KR100929200B1 - Multimedia playback device and its screen display method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multimedia playback apparatus and a screen display method thereof. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a multimedia player includes: a display unit displaying at least one first menu item on one side of a screen, an input unit to select one of the displayed first menu items, and a second menu item corresponding to the selected first menu item It includes a control unit for controlling the display unit to display on the opposite side end of one side of the screen. According to the present invention, by arranging menus at both ends of the screen of the multimedia player, the user can conveniently select a menu while holding the multimedia player with both hands, and minimize the screen obstruction by the menu display. have.

Multimedia, Top Menu, Sub Menu, Touch Screen

Description

MULTIMEDIA REPLAYING APPARATUS AND SCREEN DISPLAYING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a multimedia playback apparatus and a screen display method thereof, and more particularly, to a multimedia playback device and a screen display method for allowing a user to conveniently check and select a menu included in the multimedia playback device.

Today, due to the development of image processing technology, various multimedia such as digital video disc (DVD), MP3 player, compact disc (CD) player as well as portable multimedia player (PMP) Playback devices have been developed and popularized.

In particular, unlike a MP3 player having only a music playback function, the portable multimedia player (PMP) is expected to replace the existing MP3 player because it can also play a video.

Recently, a light and small sized portable multimedia player (PMP) has been developed to be easy to carry by a user.

In addition to the MP3 player, the multimedia player also has various functions such as video playback, internet, electronic dictionary, game, and character input. I can put it.

As such, since the multimedia reproducing apparatus has various functions, a multimedia reproducing apparatus for displaying various screens has been developed in order to easily select a menu for performing a desired function by the user.

Figure 1a is an exemplary view showing a main screen of the multimedia playback apparatus according to the prior art.

As shown in FIG. 1A, in the multimedia playback apparatus according to the related art, the upper menu window 10 is displayed to select an item corresponding to the upper menu at the bottom of the main screen.

That is, "navigation", "multimedia", "viewer", "recorder" and "other" menu items corresponding to the upper menu items are displayed at the bottom of the screen.

In addition, a lower menu window 20 is displayed on the right center of the menu selection screen to select a lower menu item included in the selected upper menu.

For example, when the user selects "Multimedia" from the upper menu items as shown in FIG. 1A, "DMB", "Video Player", "Music Player", and "FM Radio" corresponding to the submenu items of "Multimedia" are displayed. It is displayed at the right center of the screen.

 In addition, the display window 30 is set on the upper left of the screen, and the playback screen of the currently set submenu item "DMB" is displayed.

Figure 1b is an exemplary view showing a playback screen of the multimedia playback apparatus according to the prior art.

FIG. 1B is assuming that "DMB" is selected in the main screen according to FIG. 1A.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the currently selected submenu “DMB” is displayed at the top of the screen, and a menu selection window 50 that the user can select is displayed on the right side of the screen.

Through the menu selection window 50 shown in FIG. 1B, the user can select a desired broadcast and channel from the TV and the radio.

In the center of the screen, a playback window 60 is generated to play the currently set DMB broadcast through the menu selection window 50. According to FIG. 1B, a broadcast corresponding to the channel “06” of the “TV” broadcast is reproduced through the play window 60.

In addition, a mode selection window 70 is generated at the lower right of the screen, so that the user can adjust the sound or the screen size according to the viewer's preference for the currently playing broadcast and change the channel.

FIG. 1C is an exemplary diagram illustrating a screen of a multimedia player when the mode is changed in the play screen according to FIG. 1B.

As shown in FIG. 1C, when the mode is to be changed through the mode selection window 70 (in FIG. 1C, for example, the equalizer of the music player is to be changed), the user is generated in a pop up form. The mode can be set according to taste through the setting window 80.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 1A, the upper menu window 10 is located at the bottom of the menu selection screen of the multimedia player, and the lower menu window 20 is located at the right center of the menu selection screen. There is a problem in that it is inconvenient to select the upper menu or the lower menu in a state that is stably held by both hands.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1C, when the mode selection or the menu is selected, the setting window is popped up in the center of the screen, and thus there is a problem of covering the screen.

