JPH06274303A - Multi-window display method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] By arranging multiple windows displayed,
Form a reliable and easy-to-use screen. [Configuration] When a window display request is input (1), the data for each window is then input (2), a FW (focus window) of the specified size is displayed at the specified position (3), and then the FW The widths Xh and Xm of the margins and the heights Yu and Ys of the upper and lower margins are calculated (4). Next, the calculated margin widths Xh and Xm and the heights Yu and Ys are compared with each other (5, 6, 9), and if FW is biased to the upper left, K
W (keyboard window) in lower right (7), if FW is lower left, KW is upper right (8), and if FW is upper right, KW is lower left
In (10), if FW is lower right, KW is displayed in upper left (11).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-window display method of an information processing apparatus for inputting data from a virtual keyboard displayed on a display instead of a keyboard.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, in order to facilitate operation, a multi-window operating system for displaying a plurality of windows for outputting different information on a display, that is, information processing for running an application on a multi-window system. The number of devices is increasing.

For an application running on such a multi-window system, a virtual keyboard (also called a software keyboard) is displayed on the display instead of the keyboard which is an input device, and data is displayed by using a mouse, a tablet or the like. There is something to enter.

In some applications, the topmost window (stack top window) on the display is always given the highest priority, and only a very small part of the lower windows can be seen, and most of the windows are higher than it. Some are covered by windows.

However, an information processing device using a virtual keyboard, for example, a word processor (document creation device)
In the keyboard window where the virtual keyboard is displayed, the focus window where the sentence obtained by finally processing the key code input from the virtual keyboard is displayed, or further Romaji / Kana conversion, Kana / Kanji conversion, etc. An intermediate processing window or the like for performing is used.

[0006]

However, if these windows are alternately displayed as the topmost window each time, the individual windows are easy to see, but the operations are complicated and not practical. If two or three windows are displayed so that they can be viewed at the same time, the operation will be easier, but the size will be smaller depending on the arrangement of the windows, which makes it difficult to see.

Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-287814.
As shown in the publication, the size of the keyboard window can be reduced (the focus window can be increased by that amount) by changing the type of the virtual keyboard keys displayed in the keyboard window by the operation of the operator. There was a suggestion that the key code could be surely obtained.

However, since the above-mentioned proposal requires an operation of changing the type of key while displaying the focus focus window and the keyboard window at the same time, even if reliable input can be expected, the operation is complicated. It is hard to say that it will be solved automatically.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to form a reliable and easy-to-operate screen while displaying a plurality of windows on a display without bothering an operator. To do.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention finally obtains by processing a keyboard window showing a virtual keyboard on a display and a key code obtained by the virtual keyboard of the keyboard window. In a multi-window display method for displaying a focus window showing the obtained result, the keyboard window is displayed at the position where the margin of the focus window on the display is the largest.

Further, in the above-mentioned multi-window display method, an intermediate processing window showing the intermediate processing result of the key code is also displayed on the display, and the intermediate processing window is changed to a keyboard window in accordance with the size of the blank area on the display. The images are displayed at substantially the same height on the left and right opposite sides, or on the same left and right sides and upside down.

Alternatively, a keyboard window showing a virtual keyboard on the display, a focus window showing sequentially the result obtained by finally processing the key code obtained by the virtual keyboard of the keyboard window, and further a key window In the multi-window display method for displaying the intermediate processing window indicating the intermediate processing result of the code, the keyboard window is located away from the cursor position shown in the focus window, and the intermediate processing window is not overlapped with the keyboard window and the cursor. Are displayed respectively.

[0013]

According to the above-mentioned multi-window display method, the keyboard window is displayed at the position where the margin of the focus window on the display is the largest, so that the focus window and the keyboard window are the most It is displayed at a remote location.

Even if they overlap each other, they are displayed at the position where the overlapping portion is the smallest. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the size of each window so small,
Easy to read and can input data surely.

Further, when the intermediate processing window is also displayed on the display, the intermediate processing window is left or right at the same height as the keyboard window or upside down on the same side depending on the size of the margin. Display at the position of. Therefore, the same effect as the above can be obtained.

