JPH08161138A - Method for displaying menu - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To more naturally execute the operation of input command using a pointing device such as a mouse without sensing inconvenience by constituting a pop-up menu so that its lower position is developed in the lower right direction or the lower left direction. CONSTITUTION: A parent window 1 for displaying a pop-up menu to be a reference, a child window 2 for displaying the detailed menues of the pop-up menu item displayed in the window 1 and a grandchild window 3 for displaying the more detailed menues of the menu item displayed in the window 2 are developed. Thereby these windows 1 to 3 are displayed so that the window 2 is partially superposed with the lower left of the window 1 and the window 3 is partially superposed with the lower left of the window 2. When a user's name is inputted, a computer system retrieves a data base and extracts the information on the hand more skilful than the other (skilful hand) of the user corresponding to the name. Whether a skilful hand of the user corresponding to the inputted user's name is a right hand or a left hand is judged, and in the case of right-handed user, the developing direction of the pop-up menu is the lower right direction. In the case of left-handed user, the menu is developed in the lower left direction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a menu display method for displaying a pop-up type menu for selecting with a mouse in a computer system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a computer system, a mouse is often used as a means for inputting instructions. For example, by moving the mouse, the pointer that moves in synchronization with the movement of the mouse on the display screen of the computer system is placed on the desired menu item on the display screen, and by operating the two switches on the mouse, The contents of the menu are displayed as pull-downs on the display screen.

As described above, the computer system capable of inputting an instruction using a mouse as a pointing device provides an environment capable of making a visual judgment by using a graphical user interface (GUI). For this reason, it is not necessary to remember the command of the instruction input and the like as compared with the instruction input mainly of the command input by the keyboard, so that the operation system is easy to understand.

A mouse used in such an environment has two switches (mouse buttons) as described above.
Is provided, and normally, by pressing the left mouse button, the selection of the state displayed in the portion where the pointer is arranged on the display screen is input. On the other hand, by pressing the mouse button on the right side of the mouse while the pointer is in the area where there is no display for inputting instructions on the display screen, a common basic instruction system in the computer system can be obtained. , It will be displayed as a popup menu at the point where the pointer was.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a display state of the pop-up menu. As shown in FIG. 5, the conventional pop-up menu includes a parent window 51 in which a basic menu is displayed, a child window 52 in which a detailed menu of items in the parent window 51 is displayed, and a child window 52 in the child window 52. It includes a grandchild window 53 in which a more detailed menu of items is displayed. When the parent window 51, the child window 52, and the grandchild window 53 are expanded, the child window 52 is displayed at the lower right of the parent window 51, and the grandchild window 53 is partially displayed at the lower right of the child window 52. It

As described above, the menu of the lower layer is the child window 5
2. By expanding to the lower right of the grand window 53, a part of the upper layer menu is always visible even if the lower layer menu is displayed in an overlapping manner. Therefore, even if the pop-up menu is expanded to the lower layer, it is possible to recognize other items of the pop-up menu in the upper layer to some extent.

[0007]

Conventionally, the above-mentioned configuration is adopted. Therefore, when the items in the popup menu of the lower layer are designated, the mouse operation naturally moves to the front right side. It will be a behavior. Although this is a natural motion for a right-handed person, there is a problem in that it is an unnatural motion and feels inconvenient for a person who operates the mouse with the left hand.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to make the operation of input instruction using a pointing device such as a mouse less naturally inconvenient. To aim.

[0009]

The menu display method of the present invention is characterized in that the lower layer of the pop-up menu is expanded and displayed in either the lower right direction or the lower left direction. Then, a database having the user identification and the user's dominant hand as data is prepared in advance, and the user identification is input when the computer system is used. Therefore, the database is searched to correspond to the user identification. When the dominant hand is recognized and the corresponding dominant hand is on the left, the pop-up menu expands to the lower left, and if the corresponding dominant hand is on the right, the pop-up menu expands to the lower right. To do. in addition,
When the computer system is operating, the expansion direction of the pop-up menu can be changed by operating the expansion direction change item prepared on the display screen with a pointing device.

