Display device and method for displaying menu

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying options of a menu in order to easily search and select an option are provided. According to an embodiment, the method includes receiving a menu request from a user, determining a number of menu items associated with the requested menu, and displaying on a menu screen the menu items in a particular display form selected from a plurality of prestored display forms depending on the determined number of menu items.

1 . A method for displaying a menu on a display device, the method comprising: 
 receiving a menu request from a user;    determining a number of menu items associated with the requested menu; and    displaying, on a menu screen, the menu items in a particular display form selected from a plurality of prestored display forms depending on the determined number of menu items.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving a selection of one of the displayed menu items; and    rearranging the menu items on the menu screen depending on the selected menu item.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the rearranging step includes placing the selected menu item in a center of the particular display form on the menu screen.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particular display form is a cross form or a radial form.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displaying step displays the menu items simultaneously with a category identifying item, the category identifying item identifying a category of the simultaneously displayed menu items.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the requested menu is a menu of external signals or external sources, and the determining step includes: 
 determining a number of external signals currently input to the display device or a number of external ports currently connected in the display device.    
     
     
         7 . A method for displaying a menu on a display device, the method comprising: 
 displaying, on a menu screen, a plurality of menu items associated with a requested menu;    receiving a selection of one of the displayed menu items; and    rearranging, on the menu screen, at least two of the displayed menu items in response to the selection of the menu item.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the rearranging step includes placing the selected menu item in a center of the displayed menu items.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the rearranging step rearranges the menu items on the menu screen while maintaining a display form used to display the menu items in the displaying step.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the display form is a cross form or a radial form.  
     
     
         11 . A method for displaying a menu on a display device, the method comprising: 
 receiving a menu request;    determining a priority of menu items associated with the requested menu; and    displaying the menu items on a menu screen according to the determined priority.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the determining step determines the priority based on a history of using the menu items.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the displaying step displays the menu items in a particular display form, and places a menu item having the highest priority in a center of the display form.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 receiving a selection of one of the displayed menu items; and    rearranging, on the menu screen, at least two of the displayed menu items in response to the selection of the menu item.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the displaying step displays the menu items in a particular display form, and the rearranging step places the selected menu item in a center of the display form while maintaining the display form and the priority of non-selected menu items.  
     
     
         16 . A method of displaying a menu on a display device, the method comprising: 
 receiving a selection of a menu key designated on an input unit associated with the display device; and    switching from a current level of menu screen to a previous higher level of menu screen in a menu mode in response to the selection of the menu key.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 receiving a selection of a previous channel key designated on the input unit; and    exiting out of the current menu screen and the menu mode in response to the selection of the previous channel key.    
     
     
         18 . A method of displaying a menu on a display device, the method comprising: 
 receiving a selection of a previous channel key designated on an input unit associated with the display device; and    exiting out of a current menu screen and a menu mode in response to the selection of the previous channel key.    
     
     
         19 . A display device for displaying a menu, the display device comprising: 
 an input unit receiving a menu request from a user;    a controller determining a number of menu items associated with the requested menu; and    a displaying unit displaying, on a menu screen, the menu items in a particular display form selected from a plurality of prestored display forms depending on the determined number of menu items.    
     
     
         20 . The display device of  claim 19 , wherein the controller rearranges the menu items on the menu screen depending on a selection of one of the displayed menu items, and the displaying unit displays the rearranged menu items on the menu screen.  
     
     
         21 . The display device of  claim 20 , wherein the rearranging includes placing the selected menu item in a center of the particular display form on the menu screen.  
     
     
         22 . The display device of  claim 19 , wherein the particular display form is a cross form or a radial form.  
     
     
         23 . The display device of  claim 19 , wherein the displaying unit displays the menu items simultaneously with a category identifying item, the category identifying item identifying a category of the simultaneously displayed menu items.  
     
     
         24 . The display device of  claim 19 , wherein the requested menu is a menu of external signals or external sources, and the controller determines a number of external signals currently input to the display device or a number of external ports currently connected in the display device.  
     
     
         25 . A display device for displaying a menu, the display device comprising: 
 a displaying unit displaying, on a menu screen, a plurality of menu items associated with a requested menu;    an input unit receiving a selection of one of the displayed menu items; and    a controller controlling the displaying unit and thereby rearranging, on the menu screen, at least two of the displayed menu items in response to the selection of the menu item.    
     
     
         26 . The display device of  claim 25 , wherein the rearranging includes placing the selected menu item in a center of the displayed menu items.  
     
     
         27 . The display device of  claim 25 , wherein the controller rearranges the menu items on the menu screen while maintaining a display form used to display the menu items before the rearranging.  
     
     
         28 . The display device of  claim 27 , wherein the display form is a cross form or a radial form.  
     
     
         29 . A display device for displaying a menu, the display device comprising: 
 an input unit receiving a menu request;    a controller determining a priority of menu items associated with the requested menu; and    a displaying unit displaying the menu items on a menu screen according to the determined priority.    
     
     
         30 . The display device of  claim 29 , wherein the controller determines the priority based on a history of using the menu items.  
     
     
         31 . The display device of  claim 29 , wherein the displaying unit displays the menu items in a particular display form, and places a menu item having the highest priority in a center of the display form.  
     
     
         32 . The display device of  claim 29 , wherein in response to a selection of one of the menu items, the controller rearranges, on the menu screen, at least two of the displayed menu items.  
     
     
         33 . The display device of  claim 32 , wherein the displaying unit displays the menu items in a particular display form, and the rearranging includes placing the selected menu item in a center of the display form while maintaining the display form and the priority of non-selected menu items.  
     
     
         34 . A display device for displaying a menu, the display device comprising: 
 an input unit including a designated menu key; and    a controller controlling a displaying unit to switch from a current level of menu screen to a previous higher level of menu screen in a menu mode in response to the selection of the designated menu key.    
     
     
         35 . The display device of  claim 34 , wherein the input unit further includes a designated previous channel key, and the controller controls the displaying unit to exit out of the current menu screen and the menu mode in response to the selection of the designated previous channel key.  
     
     
         36 . A display device for displaying a menu, the display device comprising: 
 an input unit including a designated previous channel key; and    a controller controlling a displaying unit to exit out of a current menu screen and a menu mode in response to the selection of the designated previous channel key.