Alternatively, the keyboard window is located away from the cursor indicating the end position of the result on the focus window, and if there is an intermediate processing window, the keyboard window and the cursor window do not overlap with each other, without bothering the operator. Is displayed,
In the process of sequentially inputting data, neither the keyboard window nor the intermediate processing window becomes an obstacle.

This multi-window display method is particularly effective when the focus window and the keyboard window or the focus window and the intermediate processing window partially overlap. Therefore, the size of the focus window, the keyboard window, or the intermediate processing window can be set larger, and the effect is even greater.

[0018]

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of an information processing apparatus to which the window redrawing method according to the present invention is applied.

The information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 includes a CPU 1 and
A main memory 2 including a ROM and RAM for backing up the CPU 1, a font ROM 3 storing character fonts, a drawing processor 4 for performing drawing processing and window management, and a window management memory 5, and a bitmap memory, respectively. It is composed of a display memory 6, an image memory 7, and an input / output control device 8.

The display memory 6 stores display data such as windows expanded in a bit map, and is connected to a liquid crystal display (hereinafter referred to as "LCD") 10 for displaying the display data. The input / output control device 8 is connected to a tablet 11 as an input device, a printer 12 as an output device for the final result, and an external storage device such as a disk device (not shown).

The CPU 1 uses the main memory 2 as a backup memory to control and process information on the entire information processing apparatus, and makes full use of the drawing processor 4, window management memory 5 and the like to execute image processing and window drawing.

Further, the CPU 1 and the drawing processor 4 convert the character code, which is the key code input by the virtual keyboard and the tablet 11, into a bit map according to the character fonts of various typefaces stored in the font ROM 3 and display memory. 6 or on the image memory 7.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a keyboard window position determining routine which is a first embodiment of the multi-window display method according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a multi-window which is a result of processing by the routine of the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a screen.

When the routine shown in FIG. 1 starts,
First, in step 1, the server that actually performs the drawing process waits for a window display request input from the client that is the drawing request source, and when the display request is input, the process proceeds to step 2 and the focus output following the display request. Enter the window position and size, and the keyboard window size.

Next, in step 3, the server displays the display memory 6
A bitmap image is displayed on the LCD 10 by expanding a focus window of a designated size at the designated position above. Similarly, “display” means that the server develops an image on the display memory 6 and the image is displayed on the LCD 10.

In step 4, the size of the margin of the displayed focus window, that is, as shown in FIG.
Focus window (F on screen 20 of LCD 10
W) widths Xh and Xm of the left and right margins of 21 and
The heights Yu and Ys of the upper and lower margins are calculated and determined, and the process proceeds to step 5.

In step 5, the width Xh of the left and right margins,
By comparing Xm, the width on the left side is less than or equal to the width on the right side, that is, Xh ≦
If it is Xm, the process proceeds to step 6, and if not, that is, if the width on the left side is wider, the process proceeds to step 9.

In step 6 or step 9, the heights Yu and Ys of the upper and lower margins are compared, and if the height of the upper side is less than or equal to the height of the lower side, that is, Yu≤Ys, then step 7 is carried out.
Alternatively, the process proceeds to step 10, and if not, that is, if the height of the upper side is higher, the process proceeds to step 8 or step 11, respectively.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3A, if the focus window 21 is biased to the upper left, the process proceeds to step 7 and the keyboard window (K
W) 22 is displayed in the lower right, and if the focus window 21 is biased in the lower left as shown in FIG. 3B, the process proceeds to step 8 and the keyboard window 22 is displayed in the upper right, and each is displayed at the end. Become.

If the focus window 21 is biased to the upper right as shown in FIG. 3C, step 1
Go to 0 and display the keyboard window 22 at the bottom left,
As shown in FIG. 3D, the focus window 21
If is biased to the lower right, the process proceeds to step 11 and the keyboard window 22 is displayed at the upper left, and the process ends.

Therefore, after the position and size of the focus window 21 are determined, the keyboard window 22 is displayed at the position where the blank space resulting from the determination is the largest, and therefore the operator specifies the position of the keyboard window. With no hassle, the focus window and the keyboard window are displayed at positions farthest from each other.

Even if some of them overlap each other due to the size of both, the above position is also the position where the size of the overlapping part is the smallest. Since the size of the window can be increased by that much, each window is easy to see and data input is ensured.

