# US 2014/0195981 A1 · Electronic apparatus and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195981 A1 - Document ID: US20140195981A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/132,847 - Filed: 2013-12-18 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Dong-heon LEE; Jung-geun KIM; Sung-hyun JANG; Jae-kwon KIM - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195981A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - G06F 3/04812: Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A control method of an electronic apparatus is provided, including displaying a pointing graphical user interface (GUI) which performs a pointing function in a pointing control mode, converting the pointing GUI into a four-directional GUI to control four-directional movement of a predetermined object and changing to the four-directional control mode when a predetermined event occurs, and controlling the four-directional movement of the predetermined object according to manipulation of the four-directional GUI. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control method of an electronic apparatus which supports a pointing control mode and a four-directional control mode, the control method comprising: displaying a pointing graphical user interface (GUI) which performs a pointing function in the pointing control mode on a display; converting the pointing GUI into a four-directional GUI to control four-directional movement of a predetermined object, and changing to the four-directional control mode when a predetermined event occurs; and controlling the four-directional movement of the predetermined object according to manipulation of the four-directional GUI. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined object selects an item displayed on the display according to manipulation of the four-directional GUI in the four-directional control mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is one of an event in which a mode conversion menu is selected according to a user command, and an event in which a screen including the predetermined object is displayed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: converting the four-directional GUI into the pointing GUI and changing from the four-directional control mode to the pointing control mode when the four-directional GUI is located on an item displayed on the display which is controllable in the pointing control mode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the four-directional GUI includes an up button, a down button, a right button, a left button, and a selection button. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: highlighting one of the up button, the down button, the right button, the left button, and the selection button of the four-directional GUI when a virtual pointer is positioned on one of the up button, the down button, the right button, the left button, and the selection button. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising: moving the four-directional GUI to a location of the virtual pointer when the virtual pointer is positioned outside of the four-directional GUI when displayed on the display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pointing GUI and the four-directional GUI are controlled according to a user's motion command. ### Claim 9 An electronic apparatus which supports a pointing control mode and a four-directional control mode, the electronic apparatus comprising: a display which displays a pointing graphical user interface (GUI) which performs a pointing function in the pointing control mode; a user interface which receives a command; and a controller which converts the pointing GUI into a four-directional GUI to control four-directional movement of a predetermined object and changes to the four-directional control mode when a predetermined event occurs, and controls the four-directional movement of the predetermined object according to manipulation of the four-directional GUI. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined object selects an item displayed on the display according to manipulation of the four-directional GUI in the four-directional control mode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined event is one of an event in which a mode conversion menu is selected according to a user command, and an event in which a screen including the predetermined object is displayed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller changes to the pointing control mode and converts the four-directional GUI to the pointing GUI when the four-directional GUI is located on an item displayed on the display which is controllable in the pointing control mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the four-directional GUI includes an up button, a down button, a right button, a left button, and a selection button, and the controller highlights one of the up button, the down button, the right button, the left button, and the selection button when a virtual pointer is positioned on one of the up button, the down button, the right button, the left button, and the selection button. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller moves the four-directional GUI to a location of the virtual pointer when the virtual pointer is positioned outside of the four-directional GUI on the display. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the pointing GUI and the four-directional GUI are controlled according to a user's motion command. ### Claim 16 A method of controlling a graphical user interface (GUI) on an electronic apparatus, the method comprising: displaying one of a pointing graphical user interface (GUI) and a four-directional graphical user interface (GUI) on a display of the electronic apparatus according to a motion received by a user; controlling a movement of one of the pointing GUI and the four-directional GUI to select an item on the display according to a motion received by the user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the pointing GUI comprises a GUI which points to an item displayed on the display. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the four-directional GUI comprises a plurality of directional buttons for selecting an item displayed on the display.