Abstract:
Devices and methods are disclosed for providing a reconfigurable user interface. The user interface includes a row of folders and a column of bookmarks. The number and sizes of the folders and bookmarks may be selected by the user or chosen to match a particular display device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to user interfaces. More particularly, the invention provides methods and devices for customizing the size and appearance of user interface elements.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Set-top boxes and televisions are being used to provide an increasing number of services to users. As the number of services and the complexity of the hardware have increased, new user interfaces have been developed to assist users in entering and receiving information. FIG. 1 shows a related art user interface  100  that includes a row of folders  102  and a column of bookmarks  104 . The scrollable cross point interface allows users to navigate through a large amount of information while minimizing the disruption to the display.  
           [0003]    A user can navigate through the folders in row  102  by pressing right and left keys on a remote control device to move folders and bookmarks under a focus area  112 . The user can also navigate through the bookmarks in column  104  by pressing up and down keys on the remote control. As is apparent from FIG. 1, additional folders and bookmarks may be displayed by entering the appropriate commands. For example, when folder  106  is under focus area  112  and the user presses the right key on the remote control, folder  108  comes into view and folder  110  is removed from user interface  100 . Focus area  112  remains stationary while folders and bookmarks move under focus area  112  in response to commands from a user.  
           [0004]    User interface  100  includes four folders and six bookmarks, i.e., four complete folders and  6  complete bookmarks are in view. The number of folders and bookmarks is fixed. As a result, when displayed on a relatively large television screen, the folders and bookmarks are relatively large and consume more of the picture area than is necessary. Moreover, users are not able to increase the size of the folders and bookmarks to compensate for poor vision or other reasons.  
           [0005]    Therefore, there exists a need in the art for systems and methods that allow users to customize the size and number of user interface elements.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    One or more of the above-mentioned needs in the art are satisfied by the disclosed systems and methods that allow a user to customize the configuration of a user interface. The number and sizes of folders and bookmarks may be set by the user or chosen to match a display screen. As a result, the user interface can be configured to take advantage of a large display or compensate for a user&#39;s poor vision.  
           [0007]    A first embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for generating a user interface for display on a display device. The apparatus comprising a processor programmed to generate a user interface. The user interface includes a folder row containing folders and a bookmark column intersecting the folder row and containing bookmarks. At least one of the number of folders or the number of bookmarks displayed is determined by a user of the user interface.  
           [0008]    In another embodiment, a method of generating a user interface for displaying folders and bookmarks on a display screen is provided. The method includes receiving scale information. A row of folders having a number of folders determined by the scale information is generated and a column of bookmarks intersecting the row of folders and having a number of bookmarks determined by the scale information is generated.  
           [0009]    In yet another embodiment of the invention, a set-top box that generates a user interface for display on a display device is provided. The set-top box includes a content database that contains user interface content and a graphical objects database that contains user interface graphical objects. An interface generator receives scale information and generates the user interface by arranging the content and graphical objects into a row of folders and a column of bookmarks such that the number of folders and number of rows correspond to the scale information.  
           [0010]    In other embodiments of the invention, computer-executable instructions for implementing the disclosed methods are stored as control logic or computer-readable instructions on computer-readable media, such as an optical or magnetic disk. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 shows a related art user interface screen having a fixed number of elements;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 shows a system for generating a custom user interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 shows a user interface having six folders and eight bookmarks, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 shows a user interface having three folders and four bookmarks, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 illustrates a method of generating a user interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 shows a user interface having no icons in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 illustrates a system for generating and displaying a user interface in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. A set-top box  202  is coupled to a television  204 . In one embodiment, set-top box  202  receives a digital signal, such as an MPEG  11  video signal, and converts the signal into a format suitable for a television, such as an NTSC signal. One skilled in the art will appreciate that some or all of the components or functions can be performed by the components in set-top box  202  may be incorporated into television  204 . Some or all of the functions can also be performed by a processor programmed with computer executable instructions.  
         [0019]    Set-top box  202  may include a content database  206  that contains content that will be displayed on a user interface. Content may include text describing folders and bookmarks. Auxiliary content  208  may include content received from external sources, such as a computer devices coupled to set-top box  202 . A graphical objects database  210  may be included to store graphical objects, such as icons. A graphical library  212  may be included to retrieve graphical objects from graphical objects database  210  and manipulate those objects. For example, graphical objects database  210  may store generic graphical icons and graphic library  212  may customize the appearance of some of the generic icons for a particular purpose.  
         [0020]    A user may use a remote control device  214  for entering commands. Remote control  214  is coupled to a remote control interface  216 . Set-top box  202  may be coupled to other input devices, such as a keyboard, joystick or a mouse. In one embodiment of the invention, remote control  214  is used to enter scale information. Scale information may be any information that can be used to determine a desired number of folders and bookmarks to display on a user interface  218 . In one embodiment, scale information includes the desired number of folders and bookmarks and is provided by the user. In another embodiment of the invention, scale information includes the number of pixels on a display screen. In yet another embodiment, scale information may be provided by a user-selected numeric scale (eg., level  1 , level  2 , etc.).  
         [0021]    One skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of scale information may be used to set the number of folders and bookmarks in user interface  218 . For example, a user may enter the model number of television  204  and set-top box  202  may determine an appropriate number of folders and bookmarks based on the size of the display for that particular model number. A database (not shown) may be included for associating model numbers with preferred numbers of folders and bookmarks. In an alternative embodiment, television  204  may provide scale information directly to set-top box  202 . The scale information may represent the model number of the television or display screen size.  
         [0022]    An interface generator  220  may be included for generating user interface  218 . The number of folders in a folder row and the number of bookmarks in a bookmark column are a function of the scale information. FIG. 3 shows a user interface  302  having six folders and eight bookmarks. As used herein, a bookmark is a function or feature and a folder contains bookmarks having common attributes. Interface  302  may be used with relatively large displays to present a large amount of information to the user will minimizing disruption to the background scene. FIG. 4 shows a user interface  402  having three folders and four bookmarks. User interface  402  may be used by persons with poor eyesight.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 illustrates a method of generating a user interface in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. First, in step  502  a set-top box receives scale information, such as from a user-controlled remote control. Next, in step  504  the set-top box generates a row of folders in which the number of folders is determined by the scale information. In step  506  the set-top box then generates a column of bookmarks that intersects the row folders and in which the number of bookmarks is determined by the scale information.  
         [0024]    In step  508 , the set-top box may receive an icon display command. In order to minimize the disruption to the background image and to maximize the number of folders and bookmarks displayed to the user, the user may choose to not display icons. FIG. 6 shows a user interface  602  that does not include icons.  
         [0025]    In step  510 , the set-top box generates icons representing the folders and bookmarks. Finally, the set-top box may transmit the user interface to a display device, such as a television, in step  512 .  
         [0026]    While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, in alternative embodiments folders may be displayed in a column and bookmarks may be display in a row.