Method and apparatus for navigating a menu in a display unit of an electronic device

• US 20060107237A1
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Huhn
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for navigating a menu shown on a display unit of an electronic device is provided. By measuring a time for moving a cursor on the menu and determining whether the measured cursor input time exceeds a pre-set threshold, one or more cursor moving methods may be applied in order to increase user convenience.

Claims

1. A method for navigating a menu in a display of an electronic device, the method comprising:

measuring a time for moving a cursor on the display for a first cursor moving method; and

one of maintaining the first cursor moving method and applying a second cursor moving method according to whether the measured time exceeds a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of items and the cursor is an indicator that indicates one of the plurality of items.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of items are arranged vertically or horizontally.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second cursor moving method is applied if the measured time exceeds the predetermined threshold and the first cursor moving method is maintained if the measured time does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising applying the second cursor moving method and re-applying the first cursor moving method sequentially when the measured time exceeds the predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first cursor moving method and second cursor moving method are selected from a group comprising a moving cursor method, a moving body method and a moving cursor via pages method and wherein the moving cursor method enables the cursor to be moved vertically or horizontally on the menu, the moving body method enables the cursor to be fixed at a center region of the menu as the menu is moved vertically or horizontally, and the moving cursor via pages method divides the menu into a plurality of pages and enables the cursor to be moved vertically or horizontally within a single one of the plurality of pages.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first cursor moving method is the moving cursor method and the second cursor moving method is the moving body method.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first cursor moving method is the moving cursor via pages method and the second cursor moving method is the moving body method.

9. A method for navigating a menu in a display of an electronic device, the method comprising:

applying a default cursor moving method when a user selects a menu for display;

measuring a time for moving a cursor on the display according to the default cursor moving method; and

one of maintaining the default cursor moving method and applying a different cursor moving method according to whether the measured time exceeds a predetermined threshold, the second cursor moving method such that an item on the display on which the cursor is located is positioned at a center region of the display.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of items and the cursor is an indicator that indicates one of the plurality of items.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of items are arranged vertically or horizontally.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the different cursor moving method is applied if the measured time exceeds the predetermined threshold and the default cursor moving method is maintained if the measured time does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the different cursor moving method comprises a moving body method and the default cursor moving method comprises one of a moving cursor method and a moving cursor via pages method and wherein the moving cursor method enables the cursor to be moved vertically or horizontally on the menu, the moving body method enables the cursor to be fixed at a center region of the menu as the menu is moved vertically or horizontally, and the moving cursor via pages method divides the menu into a plurality of pages and enables the cursor to be moved vertically or horizontally within a single one of the plurality of pages.

14. An apparatus for navigating a menu in a display of an electronic device, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit adapted to display information and a cursor on the display;

an input unit adapted to receive inputs from a user and to control movement of the cursor on the display; and

a processor adapted to measure a time it takes the user to move the cursor for a first cursor moving method and one of maintain the first cursor moving method and apply a second cursor moving method according to whether the measured time exceeds a predetermined threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further adapted to apply the first cursor moving method when a user selects a menu for display.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein display unit is further adapted to display the menu comprising a plurality of items and the cursor as an indicator that indicates one of the plurality of items such that the user may distinguish a specific one of the plurality of items from the other of the plurality of items.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further adapted to control the display unit such that the cursor is displayed at a central portion of the display.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein display unit is further adapted to display the plurality of items arranged vertically or horizontally.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein display unit is further adapted to display the cursor as a highlighted portion of the menu.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the input unit is further adapted to receive one of audible user inputs and tactile user inputs.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further adapted to apply the second cursor moving method if the measured time exceeds the predetermined threshold and to maintain the first cursor moving method if the measured time does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further adapted to apply the second cursor moving method and re-apply the first cursor moving method sequentially when the measured time exceeds the predetermined threshold.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is further adapted to select the first cursor moving method and second cursor moving method from a group comprising a moving cursor method, a moving body method and a moving cursor via pages method and wherein the moving cursor method enables the cursor to be moved vertically or horizontally on the menu, the moving body method enables the cursor to be fixed at a center region of the menu as the menu is moved vertically or horizontally, and the moving cursor via pages method divides the menu into a plurality of pages and enables the cursor to be moved vertically or horizontally within a single one of the plurality of pages.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first cursor moving method is the moving cursor method and the second cursor moving method is the moving body method.

25. The apparatus of the claim 23, wherein the first cursor moving method is the moving cursor via pages method and the second cursor moving method is the moving body method.

26. A mobile terminal for navigating a menu in a display, the mobile terminal comprising:

a display adapted to display information and a cursor on the display;

an input unit adapted to receive inputs from a user and to control movement of the cursor on the display; and

a processor adapted to measure a time it takes the user to move the cursor for a first cursor moving method and one of maintain the first cursor moving method and apply a second cursor moving method according to whether the measured time exceeds a predetermined threshold.