Method and apparatus for providing user interface in portable terminal

• US 10,082,930 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2011
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Joo, Han Jo
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heffington, John M
• Application Number:
  US13/316,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20120174033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,479 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for providing a user interface in a portable terminal without a touch screen are provided. The method includes outputting one of a plurality of menu pages, each menu page including a plurality of icons respectively linked to a specific function and arranged in multiple columns and rows, determining whether a key signal requesting movement is input, determining whether the input key signal exceeds a preset reference value when the key signal is input, and moving another of the plurality of menu pages when the input key signal exceeds the preset reference value, and moving a focus on the output menu page when the input key signal does not exceed the preset reference value.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

outputting one of a plurality of menu pages, each menu page including a plurality of icons respectively linked to a specific function and arranged in multiple columns and rows;

determining whether a key signal requesting movement is input;

determining whether the input key signal exceeds a preset reference value when the key signal is input; and

moving to another of the plurality of menu pages when the input key signal exceeds the preset reference value, and moving a focus on the output menu page when the input key signal does not exceed the preset reference value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving to the other of the plurality of menu pages comprises:

determining a moving direction of the key signal and determining whether there is a menu page in the moving direction; and

outputting a next menu page when there is the menu page in the moving direction, and processing an error when there is no menu page in the moving direction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the processing of the error comprises at least one of outputting a pop-up window or outputting a sound effect indicating an error.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the processing of the error comprises outputting an animation effect in which a final menu page is removed and returned.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the key signal is generated by one of a keypad, an optical joystick, a ball joystick, a wheel key, or a virtual keypad of a touch-screen.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the keypad comprises at least one of an arrow key or a volume key.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the reference value comprises a key input time period when the key signal is generated by the keypad.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the reference value comprises a velocity when the key signal is generated by one of the optical joystick, the ball joystick, or the wheel key.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving to the other of the plurality of menu pages comprises maintaining a previous location of the focus after the movement to the other menu page.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving to the other of the plurality of menu pages comprises initializing a location of the focus to a preset location.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a function corresponding to a location of the focus when an enter key signal is input.

12. An apparatus for providing a user interface in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to output one of a plurality of menu pages, each menu page including a plurality of icons respectively linked to a specific function and arranged in multiple columns and rows;

an input unit configured to input a key signal requesting movement; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether the input key signal exceeds a preset reference value when the key signal is input from the input unit,

move, to another of the plurality of menu pages, when the input key signal exceeds the preset reference value, and

move a focus on the output menu page when the input key signal does not exceed the preset reference value.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a moving direction of the key signal,

determine whether there is a menu page in the moving direction when the key signal exceeds the reference value,

output a next menu page when there is the menu page in the moving direction, and

process an error when there is no menu page in the moving direction.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to process the error by at least one of outputting a pop-up window or outputting a sound effect indicating an error.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to process the error by outputting an animation effect in which a final menu page is removed and returned.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the key signal comprises one of a keypad, an optical joystick, a ball joystick, a wheel key, or a virtual keypad of a touch-screen.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the keypad comprises at least one of an arrow key or a volume key.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reference value comprises a key input time period when the key signal is generated by the keypad.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reference value comprises a velocity when the key signal is generated by one of the optical joystick, the ball joystick, or the wheel key.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to:

maintain a previous location of the focus after the movement to the other menu page, or

initialize a location of the focus to a preset location.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to execute a function corresponding to a location of the focus when an enter key signal is input.