user interface.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the portable device positions the movable control interface of the second user interface to an area where the touch input is detected, and transmits the control signal controlling the movable control interface of the first user interface to the display device.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the information of the selected first user interface includes information on the first user interface, information activating the second user interface being provided by the portable device, or information on a shape and size of the second user interface.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first user interface includes a slider interface, and wherein the slider interface includes a slider and a bar corresponding to a movement path of the slider.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the slider interface divides a touch sensitive area of the portable device into a first area and a second area with respect to the bar, and wherein, when the slider is moved by the touch input on the first area, and when the slider is moved by the touch input on the second area, a different control signal is generated respectively.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first user interface and the second user interface corresponding to the first user interface have the same shape.

9. The display device of claim 1, wherein, when the display device further displays a third user interface and the user'"'"'s gaze is moved from the first user interface to the third user interface, information of the third user interface is provided to the portable device according to the user'"'"'s gaze.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein, when the portable device detects a touch input respective to the second user interface, the sensor unit temporarily pauses a process of detecting the user'"'"'s gaze for the first user interface.

11. The display device of claim 1, wherein, when the display device further displays a third user interface, the communication unit transmits the information of the selected first user interface along with information of the third user interface for providing the portable device with a fourth user interface, to the portable device, wherein the fourth user interface is a subordinate user interface of the third user interface which is not selected by the user'"'"'s gaze.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the portable device provides the reduced-size fourth user interface.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first user interface is a playback control interface, and wherein the second user interface includes at least one of Play, Pause, Stop, Fast Forward, and Rewind.

14. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first user interface is a volume control interface, and wherein the second user interface includes at least one of Volume Up, Volume Down, and Mute.

15. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first user interface is a channel control interface, and wherein the second user interface includes at least one of Channel Up, Channel Down, and Return to Previous Channel.

16. The display device of claim 1, wherein, when the touch input to the second user interface is detected by the portable device, the display unit is further configured to display an indicator indicating that the first user interface is under control.

17. The display device of claim 1, wherein, when the first user interface is selected, the display unit is further configured to display an indicator indicating that the first user interface is selected by the user'"'"'s gaze.

18. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second user interface is provided with tactile feedback on the portable device.

19. A method for controlling a display device, the method comprising:

displaying a first user interface;

detecting a user'"'"'s gaze selecting the displayed first user interface;

transmitting information of the selected first user interface for providing a portable device with a second user interface to control the selected first user interface, to the portable device;

generating tactile buttons corresponding to the second user interface on the portable device;

receiving a control signal respective to the tactile buttons of the second user interface from the portable device; and

executing the received control signal,

wherein the portable device is configured to receive the information of the selected first user interface transmitted from the display device, to provide the second user interface according to the received information of the selected first user interface, to detect a touch input respective to the second user interface, and to transmit the control signal according to the detected touch input, to the display device,

wherein the second user interface is a subordinate user interface of the first user interface in a hierarchical user interface,

wherein the first user interface is displayed not in the portable device but in the display device, and

wherein the second user interface is displayed not in the display device but in the portable device.