Patent Description:
Electronic picture frames are devices for displaying still images or moving images stored in a memory on a screen. Conventional electronic picture frames display only a single image on a screen or display images stored in a single memory. That is, conventional electronic picture frames are limited in the extent to which they can display images on a screen. Accordingly, since such electronic picture frames provide only a simple function for displaying images, a user may be unable to watch images stored in a desired format in diverse kinds of memory, and therefore the electronic picture frames may be ineffective. <CIT> discloses a method and system for providing a user interface for an application program executed in a digital imaging device, wherein the digital imaging device and the application program applies a plurality of imaging effects to captured images. The method and system include selecting one of the captured images, and automatically applying the plurality of effects to the selected image to provide a plurality of preview results. The plurality of preview results are then displayed as an aligned set of application specific items in the display along with the selected image to thereby provide a real-time preview of each type of effect applied to the selected image.

<CIT> discloses a system that automatically displays and reproduces digital information recorded on a memory card by a simple user's action. When at least one memory card is inserted into at least one card slot, a display mode is switched to a mode for automatically displaying one or more images by at least one manner in accordance with the number of inserted memory cards and/or the type of card. These images indicate the recorded contents of the at least one inserted memory card.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention address at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. Also, the present invention is not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may not overcome any of the problems described above.

An aspect of the present invention provides an electronic picture frame according to claim <NUM>, which implements an image display function with diverse forms and provides a user with images stored in diverse kinds of memories in an exciting and effective way so as to increase the effectiveness of the electronic picture frame and an image display method thereof.

According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image display method for an electronic picture frame according to claim <NUM>, the method including displaying a plurality of images on a first area of a screen, scrolling through the plurality of images on the screen, and displaying one of the plurality of images which are being scrolled through on a second area of the screen.

Further embodiments are covered in the dependent claims.

The plurality of images displayed on the first area are thumbnail images which have a smaller size than the image displayed on the second area.

An image displayed at a preset position of the first area from among the plurality of images, which are being scrolled through, may be displayed on both the first area and the second area of the screen for a preset period of time.

The method may further include changing the number of images displayed on the first area according to a user command.

The images displayed on the first area may include images which have been displayed on the second area, and images which have not been displayed on the second area.

In displaying one of the plurality of images, which are being scrolled through, on the second area of the screen, an image at a particular position from among the plurality of images may be enlarged, moved to the second area, and displayed on the second area, and the process of enlarging and moving the image at the particular position is shown gradually.

The method may further include changing at least one of a direction and rate of scrolling through the plurality of images according to a user command.

The image displayed on the first area may be at least one image which has not been displayed on the second area.

The above and/or other aspects of the present invention will be more apparent by describing certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The matters defined in the description, such as detailed construction and elements, are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the invention. However, the present invention can be practiced without those specifically defined matters. Also, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention with unnecessary detail.

<FIG> is a schematic block diagram of an electronic picture frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic picture frame <NUM> includes an external memory connecting unit <NUM>, an internal memory <NUM>, a signal processing unit <NUM>, a display unit <NUM>, a command input unit <NUM>, and a control unit <NUM>.

The external memory connecting unit <NUM> includes a first connecting unit <NUM>-<NUM>, a second connecting unit <NUM>-<NUM>,. , and an Nth connecting unit <NUM>-n, and each connecting unit <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>,. , and <NUM>-n may be connected to a respective external memory such as a Secure Digital (SD) memory, a Compact Flash (CF) memory, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory. In such an external memories, images such as photos may be compressed and stored into Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), bitmap, or Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) formats. In addition, the external memory connecting unit <NUM> may be connected directly to an external device in which images are stored such as a personal computer or a digital camera.

The internal memory <NUM> stores programs and various data to operate the electronic picture frame <NUM>, and stores images such as photos in JPEG format.

The signal processing unit <NUM> decodes images stored in an external memory which is connected to the external memory connecting unit <NUM>, or in the internal memory <NUM>. If an image stored in the external memory or the internal memory <NUM> is a photo, the photo may have been mostly compressed in JPEG format and stored, in which case the signal processing unit <NUM> decodes the JPEG image. Subsequently, according to the control of the control unit <NUM>, the signal processing unit <NUM> performs scaling and splitting so that the image can be displayed in a user's desired form.

The display unit <NUM> displays the image output by the signal processing unit <NUM>. The image may be displayed on the display unit <NUM> in diverse forms as illustrated in <FIG>. The display unit <NUM> may display images using Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS), Transistor Transistor Logic (TTL), or an analog RGB method.

The command input unit <NUM> receives user commands to control the operation of the electronic picture frame <NUM> and transmits the user commands to the control unit <NUM>. The command input unit <NUM> may include button keys or touch keys to input user commands, may receive user commands from a remote control (not shown), or may be a touch panel which is coupled with the display unit <NUM>. Using such a command input unit <NUM>, the user selects a memory or folder in which a desired image is stored and selects an image display method supported by the electronic picture frame <NUM>.