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of displaying a screen of a multimedia player that allows a user to conveniently select a menu when selecting a menu.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of displaying a screen of a multimedia player according to an embodiment of the present invention, the method comprising: displaying at least one first menu item at one end of a screen; Displaying at least one second menu item.

And selecting one of the displayed first menu items, and changing the second menu item to a menu item corresponding to the selected first menu item.

The first menu item may be an upper menu item, and the second menu item may be a lower menu item corresponding to the first menu item.

The method may further include receiving one of the displayed submenu items and changing the center of the screen to a screen for performing a function corresponding to the selected submenu item.

Here, it may be preferable to display the upper menu item and the lower menu item in one line at one side end and the opposite side end of the one side of the screen, respectively.

The method may further include changing the upper and lower menu items displayed on one side of the screen and the opposite side of the one side of the screen to menu items necessary to perform a function corresponding to the selected lower menu item.

The method may further include changing the size of the first and second menu items larger than the pen mode when selecting the touch mode, and changing the size of the first and second menu items smaller than the touch mode when selecting the pen mode. It may further comprise a step.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multimedia playback apparatus including a display unit for displaying at least one first menu item on one side of a screen, an input unit for selecting one of the displayed first menu items, and And a controller configured to control the display unit to display a second menu item corresponding to the selected first menu item on an opposite side of one side of the screen.

The first menu item may be an upper menu item, and the second menu item may be a lower menu item corresponding to the first menu item.

When the input unit receives one of the displayed lower menu items, the controller may change the center of the screen to a screen for performing a function corresponding to the selected lower menu item.

In addition, the controller may be configured to display the upper menu item and the lower menu item in a row on one side end of the screen and opposite sides of the one end, respectively.

The controller may be configured to change the upper and lower menu items displayed on one side end and the opposite side end of the screen into menu items necessary to perform a function corresponding to the selected lower menu item.

The controller may change the size of the first and second menu items to be larger than the pen mode when the touch mode is selected, and make the size of the first and second menu items smaller than the touch mode when the pen mode is selected. The display unit may be controlled to be changed.

Thus, according to the present invention, in the screen display method of the multimedia player, by placing the upper and lower menus at both ends of the screen of the multimedia player, the user can conveniently enter the menu while holding the multimedia player with both hands. It can be selected and the screen can be minimized by menu display.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention.

First, a multimedia playback apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2.

2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a multimedia playback apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The multimedia player 100 shown in FIG. 2 includes a DVD player, a CD player, a portable multimedia player (PMP), and the like, and inputs and outputs an image signal and an audio signal from an external device through a predetermined process. To print.

Referring to FIG. 2, the multimedia playback apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an input unit 110, a display unit 120, a controller 130, a storage unit 140, and a sound playback unit 150. .

The input unit 110 receives a variety of commands for operating the multimedia player 100 from the user and transmits the various commands to the controller 130. In particular, the input unit 110 according to the present invention may receive a command for an upper menu, a lower menu selection, a mode selection, a function selection, and the like displayed on the display 120.

To this end, the input unit 110 is preferably implemented as a touch panel, and may be implemented as a keypad according to an embodiment.

If the input unit 110 is implemented as a touch screen method, the input unit 110 may be designed to be changed to a touch mode and a pen mode, and the user interface corresponding to the upper and lower menu items on the screen may be selected when the touch mode is selected. The size of the UI) is changed to be larger than in the pen mode, thereby preventing an error of touching the UI for other menu items. In addition, when the pen mode is selected, the size of the user interface (UI) corresponding to the upper and lower menu items on the screen is smaller than that in the touch mode, so that the user interface (UI) for more menus can be designed to be displayed on one screen. have.

The display unit 120 indicates an operation state of the multimedia player 100 or displays a menu screen for receiving various commands from the user under the control of the controller 130. To this end, the display unit 120 may be implemented as a screen display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). In addition, the display unit 120 may be implemented to be combined with the touch panel of the input unit 110 to provide a touch screen function.

In particular, the display unit 120 according to the present invention displays the upper menu and the lower menu in a row on both sides of the screen, so that the user can easily select a menu and enjoy the video without covering the screen as much as possible.

A method of displaying the upper menu or the lower menu on the screen by the display unit 120 will be described in detail below.

