DE20219128U1 - menu control - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a menu control for electrical devices with a screen menu which can be operated by four direction keys and a selection key.

Menu controls that can be operated using a so-called navigation button with four direction keys and a selection key are known, for example, from mobile phone controls from Sony and Nokia as well as from menu controls for televisions and video recorders.

Most menu controls are usually structured differently and developed proprietary to the functions of the electrical device. Particularly when a device has many functions, the menu controls are complex and confusing and can only be understood by studying the manual in detail or by following the instructions in the manual. This often represents a major problem for people who are not very technically gifted, usually older people. The result is that many of the device's functions cannot be used because they can only be reached via a complicated menu navigation.

The classic structure of a menu for menu control is usually hierarchical. This structure is very easy to understand and use.

Figures 5 and 6 show a schematic of such a structure. As shown in Figure 5, the menu items are listed one below the other and the focus is directed at each menu item. The focus is shown in Figure 5 by a bold frame around the menu item. If you want to select this menu item, press the OK or Select button on the remote control and to select another menu item, move the

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Use the up or down arrow keys to focus on another menu item.

To get to a lower menu level, you usually have to press the OK or Select button on the remote control. This process is repeated until you get to the menu level in which the menu item for the desired action is listed. To be able to jump back up a menu level, an EXIT button is usually provided on the remote control. By using the EXIT button, you can jump back up a menu level. Figure 6 shows an example of such a hierarchical structure with three menu levels.

This results in many menu levels, whereby the user must know almost by heart which actions can be carried out in which menu level.

To avoid this and to be able to execute certain commands directly or in addition, additional function keys are usually provided in addition to the navigation button on the remote control, which can be used to execute the frequently used menu commands directly. This means that feature-rich systems are supplied with remote controls that have a large number of function buttons, often with multiple functions, which are difficult to understand and also difficult to use in the dark of a TV room.

0 The invention is therefore based on the object of demonstrating a simple and clearly structured menu control which solves both the problem of the many hierarchy levels and the many function keys on a remote control.

5 The object is achieved according to the invention in that the screen menu has a list area for menu objects and a

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Command area for the possible menu commands of the selected menu object.

An information area can also be arranged above the list area and command area to display the date and time or other information such as an explanation of the menu area you are currently in.

The advantage of this menu control is that it only consists of the list area and the command area and thus all menu objects such as menu commands can be executed via a navigation button with four direction keys and a selection key.

There is no need to understand complicated key symbols or multiple key functions, as each menu command can be executed using just the navigation button.

The greatest advantage of this menu control is that the user finds the same menu control for all functions of the device and can therefore move quickly and easily through the menu hierarchy. In the list area he finds all menu objects and in the command area he can select which menu commands of the menu object he would like to execute.

In the list area, several menus can also be listed as menu objects, whereby the command area then provides the option to select the menu or just to obtain information about the menu.

This means that all of the device's functions can be controlled using the same menu navigation. Another advantage is that the division of the areas into information, list and command areas on the screen always remains the same, so that the user is not confused by a changed graphic display.

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The on-screen menu is preferably controlled using a remote control, but can also be controlled using a keyboard or a navigation button directly on the device.
5

According to a further development of the invention, further buttons are arranged on the remote control, which can be directly assigned to menu objects in the list area or menu commands in the command area, whereby the symbol of the button on the remote control is displayed for the respective menu object or menu command.

The programming of the keys makes it possible for each user to directly access the functions they use most frequently.

Selected menu objects in the list area or menu commands in the command area are preferably highlighted in color or graphically so that the user can immediately see which menu area he is in.

The structure of the menu control makes it possible for all device functions to be operated via the list and command area according to the same scheme.

The menu control is therefore ideal for a set-top box that has a television, video recorder, Internet and mail function as well as a DVD and CD player.

0 The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to several embodiments shown in the drawings.

Figure 1 shows the general replica of the screen area and a remote control,
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Figures 2 and 3 show the view according to Figure 1 in different hierarchy levels,

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Figure 4 shows the view according to Figure 3 with programmable function keys on the remote control that can be assigned to menu commands.
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Figure 5 shows a hierarchical arrangement according to the state of the art,

Figure 6 shows several screen menus according to a hierarchical structure according to the state of the art and

Figure 7 shows the screen menus according to the menu control according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a screen menu 1, such as can be used for menu control of a set top box. The screen menu 1 has three areas, the information area 2, the list area 3 and the command area 4. All three areas are each provided with a fixed frame 5, so that the visual appearance of the basic structure does not change, only the content of areas 2, 3 and 4.

The controls within the list area 3 and the command area 4 as well as the change from the command area 4 to the list area 3 and vice versa are carried out via a remote control 6 which has at least one navigation button 7 with four direction keys 8 and a selection button 9.

Switching between the list area 3 and the command area 4 is done via the horizontal direction keys 8, whereby pressing the left direction key 8 in the list area 3 leads to exiting the menu and jumping to the next main menu.

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The screen menu 1 also includes directional buttons 10 which light up when the corresponding directional button 8 on the remote control 6 is pressed.

Likewise, active areas are highlighted with a color A, while selected areas but no longer active areas are highlighted with a color B. Further details are explained in the following figures.

Figure 2 shows, for example, a screen menu 1 for a set top box, with the information area 2, the list area 3 and the command area 4. In the list area 3, the menu object TV Channels is highlighted with the color B, which means that this menu object is selected, but is no longer the focus here.

