Menu selection method and apparatus using pointing device

• US 20070262957A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Seon, Young
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A menu selection apparatus and method using a pointing means are disclosed. The menu selection apparatus includes a display unit for displaying a menu; a position change detector for detecting a change in a pointing-position of the pointing means; a control unit for outputting a menu selection control signal on the basis of a pointing-position change detected by the position change detector; and a pointer movement processor for updating, according to a menu selection control signal from the control unit, a virtual location of a pointer in units of menu items in a current menu screen. As a result, the precision of the pointer'"'"'s movement for the purpose of menu navigation can be enhanced for user convenience.

Claims

1. A menu selection apparatus using a pointing means, comprising:

a display unit for displaying a menu;

a position change detector for detecting a change in a pointing-position of the pointing means;

a control unit for outputting a menu selection control signal on the basis of a pointing-position change detected by the position change detector; and

a pointer movement processor for updating, according to a menu selection control signal from the control unit, a virtual location of a pointer in units of menu items in a current menu screen.

2. The menu selection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position change detector includes an optical sensor.

3. The menu selection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the position change detector is installed near the display unit in a front side of the menu selection apparatus.

4. The menu selection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit outputs a menu selection control signal once for each pointing-position change, and the pointer movement processor updates the virtual pointer location once for each menu selection control signal such that a next menu item is selected.

5. The menu selection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit turns off the pointer in the menu screen upon initiation of a menu navigation mode, and turns on the pointer upon termination of the menu navigation mode.

6. The menu selection apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit saves a current location of the pointer when turning off the pointer, and uses the saved location when turning on the pointer.

7. The menu selection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit outputs a menu selection control signal if a corresponding pointing-position change is greater than a preset reference movement value.

8. The menu selection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pointer movement processor sets a direction of pointer movement to a direction of a corresponding pointing-position change, and updates the virtual pointer location according to the set direction of pointer movement.

9. The menu selection apparatus of claim 8, wherein the pointer movement processor sets the direction of pointer movement to ‘

left/right’

if the pointing-position change indicates a position change in the x-axis direction, and sets the direction of pointer movement to ‘

up/down’

if the pointing-position change indicates a position change in the y-axis direction.

10. The menu selection apparatus of claim 8, wherein if the pointing-position change indicates a position change both in the x-axis direction and y-axis direction, and if the difference between the change in the x-axis direction and the change in the y-axis direction is greater than or equal to a preset value, the pointer movement processor sets the direction of pointer movement to ‘

left/right’

when the change in the x-axis direction is greater than the change in the y-axis direction, and sets the direction of pointer movement to ‘

up/down’

when the change in the y-axis direction is greater than the change in the x-axis direction.

11. The menu selection apparatus of claim 9, wherein if menu items in the menu screen are arranged in a single direction, the pointer movement processor updates the virtual pointer location only if the direction of pointer movement is equal to the direction of the menu item arrangement.

12. The menu selection apparatus of claim 9, wherein if menu items in the menu screen are arranged in two directions, the pointer movement processor updates the virtual pointer location only if the direction of pointer movement is equal to a preset priority movement direction.

13. The menu selection apparatus of claim 9, wherein if menu items in the menu screen are arranged in two directions, the pointer movement processor updates the virtual pointer location only if the direction of pointer movement is not equal to a preset locked movement direction.

14. The menu selection apparatus of claim 8, wherein the pointer movement processor updates the virtual pointer location only if the pointing-position change is greater than a preset reference movement value.

15. The menu selection apparatus of claim 14, wherein the pointer movement processor divides the pointing-position change by a unit movement value to obtain the number of virtual pointer location updates, and repeats updating the virtual pointer location in units of one menu item until the number of repetition is equal to the obtained number of virtual pointer location updates.

16. The menu selection apparatus of claim 15, wherein the unit movement value is equal to the reference movement value.

17. The menu selection apparatus of claim 14, wherein if the pointing-position change exceeds a preset limit value, the pointer movement processor sets the virtual pointer location to a location of the last menu item in the direction of the pointing-position change.

