Display device and control method for multi-level menu panel display

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of display equipment, in particular to display equipment and a multi-level menu panel display control method. The problem that a screen display area occupied by multi-level menu display is too large can be solved to a certain extent. The display apparatus includes: a display for displaying a user interface including a multi-level menu; the controller is configured to control the first-level menu to be folded and displayed when the focus is moved from the first-level menu to the second-level menu; when a focus second-level menu is moved to a third-level menu or a second-level menu, a multi-level menu is controlled to display a shadow hiding area, and the two sides of the shadow hiding area are connected to the first-level menu and the second-level menu which are displayed in a folded mode respectively; the shadow hidden area and the folding display are used for reducing the area, which shields the user interface, of the multi-level menu.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional of patent No. 202011584902.6, which was submitted to the State Intellectual Property Office on December 28, 2020. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of display devices, and in particular, to a display device and a control method for displaying a multi-level menu panel. Background Art

[0003] The display device that carries the operating system provides users with various menu options based on the implementation of its own function settings, and the user can enter the menu interface to set various menu options to set or change a certain function. For example, the system settings of a smart TV usually include first-level menus such as image, sound, network, Bluetooth, general, personalization, and about this machine, and each menu includes second-level, third-level, or more levels of submenus.

[0004] In some multi-level menu display implementations, the display device usually sets a shortcut menu. The user can start the commonly used menu interface in any scenario by operating the shortcut keys of the remote control, or start the floating window control in the video playback interface to display the commonly used menu interface, and the video playback will not be paused due to the menu display.

[0005] However, when the display device has complex functions and requires a large number of menu options, the menu interface design will also become complex, the number of sub-interface levels will increase accordingly, and the display area will become larger. As a result, the menu interface will occupy too much screen display area after it is expanded. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to solve the problem that a multi-level menu display occupies too large a screen display area, the present application provides a display device and a control method for a multi-level menu panel display.

[0007] The embodiment of the present application is implemented as follows:

[0008] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a display device, comprising: a display for displaying a user interface including a multi-level menu; a controller, configured to: receive a user input for expanding the multi-level menu; when the multi-level menu is expanded, control the user interface to display a folded display menu for reducing the area of ​​the user interface obscured by the multi-level menu, and a shadow hiding area, wherein two sides of the shadow hiding area are respectively connected to the folded display menu and the most secondary menu.

[0009] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a display device, comprising: a display for displaying a user interface including a multi-level menu; a controller, configured to: receive a user input for an operation to recycle the multi-level menu; when the multi-level menu is recycled, control the user interface to move accordingly according to the recycling steps, or cancel the display of a folded display menu and a shadow hiding area used to reduce the area of ​​the user interface obstructed by the multi-level menu.

[0010] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling the display of a multi-level menu panel, the method comprising: receiving a user input for an operation to expand a multi-level menu; when the multi-level menu is expanded, controlling the user interface display to include a folding display menu for reducing the area of ​​the user interface obscured by the multi-level menu, and a shadow hiding area, wherein both sides of the shadow hiding area are respectively connected to the folding display menu and the lowest level menu.

[0011] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling the display of a multi-level menu panel, the method comprising: receiving a user input for an operation to recycle a multi-level menu; when the multi-level menu is recycled, moving or canceling the display of a folded display menu and a shadow hidden area used to reduce the area of ​​the user interface obstructed by the multi-level menu according to the recycling steps.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: by constructing a menu folding display, partial or complete hiding of the menu can be achieved, thereby reducing the occupied display area; further, by constructing a shadow hidden area, it is possible to hide part of the hierarchical menu and prompt the user that there are folded and hidden submenus; further, by constructing a shadow hidden area that moves with the most subordinate menu, it is possible to realize dynamic display of the multi-level menu, and when the multi-level menu is fully or partially expanded, the occupation of the user interface display area by the multi-level menu is reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, a brief introduction will be given below to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0014] Figure 1 shows a usage scenario of a display device according to some embodiments;

[0015] Figure 2 shows a hardware configuration block diagram of a control device 100 according to some embodiments;

[0016] Figure 3 shows a hardware configuration block diagram of a display device 200 according to some embodiments;

[0017] Figure 4 shows a software configuration diagram in a display device 200 according to some embodiments;

[0018] Figure 5 shows an icon control interface display diagram of an application in a display device 200 according to some embodiments;

[0019] Fig. 6A A schematic diagram showing a user interface of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0020] Figure 6B A schematic diagram showing a user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0021] Fig. 7A A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0022] Figure 7B A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0023] Fig. 8A A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0024] Figure 8B A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0025] Fig. 9A A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0026] Fig. 9B A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0027] Fig. 10A A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0028] Fig. 10B A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0029] Fig. 10C A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0030] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a system functional framework for displaying a multi-level menu in a user interface of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0031] Fig.12 A schematic diagram showing initialization of a user interface container of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0032] Fig.13 A schematic diagram showing a process of creating a hierarchical menu of a display device user interface according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0033] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of a process of folding and displaying a multi-level menu in a user interface of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0034] Fig.15A A finite state machine schematic diagram showing a focus cross-level moving path according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0035] Fig. 15B A schematic diagram showing a correct and error status result returned when a multi-level menu is expanded according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Fig. 15C A schematic diagram showing the correct and error status results returned when a multi-level menu is retracted according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Fig.16 A schematic diagram of a process for generating a multi-level menu shadow of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0038] Fig.17A A schematic diagram showing a process of generating a three-level menu in a user interface of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0039] Fig. 17B A schematic diagram showing a process of generating a four-level menu in a user interface of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the purpose and implementation method of the present application clearer, the exemplary implementation method of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the exemplary embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described exemplary embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments.

[0041] It should be noted that the brief description of terms in this application is only for the convenience of understanding the embodiments described below, and is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application. Unless otherwise specified, these terms should be understood according to their common and usual meanings.

[0042] The terms "first", "second", "third", etc. in the specification and claims of this application and the above drawings are used to distinguish similar or similar objects or entities, and do not necessarily mean to limit a specific order or sequence, unless otherwise noted. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances.

[0043] The terms "comprises," "comprising," and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover but not exclude inclusion, for example, a product or device comprising a list of components is not necessarily limited to all the components expressly listed but may include other components not expressly listed or inherent to such product or device.

[0044] The term "module" refers to any known or later developed hardware, software, firmware, artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, or combination of hardware and / or software code that is capable of performing the functions associated with that element.

[0045] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a usage scenario of a display device according to an embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the display device 200 also performs data communication with the server 400 , and the user can operate the display device 200 through the smart device 300 or the control apparatus 100 .

[0046] In some embodiments, the control device 100 may be a remote controller, and the communication between the remote controller and the display device includes infrared protocol communication or Bluetooth protocol communication, and at least one of other short-range communication methods, to control the display device 200 wirelessly or wired. The user may control the display device 200 by inputting user commands through at least one of buttons on the remote controller, voice input, and control panel input.

[0047] In some embodiments, the smart device 300 may include any one of a mobile terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a laptop computer, an AR / VR device, etc.

[0048] In some embodiments, the smart device 300 may also be used to control the display device 200. For example, the display device 200 may be controlled using an application running on the smart device.

[0049] In some embodiments, the smart device 300 and the display device may also be used to communicate data.

[0050] In some embodiments, the display device 200 can also be controlled in a manner other than the control device 100 and the smart device 300. For example, the user's voice command control can be directly received through a module for obtaining voice commands configured inside the display device 200, or the user's voice command control can be received through a voice control device set outside the display device 200.

[0051] In some embodiments, the display device 200 also communicates data with the server 400. The display device 200 may be allowed to communicate via a local area network (LAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), and other networks. The server 400 may provide various content and interactions to the display device 200. The server 400 may be one cluster or multiple clusters, and may include one or more types of servers.

[0052] In some embodiments, the software steps executed by a step execution subject can be migrated to another step execution subject in data communication with it as needed for execution. Exemplarily, the software steps executed by a server can be migrated to a display device in data communication with it as needed for execution, and vice versa.

