Multimedia interface

• US 8,151,185 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maya-Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Audet, Mathieu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, TIONNA M
• Application Number:
  US11/970,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 715/273
• US Class Current: 715/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/123 Storage facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface comprising reading data for a plurality of user-selectable icons associated with attributes and data for a plurality of content icons representing respective items of contents and generating image data for the on-screen graphical user-interface with a two-dimensional array which includes a first array comprising the plurality of user-selectable icons adapted to be arranged in a specific direction on a screen and which is also adapted to include a second array comprising the plurality of content icons in a direction intersecting the first array on the screen, and outputting the image data for the on-screen graphical user interface related to displaying the contents to a display device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to perform a method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface, the method comprising:

reading data for a plurality of user-selectable icons associated with attributes, and data for a plurality of content icons representing respective items of contents;

generating image data for the on-screen graphical user-interface with a two-dimensional array which includes a first array comprising the plurality of user-selectable icons adapted to be arranged in a specific direction on a screen and which is also adapted to include a second array comprising the plurality of content icons in a direction intersecting the first array on the screen; and

outputting the image data for the on-screen graphical user interface related to displaying the contents to a display device, wherein the generating displays the second array to intersect the first array.

2. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to perform a method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the second array intersects the first array at a position of one of the user-selectable icons.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to perform a method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the second array comprising the plurality of content icons is a consequence of a selection of one of the user-selectable icons.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to perform a method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the second array comprising the plurality of content icons is a consequence of a selection of one of the attributes.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to perform a method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein one user selectable icon from the first array of user-selectable icons have a picture attribute associated therewith, the picture attribute being automatically selected when the one user-selectable icon is selected.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to perform a method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein one user selectable icon from the first array of user-selectable icons have a music attribute associated therewith, the music attribute being automatically selected when the one user-selectable icon is selected.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to perform a method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein at least one of the user-selectable content icons is a thumbnail of an image file.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to perform a method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein at least some of the user-selectable graphical elements are documents.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to perform a method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable icons are adapted to move longitudinally on a display.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to perform a method of displaying an on-screen graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein a selection of a user-selectable icon from the array of user-selectable icons is adapted to be made with a game controller.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to provide a graphical user interface comprising a first array of user-selectable icons, at least some of the user-selectable icons being adapted to display a second array of user-selectable icons thereof, the second array of user-selectable icons being substantially orthogonally displayable about the first array of user-selectable icons.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to provide a graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein a selection of one user-selectable element from the array of user-selectable elements is adapted to display the second array of user-selectable elements.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to provide a graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein at least some of the user-selectable elements are documents.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to provide a graphical user interface of claim 13, wherein at least some of the documents are adapted to be selected and wherein a selection of a document displays a magnified view of the document.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to provide a graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein at least one user-selectable element from the first array of user-selectable elements has an attribute associated therewith, the attribute being automatically selected when the one user-selectable elements is selected.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to provide a graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the second array is adapted to intersect the first array.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to provide a graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the second array of user-selectable elements is adapted to move longitudinally on a display, the movement of the second array of user-selectable elements being made upon an instruction provided by a game controller.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to provide a graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein a selection of a user-selectable element from the first array of user-selectable elements is adapted to be made with a game controller.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes computer-readable instructions operable to provide a graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein user actuation of a user-selectable element among the first array of user selectable elements is adapted to cause a second array of user selectable elements to be displayed, user selectable elements in the second array of user selectable elements having a common attribute.

20. A system capable of displaying contents, comprising:

a control which acquires an instruction for displaying of contents via a user'"'"'s manipulation;

a storage which stores data for a plurality of attribute icons associated with respective types of content, and data for a plurality of content icons representing respective items of contents;

a display output module which outputs image data for an on-screen menu related to displaying of the contents to a display device and which displays the contents acquired from the storage in response to the users instruction acquired by the control;

a display controller which generates the image data for the on-screen menu with a two-dimensional array which includes a first array comprising the plurality of user-selectable icons arranged in a specific direction on a screen and which also includes a second array comprising the plurality of user-selectable icons in a direction intersecting the first array on the screen, wherein

the display controller displays the second array to intersect the first array at a position of one of the user-selectable icons selected by the user, and

if the contents are adapted to be chronologically ordered, represents the chronology by displaying the content icons in chronological order in the second array each time the control acquires an instruction to move an icon provided by a game controller.