CONTENT DISPLAY DEVICE, TELEVISION RECEIVER, MENU SCREEN GENERATION METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20150033263A1
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hiyoshi, Masayuki, Kanbara, Masayoshi, Tsugi, Takahiro, Wu, Bin, Hasegawa, Keiichi, Nishina, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 9,307,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

In response to a user'"'"'s operation, a menu screen generating section (12) changes a menu screen to be generated (i) from a first menu screen (M1) in which thumbnail images (Ta through Tg) corresponding to respective plurality of pieces of content are linearly arranged (ii) to a second menu screen (M2) in which the thumbnail images (Ta through Tg) are circularly arranged.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A content display device, being configured to display content and comprising:

menu screen generating means for generating, as a menu screen on which a user selects content to be displayed from a plurality of pieces of content, (i) a first menu screen in which corresponding images corresponding to the respective plurality of pieces of content are linearly arranged and (ii) a second menu screen in which the corresponding images are circularly arranged,

the menu screen generating means sequentially changing, in response to a specific user'"'"'s operation, a corresponding image on which a focus is placed on the first menu screen, and

the menu screen generating means changing the menu screen to be generated from the first menu screen to the second menu screen when the specific user'"'"'s operation continues for a predetermined period of time or longer.

15. The content display device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the menu screen generating means circularly shifts the corresponding images on the second menu screen when the specific user'"'"'s operation continues.

16. The content display device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the specific user'"'"'s operation is an operation for pressing a right arrow button or a left arrow button of a cross-shaped key of a remote controller which is used to control the content display device.

17. The content display device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the specific user'"'"'s operation is an operation for rotating a jog dial of a remote controller which is used to control the content display device.

18. The content display device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the menu screen generating means locates, in each of the first menu screen and the second menu screen, content to be displayed which content has been already selected and is scaled down.

19. The content display device as set forth in claim 18, wherein a location of and a size of the content to be displayed which content has been already selected and is located in the first menu screen are identical to those of the content to be displayed which content has been already selected and is located in the second menu screen.

20. The content display device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the menu screen generating means locates, in the first menu screen, real-time information which is updated in real time.

21. A television receiver, comprising a content display device as set forth in claim 14.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in which a program for causing a computer to operate as a content display device as set forth in claim 14 is stored, the program causing the computer to function as the means.

22. A method of generating, in a content display device which is configured to display content, as a menu screen on which a user selects content to be displayed from a plurality of pieces of content, (i) a first menu screen in which corresponding images corresponding to the respective plurality of pieces of content are linearly arranged and (ii) a second menu screen in which the corresponding images are circularly arranged,

the method comprising the steps of:

sequentially changing, in response to a specific user'"'"'s operation, a corresponding image on which a focus is placed on the first menu screen; and

changing the menu screen to be generated from the first menu screen to the second menu screen when the specific user'"'"'s operation continues for a predetermined period of time or longer.