Abstract:
The present invention relates to a user interface with figures mapping to the keys, for allowing a user to select and control a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device comprises a display device, and a plurality of hardware keys are disposed on the portable electronic device to form a key field; thereby, the display device will display a figure field with a plurality of figures when the portable electronic device is powered on, and the figures will be mapped to the hardware keys layer by layer, therefore, every function represented by the figures can be executed when the user presses its mapping hardware key. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a portable electronic device having a user interface with figures mapping to the keys.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a user interface, and more particularly to a user interface having a single figure mapping to a single key for allowing a user to quickly execute a function corresponding to the figure to operate a portable electronic device having such user interface.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     The prior art portable electronic device such as Apple&#39;s iPod, Tatung&#39;s Elio, and Samsung&#39;s iRiver, and the user interface (UI) of these devices requires a user to select the desired function in a menu, and then enter into another menu to select the desired function, and so forth. Such method of selecting the desired function in the menus from layer to layer has the following shortcomings: 1. The procedure of selecting the function is complicated and thus causing inconvenient operations to users. 2. The design of the interface is not user-friendly. 3. The method is boring and not skillful enough.  
         [0005]     In addition, Apple&#39;s iPod focuses on pull-down menus. Although the portable device having a touch-screen display device can play audio/video data by selecting the function, the portable device has to install some keys for inputting the instruction for running a game program, and these keys are not related to the playing of the audio/video data. Therefore, the present portable device still lacks the hardware keys to operate with the figures to control the function of playing audio/video data.  
         [0006]     R.O.C. Pat. No. 259951 entitled “audio/video playing control box” (filed on Jun. 24, 2004 and published on Mar. 21, 2005) relates to an audio/video playing control box that comprises: a box having an audio/video equipment input port and an audio/video signal output port disposed at an appropriate position, and the two ports separately have a plurality of AV connectors for connecting a plurality of audio/video equipments and display devices; and a control circuit installed in the box and connected separately with the audio/video equipment input port and the audio/video signal output port; wherein the control circuit includes a microcontroller and a selector, and the input end of the selector is connected to the audio/video equipment input port, and the output end of the selector is connected to the audio/video signal port, and the control end is connected to the microcontroller. Such patent primarily relates to an audio/video playing control box for connecting a plurality of audio/video equipments and display devices. However, such patent does not come with hardware keys to operate with figures to control the function of playing audio/video data.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a user interface with figures mapping to the keys and a portable device having such user interface that uses a single figure to map to a single key to simplify the selecting procedure and make the operation easy for operators.  
         [0008]     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a user interface with figures mapping to the keys and a portable device having such user interface, such that a user just needs to follow the prompt of a corresponding figure to press a key to execute the function corresponding to the figure, and thus the design of the user interface is more friendly.  
         [0009]     A further objective of the present invention is to provide a user interface with figures mapping to the keys and a portable device having such user interface that uses a single figure to operate with a key, and the figure in each layer is corresponsive to the key, and the figure in each later of the interface is corresponsive to the required executing function, so that the user can directly press the key corresponding to the figure regardless of the layers to execute the function indicated by the figure, and provide fresh and new experience.  
         [0010]     To achieve the foregoing objectives, the present invention provides a user interface with figures mapping to the keys for allowing a user to control and select a portable device, and the user interface includes a plurality of layers of figure fields, and the portable device includes a display device and a key field comprised of a plurality of hardware keys, wherein each layer of figure fields has a plurality of figures, and each figure of each layer of the figure fields has an one-to-one mapping with the hardware key. After the portable device is powered on, one of the plurality of layers of figure fields is displayed on the display device, and one of the plurality of hardware keys is pressed to execute the function indicated by the figure and corresponding to the hardware key. After the function indicated by the figure is executed, the figure field in the plurality of layers of figure fields displayed on the display device is corresponsive to the executed function corresponding to the figure. Of course, each figure in the newly displayed figure field is also corresponsive to each of the hardware keys.  