Incidentally, in FIG. 1, A, B, C and D surrounded by circles immediately before the end indicate that they respectively correspond to (A) to (D) of FIG. It is also a connector to the flow diagram (Figure 4).

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a routine for determining the positions of the keyboard window and the intermediate processing window, which is the second embodiment of the multi-window display method according to the present invention, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a window screen.

In the routine shown in FIG. 4, the part for determining the position of the keyboard window is almost the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore, except for step 12 which is slightly different corresponding to step 2 (FIG. 1), It is schematically shown using four connectors.

In the windows 21, 22, and 23 in the screen 20 shown in FIG. 5, for example, in the case of a word processor, a key code input by the virtual keyboard of English characters or kana displayed in the keyboard window 22 is
The characters are displayed in the intermediate processing window 23 as Roman letters or kana.

Next, if it is a kana as it is, and if it is a roman character, it is converted and displayed by kana by kana / kana conversion, and then it is converted into a kanji mixed sentence by kana / kanji conversion, respectively, and is correctly displayed on the intermediate processing window 23. If converted, it is transferred and displayed on the focus window 21.

Examples of homophones, Roman letters, and kana in the kana / kanji conversion may be displayed in one intermediate processing window 23, or even if they are displayed in individual windows, they are placed in one place. The intermediate processing window 23 is collectively set. The first embodiment corresponds to the case where the intermediate processing window 23 is also integrated in the focus window 21.

When the routine shown in FIG. 4 starts,
In step 12, which corresponds to step 2 (FIG. 1),
The size of the intermediate processing window 23, that is, the width Wm and the height Hm
In the first half, the position of the keyboard window 22 is determined in accordance with the position of the focus window 21 and the connector A to D is reached, except that the input is also input.

The focus window 21 is biased to the upper left,
If the keyboard window 22 is in the lower right corner, proceed from connector A to step 13
The height Ys of the lower margin of 1 and the intermediate processing window 23
The height Hm is compared with.

If the height of the intermediate processing window 23 is less than or equal to the lower margin, that is, Ys ≧ Hm, the process proceeds to step 14 to display the intermediate processing window 23 at the lower left, and if not, that is, if the window 23 is higher. The process jumps to step 15, the intermediate processing window 23 is displayed in the upper right, and the process ends.

The focus window 21 is biased to the lower left,
If the keyboard window 22 is at the upper right, proceed from connector B to step 16 and focus window 2
The height Yu of the margin above 1 and the intermediate processing window 23
The height Hm is compared with.

If the height of the intermediate processing window 23 is less than or equal to the upper margin portion, that is, Yu ≧ Hm, the process proceeds to step 17 to display the intermediate processing window 23 at the upper left, and if not, that is, if the window 23 is higher, step. Jump to 18 and display the intermediate processing window 23 in the lower right corner to end.

The focus window 21 is biased to the upper right,
If the keyboard window 22 is located at the lower left, the procedure proceeds from the connector C to step 19 and the focus window 2
The height Ys of the lower margin of 1 and the intermediate processing window 23
The height Hm is compared with.

If the height of the intermediate processing window 23 is less than or equal to the lower margin, that is, Ys ≧ Hm, the process proceeds to step 20 to display the intermediate processing window 23 at the lower right, and no, that is, the window 23 is higher. For example, the process jumps to step 21, the intermediate processing window 23 is displayed in the upper left, and the process ends.

The focus window 21 is biased to the lower right,
If the keyboard window 22 is at the upper left, go to step 22 from connector D to bring focus window 2
The height Yu of the margin above 1 and the intermediate processing window 23
The height Hm is compared with.

If the height of the intermediate processing window 23 is less than or equal to the upper margin, that is, Yu ≧ Hm, the process proceeds to step 23 to display the intermediate processing window 23 at the upper right, and if not, that is, if the window 23 is higher, the step proceeds. Jump to 24, display the intermediate processing window 23 at the lower left, and end.

Steps 14 and 15, Steps 17 and 1
8. After displaying the intermediate processing window 23 at each position in each step of 8, step 20, 21 and step 23, 24, the circled A1, A shown before going to the end
2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D1 and D2 respectively indicate that they correspond to the example of the screen 20 shown in (A1) to (D2) of FIG. 5, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the second embodiment described above, for example, instead of Ys ≧ Hm in step 13 in the flow shown in FIG. 4, a margin of height (Ys-Hm) and a margin of width (Xs) are used.
m-Wm) and (Ys-Hm) ≧ (Xm-W
If m), the intermediate processing window 23 is displayed at the lower left, and if not, it is displayed at the upper right, so that the interval between the focus window 21 and the intermediate processing window 23 can be widened.