The controller 130 performs a function of controlling the overall operation of the multimedia player 100. In more detail, the controller 130 may perform a function of converting and outputting a content file selected by a user into a format that may be processed by the display unit 120 and the sound reproducing unit 150. In addition, the controller 130 performs a function of controlling the display unit 120 to display a screen for performing a function corresponding to a menu item selected by a user command. In particular, the controller 130 according to the present invention controls the display unit 120 to display the upper menu and lower menu items on both sides of the main screen.

Here, the upper menu refers to a menu in which various functions provided by the multimedia reproducing apparatus 100 are classified at the uppermost level, and the lower menu refers to a menu which is further divided into various functions provided in the corresponding upper menu. .

The storage 140 stores various data and programs necessary for the operation of the multimedia player 100, stores multimedia content files input from the outside, and provides them at the request of the controller 130.

In particular, the storage unit 140 according to the present invention stores various information for each menu item corresponding to various functions provided by the multimedia player 100. For example, the storage 140 may include attribute information of each upper menu item, information on lower menu items included in the upper menu item, and the like.

The attribute information on the upper menu item may include information on whether the upper menu includes the lower menu or whether the upper menu is an execution menu in which a specific operation is performed immediately when the upper menu is selected. In addition, the information on the submenu items included in the upper menu item includes information that matches each upper menu item with the corresponding submenu items so that the submenu items belonging to the upper menu items are known. Indicates.

The attribute information of the lower menu item includes information on whether the lower menu is included or whether the execution menu is included, similarly to the attribute information of the upper menu item. If there is another submenu item with respect to the corresponding submenu item, matching information regarding the submenu item may also be included in the storage 140.

The sound reproducing unit 150 includes a digital-to-analog convert (DAC), and outputs a sound signal output from the controller 130 in a form reproducible from a speaker (not shown) or an earphone (not shown). . According to an exemplary embodiment, the sound reproducing unit 150 may include a speaker or an earphone.

Hereinafter, a method of displaying a screen through the display unit 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 4D.

3 is a flowchart in which a user selects and executes a menu through the display unit 120 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, when the user turns on the power switch of the multimedia player 100, the main screen as shown in FIG. 4A is generated on the display unit 120 (S310).

4A and 4B are exemplary views illustrating a main screen of the multimedia player 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 4a, the upper menu selection unit 170 that can select the upper menu is located on the left end of the main screen of the multimedia player 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The upper menu selection unit 170 may display a plurality of upper menu items in a line. The upper menu item may be represented by an icon or text that allows the user to intuitively check the corresponding function. That is, "Media", "Office", "Utility", "Network", and "Windows" menu items corresponding to the upper menu items may be arranged in a row on the left side of the screen.

In addition, a lower menu selection unit 171 for selecting a lower menu item corresponding to the currently set upper menu item is located at the right end of the main screen.

In the lower menu selection unit 171, a plurality of lower menu items corresponding to the set upper menu are arranged in a line.

In addition, at the bottom of the main screen, the operation status and other information of the multimedia player 100 such as the task bar 172, the volume 173, the battery level 174, the date 175, the time 176, and the like are displayed. Can be. If the user has set an option not to be displayed, the corresponding information may not be displayed.

When the user selects one of the plurality of upper menu items displayed on the upper menu selector 170 (S320), the lower menu selector 171 displays lower menu items corresponding to the selected upper menu item (S330). .

That is, when the user selects "Media" from among a plurality of upper menus as shown in FIG. 4A, the lower right side of the main screen includes "Movie", "Music", "DMB", and "Radio" corresponding to the selected "Media". "," Navigation "is displayed.

Similarly, when "Office" is selected from the plurality of upper menus in the state as shown in FIG. 4A, the sub-menus "Dictionary", "Britannica", "Photo", which correspond to "Office" are displayed at the right end of the main screen as shown in FIG. 4B. "Text" and "Browser" are displayed.

As such, when an upper menu located at the left end of the screen is selected according to an embodiment of the present invention, the lower menu located at the right end of the screen is changed to correspond to the upper menu, and thus a user interface for a plurality of menus in a minimum space. (UI) can be configured. Therefore, the user can utilize the multimedia player 100 having various functions in more detail and efficiently.