[0053] Figure 2 Schematically shows a block diagram of a configuration of the control device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the control device 100 includes a controller 110, a communication interface 130, a user input / output interface 140, a memory, and a power supply. The control device 100 can receive input operation instructions from the user, and convert the operation instructions into instructions that the display device 200 can recognize and respond to, playing the role of an interactive intermediary between the user and the display device 200.

[0054] In some embodiments, the communication interface 130 is used for communicating with the outside, and includes at least one of a WIFI chip, a Bluetooth module, NFC or an alternative module.

[0055] In some embodiments, the user input / output interface 140 includes at least one of a microphone, a touch pad, a sensor, a button, or alternative modules.

[0056] Figure 3 A hardware configuration block diagram of a display device 200 according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0057] In some embodiments, the display apparatus 200 includes at least one of a tuner 210, a communicator 220, a detector 230, an external device interface 240, a controller 250, a display 260, an audio output interface 270, a memory, a power supply, and a user interface.

[0058] In some embodiments, the controller includes a central processing unit, a video processor, an audio processor, a graphics processor, a RAM, a ROM, and a first interface to an nth interface for input / output.

[0059] In some embodiments, the display 260 includes a display screen component for presenting images, and a driving component for driving image display, which is used to receive image signals output from a controller, display video content, image content, and a menu control interface component and a user control UI interface, etc.

[0060] In some embodiments, the display 260 may be at least one of a liquid crystal display, an OLED display, and a projection display, and may also be a projection device and a projection screen.

[0061] In some embodiments, the tuner-demodulator 210 receives broadcast television signals via wired or wireless reception, and demodulates audio and video signals, such as EPG data signals, from a plurality of wireless or wired broadcast television signals.

[0062] In some embodiments, the communicator 220 is a component for communicating with an external device or server according to various communication protocol types. For example, the communicator may include at least one of a Wifi module, a Bluetooth module, a wired Ethernet module, and other network communication protocol chips or near field communication protocol chips, and an infrared receiver. The display device 200 can establish transmission and reception of control signals and data signals with the control device 100 or the server 400 through the communicator 220.

[0063] In some embodiments, the detector 230 is used to collect signals of the external environment or external interaction. For example, the detector 230 includes a light receiver, a sensor for collecting the intensity of ambient light; or, the detector 230 includes an image collector, such as a camera, which can be used to collect external environment scenes, user attributes or user interaction gestures; or, the detector 230 includes a sound collector, such as a microphone, etc., for receiving external sounds.

[0064] In some embodiments, the external device interface 240 may include, but is not limited to, any one or more of the following: a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), an analog or digital high-definition component input interface (component), a composite video input interface (CVBS), a USB input interface (USB), an RGB port, etc. It may also be a composite input / output interface formed by the above multiple interfaces.

[0065] In some embodiments, the controller 250 and the tuner-demodulator 210 may be located in different separate devices, that is, the tuner-demodulator 210 may also be located in an external device of the main device where the controller 250 is located, such as an external set-top box.

[0066] In some embodiments, the controller 250 controls the operation of the display device and responds to user operations through various software control programs stored in the memory. The controller 250 controls the overall operation of the display device 200. For example, in response to receiving a user command for selecting a UI object to be displayed on the display 260, the controller 250 can perform operations related to the object selected by the user command.

[0067] In some embodiments, the object may be any one of the selectable objects, such as a hyperlink, an icon or other operable controls. Operations related to the selected object include: displaying a page, document, image, etc. connected to the hyperlink, or executing a program corresponding to the icon.

[0068] In some embodiments, the controller includes a central processing unit (CPU), a video processor, an audio processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), RAM (Random Access Memory, RAM), ROM (Read-Only Memory, ROM), a first interface to an nth interface for input / output, a communication bus (Bus), etc.

[0069] CPU processor. Used to execute operating system and application instructions stored in the memory, and to execute various applications, data and content according to various interactive instructions received from external input, so as to finally display and play various audio and video content. CPU processor may include multiple processors. For example, it includes a main processor and one or more sub-processors.

[0070] In some embodiments, the graphics processor is used to generate various graphic objects, such as at least one of icons, operation menus, and user input command display graphics. The graphics processor includes an operator, which performs operations by receiving various interactive instructions input by the user and displays various objects according to display attributes; and a renderer, which renders various objects obtained based on the operator, and the rendered objects are used to be displayed on the display.

[0071] In some embodiments, the video processor is used to receive an external video signal and perform at least one of the following video processing operations, such as decompression, decoding, scaling, noise reduction, frame rate conversion, resolution conversion, and image synthesis, according to a standard codec protocol of the input signal, to obtain a signal that can be directly displayed or played on the display device 200.

[0072] In some embodiments, the video processor includes at least one of a demultiplexing module, a video decoding module, an image synthesis module, a frame rate conversion module, and a display formatting module. The demultiplexing module is used to demultiplex the input audio and video data stream. The video decoding module is used to process the demultiplexed video signal, including decoding and scaling. The image synthesis module, such as an image synthesizer, is used to superimpose and mix the GUI signal generated by the graphics generator according to the user input or itself with the scaled video image to generate an image signal for display. The frame rate conversion module is used to convert the input video frame rate. The display formatting module is used to receive the video output signal after frame rate conversion and change the signal to conform to the display format signal, such as outputting an RGB data signal.

[0073] In some embodiments, the audio processor is used to receive an external audio signal, perform decompression and decoding according to a standard codec protocol of the input signal, and perform at least one of noise reduction, digital-to-analog conversion, and amplification processing to obtain a sound signal that can be played in a speaker.

[0074] In some embodiments, the user may input a user command in a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on the display 260, and the user input interface receives the user input command through the graphical user interface (GUI). Alternatively, the user may input a user command by inputting a specific sound or gesture, and the user input interface receives the user input command by recognizing the sound or gesture through a sensor.

[0075] In some embodiments, "user interface" is a medium interface for interaction and information exchange between an application or operating system and a user, which realizes the conversion between the internal form of information and the form acceptable to the user. A common form of user interface is a graphical user interface (GUI), which refers to a user interface related to computer operation displayed in a graphical manner. It can be an interface element such as an icon, window, or control displayed on a display screen of an electronic device, wherein a control may include at least one of icons, buttons, menus, tabs, text boxes, dialog boxes, status bars, navigation bars, widgets, and other visual interface elements.

[0076] In some embodiments, the user interface 280 is an interface that can be used to receive control input (such as a physical button on the display device body, or other interfaces).

[0077] In some embodiments, the system of the display device may include a kernel, a command parser (shell), a file system, and an application. The kernel, shell, and file system together constitute the basic operating system structure, which allows users to manage files, run programs, and use the system. After power-on, the kernel starts, activates the kernel space, abstracts hardware, initializes hardware parameters, etc., runs and maintains virtual memory, schedulers, signals, and inter-process communication (IPC). After the kernel starts, the shell and user applications are loaded. After startup, the application is compiled into machine code to form a process.

[0078] See also Figure 4 In some embodiments, the system is divided into four layers, from top to bottom, namely, the application layer (Applications) layer (referred to as "application layer"), the application framework layer (Application Framework) layer (referred to as "framework layer"), the Android runtime (Android runtime) and system library layer (referred to as "system runtime library layer"), and the kernel layer.

[0079] In some embodiments, at least one application is running in the application layer, and these applications can be window programs, system settings programs, clock programs, etc. provided by the operating system, or applications developed by third-party developers. In specific implementations, the application packages in the application layer are not limited to the above examples.

[0080] The framework layer provides application programming interfaces (APIs) and programming frameworks for applications in the application layer. The application framework layer includes some predefined functions. The application framework layer is equivalent to a processing center that determines the actions that applications in the application layer take. Through the API interface, applications can access system resources and obtain system services during execution.

[0081] like Figure 4As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, the application framework layer includes managers, content providers, etc., wherein the manager includes at least one of the following modules: an activity manager (ActivityManager) is used to interact with all activities running in the system; a location manager (Location Manager) is used to provide system services or applications with access to system location services; a package manager (Package Manager) is used to retrieve various information related to the application package currently installed on the device; a notification manager (NotificationManager) is used to control the display and clearing of notification messages; a window manager (Window Manager) is used to manage icons, windows, toolbars, wallpapers, and desktop components on the user interface.