If any of the margins is negative, that is, an overlapping portion occurs, the overlapping width can be reduced.
It is obvious that the same effect can be obtained by substituting the same judgment for Steps 16, 19, and 22.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a routine for determining the positions of the keyboard window and the intermediate processing window, which is the third embodiment of the multi-window display method according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is necessary after the routine shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a subroutine used accordingly, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-window screen processed in the third embodiment.

In the third embodiment whose flow chart is shown in FIG. 6, for example, a sentence resulting from the completion of intermediate processing is displayed in the focus window 21 together with the cursor indicating the final position (correctly, the next position). , Is applied when the position of the cursor changes according to the input, and is particularly effective when the focus window 21 and the keyboard window 22 or the focus window 21 and the intermediate processing window 23 partially overlap.

Unlike in FIGS. 3 and 5, X and Y shown in FIG. 8 have X points in the right direction with the upper left end of the screen 20 as the origin.
Axis, coordinate values with the Y axis set downward. ½ of the width and height of the screen 20, that is, the coordinates of the screen center are Xg, Yg,
The coordinates of the moving cursor 25 are Xc and Yc. Also, the keyboard window 22 and the intermediate processing window 2
When 3 is on the lower side of the screen 20, the coordinates of the respective upper sides are Yk and Ym.

Further, in FIG. 8, when the keyboard window 22 or the intermediate processing window 23 and the focus window 21 overlap, the keyboard window 22 or the intermediate processing window 23 is higher than the focus window 21, respectively.

When the routine shown in FIG. 6 starts,
First, in step 30, the focus window 21 and the keyboard window 22, or the intermediate processing window 23
Initialize the position of. This initialization is performed by the first embodiment, the second embodiment or a modification of the second embodiment already described, or any other routine.

Next, at step 31, it is judged whether any of the keyboard window 22 and the intermediate processing window 23 overlaps with the focus window 21. If not, that is, if there is no overlap, the following routine is applied. It doesn't matter if you don't have it, so go straight to the end.

If it is determined in step 31 that there is any overlap, the process proceeds to step 32 and the cursor 25 moves to the screen 2
It is determined whether or not it is above the center of 0, that is, whether or not Yc ≦ Yg. If it is above the center, the process proceeds to step 33,
If not, that is, if it is on the lower side, jump to step 36.

At step 33, the cursor 25 moves to the screen 2
Whether it is on the left side including the center of 0, that is, Xc
It is determined whether or not ≦ Xg, and if it is on the left side of the center, the process proceeds to step 34, where the keyboard window 22 is set to the lower right and the intermediate processing window 2 is set as shown in FIG.
Display 3 at the bottom left and go to the end.

If not, that is, if the cursor 25 is on the right side of the center of the screen 20, the process jumps to step 35 and the process shown in FIG.
The keyboard window 22 is displayed at the lower left and the intermediate processing window 23 is displayed at the lower right as shown in FIG.

When jumping to step 36, step 3
Similar to 3, it is determined whether or not the cursor 25 is on the left side of the screen 20 including the center of the screen 20, that is, whether or not Xc ≦ Xg. If it is on the left side of the center, the process proceeds to step 37. As shown in FIG. 8C, the keyboard window 22 is displayed in the upper right and the intermediate processing window 23 is displayed in the upper left, and the process goes to the end.

If not, that is, if the cursor 25 is located on the right side of the center of the screen 20, the process jumps to step 38, and FIG.
As shown in (D), the keyboard window 22 is displayed in the upper left and the intermediate processing window 23 is displayed in the upper right, and the process goes to the end.

When the position is determined by the routine described above, for example, in the case of a horizontal writing sentence from left to right, the cursor 25 is generally located at the upper left of the focus window 21 in the initial state, so that the keyboard window 22 and the intermediate processing for the focus window 21 are performed. The position of the window 23 is determined as shown in FIG.

