Patent Publication Number: US-2007113247-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for providing user interface

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 2005-109902 filed on Nov. 16, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      Aspects of the present invention relate to a user interface and, more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for providing a user interface, which displays and controls a control subject by using a pointing object.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      When a conventional analog broadcast is received by a moving terminal, its sound and image qualities are significantly decreased, so a high output power and a wide bandwidth are required to compensate for the decrease in sound and image qualities. In order to provide a high output power and wide bandwidth, digital broadcasts, such as digital audio broadcasts, digital video broadcasts, and digital data broadcasts are being standardized.  
      For example, digital audio broadcasting (DAB), which has been developed as a next generation broadcast format in Europe, where Eureka-147 has been selected as the digital audio broadcast standard, is not affected by radio waves or noise, and thereby facilitates playing back an audio broadcast at CD quality in a mobile environment, even when the broadcast is transmitted using a low output power. DAB transmits not only music but also various multimedia information regarding news, traffic, weather, global positioning, and moving pictures. As a result, the concept of listening to a radio broadcast has been broadened to the concept of “viewing and listening.” 
      Digital multimedia broadcasts (DMB) are another format of next generation broadcasts that enable a mobile terminal to receive and restore several digital broadcasts by transmitting CD quality sound, text, graphics, and moving pictures at 1.5 Mbits/s beyond the conventional transmission speed of AM and FM broadcasts.  
      As digital broadcasts become more prevalent, the spread of portable broadcast-receiving devices capable of receiving digital broadcasts such as DAB and DMB, while the devices are in motion, is increasing. A portable broadcast-receiving device is usually small due to the nature of mobile terminals. Therefore, it is essential that the number of buttons which control the portable broadcast-receiving device is limited, and the screen size of the portable broadcast-receiving device is compact. Accordingly, an appropriate user interface is needed which enables a user to easily control a portable broadcast-receiving device.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In view of the above, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a user interface which uses a pointing object in order to easily control a portable broadcast-receiving device.  
      Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.  
      An aspect of the present invention provides a method of providing a user interface to a user.  
      According to an aspect of the invention, the method includes displaying a plurality of display areas which each display a control subject, positioning a pointing object on one display area of the several display areas, and moving the pointing object between the plurality of display areas when a move command is input.  
      Another aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus which provides a user interface to a user.  
      According to another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus includes a display control module having a plurality of display areas which display control subjects, and a pointing object control module which moves the pointing object displayed on one display area to another display area when a move command is input. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The above and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent: and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a user-interface-providing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  depicts a screen which provides a plurality of display areas according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  depicts a state of moving a pointing object according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  depicts a change in size of a pointing object according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing a method of providing a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 6  depicts external components of a portable broadcast-receiving device according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram showing a structure of a portable broadcast receiving device according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIGS. 8A  to  8 C depict a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIGS. 9A  to  9 C depict a user interface according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
      Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the present invention will only be defined by the appended claims. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.  
      The term “module,” as used herein, refers to, but is not limited to, a software or hardware component, such as, for example, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), which executes certain tasks. A module may be advantageously configured to reside in an addressable storage medium, and configured to execute on one or more processors. Thus, a module may include, by way of example, components, such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functionality provided for in the components and modules may be combined into fewer components and modules or further separated into additional components and modules. It is understood that other types of modules and/or components may be used in accordance with aspects of the present invention, and that other configurations of the modules and/or components may be used.  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an apparatus which provides a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. The user-interface-providing apparatus  100  includes a display control module  110 , a pointing object control module  120 , and a function control module  130 . The user-interface-providing apparatus may be included not only in a portable digital device, such as a digital camera, cellular phone, portable media player (PMP), personal digital assistant (PDA), or DMB receiver, but also may be included in a stationary digital device, such as a digital TV or set-top box. The user-interface-providing apparatus  100  may be embodied as one or more modules in a digital device.  
      The user-interface-providing apparatus  100  enables a user to control a digital device by providing a pointing object to the user. Hereinafter, components of the user-interface-providing apparatus  100  will be described. A digital device including the user-interface-providing device  100  will be hereinafter referred to as a “main device” for convenience.  
