Method for providing GUI and multimedia device using the same

• US 8,839,106 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Eun-hye, Seung, Jung-ah
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): DALRYMPLE, TROY S
• Application Number:
  US12/061,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20090073132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,357 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/681, 345/156, 345/168, 345/634, 715/700, 715/764
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) and a multimedia device using the same. The method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) includes displaying first GUI items selectable by a user on a screen, removing from the screen at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen by zooming in or zooming out, and additionally displaying on the screen at least one second GUI item that was not displayed on the screen by zooming in or zooming out. Accordingly, a GUI to provide more convenient manipulation and better visual effect on a small screen can be provided.

Claims

1. A method of providing a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

displaying first GUI items of different sizes and different clarity selectable by a user on a screen; and

removing from the screen at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen by touching the screen and dragging an area of the screen thereby generating a zooming in or a zooming out of the at least one of the first GUI items and displaying on the screen at least one second GUI item that was not previously displayed on the screen, wherein the removing of the at least one of the first GUI items and the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item are performed simultaneously by dragging the area of the screen where the first GUI items are not displayed, wherein a number of the removed at least one of the first GUI items is the same as a number of the added at least one second GUI item, wherein sizes of the at least one of the first GUI items and the at least one second GUI item are changed by the zooming in or the zooming out of the at least one of the first GUI items when removing the at least one of the first GUI items and the additionally displaying of the at least one second GUI item, and wherein the different clarity of the displayed first GUI items based on the different sizes is indicated by a position guide simultaneously displayed on the screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen is removed from the screen by zooming in, the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item comprises displaying the at least one second GUI item by zooming in.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the removing of the at least one of the first GUI items comprises moving the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen outside of the screen by zooming in the at least one of the first GUI items and removing the at least one of the first GUI items from the screen; and

the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item which is not previously displayed on the screen comprises moving the at least one second GUI item inside of the screen by zooming in the at least one of the first GUI items and displaying the at least one second GUI item on the screen.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the removing of the at least one of the first GUI items comprises decreasing the clarity of the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen by zooming in the at least one of the first GUI items and removing the at least one of the first GUI items from the screen; and

the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item comprises increasing the clarity of the at least one second GUI item by zooming in the at least one second GUI item and displaying the at least one second GUI item on the screen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen is removed from the screen by zooming out the at least one of the first GUI items, the at least one second GUI item which is not displayed on the screen is displayed by zooming out the at least one of the first GUI items.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the removing of the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen comprises moving the at least one of the first GUI items within the limits of the screen by zooming out the at least one of the first GUI items and removing the at least one of the first GUI items from the screen; and

the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item which is not displayed on the screen comprises moving the at least one second GUI item from the outside of the screen to the inside of the screen by zooming out the at least one of the first GUI items and displaying the at least one second GUI item on the screen.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the removing of the at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen comprises decreasing the clarity of the least one of the first GUI items by zooming out the at least one of the first GUI items and removing the at least one of the first GUI items from the screen; and

the additional displaying of the at least one second GUI item which is not displayed on the screen comprises increasing the clarity of the at least one second GUI item by zooming out the at least one of the first GUI items and displaying the at least one second GUI item on the screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the clarity of a medium-sized GUI item from among the first GUI items displayed on the screen is greater than the clarity of the remaining GUI items displayed on the screen.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the user drags a portion of the screen;

wherein the removing and the additional displaying are performed if the user drags the portion of the screen.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the number of removed GUI items and the number of additionally displayed second GUI items are determined according to the distance dragged by the user.

11. A multimedia device comprising:

a GUI generation unit to display first GUI items of different sizes and different clarity and selectable by a user on a screen; and

a control unit to operate the GUI generation unit so as to remove from the screen at least one of the first GUI items displayed on the screen by touching the screen and dragging an area of the screen thereby generating a zooming in or zooming out of the at least one of the first GUI items and displaying on the screen at least one second GUI item that was not previously displayed on the screen, wherein the at least one of the first GUI items removed from the screen and the at least one second GUI item additionally displayed on the screen are performed simultaneously by dragging the area of the screen where the at least one of the first GUI items are not displayed, wherein a number of the removed at least one of first GUI items is the same as a number of second GUI items, wherein sizes of the at least one of the first GUI items and the at least one second GUI item are changed by the zooming in or the zooming out of the at least one of the first GUI items when removing the at least one of the first GUI items and the additionally displaying of the at least one second GUI item, and wherein the different clarity of the displayed first GUI items based on the different sizes is indicated by a position guide simultaneously displayed on the screen.

12. The multimedia device of claim 11, further comprising:

a touch screen to display the first and second GUI items and to permit the user to manipulate the GUI items.

13. The multimedia device of claim 12, wherein the touch screen permits the user to manipulate the GUI items by dragging a finger across the touch screen.

14. The multimedia device of claim 11, further comprising:

a multimedia function block to perform at least one predetermined function of the multimedia device.

15. A multimedia device comprising:

a touch screen;

a GUI generation unit to display a plurality of first GUI items selectable by a user on the touch screen; and

a control unit to control the GUI generation unit to display the plurality of first GUI items of different sizes and different clarity on the touch screen, to remove at least one of the plurality of first GUI items from the touch screen by zooming in or zooming out the at least one of the plurality of first GUI items and to display on the touch screen at least one second GUI item that was not previously displayed on the touch screen, wherein the at least one of the plurality of first GUI items removed from the touch screen and the at least one second GUI item additionally displayed on the touch screen are performed simultaneously by dragging an area of the touch screen where the at least one of the plurality of first GUI items are not displayed, wherein a number of removed first GUI items is the same as a number of added second GUI items, wherein sizes of the at least one of the plurality of first GUI items and the at least one second GUI item are changed by the zooming in or the zooming out of the at least one of the plurality of first GUI items when removing the at least one of the plurality of first GUI items and the additionally displaying of the at least one second GUI item, and wherein the different clarity of the displayed plurality of first GUI items based on the different sizes is indicated by the a position guide simultaneously displayed on the touch screen.

16. The multimedia device of claim 15, wherein, with respect to at least one third GUI item of the plurality of first GUI items, the GUI generation unit displays only a portion of the third GUI item.

17. The multimedia device of claim 15, wherein, when zooming in toward or zooming out from at least one of the plurality of first GUI items, the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to increase the clarity of some of the plurality of first GUI items and to decrease the clarity of others of the plurality of first GUI items.

18. The multimedia device of claim 15, wherein:

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to zoom in when a user moves an input device in a first direction; and

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to zoom out when the user moves the input device in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

19. The multimedia device of claim 15, wherein:

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to continuously zoom in the at least one of the plurality of first GUI items when a user moves an input device in a first direction; and

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to continuously zoom out the at least one of the plurality of first GUI items when the user moves the input device in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

20. The multimedia device of claim 15, wherein:

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to move the plurality of first GUI items in a first direction when a user moves an input device in the first direction; and

the control unit controls the GUI generation unit to move the plurality of first GUI items in a second direction when the user moves the input device in the second direction.