[0082] In some embodiments, the activity manager is used to manage the life cycle of each application and the common navigation back function, such as controlling the exit, opening, and back of the application. The window manager is used to manage all window programs, such as obtaining the display screen size, determining whether there is a status bar, locking the screen, capturing the screen, and controlling the display window changes (for example, reducing the display window, shaking the display, distorting the display, etc.).

[0083] In some embodiments, the system runtime layer provides support for the upper layer, namely the framework layer. When the framework layer is used, the Android operating system will run the C / C++ library contained in the system runtime layer to implement the functions to be implemented by the framework layer.

[0084] In some embodiments, the kernel layer is a layer between hardware and software. Figure 4 As shown, the kernel layer includes at least one of the following drivers: audio driver, display driver, Bluetooth driver, camera driver, WIFI driver, USB driver, HDMI driver, sensor driver (such as fingerprint sensor, temperature sensor, pressure sensor, etc.), and power driver, etc.

[0085] In some embodiments, after the display device is started, the interface of the preset video-on-demand program can be directly entered. The interface of the video-on-demand program can be as follows: Figure 5 As shown in , at least a navigation bar 510 and a content display area located below the navigation bar 510 are included, and the content displayed in the content display area changes with the change of the selected control in the navigation bar. The program in the application layer can be integrated into the video-on-demand program and displayed through a control in the navigation bar, or further displayed after the application control in the navigation bar is selected.

[0086] In some embodiments, after the display device is started, it can directly enter the display interface of the last selected signal source, or the signal source selection interface, where the signal source can be a preset video on demand program, or at least one of an HDMI interface, a live TV interface, etc. After the user selects a different signal source, the display can display the content obtained from different signal sources.

[0087] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to various types of display devices (including but not limited to: smart TVs, mobile terminals, tablet computers, set-top boxes and other devices). The following will take the control technology scheme and user interface for realizing multi-level menu panel display on smart TV as an example to explain the control method of display device and multi-level menu panel display.

[0088] Fig. 6A A schematic diagram of a user interface of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0089] The display device provided in the present application includes a display and a controller, wherein the display is used to display a user interface including a multi-level menu.

[0090] In some embodiments, the application UI interface includes 4 applications installed on the TV, namely, news headlines, cinema on demand, global settings, karaoke, etc. By moving the focus on the display screen using a controller such as a remote control, different applications or other function buttons can be selected.

[0091] In some embodiments, the user interface may also display interactive elements, which may include, for example, a TV home page control, a search control, a message button control, a mailbox control, a browser control, a favorites control, a signal bar control, etc. By moving the focus on the display screen using a controller such as a remote control, different applications and function buttons can be selected.

[0092] In order to improve the convenience and image of the TV UI, in some embodiments, the controller of the display device in the embodiments of the present application controls the TV UI in response to the operation of the interactive element. For example, the user clicks the network connection icon through a controller such as a remote control to activate the network setting interface, and display its UI on top of the global UI, so that the application component UI mapped to the control interactive element becomes larger, or runs and displays in full screen.

[0093] In some embodiments, the interactive element may also be operated by a sensor, which may be, but is not limited to, an acoustic input sensor, such as a microphone configured with a display device, which may detect a voice command including an indication of a desired interactive element. For example, a user may use "Launch Global Settings" or any other suitable identifier to identify a desired interactive element, and may also describe a desired action to be performed associated with the desired interactive element. The controller may recognize the voice command and submit data representing the interaction to the UI or its processing component or engine.

[0094] Figure 6B A schematic diagram of a user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0095] In some embodiments, the user can control the focus of the display screen through the remote control, select the global setting, so that its icon is displayed in high brightness on the user interface of the TV display screen; then by clicking the high brightness icon, the global setting of the icon mapping can be opened.

[0096] It should be noted that the icons and texts on the UI interface in the embodiment of the present application are only used as examples to explain the display device and the multi-level menu panel display control technical method. The icons and texts on the UI interface in the accompanying drawings can also be implemented as other contents, and the drawings of this application do not impose specific restrictions.

[0097] Fig. 7A A schematic diagram of a display device menu user interface according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0098] In some embodiments, when the display device is performing overall machine settings or channel switching, the user interface will display an OSD (on-screen display) layer.

[0099] For example, when a user controls a smart TV to switch channels, the controller will control the user interface of the display to dynamically display an OSD layer, which enables the user to obtain corresponding channel switching information by dynamically generating some special glyphs or graphics on the display screen.

[0100] Specifically, it can be implemented as follows: the terminal responds to the acquired channel switching instruction, displays the OSD layer on the display screen while the middleware executes the channel switching, and monitors the execution status of the middleware. The OSD layer is removed from the display screen only when the execution status of the middleware is the channel switching completion status, otherwise the OSD layer is kept displayed on the display screen, thereby ensuring that the dynamic display time of the OSD layer is closely related to the channel switching time.

[0101] For another example, when a user operates a smart TV to configure functions, the controller controls the user interface to pop up a multi-level menu in response to the user's operation of the Menu key on the remote control; when the user clicks on an image option in the first-level menu, the focus moves to the second-level menu; when the user controls the focus in the second-level menu to move up or down to the basic setting option through the remote control, the user interface displays the following: Fig. 7A shown.

[0102] The first-level menu options may include at least one of image, sound, network, Bluetooth, general, and local; the second-level menu after the image option is expanded may include one of image mode, basic settings, advanced mode, and reset image. In some embodiments, the second-level menu and the first-level menu can be fully displayed respectively and displayed in parallel or tiled manner in the user interface.

[0103] Figure 7B A schematic diagram of a display device menu user interface according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0104] The display device provided in the present application also includes a controller, which receives a user input for an operation to expand the multi-level menu; when the multi-level menu is expanded, the controller controls the user interface display to include a folded display menu for reducing the area of ​​the user interface obscured by the multi-level menu, and a shadow hiding area, wherein the two sides of the shadow hiding area are respectively connected to the folded display menu and the lowest level menu.

[0105] In some embodiments, when the focus of the user interface moves from the first-level menu of the multi-level menu to the second-level menu, the controller controls the first-level menu to be folded and displayed, wherein the title part of the options of the first-level menu is no longer displayed in the folded display, and the icon part of its options is displayed, and the icon part is connected to the second-level menu.

[0106] For example, when the user uses the remote control to control the screen focus to move from the primary menu to the basic setting option of the secondary menu, the controller will control the primary menu to be folded and displayed, specifically, the title part of the option in the primary menu is folded and hidden, the remaining icon part is still displayed, and the image option icon of the primary menu is controlled to be displayed in high brightness to remind the user that the current secondary menu belongs to the parent menu, that is, the primary menu. Fig. 7A The multi-level menu shown, Figure 7B The user interface shown also includes a primary menu and a secondary menu. The secondary menu is still an expansion of the image options in the primary menu. The secondary menu also includes at least one of image mode, basic settings, advanced mode and reset image, that is, Figure 7B and Fig. 7A There are two different multi-level menu display schemes.

[0107] In some embodiments, the icon portion of the first-level menu option may also be implemented as other pictographic icons to increase the recognizability of the options in the first-level menu after being folded and displayed.

[0108] In some embodiments, the controller receives a user input for an operation to recycle a multi-level menu, and controls the user interface to move accordingly according to the recycling steps, or cancels the display of a folded display menu and a shadow hidden area used to reduce the area of ​​the user interface obscured by the multi-level menu.

[0109] For example, based on Figure 7B In the user interface shown in the figure, when the user controls the focus to move from the secondary menu to the primary menu, the controller will control the user interface to cancel the folded display of the primary menu and restore the complete display of the primary menu. The primary menu will restore the display of the title part, which may include at least one of image, sound, network, Bluetooth, general, and local, such as Fig. 7A The first level menu is displayed.

[0110] Fig. 8A A schematic diagram of a display device menu user interface according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0111] In some embodiments, based on Figure 7B When the user controls the screen focus to move from the basic setting option of the secondary menu to the third-level menu, the controller controls the display user interface to add and display the basic setting of the expanded third-level menu, which may include at least one of brightness, contrast, saturation, clarity and color temperature; the user controls the focus to move up and down in the third-level menu to the color temperature option; the corresponding color temperature option and the basic setting option will be displayed in high brightness, such as Fig. 8A shown.

