Digital device and user interface control method thereof

• US 8,806,380 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Moon, Min-jeong, Kang, Young-mi, Kim, Young-sun, Seo, Joon-kyu, Kim, Yoon-ji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kujundzic, Dino
• Application Number:
  US12/505,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20100077353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 715/732, 715/786, 715/787
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

A digital device and a UI control method thereof are provided. A user interface (UI) generator generates a UI, a controller controls the UI generator to generate a UI which includes a menu area to display a list of contents for a sub-category from one or more sub-categories and a scroll bar to display information on the respective sub-categories, and a display unit displays the generated UI.

Claims

1. A digital device comprising:

a user interface (UI) generator which generates a UI;

a controller which controls the UI generator to generate a UI which includes a menu area to display a list of contents for each sub-category of one or more sub-categories and a scroll bar to display information on respective sub-categories of the one or more sub-categories; and

a display unit which displays the generated UI,

wherein the UI generator divides the scroll bar to generate a plurality of areas corresponding to the respective sub-categories, and

when one of the plurality of areas corresponding to the respective sub-categories is selected by a user input, the controller controls a cursor to be positioned on one of contents included in the sub-category corresponding to the selected area,

wherein the cursor is moved between the scroll bar and the menu area corresponding to the user input, and a selected portion of the divided scroll bar area and a selected portion of the menu area are highlighted when the cursor is placed on the respective selective portions.

2. The digital device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UI generator displays the information on the respective sub-categories in the corresponding areas.

3. The digital device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a storage unit which stores the contents,

wherein the controller classifies the stored contents into the one or more sub-categories and determines an amount of contents belonging to each of the one or more sub-categories, and the UI generator changes a size of each divided area based on the determined amount of contents.

4. The digital device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a user input unit which controls a moving direction of the cursor to select one of the divided areas,

wherein the UI generator displays a list of contents belonging to the respective sub-category corresponding to the selected area on the menu area.

5. The digital device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the UI generator displays on the scroll bar an indicator that indicates a relative position of the contents selected from the displayed list of contents.

6. The digital device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller identifies the respective sub-category to which the selected contents belong,

wherein the UI generator displays the indicator on an area of the scroll bar corresponding to the identified respective sub-category.

7. The digital device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the UI generator displays all or a part of the divided areas of the scroll bar on the UI.

8. The digital device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scroll bar is located on one of an upper end, a lower end, a left side and a right side of the menu area.

9. The digital device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contents are at least one of a still picture file, a music file, a motion picture file, and a text file.

10. A method of controlling a user interface (UI) of a digital device, the method comprising:

generating a user interface;

displaying a list of contents for each sub-category of one or more sub-categories in a menu area of the UI;

displaying a scroll bar which displays information on respective sub-categories of the one or more sub-categories on the UI,

dividing the scroll bar to generate a plurality of areas corresponding to the respective sub-categories, and

selecting one of the scroll bar and the menu area by using a cursor which is movable between the scroll bar and the menu area;

wherein when one of the plurality of areas corresponding to the respective sub-categories is selected by a user input, controlling a cursor to be positioned on one of contents included in the sub-category corresponding to the selected area, and

a selected portion of the divided scroll bar area and a selected portion of the menu area are highlighted when the cursor is placed on the respective selective portions.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the displaying of the scroll bar displays information on the respective sub-categories in the corresponding areas.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

storing the contents; and

classifying the stored contents into the one or more sub-categories and determining an amount of contents belonging to each of the one or more sub-categories,

wherein the displaying of the scroll bar changes a size of each divided area based on the determined amount of contents.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

selecting one of the divided areas; and

displaying a list of contents belonging to the respective sub-category corresponding to the selected area on the menu area.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising displaying on the scroll bar an indicator that indicates a relative position of the contents selected from the list of contents displayed on the menu area.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising identifying the respective sub-category to which the selected contents belong,

wherein the indicator is displayed on an area of the scroll bar corresponding to the identified respective sub-category.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein all or a part of the divided areas of the scroll bar are displayed on the UI.

17. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the scroll bar is located on one of an upper end, a lower end, a left side or a right side of the menu area.

18. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the contents are at least one of a still picture file, a music file, a motion picture file, and a text file.