User terminal apparatus, display apparatus, user interface providing method and controlling method thereof

• US 9,432,717 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2011
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Doh-hyeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiberou, Mahelet
• Application Number:
  US13/244,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,801 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80

Abstract

A user terminal apparatus is provided. The user terminal apparatus includes a communication interface unit which receives user interface (UI) information data regarding a UI screen corresponding to at least one application displayed on an external apparatus in communication with the external apparatus, a storage unit which stores a UI information conversion format, an information conversion unit which converts the received UI information data using the UI information conversion format, a display unit which displays a UI screen, and a control unit which controls the information conversion unit to convert the UI information data received by the communication interface unit using the UI information conversion format and display on the display unit the UI screen corresponding to the converted UI information data.

Claims

1. A user terminal apparatus for controlling an external television apparatus comprising:

a communication unit which is configured to communicate with the external television apparatus;

a display unit; and

a control unit which is configured;

to control the display unit to display a first menu screen comprising a menu icon for controlling a channel of the external television apparatus, and, in response to a user input for entering a second menu screen for displaying a plurality of application items received via the first menu screen, to display an application item list comprising the plurality of application items based on information regarding a plurality of applications executable in the external television apparatus received from the external television apparatus through the communication unit; and

in response to selecting an application item among the plurality of application items displayed on the display unit, to transmit a control signal for executing an application, corresponding to the selected application item, among the plurality of applications, to the external television apparatus via the communication unit,

wherein the plurality of application items displayed on the display unit correspond to the plurality of applications which are executable in the external television apparatus, respectively.

2. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a user interface unit configured to receive a user command for selecting the application item among the plurality of application items,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control the user terminal apparatus to transmit another control signal for controlling the application corresponding to the selected application item in accordance with the user command, search at least one connectable external television apparatus, and display an icon corresponding to at least one searched external television apparatus.

3. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to control the communication interface unit to receive the information regarding the plurality of applications executable in the external television apparatus corresponding to a selected icon from among icons corresponding to the at least one searched external television apparatus.

4. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a movement sensing unit configured to sense a movement of the user terminal apparatus,

wherein the control unit, if there is a movement of the user terminal apparatus after a predetermined event occurs, is configured to control an operation state of the external television apparatus in accordance with a degree of the movement sensed by the movement sensing unit.

5. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the display unit comprises as a touch screen, and wherein the predetermined event is a touch event by a user.

6. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an application driving unit configured to drive and execute the application corresponding to the selected application item, among the plurality of applications of the external television apparatus.

7. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the application corresponding to the selected application item is a self-executable application program and includes multimedia content.

8. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information regarding the plurality of application executable in the external television apparatus is received from the external television apparatus via the communication unit.

9. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the display unit to display the application item list comprising the plurality of application items if a user inputs a command to enter an application-exclusive menu.

10. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the display unit to display the application item list comprising the plurality of application items in a list form.

11. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the display unit to display a search widget to allow the user to search for an application item from among the plurality of application items in the application item list.

12. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to, in response to selecting the application item among the plurality of application items, control the display unit to display a plurality of contents provided by the application, corresponding to the selected application item, among the plurality of applications.

13. The user terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control unit is further configured to, in response to at least one of the plurality of contents being selected by a user, control the display unit to display a content specific user interface provided by the application, corresponding to the selected application item, among the plurality of applications of the external television apparatus.

14. The user terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in order to control the display unit to display the application item list, the control unit is configured to reconfigure the information, regarding the plurality of applications executable in the external television apparatus, on the display unit so that the application item list appears on the display unit differently from an application item list displayed on the external television apparatus.

15. The user terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein, after the application is executed, the control unit is configured to transmit a user command to the external television apparatus to control the executed application on the external television apparatus.

16. A method for providing a user interface (UI) of a user terminal apparatus for controlling an external television apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding a plurality of applications executable in the external television apparatus from the external television apparatus;

displaying a first menu screen comprising a menu icon for controlling a channel of the external television apparatus;

in response to a user input for entering a second menu screen for displaying a plurality of application items received via the first menu screen, displaying an application item list comprising the plurality of application items based on the received information regarding a plurality of applications executable in the external television apparatus received from the external television apparatus;

transmitting, in response to selection of an application item among the plurality of application items, control signal for executing an application, corresponding to the selected application item, among the plurality of application of the external television apparatus, to the external television apparatus,

wherein the plurality of application items correspond to the plurality of applications, respectively.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising receiving a user command for selecting the application item among the plurality of application items,

wherein the transmitting comprises:

transmitting the control signal for controlling the application corresponding to the selected application item in accordance with the user command;

searching at least one connectable external television apparatus; and

displaying an icon corresponding to at least one searched external television apparatus.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising receiving information regarding the plurality of applications executable in the external television apparatus corresponding to a selected icon from among icons corresponding to the at least one searched external television apparatus.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising, if a movement of the user terminal apparatus is sensed after a predetermined event occurs, controlling an operation state of the external television apparatus in accordance with a degree of sensed movement.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the display unit comprises a touch screen, and wherein the predetermined event is a touch event by a user.

21. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the information regarding the plurality of application executable in the external television apparatus is received from the external television apparatus via the communication unit.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the displaying further includes displaying the application item list comprising the plurality of application items if a user inputs a command to enter an application-exclusive menu.

23. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the displaying further includes displaying the application item list comprising the plurality of application items in a list form.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the displaying further includes, in response to at least one of the plurality of contents being selected by a user, displaying a content specific user interface provided by the application, corresponding to the selected application item, among the plurality of applications of the external television apparatus.

25. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the displaying further includes displaying a search widget to allow the user to search for an application item from among the plurality of application items in the application item list.

26. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the displaying further includes, in response to selecting the application item among the plurality of application items, displaying a plurality of contents provided by the application, corresponding to the selected application item, among the plurality of applications.

27. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the method further comprising, in order to display the application item list, reconfiguring the information, regarding the plurality of applications executable in the external television apparatus, on the display unit so that the application item list appears on a display of the user terminal differently from an application item list displayed on the external television apparatus.

28. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the method further comprising, after the application is executed, transmitting a user command to the external television apparatus to control the executed application on the external television apparatus.