Display apparatus for displaying widget windows, display system including the display apparatus, and a display method thereof

• US 9,037,984 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Hyun-cheol, Seo, Joon-kyu, Bae, Hee-jeong, Park, Jong-chan, Kim, Yoon-ji, Park, Da-hye
• Primary Examiner(s): NABI, REZA U
• Application Number:
  US12/273,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20090300146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,373 Days
• Field of Search: 715/760
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A method for displaying widget windows is provided, including generating a widget display screen including at least one widget window, determining if a display area of the at least one widget window satisfies a preset threshold condition, and adding a new widget display screen including a new widget window if the threshold condition is satisfied. Accordingly, services can be provided through widget windows without preventing the viewer from viewing the TV, thereby enhancing user convenience.

Claims

1. A display method, comprising:

displaying a widget screen including one or more widgets;

receiving a request to display at least one new widget;

determining, based on a preset criteria, whether to generate a new widget screen; and

according to the determining, displaying the new widget on the displayed widget screen or the new widget screen,

wherein the preset criteria is when a size of a display area of the at least one widget window with respect to the entire widget display screen exceeds a preset threshold rate, wherein the preset criteria is applied in determining whether to display the new widget on the displayed widget screen or whether to generate the new widget screen for the new widget,

wherein the widget display screen comprises a plurality of icons to change a content category provided by the widget display screen, and

wherein in response to the one of the plurality of icons is selected changing and displaying different content category based on a direction of the selected icon.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

alternately displaying the displayed widget screen and the new widget screen according to a user command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the preset criteria is at least one of when a number of widget window exceeds a threshold value which represents a number of widget windows allowable in a single widget display screen and when a size of a display area of the at least one widget window with respect to the entire widget display screen exceeds a preset threshold rate.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface window to ask a user whether to add a new widget screen if the preset criteria indicates that the entire widget display screen exceeds a preset threshold rate.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if one of the at least one widget window is selected and a direction is selected, changing and displaying a content or a content category which is provided by the selected widget window according to the selected direction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving selection of a widget display pattern,

wherein a widget display pattern of the new widget screen is the same as the widget display pattern of the displayed widget screen.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of a widget display pattern, wherein:

a widget display pattern of the new widget screen is the same as the widget display pattern of the displayed widget screen,

if one of the at least one widget window is selected and a first additional first additional input is received, changing and displaying a first content category provided by the selected widget window based on the first additional input,

if said one of the at least one widget window is selected and a second additional input is received, changing and displaying a second content category provided by the selected widget window based on the second additional input different from the first additional input, and

the first content category and the second content category is different.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of a widget display pattern for each of the displayed widget screens.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the new widget screen is generated, the displaying comprising displaying a screen, wherein the screen comprises

the displayed widget screen including said one or more widgets and the new widget screen including the new widget.

10. A display apparatus, comprising:

a generating unit which generates a widget screen including one or more widgets;

an input unit which receives a request to display at least one new widget;

a determination unit which determines based on a preset criteria, whether the generating unit is to generate a new widget screen; and

a control unit which controls to display the new widget on the displayed widget screen or the new widget screen according to the determining,

wherein the preset criteria is when a size of a display area of the at least one widget window with respect to the entire widget display screen exceeds a preset threshold rate,

wherein the preset criteria is applied in determining whether to display the new widget on the displayed widget screen or whether to generate the new widget screen for the new widget,

wherein the widget display screen comprises a plurality of icons to change a content category provided by the widget display screen, and wherein in response to the one of the plurality of icons is selected changing and displaying different content category based on a direction of the selected icon.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit controls to alternately display the displayed widget screen and the new widget screen according to a user command.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the preset criteria is at least one of when a number of widget window exceeds a threshold value which represents a number of widget windows allowable in a single widget display screen and when a size of a display area of the at least one widget window with respect to the entire widget display screen exceeds a preset threshold rate.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit controls to provide a user interface window to ask a user whether to add the new widget screen if the preset criteria indicates that the entire widget display screen exceeds a preset threshold rate.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein if one of the at least one widget window is selected and a direction is selected, the control unit controls to change and display a content or a content category which is provided by the selected widget window according to the selected direction.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input unit receives selection of a widget display pattern, and

wherein a widget display pattern of the new widget screen is the same as the widget display pattern of the displayed widget screen.