Control device and control method thereof

• US 9,003,324 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Roh, Yeon-hee, Ko, Chang-seog, Yoo, Soung-min
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan S
• Application Number:
  US12/393,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 715/790, 715/716, 725/39, 725/41, 386/234
• US Class Current: 715/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805

Abstract

A control device which controls a device is disclosed. The control device can be connected to at least one external device, and includes a display unit which generates and displays a frame; and a control unit which controls the display unit to add at least one frame corresponding to each of the at least one external device or to pre-installed applications. The control unit further controls the display unit to display corresponding content in each frame.

Claims

1. A control device, which is connectable to at least one external device, the control device comprising:

a display unit to display a first screen for a first application;

an input unit to receive a user input for navigating application; and

a control unit to generate, in response to the user input, a second screen by reducing the first screen to a predetermined size and to control the display unit to display the second screen with at least two other screens in the same layer,

wherein the at least two other screens comprise a screen corresponding to a first external device connected to the control device and a screen corresponding to a second application which classifies contents provided by a second external device and the control device according to a type of contents and provides the classified contents,

wherein the second screen and the other screens are control screens for controlling the first and second external devices or the first and second applications, and

wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display the second screen which simultaneously displays broadcast contents currently received by the control device and the at least two other screens reproduced contents provided from the first and second external devices connected to the control device or the second application.

2. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to reduce a size of the current frame and display additional frames corresponding to each of the first and second external devices or the pre-installed applications on at least one side of the reduced frame.

3. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to reproduce within the each additional frame either content of at least one of the first and second external devices or of the pre-installed applications corresponding to the additional frame, or a content list for the at least one of the first and second external devices or the pre-installed applications corresponding to the additional frame.

4. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to arrange and display the current frame and the additional frames in a row.

5. The control device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control unit navigates among the arranged frames according to a user input.

6. The control device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

an input unit which receives a user command,

wherein at least one of a number of displayed frames, a deletion of a displayed frame, an addition of a displayed frame, a size of a displayed frame, and an order of display of displayed frames is set through the input unit.

7. The control device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display the arranged frames in a three-dimensional array, so that the arranged frames overlap each other in a sequence according to contents recently accessed by at least one of the first and second external devices and the pre-installed applications.

8. The control device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control unit navigates up and down or right and left among the arranged frames.

9. The control device as claimed in claim 7, wherein, if one of the arranged frames is selected, the control unit enlarges and displays the selected frame to cover an entire screen.

10. The control device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control unit controls an operation of one of the first and second external devices or pre-installed applications corresponding to the selected frame.

11. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second screen and the other screens are smaller than the first screen.

12. The control device as claimed in claim 11, wherein one of the second screen and the other screens can be displayed in an original size of the first screen in response to a user selection input.

13. A control method of a control device, which is connectable to at least one external device, the control method comprising:

displaying a first screen for a first application;

receiving a user input for navigating application; and

generating, in response to the user input, a second screen by reducing the first screen to a predetermined size and displaying the second screen with at least two other screens in the same layer; and

wherein the at least two other screens comprise a screen corresponding to a first external device connected to the control device and a screen corresponding to a second application which classifies contents provided by a second external device and the control device according to a type of contents and provides the classified contents,

wherein the second screen and the other screens are control screens for controlling the first and second external devices or the first and second applications, and

wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display the second screen which simultaneously displays broadcast contents currently received by the control device and the at least two other screens reproduced contents provided from the first and second external devices connected to the control device or the second application.

14. The control method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the generating the second screen and displaying the second screen with the at least two other screens comprises:

reducing a size of the current frame; and

displaying additional frames, corresponding to each of the first and second external devices or the pre-installed applications, on at least one side of the reduced frame.

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

arranging and displaying the current frame and the additional frames in a row.

16. The control method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising navigating among the arranged frames according to a user input.

17. The control method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

if one of the arranged frames is selected, enlarging and displaying the selected frame so as to cover an entire screen.

18. The control method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

controlling an operation of one of the first and second external devices or the pre-installed applications corresponding to the selected frame.

19. The control method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the arranged frames are displayed in a three-dimensional array, so that the arranged frames overlap each other in a sequence according to contents recently accessed by at least one of the first and second external devices and the pre-installed applications.

20. The control method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising navigating up and down or right and left among the arranged frames.

21. A non-transitory computer recording medium including an execution program for executing a control method of a control device, which is connectable to at least one external device, the control method comprising:

displaying a first screen for a first application;

receiving a user input for navigating application; and

generating, in response to the user input, a second screen by reducing the first screen to a predetermined size and displaying the second screen with at least two other screens in the same layer,

wherein the at least two other screens comprise a screen corresponding to a first external device connected to the control device and a screen corresponding to a second application which classifies contents provided by a second external device and the control device according to a type of contents and provides the classified contents,

wherein the second screen and the other screens are control screens for controlling the first and second external devices or the first and second applications, and

wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display the second screen which simultaneously displays broadcast contents currently received by the control device and the at least two other screens reproduced contents provided from the first and second external devices connected to the control device or the second application.

22. The non-transitory computer recording medium as claimed in claim 21, wherein the generating the second screen and displaying the second screen with the at least two other screens comprises:

reducing a size of the current frame; and

displaying additional frames, corresponding to each of the first and second external devices or the pre-installed applications, on at least one side of the reduced frame.

23. The non-transitory computer recording medium as claimed in claim 21, wherein the displaying, in each frame, content corresponding to each of the first and second external devices or the pre-installed applications comprises arranging and displaying the current frame and the additional frames in a row.

24. The non-transitory computer recording medium as claimed in claim 23, wherein the arranged frames are displayed in a three-dimensional array, so that the arranged frames overlap each other in a sequence according to contents recently accessed by at least one of the first and second external devices and the pre-installed applications.

25. The non-transitory computer recording medium as claimed in claim 24, wherein the control method further comprises:

if one of the arranged frames is selected, enlarging and displaying the selected frame so as to cover an entire screen.

26. The non-transitory computer recording medium as claimed in claim 25, wherein the control method further comprises:

controlling content of a pre-installed application corresponding to the selected frame.

27. The non-transitory computer recording medium as claimed in claim 23, wherein the control method further comprises:

navigating up and down or right and left among the arranged frames.