The focus is now in command area 4, with the Menu Select position active and highlighted with color A.

0 By pressing the selection button 9 on the remote control 6, the TV channel menu can be selected in the command menu via Menu Select, whereby the image shown in Figure 3 then appears. The list area with the color A is now automatically active again, the channel can be changed using the vertical cursor keys 8 and the selection is made using Channel select in the command area 4.

If certain menu objects are used frequently, such as the TV channels menu in Figure 2 or the ZDF menu in Figure 3, it is possible to preset the position of the cursor or the colored background in the list area 3 to the respective menu object or in the command area 4 to the respective menu command, so that when the corresponding menu area is called up, it is not necessary to scroll to the preferred menu object or menu command.

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Figure 4 shows the representation according to Figure 3 with a further development, whereby function keys 11 are arranged on the remote control 6, which can be assigned to individual commands in the command area.
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After assignment, the symbols of the function keys 11 are displayed as picture symbols 12 next to the assigned commands.

The menu control according to the invention is a classic hierarchical menu control, reduced to the essentials and thus easy to understand for the user.

The menu control according to the invention avoids the disadvantages of a normal classical hierarchical menu control by reducing the function key to an absolute minimum and also the steps for moving the focus in order to obtain the desired menu commands.

0 Any change to the hierarchy level is possible by pressing the selection button if the focus of the menu commands is on the desired one or on the menu command that the next hierarchy level is to be selected. Otherwise, you just need to move the focus from the menu objects to the 5 menu commands using the arrow keys and then press the selection button.

Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the menu control shown in Figures 1 to 4.

The case is shown where you are watching normal television and would like to receive information about the film that is currently playing. The first screen shows the television program that is currently running, abbreviated to TV. By pressing the selection button 9 on the remote control, you get to the first page of the menu control shown. In the list area 3, the focus is automatically on the list object that is currently active. In the

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In the example shown, this is the ZDF channel. In the command area 4, all menu commands that are available for the ZDF list command are listed. If, for example, you want information about the program currently running, you move the focus to the Info menu command by pressing the direction button 8 on the remote control, which corresponds to the direction arrows 10 shown in the screen menu.

By pressing the selection key 9, information about the currently running program appears in the list area 3. To leave the list area 3 or this hierarchy level, you can either jump up one hierarchy level by pressing the left direction key or select the EXIT MENU command by pressing the right direction key in the command area 4 and jump to the next higher hierarchy level by pressing the selection key.

The menu control according to the invention is thus a further development of a classic hierarchical menu control, where 0 the 4 main problems,

a) efficient navigation of the hierarchy levels,

b) Assignment of different explicit menu commands to the selection key 9 or the OK key,

c) realising the entire menu control with a minimum of keystrokes and a minimum of menu complexity and d) avoiding non-explicit methods used to maintain greater flexibility in executing menu commands.

Examples of non-explicit methods are the red, green, blue or yellow buttons on a remote control, which have a different function in combination with the respective menu displayed on the screen. In order to use the buttons or functions, the user must combine the color and the commands as follows.

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1. It sets the focus on an object in the menu control,

2. In the area of the menu system where the command is described, he can read how the menu item can be executed,

3. Identification of the color assigned to the respective menu commands,

4. Identification of the button with the corresponding color on the remote control,

5. Press the button and observe the change on the screen to see what effect the button has.

With the menu control according to the invention, all this can be omitted, since the navigation button with the four direction keys
and the selection button can be operated blindly, so that the eyes always rest on the screen.

The menu control is therefore ideal for a set top box, which combines many functions such as television, DVD, video recorder, Internet mail and media player.

Claims (9)

1. Menu control for electrical devices with a screen menu ( 1 ) which can be operated by the direction keys ( 8 ) and a selection key ( 9 ), characterized in that the screen menu has a list area ( 3 ) for menu objects and a command area ( 4 ) for the menu commands of the selected menu object. 2. Menu control according to claim 1, characterized in that the screen menu ( 1 ) further comprises an information area ( 2 ). 3. Menu control according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the division of the screen menu into information area ( 2 ), list area ( 3 ) and command area ( 4 ) remains unchanged in all hierarchy levels. 4. Menu control according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control is carried out via a remote control and the direction keys ( 8 ) and the selection key ( 9 ) are arranged in the form of a navigation button ( 7 ) on the remote control ( 6 ). 5. Menu control according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a lower hierarchy level can be achieved by selecting the corresponding menu command and actuating the selection key ( 9 ) and a higher hierarchy level can be achieved by actuating the left direction key ( 8 ) in the list area ( 4 ). 6. Menu control according to claim 4, characterized in that function keys ( 11 ) are arranged on the remote control ( 6 ), which can be assigned to menu objects in the list area ( 3 ) or menu commands in the command area ( 4 ), wherein the symbol ( 12 ) of the function key ( 11 ) is displayed next to the menu object or menu command. 7. Menu control according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that selected menu objects or menu commands are marked in color or highlighted graphically and active menu objects or menu commands are color-coded or graphically separated from the selected menu objects or commands. 8. Menu control according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that all device functions can be operated via the list area ( 3 ) and the command area ( 4 ) according to the same scheme. 9. Menu control according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is used for a set-top box.