Next, when the user selects a desired submenu item in the state as shown in FIG. 4A (S340), the center portion of the screen is changed to a screen for performing a function corresponding to the submenu item selected by the user (S350).

FIG. 4C is an exemplary diagram illustrating a playback screen of the multimedia player 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4C illustrates a playback screen when a user selects "Movie" as a lower menu on the main screen as shown in FIG. 4A.

As shown in FIG. 4C, a playback window 181 is positioned at the center of a playback screen of the multimedia playback apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention to display an image currently being played.

The play window 181 may play a screen of the video selected by the user.

The video information 182 is displayed above the playback window 181 to indicate a file currently being executed or reproduced.

Further, detailed information 183 is displayed at the bottom of the playback window 181 to indicate information about the file currently being executed or reproduced.

If the file to be played is a moving picture, the size information, codec information, resolution information, etc. of the moving picture file are displayed, and if the music file is played, the copyright holder information, the equalizer information, and the like are displayed.

On the left side of the play window 181, a main menu move UI 184 that can move to the main screen as shown in FIG. 4A, and a mode selector that selects a mode for an image played through the play window 181. 185 is located.

Therefore, by selecting the main screen moving UI 184, the user can directly move to the main screen as shown in FIG. 4A even during file reproduction.

The mode selector 185 has a user interface (UI) for selecting various modes of a file to be played, and the types of modes that can be selected vary according to the type of the file to be played.

For example, when a video is played as shown in FIG. 4C, the mode selector 185 displays a user interface (UI) for Small, Full, File List, Bookmark, Text View, and Settings.

Therefore, when the user selects the small mode or the full mode, the size of the play window 181 can be adjusted. When the bookmark mode or the text view mode is selected, the bookmark setting or the translated text can be viewed. Selecting the Settings mode allows you to reset the file being played in a variety of ways.

The playlist 186 for the file list included in the currently selected submenu is located on the right side of the playback window 181.

The playlist 186 allows the user to select a desired file or folder and to check the currently playing file.

In FIG. 4C, a mode end UI 187 for terminating the currently set mode and a function selector 188 for selecting, deleting, or adding a file stored in the playlist 186 are located at the right end of the playback screen. .

In particular, the function selection unit 188 has a user interface (UI) that can select, delete, and add files stored in the playlist 186 in a row.

In this way, a screen for performing a function corresponding to the selected sub-menu item is displayed in the center, and both left and right ends of the screen are changed and displayed as various menu items that may be required when performing the corresponding function.

In addition, a currently set submenu (shown as "Movie" is selected in FIG. 4C) is displayed on the task bar at the bottom of the playback screen as shown in FIG. 4C.

When the playback screen of the format shown in FIG. 4C appears, the user selects a file to be played back through the function selector 188 (S360), and selects a mode of the file played according to the user's taste through the mode selector 185. FIG. Set (S370).

On the other hand, when the user selects the full mode through the mode selector 185, the playback screen is changed to the full screen as shown in FIG. 4D.

4D is an exemplary diagram illustrating a state in which a playback screen of the multimedia player 100 is set to a full screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4D, the upper mode selector 185 and the function selector 188 are positioned at the left and right ends of the playback screen, respectively, and the playback window 181 is enlarged to the full size on the remaining screens.

Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, even while the user is watching a video through the full screen, the mode selection unit 185 and the function selection unit 188 can easily set the mode and select a file. That is, even if a separate pop-up window or a separate menu bar is not generated, the user can select upper and lower menus, modes, and functions, so that the user can enjoy a lively image without covering the screen of the multimedia player 100. .

5 is a view showing a user operating the multimedia playback device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the user can conveniently select a menu, a function, a mode, and the like by simply moving his or her thumb while holding the multimedia player 100 with both hands, thereby minimizing a user's operating radius.

That is, since the size of the multimedia player 100 is about 5 inches, the user can enjoy the image while holding the multimedia player 100 safely as shown in FIG. 5.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D, the user interface (UI) for selecting a menu is collectively disposed at the left and right ends of the screen, so that the user can easily play the multimedia playback device through a minimal learning process. 100) can be operated.

