User terminal device and content sharing method thereof

Abstract

A user terminal device is provided. The user terminal device includes a network interface unit for connecting to a network; a storage unit for storing content; a control unit for operating in local mode to search for content from the storage unit or network mode to search for content from the network in response to a user's selection; and a display unit for displaying the local mode User Interface (UI) or the network mode UI in accordance with whether the control unit is operating in the local mode or the network mode, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A user terminal device, the device comprising:
 a network interface unit for connecting to a network;   a storage unit for storing content;   a control unit for operating in local mode to search for content from the storage unit or network mode to search for content from the network in response to a user's selection; and   a display unit for displaying a local mode User Interface (UI) or a network mode UI in accordance with whether the control unit is operating in the local mode or the network mode, respectively.   
     
     
         2 . The user terminal device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control unit searches for content from the storage unit and displays the results of the searching via the local mode UI, when the control unit is in the local mode, and the control unit searches for content from devices connected to the network and displays the results of the searching via the network mode UI, when the control unit is in the network mode; and   the local mode UI and the network mode UI includes a mode switching area to switch the control unit between the local mode and the network mode.   
     
     
         3 . The user terminal device of  claim 2 , wherein the mode switching area comprises a bar-shaped section and a sliding switch which slides from one end to another end of the bar-shaped section in response to a touch of the user or drag manipulation selecting the local mode or the network mode. 
     
     
         4 . The user terminal device of  claim 2 , wherein
 the control unit operates in whichever of the local mode and the network mode is set as a default mode and controls the display unit to display whichever of the local mode UI and the network mode UI corresponds to the default mode, if a content sharing icon is selected from a background screen that is displayed by the display unit; and   the control unit controls the display unit to display whichever of the local mode UI and the network mode UI corresponds to the other non-default mode, in response to a switch from the default mode to the other non-default mode via the mode switching area.   
     
     
         5 . The user terminal device of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the local mode UI includes an image area in which an image representing the local mode is displayed, an information area in which content categories obtained by classifying the content stored in the storage unit and a number of content items belonging to each of the content categories are displayed, and the mode switching area; and   the network mode UI includes an image area in which an image representing the network mode is displayed, an information area in which content categories obtained by classifying the content searched for from the network and a number of content items belonging to each of the content categories are displayed, and the mode switching area.   
     
     
         6 . The user terminal device of  claim 5 , wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display a list or a thumbnail view of content items belonging to a selected content category, if one of the content categories is selected from the information area of the local mode UI or the network mode UI. 
     
     
         7 . The user terminal device of  claim 6 , wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display a device icon representing a device in which a corresponding content item is stored for each of the content items. 
     
     
         8 . The user terminal device of  claim 5 , wherein
 the information area of the local mode UI or the network mode UI displays a “Videos” category, a “Photos” category, and a “Music” category;   the control unit displays a list of content items belonging to the “Videos” category or the “Music” category, in response to a selection of the “Videos” category or the “Music” category from the local mode UI or the network mode UI; and   the control unit displays a thumbnail view of content items belonging to the “Photos” category, in response to a selection of the “Photos” category from the local mode UI or the network mode UI.   
     
     
         9 . The user terminal device of  claim 6 , wherein:
 while the user terminal is in the network mode, the control unit searches for the devices connected to the network and controls the display unit to display a number of content items that are searched for from the devices connected to the network in the network mode UI and to, in response to a selection of a content category from the information area of the network mode UI, display a list or a thumbnail view of content items belonging to the selected content category; and   the control unit controls the display unit to display new device icons representing devices having new content items on the list or the thumbnail view and further controls the display unit to additionally display a Graphic UI (GUI) indicating a progress of gathering over one of the new device icons while sequentially gathering content information relating to the new content items via the network, if the list or the thumbnail view includes the new content items.   
     
     
         10 . The user terminal device of  claim 9 , wherein the GUI is a progress bar which is displayed over the new device icons and is gradually filled in accordance with the progress of the gathering operation. 
     
     
         11 . The user terminal device of  claim 10 , wherein the control unit controls the display unit to replace a new device icon corresponding to the current device with at least one content icon provided by the current device while applying a graphical effect to the new device icon, and performs a gathering operation for a subsequent device, if the gathering operation for a current device is complete. 
     