         [0011]     To achieve the foregoing objectives, the present invention provides a portable device with figures mapping to keys of a user interface, and the portable device comprises a display device and a plurality of hardware keys, wherein the plurality of hardware keys define a key field for users to control and select on the portable device. After the portable device is powered on, a figure field will be displayed on the display device. The figure field includes a plurality of figures, and each figure is corresponsive with each hardware key layer by layer. Each hardware key is pressed to execute the function indicated by each figure.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a user interface with figures mapping to keys and a portable device having such user interface according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a display device showing a figure in next layer of a user interface when a hardware key of a Video figure is pressed according to the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a display device showing a figure in next layer of a user interface when a hardware key of a play figure is pressed according to the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a figure field of a user interface according to the present invention; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart of a user interface operation of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]     Referring to  FIG. 1  for the schematic view of a user interface with figures mapping to keys and a portable device having such user interface according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portable device  1  having such user interface, preferably a portable audio/video player having a camera function or a personal digital assistant (PDA), comprises a display device  11  and a key field  12 .  
         [0018]     The display device  11  including but not limited to a liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided for displaying data, and the key field  12  comprises a plurality of hardware keys  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124  for allowing a user to control and select the portable device  1 . After the portable device  1  is powered on, a figure field  13  will be displayed on the display device  11 , and the figure field  13  comprises a plurality of  FIGS. 131, 132 ,  133 ,  134 , wherein the  FIG. 131  is a figure representing a “Video” function, the  FIG. 132  is a figure representing a “Music” function, the  FIG. 133  is a figure representing a “Photo” function, and the  FIG. 134  is a figure representing an “Exit” function, and each  FIG. 131, 132 ,  133 ,  134  of this layer is corresponding to each hardware key  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124 , so that a user can press a hardware key  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124  to execute the function corresponding to each  FIG. 121, 132 ,  133 ,  134 .  
         [0019]     The number of hardware keys  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124  of the key field  12  is equal to the number of  FIGS. 131, 132 ,  133 ,  134  of the figure field  13  for carrying out the one-to-one mapping. Of course, an automatic hidden function can be designed for the figure field  13 , so that the figure field  13  can be hidden automatically when the audio/video data is viewed to prevent interferences to the screen. Any one of the hardware keys  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124  is pressed to call out the figure field  13  if needed.  
         [0020]     If a user wants to carry out a video related function, the user can press a corresponding hardware key  121  on the right side of a  FIG. 31  to execute the video related function indicated by the  FIG. 131 . Similarly, if a user wants to carry out a music related function, the user can press a hardware key  122  corresponding to a  FIG. 132  to execute the music related function indicated by the  FIG. 132 , and if a user wants to carry out a photo related function, the user can press a hardware key  123  corresponding to a  FIG. 133  to execute the photo function indicated by the  FIG. 133 . If a user wants to return to the previous layer of the interface, the user can press a hardware key  124  corresponding to a  FIG. 134  to execute the exit function indicated by the figure.  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 2  for the schematic view of a display device  11  showing a figure in next layer of a user interface when a hardware key  121  of a Video figure  131  is pressed according to the present invention, the display device  11  will show a figure field  14  of next layer corresponding to the desired video data if the hardware key  121  of the user interface of a portable device  1  is pressed. The figure field  14  further comprises a Play  FIG. 141 , a Page Up  FIG. 142 , a Page Down  FIG. 143  and a More  FIG. 144 . The Play  FIG. 141  of this layer corresponds to the hardware key  121  of this layer, and the hardware key  121  is pressed to execute the Play  FIG. 141  to carry out the function of playing video data. Similarly, the Page Up  FIG. 142  of this layer corresponds to the hardware key  122  of this layer, and the hardware key  122  is pressed to carry out the function of browsing the previous page of video data; the Page Down  FIG. 143  of this layer corresponds to the hardware key  123  of this layer, and the hardware key  123  is pressed to carry out the function of browsing the video data of the next page; the More  FIG. 144  of this layer corresponds to the hardware key  124  of this layer, and the hardware key  124  is pressed to carry out more other functions. Therefore, the figure field  14  of this layer corresponds to the hardware key field  12  of this layer, and a user can use an arrow key  17  to select the desired playing video data, and the hardware key  121  corresponding to the Play  FIG. 141  is pressed to play the selected video data.  