[0010]

[Function] The lower layer of the pop-up menu is displayed in the direction of development suitable for the user's dominant hand.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing expansion of a pop-up menu according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1
Is the main window where the basic popup menu is displayed,
Reference numeral 2 is a child window in which a detailed menu of popup menu items in the parent window 1 is displayed, and reference numeral 3 is a grandchild window in which a more detailed menu of menu items in the child window 2 is displayed. And
In this embodiment, when the parent window 1, the child window 2, and the grandchild window 3 are expanded, the child window 2 is located at the lower left of the parent window 1, and the grandchild window 3 is partially overlapped at the lower left of the child window 2. It is also possible to display.

The procedure for determining the expansion direction of the pop-up menu in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the computer system is started (step S1), and the user name is input (step S2). In this embodiment, the computer system can be used only by a user who is registered in advance, and as shown in FIG. 3, information on the dominant hand together with the user's name is prepared in advance as a database.

When the user name is input (step S2), the computer system searches the database shown in FIG. 3 and extracts the dominant hand information of the corresponding user name (step S3). Here, it is determined whether the handedness corresponding to the input user name is right-handed or left-handed (step S4), and if right-handed, the expansion direction of the pop-up menu is set to the lower right (step S5). On the other hand, when the user is left-handed, the pop-up menu is expanded in the lower left direction (step S6).

After that, when the expansion direction of the pop-up menu is changed during use, the expansion direction selection menu (expansion direction change item) displayed at a predetermined position on the display screen of the computer system shown in FIG. In, the mouse is used to move the pointer on the display screen, place the pointer on the item "Right" or "Left", and press the mouse button to select. The menu for selecting the expansion direction does not always have to be displayed on the display screen, and may be expanded by calling it when necessary. From this, it is recognized that there is a change in the expansion direction of the popup menu (step S7).

Here, for example, when the "right" item shown in FIG. 4 is selected in the state where the setting is made to the lower right, there is no change, and therefore the changing of the developing direction is not performed. On the other hand, when an item in a direction different from the set development direction is selected, it is determined that there is a change (step S7), and the development direction is changed (step S).
8). Then, until the use of this computer system is completed (step S9), the input for change is kept waiting.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
The pop-up menu will be expanded according to the direction of expansion for the user. Although the mouse is used as the pointing device in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and a digitizer may be used. Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the changing of the developing direction is performed by using the menu for selecting the developing direction on the display screen as shown in FIG. 4, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to select left or right. The menu should be displayed.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the data of the user and the dominant hand are prepared in advance, and the user name is registered when the user starts using the computer system. , Changed so that the direction of pop-up menu expansion matches the user's dominant hand. Therefore, even if the user is left-handed, for example, there is an effect that the pop-up menu can be operated without feeling uncomfortable and the operation of input instruction using the mouse can be more naturally inconvenient.

Further, since the pop-up menu development direction can be changed even after the use of the computer system is started, even if the person using the computer system makes another person use the computer system on the way. , You can also match the direction of pop-up menu development to the handedness of others.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing expansion of a pop-up menu according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure for deciding the expansion direction of a pop-up menu.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a database composed of user names and data of their dominant hands.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a display configuration of a development direction selection menu (development direction change item) in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a display state of a conventional pop-up menu.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Parent window, 2 ... Child window, 3 ... Grandson window.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An instruction input is made by selecting a menu item on a display screen using a pointing device such as a mouse, and a menu not prepared in advance on the display screen is operated by operating the pointing device. In a computer system having a display function of displaying a certain pop-up menu, a menu display method characterized in that the lower layer of the pop-up menu is expanded and displayed in either the lower right direction or the lower left direction. 2. The menu display method according to claim 1, wherein a database having user identification and the dominant hand of the user as data is prepared in advance, and the user identification is input when the computer system is used. By doing so, the dominant hand corresponding to the user identification is recognized by searching the database, and when the corresponding dominant hand is the left, the expansion direction of the popup menu is the lower left, and the corresponding dominant hand is the right. If there is, the menu display method is characterized in that the pop-up menu is expanded in the lower right direction. 3. The menu display method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the computer system is operating, a deployment direction change item prepared on the display screen is operated by the pointing device, A method of displaying a menu, characterized in that the expanding direction of the pop-up menu is changed.