BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to a broadcast receiving apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a broadcast receiving apparatus which provides a graphical user interface (GUI) which a user is able to control using a pointing device, and a control method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the use of a computer mouse as an input device for a personal computer (PC), pointing devices have become increasingly used to control graphical user interfaces (GUIs) of broadcast receiving apparatuses. Pointing devices may also be used to control televisions (TVs), and recently, remote controllers additionally employing functions of a pointing device, and methods for controlling a GUI of TV using the remote controller have been developed.

Methods for moving a pointer include a position method and a step method. In the position method, the pointer continuously moves as the pointing device is moved, and in the step method, a focus moves on objects where the focus can be located, in a specified direction according to the manipulation of up, down, right, and left direction keys. A mode in which the pointer operates in the position method is referred to as a position mode, and a mode in which the pointer operates in the step method is referred to as a step mode.

When a GUI of a TV is displayed using icons, a remote controller used as a pointing device may operate in a position method so that a user may conveniently manipulate the remote controller. However, when a related art GUI requiring manipulation by direction keys is displayed, the pointer does not move in a step method, and may, therefore, be less convenient for a user than a remote controller having direction keys. If a remote controller has functions of a pointing device and direction keys, manufacturing costs increase, and a greater number of keys are required. Accordingly, user convenience is diminished.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention address at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. Also, the present invention is not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may not overcome any of the problems described above.

The present invention provides a broadcast receiving apparatus which receives a movement pattern from a pointing device and operates using a pattern function corresponding to the pattern in order to switch the pointing device between a position mode and a step mode without having direction keys, and a control method thereof.

The present invention also provides a pointing device which transmits direction signals appropriate for the step method by movement of the pointer, and a control method thereof.

According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a graphical user interface (GUI) of a broadcast receiving apparatus, comprising receiving movement information from a pointing device; determining whether or not the movement information corresponds to a predetermined pattern; and if the movement information corresponds to the predetermined pattern, controlling the broadcast receiving apparatus to perform a function corresponding to the predetermined pattern.

The function may switch the GUI from a position mode to a step mode or vice versa.

The controlling may comprise receiving a function corresponding to a pattern set by a user; storing the function set by the user to a memory; and reading the function set by the user from the memory.

According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a pointing device according to a user movement, comprising sensing a user movement; determining whether or not the user movement corresponds to a predetermined pattern; and if the movement corresponds to the predetermined pattern, performing a function corresponding to the predetermined pattern.

The pointing device may be a remote controller for a TV.

The function may transmit a direction signal according to the movement.

The function may switch the pointing device from a position mode to a step mode or vice versa.

The movement may be that the pointing device moves on a predetermined angle in a space.

According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a GUI of a broadcast receiving apparatus, comprising receiving a selection command from a pointing device; determining whether or not the selection command selects a graphic object within the GUI; and if the selection command selects the graphic object, switching the broadcast receiving apparatus between a position mode and a step mode.

According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a broadcast receiving apparatus, comprising a display which displays a received broadcast; a receiving unit which receives a user input from a pointing device; and a control unit which controls the broadcast receiving apparatus to perform a function corresponding to a predetermined pattern if the user input transmitted from the receiving unit corresponds to the predetermined pattern.

The function may switch the broadcast receiving apparatus between a position mode and a step mode.

The apparatus may further comprise a memory which stores the function corresponding to the predetermined pattern set by the user.

According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pointing device, comprising a sensor which senses movement of the pointing device; and a control unit which determines whether or not the movement sensed by the sensor corresponds to a predetermined pattern, and if the movement corresponds to the predetermined pattern, performs a function corresponding to the movement.

The function may transmit a command for moving one step in an up, down, right, or left direction.

The movement may be that the pointing device moves on a predetermined angle in a space.

The pointing device may be a TV remote controller.

According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a broadcast receiving apparatus comprising a display which displays a GUI; a receiving unit which receives a user input from a pointing device; and a control unit which switches the broadcast receiving apparatus between a position mode and a step mode if it is determined that a pointer selects a graphic object within the GUI though the movement information received from the receiving unit.

