Apparatus and method for displaying hierarchical menu in mobile communication terminal

A menu display method for an electronic device, said electronic device including a memory for storing a hierarchical menu and functioning to partition one screen picture into a plurality of rows and columns and to arrange and display menu items, respectively, in a plurality of slots of positions defined by the rows and columns, said slots including one cursor slot, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) determining whether a direction input is sensed;
• b) if the direction input is sensed, creating a menu set by performing the steps of:
• b-1) extracting and storing a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot with reference to said hierarchical menu;
• b-2) extracting and storing menu items corresponding to a slot of said plurality of slots located at the left-hand side and right-hand side of said cursor slot;
• b-3) if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a top-level menu, extracting a bottom-level menu of said specific menu item, storing it in a different row of said plurality of rows from a row where said cursor slot is located, extracting a one-level lower menu of said specific menu item and storing it in a second row of said plurality of rows;
• b-4) if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a bottom-level menu, extracting a top-level menu of said specific menu item, storing it in said different row, extracting a one-level upper menu of said specific menu item and storing it in said second row;
• and
• b-5) if said specific menu item in said cursor slot belongs to neither the top-level menu nor the bottom-level menu, extracting the one-level upper menu of said specific menu item, storing it in said different row, extracting the one-level lower menu of said specific menu item and storing it in said second row;
• and
• c) displaying said menu set in said screen picture.

A menu display method for an electronic device, said electronic device including a memory for storing a hierarchical menu and functioning to partition a screen picture into a plurality of rows and columns and arrange and display menu items, respectively, in slots of positions defined by the rows and columns, said slots including a cursor slot, said screen picture being displayed while being divided into a first part and a second part, said cursor slot being movable between the first part and the second part, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) determining which of said first part and second part in which said cursor slot is present, according to an input of an input unit;
• b) if said cursor slot is present in said first part, creating a menu set by performing the steps of:
• b-1) extracting and storing a new menu item to be located in said cursor slot with reference to said hierarchical menu according to the input of the input unit if said input of the input unit is not a first directional input, and extracting a bottom-level menu item of an existing menu item located in said cursor slot if said input of the input unit is the first directional input and the existing menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a top-level menu, and extracting a one-level upper menu item of said existing menu item in said cursor slot if said input of the input unit is the first directional input and said existing menu item in said cursor slot does not belong to the top-level menu, and storing the extracted menu item as said new menu item in said cursor slot;
• b-2) extracting and storing menu items corresponding to said slots located at the left-hand side and right-hand side of said cursor slot;
• b-3) extracting a top-level menu of said new menu item in said cursor slot if said new menu item in said cursor slot belongs to a bottom-level menu, and extracting a one-level lower menu of said new menu item in said cursor slot if said new menu item in said cursor slot does not belong to the bottom-level menu, and storing the extracted menu in a row of said plurality of rows subsequent to that where said cursor slot is located;
• and
• b-4) extracting a bottom-level menu of said new menu item in said cursor slot and storing it in said second part;
• c) if said cursor slot is present in said second part, creating a menu set by performing the steps of:
• c-1) extracting and storing a new menu item to be located in said cursor slot according to the input of the input unit;
• and
• c-2) extracting and storing menu items corresponding to said slots located at the left-hand side and right-hand side of said cursor slot;
• and
• d) displaying said menu set created at said step b) or c) in said screen picture.

A menu display apparatus for an electronic device, said electronic device including a hierarchical user menu including a plurality of menu items, said apparatus comprising:

• an input unit for selecting the menu items;
• a display for partitioning a screen picture into at least three groups of slots for display of the menu items, said slots including a cursor slot;
• and
• a controller responsive to an input of said input unit for selecting a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot and at least an upper-level menu item, at least a lower-level menu item and at least a brother menu item of the specific menu item from said hierarchical menu, and arranging the selected upper-level menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said first group, the selected lower-level menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said second group and the selected brother menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said third group, respectively.

A menu display apparatus for an electronic device, said electronic device including a hierarchical user menu including a plurality of menu items, said apparatus comprising:

• an input unit for selecting the menu items;
• a display for partitioning one screen picture into at least three groups of slots for display of the menu items, said slots including one cursor slot;
• and
• a controller responsive to an input of said input unit for selecting a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot and at least one lower-level menu item, at least one bottom-level menu item and at least one brother menu item of the specific menu item from said hierarchical menu, and arranging the selected lower-level menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said first group, the selected bottom-level menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said second group and the selected brother menu item in a corresponding slot of said plurality of slots of said third group, respectively.

A menu display method for an electronic device, said electronic device including a memory for storing a hierarchical menu including a plurality of menu items and functioning to partition one screen picture into at least three groups of slots, said slots including at least one cursor slot, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting and arranging a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot with reference to said hierarchical menu in response to an input of an input unit;
• b) selecting at least one brother menu item of said specific menu item in said cursor slot;
• c) selecting at least one one-level upper menu item and at least one one-level lower menu item of said specific menu item in said cursor slot;
• and
• d) arranging the selected one-level upper menu item, one-level lower menu item and brother menu item in said first, second and third groups, respectively.

A menu display method for an electronic device, said electronic device including a memory for storing a hierarchical menu including a plurality of menu items and functioning to partition one screen picture into at least three groups of slots, said slots including one cursor slot, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting and arranging a specific menu item to be located in said cursor slot with reference to said hierarchical menu in response to an input of an input unit;
• b) selecting at least one brother menu item of said specific menu item in said cursor slot;
• c) selecting at least one one-level lower menu item and at least one bottom-level menu item of said specific menu item in said cursor slot;
• and
• d) arranging the selected one-level lower menu item, bottom-level menu item and brother menu item in said first, second and third groups, respectively.