Display controller, display control method, mobile terminal device, and display control program

• US 7,752,573 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Veige, Bodil, Shiba, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US11/403,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 715/835, 715/722, 715/721, 715/764, 715/810, 715/838, 715/854, 715/963, 707/E17.209
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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

Disclosed is a display controller having: time line display means that includes at least two or more units of time on, of a first display area and a second display area that are formed on display means, the first display area, and that displays a time line manipulable to specify a desired unit of time from the two or more units of time; and related information display means that reads out, from a plurality of pieces of information stored respectively including time information added, information to which are added time information related to a unit of time specified by manipulation of the time line displayed on the first display area through operating means, and that displays the read out information on the second display area of the display means.

Claims

1. A display controller comprising:

a control unit configured to control a display;

an operating unit configured to receive input commands;

an electronic memory configured to store information including a plurality of images; and

an electronic display configured to simultaneously display a first display area and a second display area on a display screen, said first display area including a time axis responsive to an input to select a unit of time and a single thumbnail image corresponding to each unit of time on the time axis, and said second display area including a plurality of images received from the electronic memory corresponding to the selected unit of time in the time axis of the first display area,

wherein said unit of time on the time axis includes a series of days, weeks, months or years,

the single thumbnail image is the latest thumbnail image of the plurality of images corresponding to the selected unit of time on the time axis, and

said second display area is configured to display only the plurality of images corresponding to the single thumbnail image corresponding to the selected unit of time on the time axis.

2. The display controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said operating unit includes up, down, left, and right keys, and the up key, being responsive to an input, is configured to increase the units of time displayed on the time axis, and the down key, being responsive to an input, is configured to decrease the units of time displayed on the time axis.

3. The display controller as defined in claim 2, wherein the right key, being responsive to an input, is configured to advance the units of time displayed on the time axis in a forward direction, and the left key, being responsive to an input, is configured to advance the units of time displayed on the time axis in a backward direction.

4. The display controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said first display area displaying the time axis does not display a thumbnail image when there is no information in the electronic memory corresponding to the selected unit of time.

5. The display controller as defined in claim 4, wherein the second display area is configured to automatically display a plurality of images corresponding to the next time axis position, when there is no information in the electronic memory corresponding to the selected unit of time on the time axis.

6. The display controller as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the information stored in the electronic memory is still image information or motion image information; and

the second display area displays still image information or motion image information corresponding to the still image information or motion image information selected by the user in the time axis, and displays the received information as thumbnail images.

7. The display controller as defined in claim 1, wherein

the plurality of images displayed in said second display area are displayed in accordance with captured times of the plurality of images.

8. A display control method comprising:

retrieving information from an electronic memory;

displaying, on an electronic display, a first display area that includes

a time axis responsive to an input to select a unit of time, and

a single thumbnail image corresponding to each unit of time being displayed;

identifying an input to select the unit of time displayed on the time axis;

displaying simultaneously on the electronic display, a second display area that includes only a plurality of images corresponding to the single thumbnail image corresponding to the selected unit of time on the time axis, wherein

the single thumbnail is the latest thumbnail image of the plurality of images, displayed in the second display area, corresponding to the selected unit of time.

9. The display control method as defined in claim 8, wherein

the displaying of the plurality of images in said second display area includes displaying the plurality of images in accordance with captured times of the plurality of images.

10. A mobile terminal device comprising:

means for controlling a display means;

means for storing a plurality of information including images and time information;

means for receiving input commands;

means for simultaneously displaying a first display area and a second display area on a display screen, said first display area including a time axis responsive to an input to select a unit of time and a single thumbnail image corresponding to each unit of time on the time axis, and said second display area including a plurality of images received from the storage means corresponding to the selected unit of time in the time axis of the first display area, wherein

said unit of time on the time axis includes a series of days, weeks, months or years,

the single thumbnail image is the latest thumbnail image of the plurality of images corresponding to the selected unit of time on the time axis, and

said second display area displays only a plurality of images corresponding to the single thumbnail image corresponding to the selected unit of time on the time axis.

11. The mobile terminal device as defined in claim 10, wherein

the plurality of images displayed in said second display area are displayed in accordance with captured times of the plurality of images.

12. A computer readable storage medium including computer program instructions for causing a display controller to perform a method, comprising:

retrieving information from an electronic memory;

displaying, on an electronic display, a first display area that includes

a time axis responsive to an input to select a unit of time, and

a single thumbnail image corresponding to each unit of time being displayed;

identifying an input to select a unit of time displayed on the time axis;

displaying simultaneously on the electronic display, a second display area that includes only a plurality of images corresponding to the single thumbnail image corresponding to the selected unit of time on the time axis, wherein

the single thumbnail is the latest thumbnail image of the plurality of images, displayed in the second display area, corresponding to the selected unit of time.

13. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein

the displaying of the plurality of images in said second display area includes displaying the plurality of images in accordance with captured times of the plurality of images.