Electronic device comprising a screen and method of displaying short menus

• US 6,469,720 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cellon France SAS
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ringot, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US09/427,823
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 345/815, 345/845, 345/864, 345/830, 345/764, 345/824, 345/829, 345/858, 345/857, 345/784-788
• US Class Current: 715/829
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An electronic device includes a screen for displaying displayed lines of a set of lines. A controller allows scrolling up and down the set of lines and to select a selected line of the displayed lines. Selecting the first or last of the displayed lines, scrolls the set of lines so that there is a line displayed above or below the selected line. Thus, the first and last displayed lines are not highlighted on the screen.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a screen on which displayed lines are to be displayed from a plurality of lines,

scrolling means for scrolling said plurality of lines upward and/or downward, and

conspicuous means for selecting one of said displayed lines,

wherein selecting a first and a last one of said displayed lines scrolls said plurality of lines so that the selected line occupies such a position that it allows the perception of at least one upward or downward line, whereby a first displayed line and a last displayed line of said displayed lines are not highlighted.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lines include items of a menu and a header of said menu, and wherein a suppression command is provided for suppressing the header to display an additional item.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a zoom command is provided for displaying enlarged lines on the screen.

4. A method of displaying said lines, implemented in a device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

displaying of said lines from top to bottom of the screen, and

selecting one of the lines while leaving one line readable either upward or downward.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising scrolling of the lines.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a screen for displaying displayed lines of a plurality of lines;

a controller configured to scroll up and down said plurality of lines and to select a selected line of said displayed lines;

wherein selecting a first or a last one of said displayed lines to highlight a selected line scrolls said plurality of lines so that a line is displayed above or below said selected line, whereby a first displayed line and a last displayed line of said displayed lines are not highlighted.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein said plurality of lines include a menu header and menu items.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein said displayed lines include a menu header and menu items.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein said controller is configured to suppress said menu header so that an additional one of said menu items is displayed.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein said controller is configured to provide a zoom command to enlarge said displayed lines.

11. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein said selected line of said displayed lines is highlighted by one of enclosing said selected line by a frame and displaying said selected line in inverse format relative to the rest of said displayed lines.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein said lines include a menu header and menu items, said menu header being in said inverse format when selected, and one of said menu items being enclosed by said frame when selected.

13. A method of displaying a set of lines comprising:

displaying displayed lines of a plurality of lines;

selecting one of a first line and a last line of said displayed lines to form a selected line; and

scrolling said plurality of lines so that a line is displayed above or below said selected line, whereby a first displayed line and a last displayed line of said displayed lines are not highlighted.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said displayed lines include a menu header and menu items.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising suppressing said menu header so that an additional one of said menu items is displayed.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising zooming to enlarge said displayed lines.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising highlighting said selected line by one of enclosing said selected line by a frame and displaying said selected line in inverse format relative to the rest of said displayed lines.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said lines include a menu header and menu items, said menu header being in said inverse format when selected, and one of said menu items being enclosed by said frame when selected.