[0112] Among them, the third-level menu and the second-level menu are each fully displayed, and are displayed in the user interface in a parallel, connected, and tiled manner.

[0113] Figure 8B A schematic diagram of a display device menu user interface according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0114] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu, or a lower-level menu, the controller will control the user interface to display a shadow hidden area, and the two sides of the shadow hidden area are respectively connected to the folded first-level menu and the lowest-level menu, wherein when the focus moves from the third-level menu to the lowest-level menu, the folded first-level menu and the shadow hidden area will move to adjacent positions of the lowest-level menu as the lowest-level menu is updated.

[0115] For example, based on Figure 7BWhen the user controls the screen focus to move from the basic setting options of the secondary menu to the tertiary menu, a shadow hidden area is added to the multi-level menu displayed in the user interface. The left side of the shadow hidden area is spliced ​​with the folded primary menu, and the right side is spliced ​​with the tertiary menu. That is, the horizontal position of the primary menu is changed from the leftmost position to the middle position of the three menus; the secondary menu and the tertiary menu are moved horizontally to the left, as shown in FIG. Figure 8B The user can quickly recognize that the current multi-level menu is expanded to at least three levels or more through the shadow hidden area.

[0116] In some embodiments, when the user uses the remote control to control the screen focus to move from the secondary menu to the color temperature option of the tertiary menu, the color temperature option of the tertiary menu and the basic setting options of the corresponding secondary menu will be displayed in high brightness to prompt the user to which the current tertiary menu belongs to the primary and secondary menus; at the same time, the controller controls the folded primary menu to be displayed between the secondary menu and the tertiary menu, and generates a shadow hidden area to be displayed on the right side of the primary menu, and the third-level menu is displayed on the right side of the shadow hidden area. It can be understood that moving the first-level menu splicing shadow hidden area as a whole to the left side of the third-level menu, so that the second-level menu is fully displayed on the left side of the multi-level menu, can improve the user's recognition of the parent menu of the third-level menu, and reduce the occupation of the user interface area after the multi-level menu is expanded.

[0117] In some embodiments, based on Figure 8B The user interface is operated, and when the focus moves from the third-level menu color temperature option to the second-level menu basic setting option, the controller controls the user interface to cancel the display of the shadow hidden area and restore the user interface display as shown in FIG. Figure 7B shown.

[0118] Fig. 9A A schematic diagram of a display device menu user interface according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0119] In some embodiments, based on Figure 8B The multi-level menu of the user interface shown in the figure is operated. When the user controls the screen focus to move from the color temperature option of the third-level menu to the fourth-level menu, the controller controls the display user interface to add and display the expanded fourth-level menu, including cool color, warm color and standard; the user controls the focus to move up and down in the four-level menu to the cool color option; the corresponding cool color option, color temperature option, and basic setting option will be displayed in high brightness, such as Fig. 9A shown.

[0120] Among them, the third-level menu and the fourth-level menu are each fully displayed, and are displayed in the user interface in a parallel, connected, and tiled manner.

[0121] Fig. 9B A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0122] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the third-level menu to the lowest-level menu, the folded first-level menu and the shadow hidden area will move to a position adjacent to the lowest-level menu as the lowest-level menu is updated and generated.

[0123] When the focus of the user interface moves from the secondary menu to the third-level menu of the multi-level menu, or continues to move from the third-level menu to a more subordinate menu, such as the fourth-level menu, the controller controls the first-level menu and the shadow hidden area spliced ​​therewith in the multi-level menu to move as a whole. The first-level menu and the shadow hidden area move from the left side of the third-level menu to the left side of the fourth-level menu, that is, the first-level menu is spliced ​​with the shadow hidden area on the right side and the third-level menu on the left side, and the fourth-level menu is spliced ​​on the right side of the shadow hidden area. The fourth-level menu is the most subordinate menu generated during the focus movement process. Compared to Fig. 9A The multi-level menu display technology solution shown, Fig. 9B In the multi-level menu display scheme shown, the horizontal positions of the first-level menu and the shadow hidden area are changed, and the shadow hidden area is also displayed as having a double shadow effect.

[0124] For example, when the user uses the remote control to control the screen focus to move from the third-level menu to the cool color option of the fourth-level menu, the controller will control the cool color option of the fourth-level menu, and the corresponding third-level menu color temperature option, and the second-level menu basic setting option to be displayed in high brightness to prompt the user that the current fourth-level menu belongs to the parent menu, that is, the first, second, and third-level menus; and the double shadow display effect of the shadow hiding area is used to prompt the user that the current level is the 4th level menu; if it is displayed as a triple shadow, it means that the current level is the 5th level menu, and so on.

[0125] The controller controls the folded first-level menu to be displayed between the third-level menu and the fourth-level menu, and moves the shadow hidden area to be spliced ​​and displayed on the right side of the first-level menu, and splices the fourth-level menu on the right side of the shadow hidden area for display. It can be understood that moving the first-level menu splicing shadow hidden area to the left side of the dynamically generated most secondary menu, so that the second-level menu and the third-level menu are arranged in sequence and fully displayed on the left side of the multi-level menu, can improve the user's recognition of the parent menu of the fourth-level menu, and reduce the occupation of the user interface area after the multi-level menu is expanded.

[0126] In some embodiments, the folded first-level menu and the shadow hidden area will be moved to an adjacent position of the most secondary menu as the most secondary menu is updated, where the adjacent position can be implemented as, for example, the top, bottom, left, or right position.

[0127] When the focus moves rightward from the third-level menu to the lowest-level menu, the folded first-level menu and the shadow hidden area in the user interface are controlled to move rightward and be displayed as the lowest-level menu is updated and generated.

[0128] The user uses the remote control to control the focus of the user interface to move in the multi-level menu. The focus can be moved from left to right to expand the multi-level menu, or from right to left to gradually retract the expanded multi-level menu.

[0129] For example, when the focus moves from the third-level menu to a lower-level menu, such as moving to the fourth-level menu, and then to the fifth-level menu, and then to the sixth-level menu, etc., the controller will control the folded first-level menu to always move to the right along with the newly generated lowest-level menu, and finally display on the left side of the generated lowest-level menu. The controller controls the display of the shadow hidden area to splice the above-mentioned first-level menu and the lowest-level menu.

[0130] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the most secondary menu to the third level menu, the controller controls the folded first level menu and the shadow hidden area to move to a position adjacent to the most secondary menu as the most secondary menu is updated.

[0131] For example, the focus moves from the generated lowest-level menu to, for example, a sixth-level menu, and then to a fifth-level menu, and then to a fourth-level menu, a third-level menu, and so on. The controller will control the folded first-level menu to always move to the left along with the updated lowest-level menu, and finally be displayed on the left side of the most recently updated lowest-level menu. The controller controls the user interface to display a shadow hidden area to splice the above-mentioned first-level menu and the updated and generated lowest-level menu.

[0132] In some embodiments, after the user completes the setting operation in the sub-level menu of the multi-level menu, the user can choose to gradually return to the first-level menu, or can choose to directly exit the multi-level menu user interface.

[0133] Among them, in the process of returning to the first-level menu, when the lowest-level menu becomes the second-level menu, the multi-level menu of the user interface no longer displays the shadow hidden area; when the focus moves to the first-level menu, the second-level menu will no longer be displayed, and the first-level menu will no longer be folded and displayed, and the controller will control the first-level menu to be displayed in full, for example, the options of the first-level menu include the complete icon part and the title part.

[0134] Fig. 10A A schematic diagram of a display device menu user interface according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0135] In some embodiments, the user interface of the expanded multi-level menu instance of the display device is shown in the figure, and its first-level menu options include at least one of Image, Sound, Network, Bluetooth, AI, General, and About (Local). The above options include a title part and an icon part, and the icon part can easily and conveniently identify its setting area.

[0136] Among them, the secondary menu after the image option in the primary menu is expanded includes at least any one of the options such as image mode, basic settings, advanced mode, screen brightness settings, and reset all image settings.

