Screen display apparatus, program, and screen display method

• US 20050022236A1
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Kazuhiro, Maruyama, Tetsuo, Ito, Akihiko, Nakano, Hiroaki, Eshita, Shusuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

A screen display apparatus for controlling the size each display area to appropriately display content information of each display area into one display screen. The screen display apparatus includes a selection accept block for accepting selection of first content information displayed in a first display area, a content information acquisition block for acquiring the content information associated with the selected first content information, this content information being second content information located on a layer below the first content information, and, in order to allocate a second display area for displaying the second content information to the display screen, a display area control block for controlling either or both of the first display area and the second display area.

Claims

1. A screen display apparatus for displaying at least one piece of content information onto a display area in a display screen, comprising:

a selection accept block for accepting selection of first content information displayed in a first display area;

a content information acquisition block for acquiring content information associated with said selected first content information, said content information being second content information located on a layer below said first content information; and

a display area control block for controlling at least one of said first display area and said second display area in order to allocate a second display area for displaying said second content information to said display screen.

2. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display control block dynamically controls at least one of said first display area and said second display area in accordance with an information amount of at least said second content information.

3. The screen display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said display area control block controls the size of at least one of said first display area and said second display area.

4. The screen display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said display area control block reduces the size of at least one of said first display area and said second display area.

5. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display area control block controls the size of at least one of said first display area and said second display area so as to allocate said first display area and said second display area into said display screen.

6. The screen display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said display screen displays said first display area and said second display area in a layered manner.

7. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display control block controls said display area so as to display only a part of said content information onto said display area.

8. The screen display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said display area control block reduces the size of said display area.

9. The screen display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said content information partially includes selected content information.

10. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a partial acquisition block for partially acquiring content information associated with a selected part of said content information.

11. The screen display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said screen display block displays said partially selected part of said content information and said associated part acquired by said partial acquisition block onto said display area.

12. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display area control block controls a pattern in which said display area changes in size.

13. The screen display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display area control block controls a pattern in which said display area changes in position.

14. A computer program for making a computer function as a screen display apparatus for displaying at least one piece of content information onto a display area in a display screen, comprising:

selection accept means for accepting selection of first content information displayed in a first display area;

content information acquisition means for acquiring content information associated with said selected first content information, said content information being second content information located on a layer below said first content information; and

display area control means for controlling at least one of said first display area and said second display area in order to allocate a second display area for displaying said second content information to said display screen.

15. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein said display control means dynamically controls at least one of said first display area and said second display area in accordance with an information amount of at least said second content information.

16. The computer program according to claim 15, wherein said display area control means controls the size of at least one of said first display area and said second display area.

17. The computer program according to claim 16, wherein said display area control means reduces the size of at least one of said first display area and said second display area.

18. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein said display area control means controls the size of at least one of said first display area and said second display area so as to allocate said first display area and said second display area into said display screen.

19. The computer program according to claim 18, wherein said screen display means displays said first display area and said second display area in a layered manner.

20. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein said display area control means controls said display area so as to display only a part of said content information onto said display area.

21. The computer program according to claim 20, wherein said display area control means reduces the size of said display area.

22. The computer program according to claim 21, wherein said content information partially includes selected content information.

23. The computer program according to claim 14, further comprising partial acquisition means for partially acquiring content information associated with a selected part of said content information.

24. The computer program according to claim 23, wherein said screen display means displays said partially selected part of said content information and said associated part acquired by said partial acquisition block onto said display area.

25. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein said display area control means controls a pattern in which said display area changes in size.

26. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein said display area control means controls a pattern in which said display area changes in position.

27. A screen display method for displaying at least one piece of content information onto a display area in a display screen, comprising the steps of:

accepting selection of first content information displayed in a first display area;

acquiring content information associated with said selected first content information, said content information being second content information located on a layer below said first content information; and

controlling at least one of said first display area and said second display area in order to allocate a second display area for displaying said second content information to said display screen.

28. The screen display method according to claim 27, wherein, in accordance with an information amount of at least said second content information, said display control step dynamically controls at least one of said first display area and said second display area.

29. The screen display method according to claim 28, wherein said display area control step controls the size of at least one of said first display area and said second display area.

30. The screen display method according to claim 29, wherein said display area control step reduces the size of at least one of said first display area and said second display area.

31. The screen display method according to claim 27, wherein said display area control step controls the size of at least one of said first display area and said second display area so as to allocate said first display area and said second display area into said display screen.

32. The screen display method according to claim 31, wherein said display screen step displays said first display area and said second display area in a layered manner.

33. The screen display method according to claim 27, wherein said display area control step controls said display area so as to display only a part of said content information onto said display area.

34. The screen display method according to claim 33, wherein said display area control step reduces the size of said display area.

35. The screen display method according to claim 34, wherein said content information partially includes selected content information.

36. The screen display method according to claim 27, further comprising:

a partial acquisition step for partially acquiring content information associated with a selected part of said content information.

37. The screen display method according to claim 36, wherein said screen display step displays said partially selected part of said content information and said associated part acquired by said partial acquisition step onto said display area.

38. The screen display method according to claim 27, wherein said display area control step controls a pattern in which said display area changes in size.

39. The screen display method according to claim 27, wherein said display area control step controls a pattern in which said display area changes in position.