Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-02
2002-03-05
Bayerl, Raymond J. (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C345S215000, C348S901000, C725S046000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06353444
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on application Ser. Nos. 10-053206, 10-177662, and 10-279522 filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user interface in an electrical appliance and a personal computer, and relates to a broadcast receiving apparatus that is provided with a user interface.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
An electrical appliance such as a television set, a video cassette recorder, and an air conditioner is equipped with buttons, and the like for receiving user instructions on the main body or the remote controller.
Each of the buttons typically corresponds to one function of the electrical appliance, and is provided with characters or a mark that read or indicates the content of the function. The user pushes a button to have the electrical appliance perform a corresponding function.
With the diversification of uses, multi-featured electrical appliances have been developed in order to meet user needs for more useful and complex functions.
As a result, the number of buttons on the main body or the remote controller increases, leading to a bulky remote controller, which is inconvenient to carry. In addition, it takes much time for the user to find the button corresponding to a desired function.
One proposed solution to these problems is an operation panel on a multi-featured electric appliance that is realized by a software.
The operation panel is a graphical user interface. More specifically, an electric appliance is equipped with an image displaying unit or the monitor on the appliance on which an image is output is used as an image displaying unit, and button images are displayed on the image displaying unit under the control of a software. The user designates one position on the image displaying unit using the remote controller and the like to select one of the button images. Here, a “button image” refers to an image that has the same function as a button.
The operation panel displays the button images corresponding to the multiple functions so that the button images would be systematized in a hierarchical menus. As a result, the user may select each of the functions even if the number of button images displayed on the image displaying unit at one time is limited due to the resolution constraints. Here, a “menu” refers to all the button images displayed on the image displaying unit at one time.
More specifically, the software that realizes the operation panel systematizes the multiple functions in a tree structure and displays the corresponding button images on the image displaying unit so that hierarchical menus would be displayed according to the tree structure. As a result, when selecting a function that is positioned at a relatively lower level in a tree structure, the user has to repeat the selection of a button image corresponding to a function that is positioned at a higher level than a button image corresponding to the desired function until the desired button image is displayed on the image displaying unit.
FIG. 1
shows a video system
9000
, which is an example of a conventional electrical appliance equipped with an operation panel that displays a hierarchical menus.
The video system
9000
includes a video recording and replaying apparatus
9100
, a monitor
9200
, and a remote controller
9300
.
Here, the video recording and replaying apparatus
9100
has functions for recording programs, replaying recorded programs, and displaying the replayed programs. The video recording and replaying apparatus
9100
detects signals transmitted from the remote controller
9300
, performs the functions according to the signals, outputs signals to the monitor
9203
for displaying the operation panel on the monitor
9200
, and outputs TV signals to the monitor
9200
for replaying and displaying recorded programs.
An operation panel
9210
displayed on the image displaying unit of the monitor
9200
is realized by a software in the video recording and replaying apparatus
9100
, and includes a cursor
9211
, button images
9212
“replay”,
9213
“preset for recording”,
9214
“recording”,
9215
“TV”, and
9216
“setting”.
The remote controller
9300
receives the user instruction and transmits the signals representing the instruction to the video recording and replaying apparatus
9100
. The remote controller
9300
includes remote control buttons
9310
,
9320
,
9330
, and
9340
for moving the cursor
9211
on the operation panel
9210
, and a remote control button
9350
for determining the selection of a button image indicated by the cursor
9211
. For instance, when the user pushes the remote control button
9330
, the cursor
9211
moves down one line.
FIG. 2
shows a hierarchical structure of function items displayed on the operation panel
9210
as button images.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the function items are related to each other so that the function items would form a tree structure. For instance, the function item “detect and replay” is a subitem of the function item “replay” in the tree structure.
When the user selects a button image on the operation panel
9210
, the display on the operation panel
9210
is changed according to the hierarchical structure shown in FIG.
2
.
When the user wants the video system
9000
to display a TV program, the processings described below are performed.
The user pushes the remote control button
9340
, with watching the operation panel
9210
as shown in FIG.
1
. In response to the user instruction, the cursor
9211
on the operation panel
9210
moves to the right and indicates the button image
9215
“TV”.
Then the user pushes the remote control button
9350
to select the button image
9215
. As a result, a TV program is displayed on the
9200
.
A conventional electrical appliance equipped with an above-described operation panel, however, raises a new problem that it is difficult for the user to easily select a desired function from a hierarchical menus. For instance, when the user has little knowledge of the hierarchical structure of the electrical appliance functions, it is difficult for the user to select a function that is positioned at a relatively lower level of the structure.
In addition, when an electrical appliance is equipped with combined or special functions even for the convenience of the user, it is difficult to form an easy-to-understand hierarchical menus including these functions. In this case, even if hierarchical menus including these combined or special functions are formed, the structure of the hierarchical menus is complex. As a result, it is difficult for the user to be familiar with the hierarchical structure and to easily select a function from the menus.
For instance, when the function structure of an electrical appliance has the highest menu including the same functions as the video system
9000
(refer to FIG.
1
), and when the electrical appliance is equipped with a combined function “delete information on replayed program”, it is difficult for the user to specify the menu in the hierarchical structure that includes the combined function. When the electrical appliance is equipped with a special function “switch to a favorite program”, it is difficult to include the special function in a menu in a normal hierarchical structure. Even if the special function is included in a menu in a hierarchical structure, it is difficult for the user to specify the menu that includes the special function.
Similar problem also arises for a multi-featured personal computer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a user interface apparatus that enables the user to easily designate a desired function of an electric appliance or a personal computer with high probability.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a user interface apparatus that suggests the user instructing a special function when necessary, and to provide a broadcast receiving apparatus equipped with the user interface apparatus.
The above-mentioned first objec
Katta Noboru
Kawata Hirotsugu
Kurosaki Toshihiko
Kushiki Yoshiaki
Mori Toshiaki
Bayerl Raymond J.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Price and Gess
Vu Kieu D.
LandOfFree
User interface apparatus and broadcast receiving apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with User interface apparatus and broadcast receiving apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and User interface apparatus and broadcast receiving apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2833491