18. The menu selection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pointer movement processor displays a pointer location update icon on the menu screen during updating of the virtual pointer location.

19. The menu selection apparatus of claim 18, wherein the pointer movement processor displays the pointer location update icon in a central region of the menu screen.

20. The menu selection apparatus of claim 18, wherein the pointer location update icon indicates a direction of pointer movement.

21. The menu selection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the menu selection apparatus is a mobile communication terminal.

22. The menu selection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pointing means is an optical joystick.

23. A menu selection method using a pointing means, comprising:

displaying a menu during a menu navigation mode;

detecting a change in a pointing-position of the pointing means; and

updating, in response to detection of a pointing-position change, a virtual location of a pointer in units of menu items in a current menu screen.

24. The menu selection method of claim 23, wherein detecting a change further includes outputting a menu selection control signal once for each occurrence of a pointing-position change, and wherein updating a virtual pointer location further includes updating the virtual pointer location once for each occurrence of a menu selection control signal such that a next menu item is selected.

25. The menu selection method of claim 23, further comprising:

turning off the pointer in the menu screen upon initiation of the menu navigation mode; and

turning on the pointer upon termination of the menu navigation mode.

26. The menu selection method of claim 25, wherein turning off a pointer further includes saving a current location of the pointer.

27. The menu selection method of claim 23, wherein updating a virtual pointer location further includes updating, if a corresponding pointing-position change is greater than a preset reference movement value, the virtual pointer location.

28. The menu selection method of claim 27, wherein updating a virtual pointer location step comprises setting a direction of pointer movement to a direction of the pointing-position change.

29. The menu selection method of claim 28, wherein setting the direction of pointer movement further includes setting, if the pointing-position change indicates a position change in the x-axis direction, the direction of pointer movement to ‘

left/right’

, and setting, if the pointing-position change indicates a position change in the y-axis direction, the direction of pointer movement to ‘

up/down’

.

30. The menu selection method of claim 29, wherein setting the direction of pointer movement further includes setting, if the pointing-position change indicates a position change both in the x-axis direction and y-axis direction and if the difference between the change in the x-axis direction and the change in the y-axis direction is greater than or equal to a preset value, the direction of pointer movement to ‘

left/right’

when the change in the x-axis direction is greater than the change in the y-axis direction, and to ‘

up/down’

when the change in the y-axis direction is greater than the change in the x-axis direction.

31. The menu selection method of claim 29, wherein updating a virtual pointer location further includes updating, if menu items in the current menu screen are arranged in a single direction and if the direction of pointer movement is equal to the direction of the menu item arrangement, the virtual pointer location.

32. The menu selection method of claim 29, wherein updating a virtual pointer location further includes updating, if menu items in the current menu screen are arranged in two directions and if the direction of pointer movement is equal to a preset priority movement direction, the virtual pointer location.

33. The menu selection method of claim 29, wherein updating a virtual pointer location further includes updating, if menu items in the current menu screen are arranged in two directions and if the direction of pointer movement is not equal to a preset locked movement direction, the virtual pointer location.

34. The menu selection method of claim 28, wherein updating a virtual pointer location further includes:

dividing the pointing-position change by a unit movement value to obtain the number of virtual pointer location updates; and

repeating updating the virtual pointer location in units of one menu item until the number of repetition is equal to the obtained number of virtual pointer location updates.

35. The menu selection method of claim 34, wherein the unit movement value is equal to the reference movement value.

36. The menu selection method of claim 26, wherein updating a virtual pointer location further includes setting, if the pointing-position change exceeds a preset limit value, the virtual pointer location to a location of the last menu item in a direction of the pointing-position change.

37. The menu selection method of claim 23, wherein updating a virtual pointer location further includes displaying a pointer location update icon on a menu screen during updating of the virtual pointer location.

38. The menu selection method of claim 37, wherein displaying a pointer location update icon further includes displaying the pointer location update icon in a central region of the menu screen.

39. The menu selection method of claim 37, wherein displaying a pointer location update icon further includes indicating the direction of pointer movement via the pointer location update icon.