Display controlling apparatus, display controlling method, and recording medium

• US 7,698,658 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hatta, Masashi, Ohwa, Tsunayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): NUNEZ, JORDANY
• Application Number:
  US11/069,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20050210410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 715/835, 715/845, 715/821, 715/767, 715/766, 715/788, 345/418, 345/427
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A display controlling apparatus which displays icons representative of data in layers on a screen, the display controlling apparatus including: an operating section which, based on operations performed by a user, obtains at least instructions for how to display the icons on the screen; a storing section for storing at least data constituting the icons in the layers; a controlling section for generating picture data for displaying the icons in the layers on icon array axes; and a display outputting section for outputting the picture data generated by the controlling section onto a display device; wherein, when the operating section obtains an instruction from the user, the controlling section acting on the instruction generates the picture data in such a manner as to move each of the icon array axes into a different direction together with the icons displayed in an array on each of the axes.

Claims

1. A display controlling apparatus for displaying icons representative of data in layers on an external screen and pointing to reproducible content, comprising:

a data input/output unit configured to receive and output data, said data input/output unit including a broadcast input unit configured to transmit broadcast data as said reproducible content;

a direction determination unit configured to receive a direction instruction indicating at least one of four directions in at least one of a horizontal and vertical direction for displaying said icons on said external screen based on a user'"'"'s operations;

storing means for storing said reproducible content linked to said icons in said layers;

controlling means for generating picture data for displaying, based on said direction instruction, said icons in said layers such that the icons in one of the layers are arrayed on an icon array axis in a first direction, the icons under the icon located at an intersection of said first direction and a second direction are arrayed on an icon array axis in said second direction, and the icons under one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction are arrayed on an icon array axis in a third direction intersecting a plane formed by said first direction and said second direction; and

display outputting means for processing said picture data by decoding the associated reproducible content stored in said storing means, and for reproducing the content on a display device, wherein

when said operating means obtains the direction instruction for selecting one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction, said controlling means generates said picture data such that said icon array axis in said second direction is moved into said first direction, said icon array axis in said third direction is moved into said second direction, and the selected icon is moved to said intersection of said first direction and said second direction.

2. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said picture data includes a first direction area formed in said first direction, a second direction area formed in said second direction, and a divided space bounded by said first and second direction areas, and

when said operating means obtains the direction instruction for selecting one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction, said controlling means moves said icon array axis positioned in said first direction into said divided space.

3. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said icon array axis in said first direction is a horizontal axis, said icon array axis in said second direction is a vertical axis, and said icon array axis in said third direction is a depth axis.

4. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said operating means obtains the direction instruction for selecting one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction, said controlling means moves said icon array axis positioned in said third direction into said second direction such that a plurality of icons arrayed in imbricate fashion on said icon array axis in said third direction are arrayed in nonoverlapping fashion on said icon array axis in said second direction.

5. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the icon displayed at said intersection is highlighted.

6. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selected icon is highlighted.

20. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the icons are grouped into different music genres, and an icon at the top of a given group is a representative icon indicating a music genre to which the remaining icons belong.

21. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reproducible content includes at least one of movie data, music data, image data, and sound data.

7. A display controlling method for displaying icons representative of data in layers on an external screen and pointing to reproducible content, comprising:

transmitting data including broadcast data as said reproducible content;

receiving a direction instruction indicating at least one of four directions in at least one of a horizontal and vertical direction for displaying said icons on said external screen based on a user'"'"'s operations;

storing said reproducible content linked to said icons in said layers;

generating picture data, based on said direction instruction, for displaying said icons in said layers such that the icons in one of the layers are arrayed on an icon array axis in a first direction on said external screen, the icons under the icon located at an intersection of said first direction and a second direction are arrayed on an icon array axis in said second direction, and the icons under one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction are arrayed on an icon array axis in a third direction intersecting a plane formed by said first direction and said second direction;

processing the generated picture data by decoding the associated reproducible content; and

reproducing the content on a display device, wherein

when given the direction instruction for selecting one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction, said generating picture data generates said picture data such that said icon array axis in said second direction is moved from there into said first direction, said icon array axis in said third direction is moved from there into said second direction, and the selected icon is moved to said intersection of said first direction and said second direction.