[0137] It can be understood that in this embodiment, the secondary menu and the primary menu of the multi-level menu are each fully displayed and displayed in the user interface in a tiled and parallel manner.

[0138] Fig. 10B A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0139] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the first-level menu to the second-level menu, the controller controls the first-level menu to be displayed in a folded state, wherein the title portion of the options of the first-level menu is no longer displayed in the folded display and only the icon portion of the options is displayed, and the icon portion is connected to the second-level menu.

[0140] For example, when the user uses the remote control to control the screen focus to move from the primary menu to the power on / off setting option of the secondary menu, the controller controls the primary menu to be folded and displayed, specifically, the title part of the primary menu option (such as Fig. 10A 1001) to fold and hide, and the remaining icons (as shown in Fig. 10B The part shown in 1002 is still retained;

[0141] The controller also displays the general setting option icon of the first-level menu corresponding to the second-level menu in high brightness to prompt the user that the current second-level menu belongs to the parent menu, i.e., the first-level menu. In some embodiments, the icon portion 1002 of the first-level menu option can also be implemented as other pictographic icons to increase the recognizability of the options in the first-level menu after folding and displaying. The specific UI and implementation method have been described in detail in the previous embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0142] In some embodiments, based on Fig. 10B In the user interface shown, when the focus moves from the secondary menu power on / off setting to the primary menu, the controller controls the user interface to cancel the folded display of the primary menu, fully display the primary menu, and restore the folded and hidden title part, such as Fig. 10A The first level menu is shown in .

[0143] Fig. 10C A schematic diagram showing a menu user interface of a display device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0144] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu, the controller controls the user interface to display a first shadow hidden area, and the two sides of the first shadow hidden area are respectively connected to the folded first-level menu and the third-level menu, and the first shadow hidden area is used to replace the display of the secondary menu.

[0145] For example, based on Fig. 10B When the user controls the screen focus to move from the second-level menu power on / off setting option to the third-level menu, the controller controls the display user interface to add the expanded third-level menu power on / off setting, which may include at least the last signal source, home page, live TV, HDMI 1 / ARC, HDMI 2, audio and video input, etc. Fig. 10C The multi-level menu includes a first-level menu, a third-level menu, and a first shadow hidden area (such as Fig. 10C 1003 in the figure). The first level menu is Fig. 10B The first-level menus displayed in the user interface are the same and are all folded and displayed; the first-level menu is spliced ​​to the left side of the first shadow hidden area, and the third-level menu is spliced ​​to the right side thereof.

[0146] It can be understood that the first shadow hidden area 1003 replaces the display of the secondary menu, and its appearance is a narrow strip. By splicing and displaying it with other hierarchical menus, the occupancy of the user interface area when the multi-level menu is expanded can be reduced.

[0147] In some embodiments, the title portion of the first-level menu option is still folded and hidden, the remaining icon portion continues to be displayed, and the icon portion of the third-level menu corresponding to the image option of the first-level menu is displayed in high brightness to prompt the user that the current third-level menu belongs to the parent menu, i.e., the first-level menu.

[0148] In some embodiments, based on Fig. 10C When the focus is moved from the third-level menu homepage option to the second-level menu, the controller controls the first-level menu of the user interface to be folded and displayed, and restores the second-level menu replaced by the first shadow hidden area. The user interface after the operation is completed is as follows Fig. 10B shown.

[0149] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the third-level menu to a more sub-level menu of the multi-level menu, the controller will control the user interface to display a shadow hidden area cluster, the number of shadow hidden areas contained in it corresponds to the number of hierarchical menus between the first-level menu and the updated most sub-level menu.

[0150] The shadow hidden area cluster is used to replace the display of the hierarchical menu, and its two sides are respectively connected to the folded first-level menu and the most secondary menu. The multiple shadow hidden areas contained therein are closely connected to each other and are linear gradient bar graphics.

[0151] For example, when the user operates the third-level menu to expand to the fourth-level menu, the user interface will include the first-level menu, the fourth-level menu, and the shadow hidden area cluster.

[0152] Among them, the first-level menu is still displayed in a folded state, and the shadow hidden area cluster includes a first shadow hidden area and a second shadow hidden area spliced ​​to the right of the first shadow hidden area. The left side of the first shadow hidden area is spliced ​​to the first-level menu, and the right side of the second shadow hidden area is spliced ​​to the fourth-level menu. It should be noted that the second shadow hidden area corresponds to the hidden third-level menu, and the first shadow hidden area corresponds to the hidden second-level menu. That is, the number of shadow hidden areas contained in the shadow hidden area cluster is the same as the number of hierarchical menus between the first-level menu and the most secondary menu.

[0153] After the first shadow hidden area is spliced ​​with the second shadow hidden area, it can replace the display of the original secondary menu and the tertiary menu, and the first shadow hidden area and the second shadow hidden area are closely connected to each other, which are linear gradient strip graphics, which can reduce the area of ​​the user interface blocked by the multi-level menu.

[0154] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from a more sub-level menu of a multi-level menu to a third-level menu, the controller will control the user interface to update the display of a shadow hidden area cluster, wherein the shadow hidden area cluster includes a number of shadow hidden areas corresponding to the number of hierarchical menus between the first-level menu and the updated most sub-level menu.

[0155] When the focus passes through the second shadow hidden area of ​​the shadow hidden area cluster, the controller controls the multi-level menu of the user interface to display the hierarchical menu corresponding to the second shadow hidden area, and cancels the display of the second shadow hidden area;

[0156] When the focus passes through the first shadow hidden area of ​​the shadow hidden area cluster, the multi-level menu of the user interface is controlled to display a secondary menu corresponding to the first shadow hidden area, and the first shadow hidden area is canceled.

[0157] For example, when the user operates the remote control to return, or moves the control focus from the fourth-level menu of the above-mentioned lowest-level menu to the second shadow hidden area corresponding to the third-level menu, the controller will display the complete user interface of the third-level menu corresponding to the second shadow hidden area, and the fourth-level menu will no longer be displayed. The multi-level menu display includes a first-level menu, a third-level menu, and a first shadow hidden area, and the left side of the first shadow hidden area is spliced ​​to the first-level menu and the right side is spliced ​​to the third-level menu.

[0158] For another example, when the user operates the remote control to continue to return, or controls the focus to move from the third-level menu to the first shadow hidden area corresponding to the second-level menu, the controller will display the complete user interface of the second-level menu corresponding to the first shadow hidden area; the third-level menu is no longer displayed, and the multi-level menu display includes the first-level menu and the second-level menu.

[0159] In some embodiments, the controller of the display device first creates a transparent container in the user interface, and the transparent container can be pre-set with a preset number of sub-menu hierarchy panels; during the focus movement process, the controller redraws the position of each sub-menu panel, and expands the panel layer by layer in a dynamic folding manner in a fixed area on the side of the screen by moving the position of the previous parent menu; wherein, the controller draws a shadow, that is, a shadow hidden area to prompt that the current level can return to the previous menu; this can not only meet the user's setting operations, but also reduce the OSD layer in the main display area of ​​the user interface blocking video playback.

[0160] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a system functional framework for multi-level menu display in a user interface of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0161] In some embodiments, the system functional framework for displaying a multi-level menu in a display device user interface includes:

[0162] The control unit is used to control other modules, control the display area, level generation, and drive level translation of the user interface Container (transparent container); the Container display area unit is used to control the visible display area of ​​the current window; the level generation unit is used to generate a multi-level menu interface and control the dynamic loading of sub-controls; the shadow generation unit is used to control whether the current display area generates a shadow, and the shadow is used to prompt the user to return to the previous level; the key interception unit is used to intercept the direction keys and return keys operated by the remote control, and control the level movement of the display area and interface recycling according to the focus path; the calculation unit is used to calculate the focus movement path according to the key operation and the last focus, and recalculate the display coordinates of each level in cross-level operations; the level coordinate unit is used to record the coordinates of each level, and the X-axis coordinate changes in cross-level operations generate translation animations; the focus path unit is used to record the focus movement path, and the corresponding level coordinate changes are driven by cross-level operations; the storage unit is used to save the first-level menu and second-level menu interfaces, dynamically store the sub-interfaces above the third-level menu, and save the focus interfaces of each level.

