Method for inputting user command and video apparatus employing the same

• US 9,001,044 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shin, Chang-beom, Kwon, O-jae, Jung, Han-chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khoo, Stacy
• Application Number:
  US12/105,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,545 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/169, 345/172, 348/734, 341/22
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A method of inputting a user command includes displaying a navigation window including letter key symbols corresponding to keys on a manipulator. If a first user command as to a specific key on the manipulator is input, a specific letter key symbol on the navigation window corresponding to the specific key is activated, and if a second user command as to the specific key is input, the letter corresponding to the activated specific letter key symbol is input. Accordingly, even if the manipulator is separated from the display on which a result of the manipulator is displayed, the user can input a user command by looking at the display only.

Claims

1. An image apparatus for playing an image, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit which displays an image;

a communication unit which performs a communication with an input device having a plurality of keys; and

a control unit which is configured to perform a first function corresponding to a first key in a first mode when a first key of the input device is pressed while the image apparatus maintains the first mode, to receive, through the communication unit, information on a second mode from the input device when an orientation of the input device is changed, to change a mode of the image apparatus to the second mode, and to perform a second function corresponding to a first key in the second mode when the first key of the input device is pressed while the image apparatus maintains the second mode,

wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display a navigation window including a plurality of keys corresponding to the plurality of keys on the input device when the mode of the image apparatus is changed to the second mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit configures a User Interface (UI) providing a navigation window including a plurality of keys corresponding to the plurality of keys on the input device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit configures the UI so as to include an indication of a function associated with a respective input key on the input apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit configures the UI such that the function associated with a respective input key on the input apparatus is determined according to the orientation of the input apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit configures the UI such that a layout of the plurality of keys of the navigation window are arranged similar to a layout of a plurality of input keys on the input apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit configures the UI such that the navigation window provides a one-to-one correspondence of the plurality of keys provided in the navigation window to the plurality of keys on the input apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an input mode of the image apparatus for which an input may be inputted from the input apparatus to the image apparatus is associated with the orientation of the input apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the orientation of the input apparatus is changed, the input apparatus communicates an indication of the change of the orientation to the image apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the indication of the change of orientation is generated based on a way by which a user holds the input apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit configures a User Interface (UI) providing a navigation window including a plurality of keys corresponding to a subset of a plurality of keys on the input device the respective functions of which are variable based on an orientation of the input apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys corresponds to a plurality of virtual keys.

12. An image apparatus for playing an image, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit which displays an image;

a communication unit which performs a communication with an input device having a plurality of keys; and

a control unit which is configured to perform the broadcasting image controlling function corresponding to the first key when a first key of the input device is pressed while the display unit displays a broadcasting image when an input device is in a first orientation, to perform a letter input function in which a letter input window is displayed on the broadcasting image when an orientation of the input device is changed to a second orientation, and to input a letter corresponding to the first key when the first key of the input device is pressed while the display unit displays the letter input window.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the letter input window includes a plurality of keys each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of keys on the input device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the layout of the plurality of keys of the letter input window indicates to a user of the input apparatus at least one of a letter and a function associated with one of the plurality of keys on the input device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a layout of the plurality of keys of the letter input window are arranged similar to a layout of a plurality of input keys on the input apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the control unit configures the letter input window so as to provide a one-to-one correspondence of the plurality of keys provided in the letter input window to the plurality of keys on the input apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit configures a layout of a plurality of keys and functions respectively associated therewith based on the orientation of the input apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein when the orientation of the input apparatus is changed, the input apparatus communicates an indication of the change of the orientation to the image apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the indication of the change of orientation is generated based on a way by which a user holds the input apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit configures an operation of the image apparatus corresponding to received information that is indicative of which of a subset of the plurality of keys on the input device, for which an associated function is variable, was selected according to an orientation of the input apparatus.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the letter input window includes a plurality of keys corresponding to the subset of a plurality of keys on the input device the respective functions of which are variable based on an orientation of the input apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of keys corresponds to a plurality of virtual keys.