Pointing method and pointing control apparatus

• US 20050156896A1
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yu, Kyong-yong
• Application Number:
  US11/019,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20050156896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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

Abstract

A pointing control apparatus including: an input unit including a plurality of direction keys and a screen division mode control key, the input unit outputting a screen division mode signal key signal in response to a pressing of the screen division mode control key and outputting a direction key signal in response to a pressing of a direction key; a display unit which displays data on a screen; and a control unit which, when a screen division mode control key signal is received, divides the screen, and, when a direction key signal is received, moves a pointer on the display unit by a screen division interval in a direction indicated by the received direction key signal.

Claims

1. A pointing control apparatus comprising:

an input unit including a plurality of direction keys and a screen division mode control key, the input unit outputting a screen division mode signal key signal in response to a pressing of the screen division mode control key and outputting a direction key signal in response to a pressing of a direction key;

a display unit which displays data on a screen; and

a control unit which, when the screen division mode control key signal is received, divides the screen, and, when the direction key signal is received, moves a pointer on the display unit by a screen division interval in a direction indicated by the received direction key signal.

2. The pointing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the screen division mode control key includes a division increase request key and a division decrease request key which respectively increase and decrease a number of area divisions of the screen.

3. The pointing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit allows a screen division interval to be displayed on the display unit, the screen division interval corresponding to a screen division mode set in response to the screen division mode control key signal.

4. The pointing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the screen division interval each time the screen division mode control key signal is received.

5. A pointing control apparatus comprising:

a remote controller having a plurality of direction keys and a screen division mode control key and which outputs a key signal in response to a pressing of a key;

a display unit which displays on a screen received broadcasting signals and/or data;

a receiving unit which receives the key signal; and

a control unit which, when the key signal is a screen division mode control key signal, divides the screen, and, when the key signal is a direction key signal, moves a pointer on the display unit by a screen division interval in a direction indicated by the received direction key signal.

6. A pointing method used in a system of which functions are controlled by an input unit comprising a plurality of direction keys and a screen division mode control key, comprising:

dividing a data output screen in accordance with a selected division mode when a division mode of the data output screen is selected by a pressing of the screen division mode control key; and

moving a pointer on the data output screen by a division interval in a direction indicated by a pressed direction key when a direction key is pressed.

7. The pointing method according to claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the division interval corresponding to the selected division mode on the data output screen.

8. The pointing method according to claim 6, wherein the division mode includes a plurality of division modes for increasing the number of divisions of the data output screen and a plurality of division modes for decreasing the number of divisions of the data output screen.

9. The pointing method according to claim 6, further comprising:

varying the division mode of the data output screen using the screen division mode control key, so that the division interval is changed at least once while moving the pointer up to a desired position.

10. A pointing control apparatus comprising:

a display unit which displays data on a screen; and

a control unit which receives a key signal from an input device and, when the key signal is a screen division mode control key signal, divides the screen in accordance with the key signal, and, when the key signal is a direction key signal, moves a pointer on the display unit by a screen division interval in a direction indicated by the key signal,

wherein the input unit includes a plurality of direction keys and a screen division mode control key and outputs a key signal indicating a screen division in response to a pressing of the screen division mode signal key and outputs a key signal indicating a direction in response to a pressing of the direction key.

11. The pointing control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input unit includes a selection key, the key signal indicates a selection in response to a pressing of the selection key, and the control unit selects an object displayed on the screen when the key signal indicated a selection.

12. A method of increasing a speed of pointing a pointer on a screen, comprising:

determining whether a pressed key is a screen division mode control key and, when the pressed key is a screen division mode control key, increasing or decreasing a number of screen divisions;

determining whether the pressed key is a direction key when the pressed key is not a screen division mode control key and when the pressed key is a direction key, moving the pointer by a division interval in a direction indicated by the pressed key; and

performing a function corresponding to the pressed key when the pressed key is not a screen division mode control key or a direction key.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the function is a selecting operation.