CN1698027A - Menu control - Google Patents

The invention relates to a menu control for an electric appliance having a screen menu 1. The screen menu 1 is divided into an information area 2, a list area 3 displaying the menu objects and a command area 4 for menu items.

Menu control

The present invention relates to a kind of menu control that is used to have the electrical equipment of on-screen menu, this on-screen menu can be operated by four direction key and an options button.

For example from the control of the mobile phone of Sony and Nokia, and also from the menu control of televisor and video recorder, the known menu control that can operate by so-called the navigation button with four direction key and an options button.

Most menu control is normally heteroid, and is exclusively to develop for the function of electrical equipment.Especially when equipment had many functions, menu control was complicated and chaotic, and can only be by in depth studying handbook or utilizing and could understand according to the guidance of handbook.This usually is a big problem for technical so not gifted personnel, common major personnel.Consequence is to utilize many functions of this equipment, realizes because they can only be handled by the menu of complexity.

Be used for the normally classification of traditional structure of the menu of menu control.Can be readily appreciated that and operate this structure.

Fig. 5 and 6 has schematically showed this structure.Such as shown in Figure 5, listed menu item each other, and focus is pointed to a menu item respectively.The frame of the runic by menu item among Fig. 5 shows focus.If want to select this menu item, then press OK key or options button on the telepilot, and, then utilize directionkeys that focus is moved either up or down on another menu item in order to select another menu item.

In order to arrive the menu layer that is positioned under it, must press OK button or selector button on the telepilot usually.Repeat this process always, when arrival has been listed in the menu layer of menu item of desirable action till.In order upwards to jump a menu layer again, exit button (EXIT-Button) is set on telepilot usually.For the operation of exit button, can distinguish and upwards jump a menu layer again.Fig. 6 has exemplarily showed this hierarchy with three menu layers.

Therefore draw many menu layers, wherein, the user almost must know with learning by heart, can carry out which action in which menu layer.

For fear of this point and can be directly or also can additionally carry out some the instruction, usually additional function key is being set also except the navigation button on the telepilot, can directly carry out the menu instructions of frequent employing by these function keys.This causes, subsidiaryly in the numerous system of function provides telepilot, these telepilots to have in a large number usually to have the function button that repeatedly takies, and these function button indigestions, and in the dark of television room, equally also be difficult to operate.

So the present invention based on task be that indicate a kind of simple and clearly menu control of structure, this menu control has not only solved the problem of many hierarchical layer, and has solved the problem of many function keys on the telepilot.

Solve this task in the following manner according to the present invention, promptly on-screen menu has the instruction area of the possible menu instructions of the inventory zone of menu object and selected menu object.

On this inventory zone and instruction area, also can arrange an information area, be used to show date and the time, or such as the such out of Memory of the explanation of the menu area that just is positioned at.

The advantage of this menu control is that this menu control only is made up of inventory zone and instruction area, so the whole menu object as the menu instructions can be carried out by the navigation button with four direction key and an options button.

Can cancel understanding, because only utilize the navigation button just can carry out any menu instructions to the multi-functional of the key symbols of complexity or button.

The biggest advantage of this menu control is that for all functions of equipment, the user runs into identical menu control, and can therefore move in menu layer rapidly and simply.In the inventory zone, will find whole menu objects, and in instruction area, can select, want to carry out which menu instructions of this menu object.

In the inventory zone, also can enumerate a plurality of menus as menu object, wherein, so following possibility in instruction area, occurs, i.e. choice menus or only obtain information about menu.

Therefore utilize identical menu to handle all controls that can realize functions of the equipments.Obtain another advantage thus, promptly the area dividing of information area, inventory zone and instruction area always remains unchanged on the screen, so the user can be owing to the graphic presentation that changes is puzzled.

Preferably realize control, but also can directly on equipment, realize by keyboard or by the navigation button to on-screen menu by telepilot.

According to an improvement project of the present invention, on telepilot, arrange other button, these buttons can directly be distributed to menu object in the inventory zone or the menu instructions in the instruction area, wherein, the symbol of the button on the telepilot inserts (einblenden) respectively to separately menu object or menu instructions.

The programming of button makes the function that each user can direct access inquiry be often used by him.

Preferably give the menu object in the selected inventory zone or the menu instructions in the instruction area is filled out color or make it outstanding with figure, make the user respectively Direct Recognition go out, which menu area he is arranged in.

This structure by menu control can realize, can be according to identical pattern operation inventory zone and all devices function on the instruction area.

Therefore menu control is applicable to that surpassingly set-top box, this set-top box have televisor, video recorder, internet and mail function and DVD player and CD player.

Below by a plurality of embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings in detail the present invention is described in detail.

Fig. 1 has showed general imitated and telepilot of screen area,

Fig. 2 and 3 has showed the view according to Fig. 1 in different hierarchical layer,

Fig. 4 has showed the view according to Fig. 3 that has programmable function key on the telepilot, these function keys can be distributed to menu instructions,

Fig. 5 has showed the hierarchical arrangement according to prior art,

Fig. 6 has showed a plurality of on-screen menus of basis according to the hierarchy of prior art, and

Fig. 7 has showed according to the present invention the on-screen menu of menu control.

Color A is filled out in same zone or the selected zone activated given, but fills out color B for the zone of no longer activating.In following accompanying drawing, will set forth detailed details.

After distributing, except the instruction that is distributed, the symbol of function key 11 illustrates as pictorial symbol 12.

Menu control of the present invention is a kind of traditional hierarchical menu control, has reduced to basic contents, and is to understand easily for the user therefore.

The shortcoming that menu control of the present invention avoids common traditional hierarchical menu to control in the following manner, be that it reduces to absolute minimum with function key on the one hand, be used for the step of moving focal point in order to obtain desirable menu instructions and also reduced on the other hand.

If be present on the desirable menu instructions or be present on the menu instructions that to select next hierarchical layer, then can carry out any change to hierarchical layer by the operation selector button in focus under the menu instructions situation.Otherwise the direction of passage key moves to focus on the menu instructions and operates options button after this from menu object in advance.

Fig. 7 has showed an embodiment of the menu control shown in Fig. 1 to 4.

Therefore, menu control of the present invention is a kind of improvement project that traditional hierarchical menu is controlled, and wherein, following four subject matters is arranged:

A) effective navigation of hierarchical layer,

C) press with minimum menu complicacy with minimum button and realize whole menu control, and

D) avoid indefinite method, these methods are used for obtaining higher dirigibility when carrying out menu instructions.

For example red, green, blue or yellow button on the telepilot is known as indefinite method, and these buttons have an another kind of function with shown menu is combined on screen respectively.In order to utilize these buttons or function, the user must be as getting off combined colors and instruction.

1. focus is put on the object in the menu control,

2. can in the zone of menu system declarative instruction, consult how can implement menu object,

3. the color of respective menu instruction is distributed in identification,

4. the button that has respective color on the identification telepilot,

5. operate the variation on this button and the view screen, utilize operated button to reach which kind of effect.

In menu control of the present invention, all these can be cancelled, because can operate the navigation button with four direction key and options button rashly, so eyes always rest on the screen.

Therefore this menu control is desirable for set-top box, and this set-top box has been unified the multiple function such as TV, DVD, video recorder, the Internet email and media player.