     
         12 . The user terminal device of  claim 9 , wherein the control unit stops performing a gathering operation, if one of the new device icons is touched during the gathering operation for a device corresponding to the touched new device icon. 
     
     
         13 . The user terminal device of  claim 1 , wherein, the control unit controls a selected content item to be transmitted to and played by the target-rendering device, if a content item is selected from the local mode UI or the network mode UI and a target-rendering device to play the selected content item is selected. 
     
     
         14 . A content-sharing method of a user terminal device, the content-sharing method comprising:
 displaying one of a local mode UI and a network mode UI, each UI including a mode switching area to switch from one mode to another mode; and   displaying an other UI not yet displayed, in response to the switch from the one mode to the another mode,   wherein the local mode UI is a UI corresponding to a local mode for searching for content from the user terminal device and providing the content to a rendering device and the network mode UI is a UI corresponding to a network mode for searching for content from a network to which the user terminal device is connected and providing the content to the rendering device.   
     
     
         15 . The content-sharing method of  claim 14 , wherein the mode switching area comprises a bar-shaped section and a sliding switch which slides from one end to the other end of the bar-shaped section in response to the user's touch or drag manipulation thereof so as to select the local mode or the network mode. 
     
     
         16 . The content-sharing method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 displaying a background screen; and   displaying whichever of the local mode UI and the network mode UI corresponds to default mode, if a content sharing icon is selected from the background screen.   
     
     
         17 . The content-sharing method of  claim 14 , wherein
 the local mode UI includes an image area in which an image representing the local mode is displayed, an information area in which content categories obtained by classifying the content stored in the storage unit and a number of content items belonging to each of the content categories are displayed, and the mode switching area; and   the network mode UI includes an image area in which an image representing the network mode is displayed, an information area in which content categories obtained by classifying the content searched for from the network and a number of content items belonging to each of the content categories are displayed, and the mode switching area.   
     
     
         18 . The content-sharing method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 displaying a list or a thumbnail view of content items belonging to the selected content category, if one of the content categories is selected from the information area of the local mode UI or the network mode UI.   
     
     
         19 . The content-sharing method of  claim 18 , wherein the list or the thumbnail view displays a device icon representing a device in which a corresponding content item is stored, for each of the content items. 
     
     
         20 . The content-sharing method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 displaying a list of content items belonging to a “Videos” category or a “Music” category, if the “Videos” category or the “Music” category is selected from the local mode UI or the network mode UI; and   displaying a thumbnail view of content items belonging to a “Photos” category, if the “Photos” category is selected from the local mode UI or the network mode UI.   
     
     
         21 . The content-sharing method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 searching for devices connected to a network, in response to a switch to the network mode;   searching for content from the devices;   displaying a number of content items that are searched for from the devices in the network mode UI;   displaying a list or a thumbnail view of content items belonging to the selected content category, if a content category is selected from the information area of the network mode UI; and   displaying new device icons representing devices having new content items on the list or the thumbnail view, and additionally displaying a GUI indicating the progress of gathering over one of the new device icons while sequentially gathering content information relating to the new content items via the network, if the list or the thumbnail view includes the new content items.   
     
     
         22 . The content-sharing method of  claim 21 , wherein the GUI is a progress bar which is displayed over one of the new device icons and is gradually filled in accordance with the progress of gathering. 
     
     
         23 . The content-sharing method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 replacing a new device icon corresponding to the current device with at least one content icon provided by the current device while applying a graphical effect to the new device icon, and performs a gathering operation for a subsequent network-connected device, if the gathering operation for a current device is complete.   
     
     
         24 . The content-sharing method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 stopping performing the gathering operation, if one of the new device icons is touched during the gathering operation for a device corresponding to the touched new device icon.   
     
     
         25 . The content-sharing method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 displaying a UI for selecting a target-rendering device to play the selected content item, if a content item present in the user terminal device is selected from the local mode UI; and   transmitting the selected content item to the target-rendering device.   
     
     
         26 . The content-sharing method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 displaying a UI for selecting a target-rendering device to play the selected content item, if a content item is selected from the network mode UI;   allowing the user terminal device to receive the selected content item from a digital media server (DMS) and play the selected content item, if the user terminal device is selected from the UI as the target-rendering device; and   controlling the DMS to transmit the selected content item to the device selected as the target-rendering device, if a device other than the user terminal device is selected from the UI as the target-rendering device.