Even if the cursor 25 is moved to the left or right line by line in accordance with the data input, the screen 20 is changed to that shown in FIG.
Since it is troublesome and difficult to work when switched to (B), the state shown in (A) of FIG. 8 is maintained. However, when the number of lines increases, the position of the cursor 25 moves down,
Keyboard window 22 or intermediate processing window 23
There is a fear of being shaded.

Therefore, when the initial screen 20 is set to (A) or (B) of FIG. 8 after passing through step 33, two flags K and M (not shown) are reset at the beginning of the work. At each line, the cursor 25 jumps to the subroutine shown in FIG.

When jumping to the subroutine shown in FIG. 7, it is checked in step 40 whether the flag K is set, and in step 41 whether Yc <Yk, that is, whether the cursor 25 is located above the upper side of the keyboard window 22. judge.

If any one is acceptable, step 44
Jump to step 42, and if neither is the case, the process proceeds to step 42 to set the flag K, and then at step 43, the keyboard window 22 is moved upward with the X coordinate unchanged.

In step 44, it is determined whether or not the flag M is set, and in step 45, it is determined whether or not Yc <Ym, that is, the cursor 25 is located above the upper side of the intermediate processing window 23.

If any one is acceptable, return,
If neither is the case, the routine proceeds to step 46, where the flag M is set, and then at step 47, the intermediate processing window 23 is moved upward with the X coordinate unchanged, and the routine returns.

By this subroutine, (A) of FIG.
Alternatively, the screen 20 shown in (B) is displayed in (C) of FIG.
Alternatively, the state changes to that shown in (D), and the state thereafter does not change. Keyboard window 22, intermediate processing window 2
By the movement of 3, the upper part of the sentence displayed in the focus window 21 will be covered, but since the focus of the work has already moved to the line including the cursor 25,
It does not hinder the work.

Although the case of horizontal writing has been described above, the present invention can be similarly applied to the case of vertical writing from right to left. Although the word processor has been described as an example, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the word processor.

[0071]

As described above, in the multi-window display method according to the present invention, it is possible to form a reliable and easy-to-operate screen while displaying a plurality of windows on the display without bothering the operator. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a keyboard window position determining routine which is a first embodiment of a multi-window display method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of an information processing apparatus to which the multi-window display method according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-window screen displayed on the LCD shown in FIG. 2 according to the routine shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a position determining routine of a keyboard window and an intermediate processing window which is a second embodiment of the multi-window display method.

5 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-window screen according to the routine shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a position determining routine for a keyboard window and an intermediate processing window, which is a third embodiment of the multi-window display method.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a subroutine used after the routine shown in FIG.

8 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-window screen according to the routine shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 CPU 2 Main Memory 4 Drawing Processor 6 Display Memory 10 CLD (Liquid Crystal Display: Display) 20 Screen (Multi-Window Screen) 21 Focus Window (FW) 22 Keyboard Window (KW) 23 Intermediate Processing Window (MW) 25 Cursor Xh, Xm Width of left and right margins Yu, Ys Height of upper and lower margins Wm, Hm Width and height of intermediate processing window Xg, Yg Coordinates of screen center Xc, Yc Cursor coordinates Yk Coordinates of upper side of keyboard window below Coordinates of the upper side of the intermediate processing window under Ym

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A multi-window display for displaying on a display a keyboard window showing a virtual keyboard and a focus window showing a result obtained by finally processing a key code obtained by the virtual keyboard of the keyboard window. In the method, the keyboard window is displayed at a position where the margin of the focus window on the display is the largest, on the display. 2. The multi-window display method according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate processing window showing an intermediate processing result of the key code is also displayed on the display, and the intermediate processing window is displayed in a blank area of the display. A multi-window display method characterized by displaying at the same height as the keyboard window at the left and right opposite positions, or at the same left and right opposite positions depending on the size. 3. A keyboard window showing a virtual keyboard on a display, a focus window showing sequentially the result obtained by finally processing the key code obtained by the virtual keyboard of the keyboard window, and further. In the multi-window display method for displaying an intermediate processing window showing an intermediate processing result of the key code, the keyboard window is located at a position away from the position of the cursor shown in the focus window, and the intermediate processing window is the keyboard window. And a multi-window display method in which the cursor is displayed at a position not overlapping the cursor.