The control unit <NUM> controls the operation of the electronic picture frame <NUM> according to a user command input received through the command input unit <NUM>. That is, control unit <NUM> controls the signal processing unit <NUM> and the display unit <NUM> to display images, which are stored in external memories connected to the external memory connecting unit <NUM> or the internal memory <NUM>, on the display unit <NUM> using an image display method selected by a user command. This operation of the control unit <NUM> will be described in more detail below.

<FIG> illustrate a function for displaying images using an electronic picture frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the screen <NUM> consists of a main screen <NUM> and a thumbnail screen <NUM>. Images stored in a selected memory are displayed as thumbnails on the thumbnail screen <NUM>. Exchangeable image file format (EXIF) information related to the thumbnails may be displayed on the thumbnail screen <NUM> with the thumbnails. The thumbnail screen <NUM> may be scrolled up or down. While the thumbnail screen <NUM> is being scrolled, image C in a preset position of the thumbnail screen <NUM> is enlarged and displayed on the main screen <NUM>. In <FIG>, the preset position is represented as a hatched area. A thumbnail image is a smaller image than an image displayed on the main screen <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, if the thumbnail screen <NUM> continues to be scrolled down, image C displayed on the main screen <NUM> in <FIG> is displayed again on the thumbnail screen <NUM>. In <FIG>, if the thumbnail screen <NUM> continues to be scrolled down, image D in the preset position of the thumbnail screen <NUM> is enlarged and displayed on the main screen <NUM>. On the main screen <NUM>, as soon as image C disappears, image D appears. Alternatively, no image may be displayed on the main screen <NUM> until the thumbnail screen <NUM> is scrolled down and image D following image C is positioned in the center of the thumbnail screen <NUM>.

Alternatively, the image at the center of the thumbnail <NUM> may be gradually enlarged and displayed on the main screen <NUM>. In addition, the image displayed on the main screen <NUM> may be gradually reduced and displayed on the thumbnail screen <NUM>.

The thumbnail screen <NUM> in <FIG> may also be scrolled up. Scrolling may be performed automatically, or may be performed in a direction which is selected by a user command. The number of images displayed on the thumbnail screen <NUM> may be set according to a user command.

In <FIG>, an image at a preset position on the thumbnail screen <NUM> disappears while being displayed on the main screen <NUM>. However, it is also possible that an image continues to be displayed at the preset position of the thumbnail screen <NUM> while also being displayed on the main screen <NUM>. When the thumbnail screen <NUM> is being scrolled, following thumbnail images appear on and disappears from the thumbnail screen <NUM> according to the direction in which the thumbnail screen <NUM> is scrolled.

If the screen <NUM> is initially displayed according to a user command, thumbnail images may be displayed on the thumbnail screen <NUM>, but no image may be displayed on the main screen <NUM>. The thumbnail images displayed on the thumbnail screen <NUM> include images which have been displayed on the main screen <NUM> and images which are not displayed on the main screen <NUM>.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate that the position of an image on the thumbnail screen <NUM> to be displayed on the main screen <NUM> may vary according to the direction to which the thumbnail screen <NUM> is scrolled. That is, as illustrated in <FIG>, if the thumbnail screen <NUM> is scrolled down, image A on a preset position of the thumbnail screen <NUM> indicated by hatching is displayed on the main screen <NUM>. Since the thumbnail screen <NUM> is scrolled down, the image A disappears simultaneously from both the main screen <NUM> and the thumbnail screen <NUM>. However, if the thumbnail screen <NUM> is scrolled up, the image A is displayed simultaneously on both the main screen <NUM> and the thumbnail screen <NUM>.

In <FIG>, if the thumbnail screen <NUM> is scrolled down, image D on a preset position of the thumbnail screen <NUM> indicated by hatching is displayed on the main screen <NUM>.

Since the thumbnail screen <NUM> is scrolled down, the image D is displayed concurrently on both the main screen <NUM> and the thumbnail screen <NUM>. However, if the thumbnail screen <NUM> is scrolled up, the image D disappears simultaneously from both the main screen <NUM> and the thumbnail screen <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate that an image at a preset location of the thumbnail screen <NUM> disappears from the thumbnail screen <NUM> while being displayed on the main screen <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the thumbnail screen <NUM> is positioned vertically on the right of the screen <NUM>, but it may also be positioned vertically on the left of the screen <NUM>, or horizontally on the upper or lower portion of the screen <NUM>. If the thumbnail screen <NUM> is positioned horizontally on the upper or lower portion of the screen <NUM>, the thumbnail screen <NUM> may be scrolled to the right or left.

The preset position on the thumbnail screen <NUM> may vary according to a user command, and the scrolling rate may vary according to a user command.

In <FIG>, thumbnail images to be displayed on the thumbnail screen <NUM> are images provided by a plurality of storage areas, which are memories or folders.