[0163] In some embodiments, the display device controller dynamically generates a multi-level menu according to user operations through the above-mentioned system function framework module, saves each level menu interface and the interface where the focus is located, and records the focus movement path.

[0164] Among them, the display position of the first-level menu on the screen is fixed, and the submenus of other levels are recalculated according to the X-axis coordinates when crossing levels according to the focus movement path. According to the calculation results, each level of menu is moved to the specified position by moving the animation left and right, that is, the second-level menu and the subsequent third-level menu are moved left to the non-display area in turn and the upper-level menu is hidden through shadow prompts until the generated target submenu is moved to the visible display area.

[0165] When the focus path returns from a submenu to the previous parent menu, the parent menu is translated to the display area through X-axis coordinate calculation. At the same time, the sub-interfaces below the second level in the cache are removed in turn to reduce memory usage.

[0166] Fig.12 A schematic diagram showing initialization of a user interface container of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0167] The controller of the display device configures the display results of the multi-level menu of the user interface through the control unit and the calculation unit, so that different levels of menus generate different units to create display interfaces for each level of menus, wherein the solid line frame is used to represent the displayable area of ​​the display, and the dotted line frame is used to represent the multi-level menu.

[0168] For example, after the container is initialized, the user interface presets multiple menu areas in the user interface, including a first-level menu, a second-level menu, a third-level menu, a fourth-level menu, and an N-level menu. When the user starts the multi-level menu, the controller loads the corresponding multi-level menu window interface, and as the user operates the multi-level menu, the controller Fig.12 The multi-level menu shown is expanded accordingly to be displayed in a recycled manner.

[0169] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of a process for creating a hierarchical menu in a display device user interface according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0170] Combined with the multiple figures involved in the above text, the process of menu display in the user interface is explained. The display device controller first creates a layout file. The parent container Container has a transparent background and an unlimited width. In the layout file, the parent layout interface of each level is preset according to the maximum number of levels, such as Fig.12 The multi-level menu preset area shown includes a first-level menu, a second-level menu, a third-level menu, a fourth-level menu and an N-level menu area;

[0171] The controller parses the first-level menu configuration list and generates options for the combination of "icon + title" to form the first-level menu interface, such as Fig. 10A As shown; the options of the combination of icons and titles correspond to the various options of the first-level menu, and may include at least one of Image, Sound, Network, Bluetooth, AI, General, and About (this machine);

[0172] The controller is driven by the movement of the focus in the first-level menu options to generate a second-level menu panel for the option currently in focus, and calculates the size of the visible area when the first-level menu and the second-level menu are displayed at the same time and the focus is on the first-level menu, and resets the width of the second-level menu panel, such as Fig. 10A The primary and secondary menus shown;

[0173] Each item of the secondary menu is configured with a "nextlayout" ID. The controller can generate the interface of the third-level menu panel by parsing the xml file corresponding to the ID; for example, Fig. 10B The "nextlayout" ID of the secondary menu option power on / off setting is 5765. The xml file corresponding to the ID contains three-level menu elements, which may include at least the last signal source, home page, live TV, HDMI 1 / ARC, HDMI 2, audio and video input, and corresponding selection controls, such as Fig. 10C The three-level menu is shown.

[0174] According to the above menu expansion configuration method, the controller sequentially parses the xml files corresponding to the "nextlayout" ID configured for the menu options, and can generate an interface of the Nth level menu panel, as described in the above figure.

[0175] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of a process for folding and displaying a multi-level menu in a user interface of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0176] In some embodiments, the folding of each level is implemented by fixing the display position of the first-level menu, and moving the panels of other levels from the non-display area to the display area through the X-axis coordinate movement. When the focus leaves the first-level menu, the second-level menu panel is moved left to reduce screen occupancy, wherein the first-level menu only displays icons.

[0177] The key interception unit controls the remote control's return key and direction keys to operate the expansion of the multi-level menu. When the current focus falls on the N-level menu, press the return key to return the focus to the N-1-level menu, the N-2-level menu, ..., until the focus returns to the first-level menu. At this moment, the user presses the return key to exit the multi-level menu interface; when the right direction key is pressed, the focus moves to the N+1 level in turn according to the submenu of the current menu item; pressing the left direction key is the same as the return key;

[0178] The controller records the submenu interface and position of the menu item where the current level focus is located, so that the focus can fall to the parent menu option of the previous level when returning to the previous level layout;

[0179] Fig.15A A finite state machine diagram of a focus cross-level movement path according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0180] In some embodiments, the controller identifies a finite state machine diagram of the focus movement path across levels, including states and arcs, starting from the first-level menu level and ending at the minimum level. Each state represents the level where the currently recorded focus of each level is located, and the directed arc focus movement path connecting these states is the cross-level folding display trigger condition.

[0181] In some embodiments, the finite state machine is implemented as a quintuple (∑, S, s0, σ, f).

[0182] Among them, S is a finite non-empty state set, ∑ is the input symbol set, σ is the mapping function from S×∑ to S, that is, σ: S×∑→S, and the function value has the following two cases:

[0183] One case is that the state and input symbol combination is mapped to the correct state. For example, the current focus is at the second level, and the previous focus belongs to the first level, that is, the focus movement path is 1→2;

[0184] Another case is that some function values ​​are wrong, that is, the combination of state and input symbol cannot be mapped to the corresponding state. For example, the current focus is at the second level, and the previous focus belongs to the fourth level. It is wrong to span two levels, such as Fig. 15B A schematic diagram showing a correct and error status result returned when a multi-level menu is expanded according to an embodiment of the present application; Fig. 15C A schematic diagram showing the correct and error status results returned when a multi-level menu is retracted according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0185] In some embodiments, when the mapping in the above steps is correct, the controller moves the target layer to the visible area and the non-target layer out of the visible area through X-axis translation, and performs fault tolerance processing when an error occurs.

[0186] Fig.16 A schematic diagram of a process for generating a multi-level menu shadow of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0187] In some embodiments, the controller determines the level of the multi-level menu where the focus is located through the current state, and then determines whether the current level meets the conditions for displaying shadows. The conditions can be implemented by adding shadow display starting from the third level. The first and second levels do not need to display shadows, and the shadow can be implemented as a shadow hidden area.

[0188] Then the controller draws the shadow to generate a linear gradient strip with fixed width and height. The controller splices the generated shadow image with the corresponding level interface, obtains the coordinates of the level, and connects it with the left side of the level to form a new level interface, for example Fig.17A The schematic diagram of the generation process of the shadow hiding area of ​​the three-level menu is shown.

[0189] In some embodiments, the native controls of the Android system are accessible to all APKs, because the resource files and code files in the native controls are compiled into IDs. Other APKs (including third-party ones) can access the specified resources as long as they know the ID. However, for APKs developed by manufacturers themselves, they cannot access each other's resource files and other information through IDs (the IDs defined by themselves can only be called by themselves). Therefore, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application is to save the layout parameters, view parameters and image and text resource files (i.e., RES files) that the controls depend on in XML format, which is equivalent to completely abandoning the method of compiling control resource IDs in the prior art. The controls provided by the embodiment of the present application are not packaged into the APK in the form of IDs, but generate an XML file by themselves. This XML file contains all the information, layouts, views, files, etc. that the controls depend on. This XML file can be pre-written, through several types of tags, for example, the A tag is defined as a layout parameter, and the corresponding code file corresponding to the layout parameter must be defined. If other APKs want to use this control, they must parse this XML file. By parsing the code file under the A tag, the layout parameters and other information that the control depends on can be known.

[0190] In some embodiments, when the user operates the remote control to expand the fourth-level menu, the third-level menu and the fourth-level menu after the combined shadow are translated on the X-axis under the action of the control unit, and a multi-level folding effect is achieved in the display area. The currently displayed level can be intuitively displayed by whether the shadow is displayed, so that the user can perform multi-level switching operations by pressing the remote control buttons, such as Fig. 17B The diagram of the four-level menu generation process is shown in FIG. Fig. 17B The shadow shown is configured on the left side or right side of the hierarchical menu, but the present application does not limit the relative position of the shadow and the hierarchical menu, and the shadow can also be set on the upper side, lower side, partially or completely covering the hierarchical menu, or other adjacent positions.