8. The display controlling method according to claim 7, wherein said picture data includes a first direction area formed in said first direction, a second direction area formed in said second direction, and a divided space bounded by said first and second direction areas, and

when given the direction instruction for selecting one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction, said generating picture data acting on the direction instruction moves said icon array axis positioned in said first direction into said divided space.

9. The display controlling method according to claim 7, wherein said icon array axis in said first direction is a horizontal axis, said icon array axis in said second direction is a vertical axis, and said icon array axis in said third direction is a depth axis.

10. The display controlling method according to claim 7, wherein when given the direction instruction for selecting one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction, said generating picture data moves said icon array axis positioned in said third direction into said second direction such that a plurality of icons arrayed in imbricate fashion on said icon array axis in said third direction are arrayed in nonoverlapping fashion on said icon array axis in said second direction.

11. The display controlling method according to claim 7, wherein the icon displayed at said intersection is highlighted.

12. The display controlling method according to claim 7, wherein the selected icon is highlighted.

13. A recording medium which records in computer- readable fashion a computer program for causing a computer to carry out a display controlling method for displaying icons representative of data in layers on an external screen and pointing to reproducible content, comprising:

transmitting data including broadcast data as said reproducible content;

receiving a direction instruction indicating at least one of four directions in at least one of a horizontal and vertical direction for displaying said icons on said external screen based on a user'"'"'s operations;

storing said reproducible content linked to said icons in said layers;

generating picture data, based on said direction instruction, for displaying said icons in said layers such that the icons in one of the layers are arrayed on an icon array axis in a first direction on said external screen, the icons under the icon located at an intersection of said first direction and a second direction are arrayed on an icon array axis in said second direction, and the icons under one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction are arrayed on an icon array axis in a third direction intersecting a plane formed by said first direction and said second direction;

processing the generated picture data by decoding the associated reproducible content; and

reproducing the content on a display device, wherein

when given the direction instruction for selecting one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction, said generating picture data generates said picture data such that said icon array axis in said second direction is moved from there into said first direction, said icon array axis in said third direction is moved from there into said second direction, and the selected icon is moved to said intersection of said first direction and said second direction.

14. A display controlling apparatus for displaying icons representative of data in layers on an external screen and pointing to reproducible content, comprising:

a data input/output unit configured to receive and output data, said data input/output unit including a broadcast input unit configured to transmit broadcast data as said reproducible content;

a direction determination unit configured to receive a direction instruction indicating at least one of four directions in at least one of a horizontal and vertical direction for displaying said icons on said external screen based on a user'"'"'s operations;

a unit configured to store said reproducible content linked to said icons in said layers;

a storing unit configured to store data constituting said icons in said layers;

a controlling unit configured to generate picture data for displaying said icons in said layers such that the icons in one of the layers are arrayed on an icon array axis in a first direction on said external screen, the icons under the icon located at an intersection of said first direction and a second direction are arrayed on an icon array axis in said second direction, and the icons under one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction are arrayed on an icon array axis in a third direction intersecting a plane formed by said first direction and said second direction; and

a display unit configured to process said picture data by decoding the associated reproducible content stored in said storing unit, and to reproduce the content on a display device, wherein

when said operating unit obtains the direction instruction to select one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction, said controlling unit acting on the direction instruction generates said picture data such that said icon array axis in said second direction is moved from there into said first direction, said icon array axis in said third direction is moved from there into said second direction, and the selected icon is moved to said intersection of said first direction and said second direction.

15. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said picture data includes a first direction area formed in said first direction, a second direction area formed in said second direction, and a divided space bounded by said first and second direction areas, wherein

when said operating unit obtains the direction instruction for selecting one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction, said controlling unit acting on the direction instruction moves said icon array axis positioned in said first direction into said divided space.

16. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said icon array axis in said first direction is a horizontal axis, said icon array axis in said second direction is a vertical axis, and said icon array axis in said third direction is a depth axis.

17. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when said operating unit obtains the direction instruction to select one of the icons arrayed on said icon array axis in said second direction, said controlling unit acting on said instruction moves said icon array axis positioned in said third direction into the direction second direction such that a plurality of icons arrayed in imbricate fashion on said icon array axis in said third direction are arrayed in nonoverlapping fashion on said icon array axis in said second direction.

18. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the icon displayed at said intersection is highlighted.

19. The display controlling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the selected icon is highlighted.