<FIG> illustrate a function for displaying different images on a screen using an electronic picture frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to <FIG>, the screen <NUM> consists of a first display area <NUM> and a second display area <NUM>. Each display area <NUM> and <NUM> may display images which are stored in different memories. For example, the user may sequentially display the images stored in an SD memory which is connected to the external memory connecting unit <NUM> on the first display area <NUM>, and may sequentially display the images stored in the internal memory <NUM> on the second display area <NUM>. On both the first display area <NUM> and the second display area <NUM> the images are displayed in a sliding manner.

Alternatively, as illustrated in <FIG>, the process of reducing and enlarging the images on the first display area <NUM> and the second display area <NUM> may be gradually expressed. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the user selects a CF memory and a USB memory which are connected to the external memory connecting unit <NUM> so that the images which are stored in the CF memory and the USB memory can be displayed on the first display area <NUM> and the second display area <NUM>, respectively.

An image stored in the CF memory is gradually enlarged, moved, and displayed on the first display area <NUM>. The image is then gradually reduced and moved, and disappears from the first display area <NUM>. Another image stored in the CF memory is displayed on the first display area <NUM> in the same manner. On the second display area <NUM>, the images are displayed in the same manner. In this manner, the images alternately appear on and disappear from the first display area <NUM> and the second display area <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the screen <NUM> consists of the two display areas <NUM> and <NUM>, but the screen <NUM> may consist of three or more display areas. In this case, the three or more display areas may display images stored in three or more memories, respectively.

Furthermore, in <FIG>, the user selects desired memories. However, it is possible that, various kinds of images are categorized differently and stored separately in a plurality of folders in a single memory, and that one of the plurality of folders may be selected and displayed on the first display area <NUM> and another folder may be selected and displayed on the second display area <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flow chart illustrating the operation of an electronic picture frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the electronic picture frame <NUM> reads out images (S400), and displays the images on a display area of the screen using a preset image display method (S450). That is, the control unit <NUM> reads out images to be displayed on the screen from a memory including the images from among external memories which are connected to the external memory connecting unit <NUM> and the internal memory, and then controls the signal processing unit <NUM> and the display unit <NUM> to display the read-out images on the screen using the method described with reference to <FIG> or the method described with reference to <FIG>.

By this process, the user can see the images displayed in diverse methods via the electronic picture frame <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flow chart illustrating a method for displaying images using the electronic picture frame described with reference to <FIG>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the control unit <NUM> detects images (S500), and controls the signal processing unit <NUM> and the display unit <NUM> to display the detected images on a first area and scrolls through the displayed images (S520). That is, as illustrated in <FIG>, the detected images are displayed as thumbnails on the thumbnail screen <NUM>, and the thumbnail screen <NUM> is scrolled through.

Subsequently, the control unit <NUM> controls the signal processing unit <NUM> and the display unit <NUM> to display one of the images that is displayed on the first area on a second area (S540). That is, as illustrated in <FIG>, while the thumbnail screen <NUM> is being scrolled, image C at the center of the thumbnail screen <NUM> is enlarged and displayed on the main screen <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flow chart illustrating a method for displaying different images on screen using the electronic picture frame described with reference to <FIG>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, storage areas are selected according to a user command (S600) and an image display method is selected (S620). That is, the user selects a memory, in which the desired images are stored from among the memories connected to the external memory connecting unit <NUM> and the internal memory <NUM>, and selects a method for displaying the images in the selected storage area. For example, the user may select the images stored in a USB memory to be displayed on the first display area and may select the images stored in a CF memory to be displayed on the second display area. Subsequently, the signal processing unit <NUM> decodes the images stored in the selected storage area (S640), and the display unit <NUM> displays the decoded images on the screen using the selected image display method (S660). In other words, the control unit <NUM> controls the signal processing unit <NUM> to decode the images stored in the selected memory and performs scaling and splitting of the decoded images. Consequently, the images in the USB memory can be processed by the signal processing unit <NUM> and displayed on the first display area, and the images in the CF memory can be processed by the signal processing unit <NUM> and displayed on the second display area.

In <FIG>, memories are selected as storage areas, but a plurality of folders in which various kinds of images are categorized differently may be selected as storage areas.

Claim 1:
An electronic picture frame comprising:
a display; and
a processor configured to:
process a plurality of thumbnail images so that the plurality of thumbnail images are scrolled through and displayed on a scrollable area of the display, and
control the display to automatically display an image corresponding one of the plurality of thumbnail images, which are scrolled through, on a main area,
wherein, if the plurality of thumbnail images are scrolled in a first direction and a thumbnail image, among the plurality of thumbnail images, reaches a first preset location on the scrollable area, a larger image corresponding to the thumbnail image at the first preset location appears in the main area,
wherein, if the plurality of thumbnail images are scrolled in a second direction and a thumbnail image, among the plurality of thumbnail images, reaches a second preset location on the scrollable area, a larger image corresponding to the thumbnail image at the second preset location appears in the main area,
wherein the first preset location is at a first end of the scrollable area and the second preset location is at a second end of the scrollable area.