[0191] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the primary menu to the secondary menu, the primary menu is controlled to be folded and displayed, wherein the title part of the options of the primary menu is no longer displayed in the folded display, and only the icon part of the options is displayed, and the icon part is connected to the secondary menu; the specific implementation method is as described above. Figure 7B The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0192] When the focus moves from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu or a lower level menu, the user interface is controlled to display a shadow hidden area, and the two sides of the shadow hidden area are respectively connected to the folded primary menu and the lower level menu, wherein, during the movement of the focus from the tertiary menu to the lower level menu, the folded primary menu and the shadow hidden area will move to adjacent positions of the lower level menu as the lower level menu is updated and generated; the specific implementation method is as described above Figure 8B , Fig. 9B The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0193] In some embodiments, when the focus moves rightward from the third-level menu to the lowest-level menu, the folded-displayed first-level menu and the shadow hidden area are controlled to move rightward as the lowest-level menu is updated. Fig. 9B The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0194] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the first-level menu to the second-level menu, the first-level menu is controlled to be folded and displayed, wherein the title part of the options of the first-level menu is no longer displayed in the folded display, and only the icon part of its options is displayed, and the icon part is connected to the second-level menu; when the focus moves from the second-level menu to the third-level menu, the user interface is controlled to display a first shadow hidden area, and the two sides of the first shadow hidden area are respectively connected to the first-level menu and the third-level menu of the folded display, and the first shadow hidden area is used to replace the display of the second-level menu; its specific implementation method is as described above Fig. 10A , Fig. 10B , Fig. 10C The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0195] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the third-level menu to a more secondary menu, the number of shadow hidden areas contained in the displayed shadow hidden area cluster corresponds to the number of hierarchical menus between the first-level menu and the most secondary menu, and the shadow hidden area cluster is used to replace the display of the hierarchical menu; wherein the two sides of the shadow hidden area cluster are respectively connected to the folded first-level menu and the most secondary menu, and the shadow hidden areas contained therein are closely connected to each other and are linear gradient color strip graphics; the specific implementation method is as described above Fig. 10C The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0196] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the lowest level menu to the third level menu, the first level menu displayed in a folded state and the shadow hidden area are controlled to move to a position adjacent to the lowest level menu as the lowest level menu is updated and generated; the specific implementation method is as described above. Figure 8B , Fig. 9B The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0197] When the focus moves from the third-level menu to the second-level menu, the user interface is controlled to cancel the display of the shadow hidden area; the specific implementation method is as described above. Figure 8B , Figure 7B The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0198] When the focus moves from the secondary menu to the primary menu, the user interface is controlled to cancel the folded display of the primary menu, and the primary menu resumes displaying the title part and the icon part contained therein; the specific implementation method is as described above. Figure 8B , Fig. 7A The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0199] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from the lowest level menu to the third level menu, the folded first level menu and the shadow hidden area are controlled to move to the left as the lowest level menu is updated; when the focus moves from the third level menu to the second level menu, the first level menu is folded and displayed, and the second level menu replaced by the first shadow hidden area is restored to display; the specific implementation method is as described above. Fig. 10C , Fig. 10B The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0200] When the focus moves from the secondary menu to the primary menu, the full display of the primary menu is restored and its folded display is canceled; the specific implementation method is as described above. Fig. 10B , Fig. 10A The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0201] In some embodiments, when the focus moves from a more secondary menu of the multi-level menu to the third-level menu, the method further includes:

[0202] Update the display of the shadow hidden area cluster, the number of shadow hidden areas contained in the shadow hidden area cluster corresponds to the number of hierarchical menus between the first-level menu and the updated and generated most secondary menu, and the shadow hidden area cluster is used to replace the display of the hierarchical menu; wherein the two sides of the shadow hidden area cluster are respectively connected to the folded and displayed first-level menu and the most secondary menu, and the shadow hidden areas contained therein are closely connected to each other and are linear gradient strip graphics, and the specific implementation method is as described above Fig. 10C , Fig. 10B , Fig. 10A The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0203] In some embodiments, when the multi-level menu is recycled, the controller is further configured to: when the focus passes through the second shadow hidden area of ​​the shadow hidden area cluster, display the hierarchical menu corresponding to the second shadow hidden area, and cancel the display of the second shadow hidden area; the specific implementation method is as described above. Fig. 10C , Fig. 10B , Fig. 10A The display device user interface and its corresponding implementation steps are shown.

[0204] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application are that by constructing a menu folding display, the menu can be partially or completely hidden, thereby reducing the occupied display area; further, by constructing a shadow hidden area, part of the hierarchical menu can be hidden, and the user can be prompted that there are folded and hidden submenus; further, by constructing a shadow hidden area that moves with the most subordinate menu, the dynamic display of the multi-level menu can be realized, and when the multi-level menu is fully or partially expanded, the occupation of the user interface display area by the multi-level menu can be reduced.

[0205] When the function item is in a multi-level menu, it is driven by the focus path. The multi-level menu including the folding animation only occupies one-third of the screen area to reach the target menu to complete the function options and switch actions. For example, when watching HDR sources, switch different image modes and sound modes to experience different audio-visual effects and choose the best option you like; when children watch TV, turn on the set eye protection mode switch to reduce the damage of the screen brightness to children's eyes; at the same time as other TVs, complete the image and sound parameter adjustment, switch control and other common function setting operations. The menu folding effect is displayed through shadow prompts, and the current interface level is displayed more intuitively to improve the user experience.

[0206] In addition, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various aspects of the present application may be illustrated and described by a number of patentable categories or situations, including any new and useful process, machine, product or combination of substances, or any new and useful improvements thereto. Accordingly, various aspects of the present application may be performed entirely by hardware, entirely by software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or by a combination of hardware and software. The above hardware or software may all be referred to as "data blocks", "controllers", "engines", "units", "components" or "systems". In addition, various aspects of the present application may be represented as a computer product located in one or more computer-readable media, which includes computer-readable program code.

[0207] A computer storage medium may include a propagated data signal containing computer program code, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. The propagated signal may be in a variety of forms, including electromagnetic, optical, etc., or a suitable combination. A computer storage medium may be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can be connected to an instruction execution system, device or apparatus to communicate, propagate or transmit the program for use. The program code on the computer storage medium may be transmitted via any suitable medium, including radio, cable, fiber optic cable, RF, or similar media, or any combination of the above media.

[0208] The computer program coding required for the operation of each part of the application can be written in any one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Scala, Smalltalk, Eiffel, JADE, Emerald, C++, C#, VB.NET, Python, etc., conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C language, Visual Basic, Fortran 2003, Perl, COBOL 2002, PHP, ABAP, dynamic programming languages ​​such as Python, Ruby and Groovy, or other programming languages, etc. The program coding can be run completely on the user's computer, or run on the user's computer as an independent software package, or run partly on the user's computer and partly on the remote computer, or run completely on the remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any network form, such as a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet), or in a cloud computing environment, or used as a service such as software as a service (SaaS).

[0209] In addition, unless explicitly stated in the claims, the order of the processing elements and sequences described in this application, the use of alphanumeric characters, or the use of other names are not intended to limit the order of the processes and methods of this application. Although the above disclosure discusses some invention embodiments that are currently considered useful through various examples, it should be understood that such details are only for illustrative purposes, and the attached claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations that are consistent with the essence and scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, although the system components described above can be implemented by hardware devices, they can also be implemented only by software solutions, such as installing the described system on an existing server or mobile device.

[0210] Similarly, it should be noted that in order to simplify the description of the disclosure of this application and thus help understand one or more embodiments of the invention, in the above description of the embodiments of this application, multiple features are sometimes combined into one embodiment, figure or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not mean that the features required by the object of this application are more than the features mentioned in the claims. In fact, the features of the embodiments are less than all the features of the single embodiment disclosed above.

[0211] Each patent, patent application, patent application disclosure, and other materials, such as articles, books, instructions, publications, documents, etc., cited in this application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Except for application history documents that are inconsistent with or conflicting with the content of this application, documents that limit the broadest scope of the claims of this application (currently or later attached to this application) are also excluded. It should be noted that if the descriptions, definitions, and / or use of terms in the attached materials of this application are inconsistent or conflicting with the content described in this application, the descriptions, definitions, and / or use of terms in this application shall prevail.