      The display control module  110  provides one or more display areas on a screen of the main device. Each display area maps several control subjects which control the main device, and displays visual information indicating each control subject. The control subject may be presented on the screen in several different embodiments corresponding to different functions provided by the main device. For example, the control subjects may be various menus which allow a user to select a function of the main device.  FIG. 2  illustrates an example of a screen which provides a plurality of display areas via the display control module  110 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , a screen  10  provides a plurality of display areas  11 - 14 , and each display area  11 - 14  displays a menu  1 - 4 , respectively, which allows a user to control the main device.  
      The pointing object control module  120  controls a pointing object which in turn controls a control subject. The pointing object may be located on one display area of a plurality of display areas provided by the display control module  110 . If a moving command of the pointing object is input, the pointing object control module  120  moves the pointing object in a direction corresponding to the move command to a display area adjacent to the display area where the pointing object was originally located. Preferably, the pointing object continuously moves while overlapping the display areas so that the pointing object may be continuously moved between display areas, which will be described with reference to  FIG. 3 . In a state where the pointing object  20  is located in a display area  11  with a menu  1  like screen A, when a user inputs a command to move a pointing object  20  to the right, the pointing object  20  is moved to a display area  12  corresponding to a menu  2 . A screen B shows a moving state of the pointing object  20 . The arrow attached to the dotted line  30  illustrates an example of the path of the pointing object  20 . It is understood that the pointing object may also be moved from menu  1  to menus  3 - 4 , as well as into any other menus displayed on screens A and/or B.  
      In  FIG. 3 , the pointing object  20  is illustrated as a hollow circle; however, it may be illustrated as many other images. The pointing object may also appear to be a three-dimensional figure or icon. In other words, the pointing object according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the shape or form displayed in  FIG. 3 , and may instead be numerous other shapes or forms.  
      The pointing object&#39;s size, shape, form, color, and brightness can change. For example, the pointing object&#39;s size may change over a certain range of sizes over time. Likewise, the pointing object&#39;s shape, form, color, and brightness can change over time. The pointing object&#39;s size, shape, form, color, and brightness may also change even when a user moves the pointing object between display areas. A user can identify or select a display area corresponding to a control subject via the pointing object.  
      When a user inputs a control command in a display area, a function-control module  130  performs a control operation on the control subject corresponding to a display area. The result of the control command inputted by a user into the function-control module  130  is displayed via the display control module  110 . The control operation performed by the function-control module  130  may be several different embodiments, based on a function provided by the main device, which will be described with reference to FIGS.  6  to  9 C.  
      Hereinafter, operations between modules which constitute a user-interface-providing apparatus will be described with reference to  FIG. 5 .  
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart which shows a method of providing a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
      In operation S 410 , a display control module  110  provides a plurality of display areas corresponding to a plurality of control subjects via a screen of the main device.  
      Then, in operation S 420 , the pointing object control module  120  positions a pointing object on one display area of the plurality of display areas provided by the display control module  110 .  
      If a user inputs a move command to the main device in operation S 430 , then in operation S 450 , the pointing object control module  120  moves the pointing object to a display area located in the direction corresponding to the move command. It is understood that the move command may be inputted in many different ways. For instance, a clockwise rotation of a direction button may move the pointing object in a clockwise manner around the display areas.  
      After a user inputs a control command in operation S 450 , then in operation S 460 , the function control module  130  performs a control operation on a control subject displayed in the display area where the pointing object is located.  
      In one embodiment, the main device including the user-interface-providing apparatus  100  is a portable broadcast-receiving device. However, it is understood that the main device is not limited to being a portable broadcast-receiving device. The main device may also be a stationary device, such as a digital TV.  
       FIG. 6  depicts external components of a portable broadcast-receiving device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
      A portable broadcast-receiving device  200  includes a display panel  260  and a plurality of buttons, such as a direction button  232  and a function  234 . The portable broadcast-receiving device  200  receives a broadcast signal transmitted by a broadcasting station, decodes the received broadcast signal, and displays the signal via a display panel. When the portable broadcast-receiving device  200  displays a user interface, which enables a user to select a control subject, such as a menu or a received broadcast, the portable broadcast-receiving device  200  provides a pointing object to select the control subject. In other words, the pointing object shows a control position to a user. A particular structure of the portable broadcast receiving device  200  is shown in  FIG. 7 .  