So far, the example has shown that the top and bottom menu items are displayed in the vertical direction on both sides of the screen. Of course, when the upper and lower menu items are displayed in a row at both ends of the screen, the user can select each menu item most conveniently while holding the multimedia player 100 with both hands.

However, if there are a lot of menus provided, it may be difficult to display all the menu items at once by arranging them in a row so that the upper and lower menu items may be arranged in a plurality of columns. Of course, by displaying the scroll bar or the up arrow (↑) and the down arrow (↓) with the up and down menu items in the upper and lower menu selection unit (170, 172), the user is displayed on the upper and lower menu selection unit (170, 172) It is also possible to implement a menu item that can be checked and selected.

Meanwhile, the case where the upper and lower menu items are divided and displayed on both sides of the screen so far has been described, but the controller 130 displays various menu items for function setting or operation selection of the multimedia playback apparatus 100 without distinguishing the upper and lower sides. It can also be displayed in the column. When the user selects one of the menu items displayed at one end of the screen, the controller 130 may implement to change the menu item displayed at the other end of the screen to a menu item corresponding to the menu item selected by the user.

As described above, according to the present invention, by arranging menus at both ends of the screen of the multimedia player 100, the user can conveniently select a menu and minimize the screen obscured by the menu display.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements of those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present invention defined in the following claims are also provided. It belongs to the scope of rights.

Figure 1a is an exemplary view showing a main screen of the multimedia playback apparatus according to the prior art.

Figure 1b is an exemplary view showing a playback screen of the multimedia playback apparatus according to the prior art.

FIG. 1C is an exemplary diagram illustrating a screen of a multimedia player when the mode is changed in the play screen according to FIG. 1B.

2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a multimedia playback apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart in which a user selects and executes a menu through a display unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4A and 4B are exemplary views illustrating a main screen of a multimedia player according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4C is an exemplary view illustrating a playback screen of a multimedia player according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4D is an exemplary diagram illustrating a state in which a playback screen of a multimedia player according to an embodiment of the present invention is set to a full screen.

5 is a view showing a user operating a multimedia playback device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (13)

Displaying at least one first menu item on one side of the screen; Displaying at least one second menu item on an opposite side of one side of the screen; Receiving one of the displayed first menu items; And, Changing the second menu item to a menu item corresponding to the selected first menu item; Including, The first menu item is an upper menu item, the second menu item is a lower menu item corresponding to the first menu item, Changing the upper and lower menu items displayed on one side of the screen and the opposite side of the one side to menu items necessary for performing a function corresponding to the selected lower menu item; The screen display method of the multimedia playback device further comprising. delete delete The method of claim 1, Receiving one of the displayed submenu items; And Changing a center portion of the screen to a screen for performing a function corresponding to the selected lower menu item; The screen display method of the multimedia playback device further comprising. The method of claim 1, And displaying the upper menu items and the lower menu items in a row on one side of the screen and opposite sides of the one side of the screen, respectively. delete The method of claim 1, Changing the size of the first and second menu items when the touch mode is selected than in the pen mode; And, Changing the size of the first and second menu items to be smaller than in the touch mode when the pen mode is selected; The screen display method of the multimedia playback device further comprising. A display unit displaying at least one first menu item at one end of a screen; An input unit configured to select one of the displayed first menu items; And A control unit controlling the display unit to display a second menu item corresponding to the selected first menu item on an opposite side of one side of the screen; Including, The first menu item is an upper menu item, the second menu item is a lower menu item corresponding to the first menu item, The control unit, And changing the upper and lower menu items displayed at one end of the screen and opposite ends of the screen into menu items necessary to perform a function corresponding to the selected lower menu item. delete The method of claim 8, The control unit, If the input unit receives one of the displayed sub-menu items, And changing the center portion of the screen to a screen for performing a function corresponding to the selected lower menu item. The method of claim 8, The control unit, And displaying the upper menu item and the lower menu item in a row at one end of the screen and opposite ends of the one side of the screen, respectively. delete The method of claim 8, The control unit, The display unit may be configured to change the size of the first and second menu items larger than the pen mode when the touch mode is selected, and to change the size of the first and second menu items smaller than the touch mode when the pen mode is selected. Multimedia playback apparatus characterized in that the control.

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