Claims

1. A display device, characterized in that: include: A display, used for displaying a user interface including a multi-level menu; The controller includes a shadow generating unit for generating a shadow hiding area; The controller is configured to: Receiving an operation of expanding the multi-level menu input by a user through a remote control; Controlling the display to display a user interface, the user interface comprising a primary menu and a secondary menu, the options of the primary menu comprising a title portion and an icon portion; the options of the primary menu comprising at least one of image, sound, network, and Bluetooth; Determine the level of the multi-level menu where the focus is located according to the user operation, and judge whether the current level meets the conditions for displaying the shadow hidden area; When receiving a user's control to move the focus from the primary menu to the secondary menu through the remote control, the primary menu is controlled to be folded and displayed, so that the title part of the primary menu option is hidden and only the icon part of the primary menu option is displayed; and the icon part of the secondary menu belonging to the primary menu option is controlled to be displayed in high brightness, and the shadow hidden area is not displayed; When the user controls the focus to move from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu through the remote control, the primary menu is kept folded, the title part of the primary menu option is hidden, only the icon part of the primary menu option is displayed, the icon part of the third-level menu belonging to the primary menu option is controlled to be displayed in high brightness, and the shadow hidden area is controlled to replace the display of the secondary menu.

2. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that The controller determines the level of the multi-level menu where the focus is located according to the user operation, and determines whether the current level meets the conditions for displaying the shadow hidden area, and is specifically configured as follows: When the current level where the focus is located is the first level or the second level, the shadow hidden area is not displayed; When the current level where the focus is located is the third level or a lower level, the user interface is controlled to display a first shadow hidden area, and the first shadow hidden area replaces the display of the secondary menu.

3. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that The controller executes, when receiving a user's control to move the focus from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu through the remote control, keeping the primary menu folded, hiding the title part of the primary menu option, displaying only the icon part of the primary menu option, controlling the icon part of the tertiary menu belonging to the primary menu option to be displayed in high brightness, and controlling the shadow hidden area to replace the display of the secondary menu, and is specifically configured as follows: When receiving an instruction from the user to move the focus from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu through the remote control, the controller generates a third-level menu by parsing the XML file belonging to the nextlayout ID of the secondary menu options, keeps the title part of the options of the first-level menu hidden, only displays the icon part of the first-level menu options, and controls the user interface to display a first shadow hidden area, which replaces the display of the secondary menu and has the shape of a narrow strip.

4. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that The controller further includes a container display area unit for creating a transparent container in the user interface; after receiving an operation of expanding the multi-level menu input by a user through a remote controller, the controller is further configured to: Creating a transparent container in the user interface, wherein the transparent container is pre-set with a preset number of submenu level panels; After receiving a signal from a user controlling the focus to move from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu through the remote control, the controller is further configured to: The position of the submenu hierarchy panel is redrawn, and the submenu hierarchy panel is expanded layer by layer in a dynamic folding manner within a fixed area of ​​the user interface by moving the position of the upper menu.

5. The display device according to claim 4, characterized in that The container display area unit is further used to control the visible display area of ​​the current user interface; the controller also includes a focus path unit, which is used to record the focus movement path, and the cross-level operation drives the corresponding level coordinate change; the controller executes the controller execution after receiving the user controlling the focus to move from the first-level menu to the second-level menu through the remote control, and is also configured to: Recording the focus moving path so that the display position of the primary menu in the user interface is fixed, and recalculating the X-axis coordinate of the secondary menu according to the focus moving path so that the secondary menu moves to the visible display area; After receiving a signal from a user controlling the focus to move from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu through the remote control, the controller is further configured to: Recording the focus moving path so that the display position of the first-level menu in the user interface is fixed, and recalculating the X-axis coordinate of the third-level menu according to the focus moving path so that the third-level menu moves to the visible display area; Also, use a shaded hidden area instead of a secondary menu.

6. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: After receiving a user's control to move the focus from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu through the remote control, the controller is further configured to: keep the primary menu folded, hide the title part of the primary menu option, display only the icon part of the primary menu option, control the icon part of the third-level menu belonging to the primary menu option to be displayed in high brightness, and control the shadow hidden area to replace the display of the secondary menu; When receiving a signal from the user to move the focus from the third level menu to the second level menu through the remote control, canceling the display of the shadow hidden area and restoring the display of the second level menu; When receiving a signal from the user to move the focus from the secondary menu to the primary menu through the remote control, the hiding of the title portion of the primary menu is cancelled, and the complete display of the primary menu is restored.

7. The display device according to claim 6, characterized in that The controller executes to cancel the display of the shadow hidden area when receiving a user control to move the focus from the third level menu to the second level menu through the remote control, and is specifically configured as follows: The display of the shadow hidden area is canceled, the full display of the secondary menu is restored, and the title portion of the primary menu option is kept hidden, while the icon portion of the primary menu option is kept displayed.

8. A display device, characterized in that: include: A display, used for displaying a user interface including a multi-level menu; The controller includes a shadow generating unit for generating a shadow hiding area; The controller is configured to: Responding to the user's operation of expanding the multi-level menu via the remote control; Controlling the display to display a user interface, the user interface comprising a primary menu and a secondary menu, the options of the primary menu comprising a title portion and an icon portion, the options of the primary menu comprising at least one of image, sound, network, and Bluetooth; the secondary menu being a submenu of the primary menu; Determine the level of the multi-level menu where the focus is located according to the user operation, and judge whether the current level meets the conditions for displaying the shadow hidden area; When receiving a user's control to move the focus from the primary menu to the secondary menu through the remote control, the primary menu is controlled to be folded and displayed, so that the title part of the primary menu option is hidden; and controlling the icon portion of the secondary menu belonging to the primary menu option to be displayed in high brightness; When receiving a command from a user to control the focus to move from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu through the remote control, the user interface is controlled to expand and display the tertiary menu, and the title portion of the primary menu option is kept hidden, the icon portion of the primary menu option is kept displayed, and the shadow hidden area is controlled to replace the display of the secondary menu; and the icon portion of the third-level menu belonging to the primary menu option is displayed in high brightness; When receiving a signal from the user to move the focus from the third level menu to the second level menu through the remote control, canceling the display of the shadow hidden area and restoring the display of the second level menu; When receiving a signal from the user to move the focus from the secondary menu to the primary menu through the remote control, the hiding of the title portion of the primary menu is cancelled, and the complete display of the primary menu is restored.

9. The display device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The controller determines the level of the multi-level menu where the focus is located according to the user operation, and determines whether the current level meets the conditions for displaying the shadow hidden area, and is specifically configured as follows: When the current level where the focus is located is the first level or the second level, the shadow hidden area is not displayed; When the current level where the focus is located is the third level or a lower level, the user interface is controlled to display a first shadow hidden area, and the first shadow hidden area replaces the display of the secondary menu.

10. A method for controlling a multi-level menu panel display, characterized in that: Applied to the display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the method comprising: Receiving an operation of expanding the multi-level menu input by a user through a remote control; Controlling the display to display a user interface, the user interface comprising a primary menu and a secondary menu, the options of the primary menu comprising a title portion and an icon portion; the options of the primary menu comprising at least one of image, sound, network, and Bluetooth; Determine the level of the multi-level menu where the focus is located according to the user operation, and judge whether the current level meets the conditions for displaying the shadow hidden area; When receiving a user's control to move the focus from the primary menu to the secondary menu through the remote control, the primary menu is controlled to be folded and displayed, so that the title part of the primary menu option is hidden and only the icon part of the primary menu option is displayed; and the icon part of the secondary menu belonging to the primary menu option is controlled to be displayed in high brightness, and the shadow hidden area is not displayed; When the user controls the focus to move from the secondary menu to the tertiary menu through the remote control, the primary menu is kept folded, the title part of the primary menu option is hidden, only the icon part of the primary menu option is displayed, the icon part of the third-level menu belonging to the primary menu option is controlled to be displayed in high brightness, and the shadow hidden area is controlled to replace the display of the secondary menu.

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