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram showing a portable broadcast receiving device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
      The portable broadcast receiving device  200  illustrated in  FIG. 7  includes a broadcast signal-receiving module  210 , a restoration module  220 , an input module  230 , a user interface-providing module  240 , a speaker  250 , and a display panel  260 . The broadcast signal-receiving module  210  and restoration module  220  may also be collectively referred to as a receiving unit. It is understood that portable broadcast receiving devices are not limited to the configuration shown in  FIG. 7 , and may instead have various other configurations.  
      The broadcast signal receiving module  210 , which includes a tuner  212  and a demodulator  214 , receives a broadcast signal.  
      The tuner  212  receives a broadcast signal, converts the received broadcast signal into an intermediate frequency (IF), and transmits the IF to the demodulator  214 . For example, the tuner  212  detects an in-phase/quadrature-phase (I/Q) signal by processing signals received via satellite, and then transmits the detected I/Q signal to the demodulator  214 . It is understood that signals other than I/Q signals may also be received by the tuner  212 .  
      The demodulator  214  abstracts a transport stream (TS) from the IF and then transmits the abstracted TS to the restoration module  220 . The demodulator  214  may be, for example, a quadratic phase shift keying (QPSK) demodulator (not shown) and a forward error correction (FEC) demodulator (not shown) and perform QPSK demodulation and FEC demodulation. It is understood that other methods of abstraction and/or other components may be used.  
      The TS may include at least one of video, audio, and data signals. In other words, the TS may include video signals, audio signals, and/or data signals.  
      The broadcast signal received by the broadcast-signal-receiving module  210  may be one of a satellite DMB and a terrestrial wave DMB, but is not limited to being either a satellite DMB or a terrestrial wave DMB. The broadcast-signal-receiving module  210  may additionally or instead receive a different type of broadcast signal, such as a digital video broadcasting (DVB) signal or a digital audio broadcasting (DAB) signal.  
      The restoration module  220  restores video, audio, and data signals in the TS. To restore the video, audio and data signals, the restoration module  220  includes a demultiplexing module  222  and a decoding module  224 . It is understood that the restoration module  220  may use other modules to restore the video, audio and data signals.  
      Depending on the type of broadcast signal received by the portable broadcast receiving device, the TS may include at least one of video, audio, and data signals. The demultiplexing module  222  separates the video, audio, and data signals by parsing the TS, and then transmits the parsed data signals to the decoding module  224 .  
      The decoding module  224  includes a video decoder (not shown) and an audio decoder (not shown). Both the video decoder and the audio decoder decode the parsed video and audio signals transmitted by the demultiplexing module  222 . A video decoder  310  may use a video decompression method, such as MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, to decode the video signal. An audio decoder  320  may use an audio decompression method, such as the MPEG layer  3  (MP 3 ) or audio compression  3  (AC 3 ), to decode the audio signal.  
      Additionally, the decoding module  224  may include a data decoder (not shown). The data decoder decodes the data signals transmitted by the demultiplexing module  222 . The data decoder may use a video decompression method, such as JPEG, or a markup language parsing method, such as an extensible markup language (XML) parser, to decode the data.  
      The input module  230  includes a plurality of buttons, such as the direction button  232  and the function button  234 , which outputs a command corresponding to each button pushed by a user. It is understood that these buttons may output a wide variety of commands.  
      The user-interface-providing module  240  transmits the broadcast signal restored by the restoration module  220  to the user via the speaker  250  and the display panel  260 . Additionally, the user-interface-providing module  240  provides various menus needed to control the portable broadcast-receiving device  200 , and outputs these menus to the user via the display panel  260 . Specifically, the user-interface-providing module  240  enables a user to control the portable broadcast-receiving device  200  with a pointing object and the input module  230 .  
