Apparatus, program, and method for displaying content information while controlling display area sizes

• US 9,088,375 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ito, Akihiko, Nakano, Hiroaki, Eshita, Shusuke, Maruyama, Tetsuo, Fukuda, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): RIEGLER, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US12/748,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20100186040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 715/853, 715/738, 715/837, 715/788, 725/37, 725/39, 725/40, 725/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

A screen display apparatus for controlling the size each display area to appropriately display content information of each display area into one display screen. The screen display apparatus includes a selection accept block for accepting selection of first content information displayed in a first display area, a content information acquisition block for acquiring the content information associated with the selected first content information, this content information being second content information located on a layer below the first content information, and, in order to allocate a second display area for displaying the second content information to the display screen, a display area control block for controlling either or both of the first display area and the second display area.

Claims

1. A display control apparatus for displaying content information on a display screen, comprising:

a display screen, implemented by hardware, for displaying content information;

a first information acquisition block for acquiring first-level detail information, wherein said first-level detail information is related to said content information;

a display control block for controlling the display of information related to the content information on the display screen, wherein the display control block displays the content information including a plurality of icons in a first display area of the display screen, wherein within each icon of said plurality of icons is a display of a plurality of categories associated with said first-level detail information;

a first selection accept block for accepting a first selection of a category within a first icon of the plurality of icons, wherein upon acceptance of said first selection, said display control block;

adds a second display area to the display screen; and

displays said first-level detail information in the second display area corresponding to said first selection;

a second information acquisition block for acquiring second-level detail information, wherein said second-level detail information is related to said first selection and includes a list of at least one item; and

a second selection accept block for accepting a second selection of an item from said list of at least one item,

wherein upon acceptance of said second selection, said display control block;

reduces a size of at least one of the first display area or the second display area being displayed on the screen to accommodate a third display area on the display screen;

displays in the first display area at least the category of the first icon corresponding to the first selection and at least another category of the first icon having an attribute value equal to an attribute value of the category of the first icon when the display control block reduces the first display area;

adds the third display area to the display screen; and

displays said second-level detail information corresponding to said second selection in the third-display area,

wherein said first display area displays said content information, said second display area displays said first-level detail information corresponding to said first selection, and said third display area displays said second-level detail information corresponding to said second selection concurrently on the display screen.

2. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the category corresponding to the first selection represents content related name information, said first-level detail information is a list of names related to said content information.

3. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display control block arranges said plurality of categories within the plurality of icons in accordance with category priorities.

4. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the category corresponding to the first selection represents showings information, said first-level detail information is a list of times for showings of said content information.

5. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the category corresponding to the first selection represents purchasing information, said first-level detail information is purchasing information related to said content information.

6. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the category corresponding to the first selection represents related products or programs, said first-level detail information is products or programs related to said content information.

13. The display control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second-level detailed information includes at least one additional information piece, wherein the at least one additional information piece is a child of said second selection of the first-level detail information, and wherein the at least one additional information piece is not a child of said selection of the content information.

15. The display control apparatus of claim 2, wherein said second-level detail information is a list of items related to at least one name in said list of names corresponding to said second selection, and wherein said list of items contains at least one item not a child of said selection of the content information.

17. The display control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second-level detailed information contains an icon which when selected facilitates the purchasing of an item related to the second selection, wherein the icon is not a child of said selection of the content information.

7. A method of displaying content information on a display screen, comprising:

acquiring first-level detail information, wherein said first-level detail information is related to said content information;

displaying said content information including a plurality of icons associated with categories of said first-level detail information in a first display area of the display screen, wherein within each icon of said plurality of icons is a display of a plurality of categories associated with said first-level detail information;

accepting a first selection of a category within a first icon of the plurality of icons;

adding a second display area to the display screen upon acceptance of said first selection;

displaying one or more items associated with said first-level detail information in the second display area, corresponding to said first selection;

acquiring second-level detail information, wherein said second-level detail information is related to said first selection;

accepting a second selection of at least one of said items;

reducing a size of at least one of the first display area or the second display area being displayed on the screen to accommodate a third display area on the screen;

displaying in the first display area at least the category of the first icon corresponding to the first selection and at least another category of the first icon having an attribute value equal to an attribute value of the category of the first icon when the size of the first display area is reduced;

adding the third display area to the display screen upon acceptance of said second selection; and

displaying said second-level detail information corresponding to said second selection in the third display area, wherein

said content information, first-level detail information corresponding to said first selection, and second-level detail information corresponding to said second selection are displayed concurrently on the display screen.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein when the category corresponding to the first selection represents content related name information, said first-level detail information is a list of names related to said content information.

9. The method according to claim 7, including arranging said plurality of categories within said plurality of icons in accordance with category priorities.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein when the category corresponding to the first selection represents showings information, said first-level detail information is a list of times for showings of said content information.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein when the category corresponding to the first selection represents purchasing information, said first-level detail information is purchasing information related to said content information.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein when the category corresponding to the first selection represents related products or programs, said first-level detail information is other products or programs related to said content information.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein said second-level detailed information includes at least one additional information piece, wherein the at least one additional information piece is a child of said second selection of the first-level detail information, and wherein the at least one additional information piece is not a child of said selection of the content information.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said second-level detailed information is a list of items related to at least one name in said list of names corresponding to said second selection, and wherein said list of items contains at least one item not a child of said selection of the content information.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein said second-level detailed information contains an icon which when selected facilitates the purchasing of an item related to the second selection, wherein the icon is not a child of said selection of the content information.