         [0022]     Referring to  FIG. 3  for the schematic view of a display device  11  showing a figure in next layer of a user interface when a hardware key  121  of a Play  FIG. 141  is pressed according to the present invention, the display device  11  will show a figure field  15  of a next layer corresponding to the video data as shown in  FIG. 3  when the hardware key  121  corresponding to the Play  FIG. 141  of the user interface of a portable device  1  is pressed. The figure field  15  further comprises a Pause  FIG. 151 , a forward (FWD)  FIG. 152 , a rewind (REW)  figure 153 , and a (Stop)  FIG. 154 . A Pause  FIG. 151  of this layer corresponds to a hardware key  121 , and the hardware key  121  is pressed to pause the function of playing the video data; a Forward  FIG. 152  of this layer corresponds to a hardware key  122  of this layer, and the hardware key  122  is pressed to carry out the function of forwarding the video data; a backward  FIG. 153  of this layer corresponds to a hardware key  123  of this layer, and the hardware key  123  is pressed to carry out the function of rewinding the video data; and a Stop  FIG. 154  of this layer corresponds to a hardware key  124  of this layer, and the hardware key  124  is pressed to stop the function of playing the video data. Therefore, the figure field  15  of this layer corresponds to each hardware key  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124 , and a user can use each hardware key  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124  to select the desired Pause function, forward (FWD), rewind (REW) or stop function.  
         [0023]     In summation of the description above, the user interface of the present invention uses layers of figures to correspond to the fixed hardware keys  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124  and execute the function indicated by the corresponding hardware key by pressing the hardware key. Regardless of the layer of the figure, a user just needs to select the desired figure and press the corresponding hardware key for executing the function indicated by the figure.  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIG. 4  for the schematic view of a figure field of a user interface according to the present invention, the four figures in the figure field  16  will not have all of their functions, if the user interface of the portable device  1  does not require so many functions, However, the  FIGS. 161, 164  are still adopted to have the operating method corresponding to the hardware key  121 ,  124 , wherein the  FIG. 161  corresponds to the hardware key  121 , and the  FIG. 164  corresponds to the hardware key  124 .  
         [0025]     Referring FIGS.  1  to  5 ,  FIG. 5  shows a flow chart of a user interface operation of the present invention. In the figure, the portable device  1  of the present invention is operated according to the following steps: (Step  1 ) Power on the portable device  1 . (Step  2 ) The display device  11  of the portable device  1  displays the user interface and the figure field  13 , and the figure field  13  includes a plurality of  FIGS. 131, 132 ,  133 ,  134  having an one-to-one mapping with a plurality of hardware keys  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124  layer by layer. (Step  3 ) A user selects the desired function and presses the  FIG. 131, 132 ,  133 ,  134  corresponding to the hardware key  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124  to execute the function indicated by the figure. (Step  4 ) The display device  11  displays a second layer interface and shows a new figure field  14  and each  figure 141, 142 ,  143 ,  144  and updates the functions of each  FIG. 141, 142 ,  143 ,  144  corresponding to the desired operating function of the second layer, and each  FIG. 141, 142 ,  143 ,  144  also has an one-to-one mapping separately with the plurality of hardware keys  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124 . (Step  5 ) The user selects the desired function in the second layer of interface and presses the hardware key  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124  having the function corresponding to the  FIG. 141, 142 ,  143 ,  144  to execute the function indicated by the  FIG. 141, 142 ,  143 ,  144 . Therefore, the user can use the simple layer-by-layer mapping of the figure field  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16  having a plurality of figures and a single key field  12  to operate the portable device  1  regardless of the layer of the user interface, and thus providing a quick and convenient operation for users.  
         [0026]     In the present invention, the portable device includes a plurality of hardware keys to define a key field. After the portable device is powered on, the display device shows a figure field, and the figure field includes a plurality of figures, and each figure corresponds to each hardware key layer by layer. The hardware key is pressed to execute the function indicated by the figure. Therefore, the present invention surely can overcome the shortcomings of the prior art portable video player or personal digital assistant.  
         [0027]     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.  
         [0028]     In summation of the above description, the present invention herein enhances the performance than the conventional structure and further complies with the patent application requirements and is submitted to the Patent and Trademark Office for review and granting of the commensurate patent rights.