      The user-interface-providing module  240  is in a state where the user-interface-providing apparatus  100  described with reference to FIGS.  1  to  5  is modularized. In other words, the structure and operation of the user-interface-providing module  240  may be understood to be the same structure and operation of the user interface providing apparatus  100 . Hereinafter, it will be described that the portable broadcast-receiving device  200  provides a user interface via the user-interface-providing module  240 , with reference to  FIGS. 8A  to  9 C. A structure of the user interface providing module  240  will be described with reference to that of the user interface providing apparatus  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 8A  depicts a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated user interface includes six display areas  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340 ,  350  and  360 . In each of the display areas  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340 ,  350  and  360 , a video channel menu to select a video broadcast, an audio channel menu to select an audio broadcast, a data channel menu to a data broadcast, a multi-channel menu to view several broadcasts simultaneously, a “my media” menu to store and search for the user&#39;s favorite channels, and a setting menu to set an environment of the portable broadcast-receiving device  200 , are all displayed. These screens may be displayed to the user by the display control module  110  of the user-interface-providing module  240 .  
      In  FIG. 8A , the pointing object  20  is located in the display area  320  corresponding to the audio channel menu.  
      If a user inputs a command to move the pointing object  20  to the right by using the direction button  232 , the input module  230  sends the corresponding key signal to the user-interface-providing module  240 . At this point, the pointing object control module  120  of the user-interface-providing module  240  moves the pointing object to the display area  330  on the right (adjacent to the display area  320  corresponding to audio channels), which is illustrated in  FIG. 8B . It is understood that buttons other than the direction button  232  may be used to move the pointing object  20 .  
      If a user inputs a control command by pressing the function button  234 , the function button  234  transmits the control command to the user-interface-providing module  240  via the input module  230 . In  FIG. 8B , the function control module  130  of the user-interface-providing module  240  performs the control operation corresponding to the function button  234  on a data channel menu in the display area  330  where the pointing object  20  is located. In  FIG. 8B , if a user inputs a command to request a sub-menu by using the function button  234 , the function control module  130  provides sub-menu items of the data channel menu corresponding to the display area where the pointing object  20  is located. Here, the sub-menu items are displayed on a display area of the display panel  260  by the display control module  110 , an embodiment of which is illustrated in  FIG. 8C .  
       FIG. 8C  illustrates a data broadcast list as a sub-menu of the data channel menu. As illustrated in  FIG. 8C , when a sub-menu  30  is displayed, the pointing object  20  moves to onto one of the sub-menu items, which are also control subjects. Accordingly, a user may control these sub-menu items via the pointing object  20 . As further illustrated in  FIG. 8C , when a user moves the pointing object  20  to a display area, the display area enlarges and cause a corresponding decrease in the size of the other display areas. It is understood that the display area does not have to enlarge when a user moves the pointing object  20  into the display area, or may enlarge or change appearance in various ways other than the way illustrated in  FIG. 8C .  
      The pointing object  20  may be continuously displayed on a screen even when a user views a broadcast via a portable broadcast-receiving device, an example of which is illustrated in  FIGS. 9A  to  9 C. However, it is understood that the pointing object  20  does not have to be continuously displayed on the screen.  
       FIG. 9A  depicts a user interface according to another embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated user interface shows a state where several broadcasts are displayed by a selection of the display area  340  corresponding to the multi-channel menu. In this case, a video broadcast is displayed in the first display area  510 , and data broadcasts are displayed in the second display area  520 , the third display area  530 , and the fourth display area  540 . In  FIG. 9A , the pointing object  20  is located on the second display area  520 .  
      If a user inputs a move command, the pointing object  20  moves to the first display area  510  on the right (adjacent to the second display area  520 ), as illustrated in  FIG. 9B .  
      If a user inputs a control command by pressing the function button  234 , a control operation for a video broadcast displayed in the first display area  510  is performed. If a user inputs a whole screen command, a video broadcast displayed in the first display area  510  is displayed on the whole screen, as illustrated in  FIG. 9C . It is understood that the function button  234  may perform various functions.  
      According to aspects of the present invention, the method and the apparatus for providing a user interface enables a user to easily control a portable terminal.  
      Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.