JPH1097402A - How to display the function key guide - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To efficiently display more information, to surely display a function key guide, and to improve operability of a man-machine interface. A last in the open window, etc., can be window accepts an input operation of a keyboard or the like, for example, to manage the window W ₁ as the active window, function key guide corresponding to the active window, in other words, the window W ₁ to display the corresponding function key guide to the newly opened guide window W _G. Next is operated window W _2, which becomes the active window, and updates the display of function key guide for the window W ₂ to guide the window W _G.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of displaying a function key guide in a multi-window system which is a part of an MMI (man-machine interface) in the field of an electronic computer (computer), and more particularly, to an MMI as a whole. The operability of this is further improved.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a multi-window system, a plurality of windows are generated on a single display screen, and different contents are displayed in each window, thereby simultaneously displaying various types of information. . As a result, the operator can visually recognize a large amount of information at the same time, so that the operability of the computer can be improved.

In a conventional multi-window system, predetermined processing is assigned to a function key on a keyboard in advance, and when an operator operates the function key, the processing assigned to the operated function key is executed. It is supposed to be. For the assignment of the processing to the function keys, different processing can be set for each program. Therefore, for example, when different programs are executed in a plurality of windows, since the processing contents assigned to the function keys are different for each program, as shown in FIG. 7, each window W ₁ ′,
W ₂ 'of the display area of the function key guide G _F representing the processing contents of the function keys in the window provided for each, are to be displayed in this area, the processing content assigned to each function key by characters, etc. .
Thus, the contents of processing assigned to each function key in the program corresponding to each window are specified.

[0004]

In a multi-window system, a plurality of windows can be displayed on a display screen, so that more types of information can be displayed. However, the number of windows to be displayed on the display screen is limited. As the number increases, for example, more window system resources such as memory resources for screen display are required, which affects the performance of the multi-window system.

[0005] In addition, since the display screen has a limit of a displayable area, a currently focused window or a last opened window is displayed so as to overlap another window. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, when two windows W ₁ ′ and W ₂ ′ are displayed in a superimposed manner, the lower window W ₂ ′
Then, the information of the portion overlapping the window W ₁ ′ is not displayed. For example, when the information is superimposed and displayed as shown in FIG. 7, the true display information of the window screen W ₂ ′ is superimposed on the window W ₁ ′. and will, 'because it can be accepted only, window W ₂ you do not want to use' this time input operation by the keyboard, such as the window W ₁ supposed to function key guide G _F of is displayed, ease of use is a problem that bad is there.

Further, when the window is small, the displayed characters are also small, so that there is a problem that the contents described in the function key guide cannot be read.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned unsolved problems of the related art, and displays more information on a display screen, reliably displays a function key guide, and operates an MMI. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of displaying a function key guide, which can further improve the performance.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a method for displaying a function key guide according to the present invention is applied to a system capable of displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen. In a method of displaying a function key guide attached to a function key of a processing program accompanied by a function key operation, a guide window for displaying the function key guide is provided, and an input operation by an input unit can be accepted. A function key guide corresponding to a particular window is displayed in the guide window.

Therefore, for example, a function key guide corresponding to a window that can receive an input operation by an input means such as a keyboard, such as the last opened window, is displayed in a guide window dedicated to function key guide display. The function key guide is not displayed in the window. Therefore, in each window, the window can be narrowed by the display area of the function key guide, or more information can be displayed by that amount, so that more information can be efficiently displayed on the display screen. Is displayed.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a general personal computer 10 equipped with a multi-window system to which a function key guide display method according to the present invention is applied.

The personal computer 10 includes an arithmetic processing unit 11 and a main memory 12 for storing programs such as an operating system and other necessary information.
, Image memory 13 and keyboard 2 provided outside
Interface circuit 1 for input devices such as 0 and mouse 21
4, a system bus 15 for appropriately connecting the arithmetic processing unit 11, the main memory 12, the image memory 13 and the interface circuit 14, and an output signal of the image memory 13.
The apparatus is provided with at least an interface circuit 16 for supplying a display device 24 such as a CRT display or a liquid crystal display.

The operator of the personal computer 10 operates the keyboard 20, the mouse 21 and the like to cause the arithmetic processing unit 11 to execute a predetermined program, while the personal computer 10 executes a multi-window system. ing. That is, a plurality of windows can be simultaneously displayed on the display device 24 according to the operation of the operator.

A window screen is displayed in the main memory 12 in addition to a program such as an operating system, a process execution program for executing a predetermined process, and the like, based on an instruction from the process execution program and the like. open the guide window W _G is a dedicated window for displaying the function key guide,
Stored therein are a window display processing program for displaying a function key guide, and a key processing program for retrieving and executing the processing assigned to the function key of the active window at this time when the function key is operated. .

Here, the function key guide is
When each processing program executed by the arithmetic processing unit 11 involves operation of a function key on the keyboard 20, the processing content of the processing assigned to each function key is represented in association with each function key.

The active window is a window which is opened last among windows displayed on the screen, or a window which is displayed above another window by an operation of an input device and which can accept an input operation. That is.

The arithmetic processing section 11 executes the window display processing program and the key processing program in parallel with other programs by, for example, multitasking.

In this window display processing program,
Based on the instruction, such as the processing execution program, one of the window, for example when opening the window W ₁ is the window W _1, a window can accept an input operation by the input device such as a keyboard 20 and a mouse 21 active Manage as a window.

[0018] Then, to open the window W _1, together with a screen display based on a predetermined screen information preset to open the function key guide display only guide window W _G, the screen display of the window W ₁ function key guide showing the processing contents allocated to the function keys to be used in the processing execution program instructs the displays in the guide window W _G, for example, based on a preset key guide information stored in a predetermined storage area.

[0019] In this case, for example, the display screen of the pre-display device 24, the guide window W area for displaying the _G and the window W ₁ or W ₂ such guide window W _G
Such as by divided into a region for displaying a window other than a guide window W _G, so as not to overlap with the window W _1.

Further, for example, when the window W ₂ is selected as an operation target window by operating the mouse 21 and displayed at the top, the window W ₂ is newly managed as an active window. ,
Open the window W _2, and displays a predetermined screen information here, the function key guide of the guide window W _G, assigned to the function keys to be used in the processing execution program instructs the screen display to the window W ₂ treatment Update to a function key guide that indicates the content.

The key processing program is executed when any one of the function keys on the keyboard 20 is operated. In this key processing program, an active window at the time when the function key is operated is obtained. The processing execution program corresponding to the active window obtained based on the key information indicating the correspondence between each function key and the processing assigned to this function key, which is set for each processing execution program and stored in the main memory 12 or the like. Search for the process assigned to each function key that has been set, and execute it.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. An example
For example, as shown in FIG.
Of the water volume monitoring process execution program
Window W for monitoring water flow displayed based on instructions
₁And a process execution program that manages the database
Based on the instructions of the database management processing execution program
The displayed window W for the database _TwoAnd display equipment
It is displayed on the display 24.

When an instruction is given to display the windows W ₁ and W ₂ by an operation of the input device of the operator or the like, the personal computer 10 starts the window display processing program in FIG. As shown in the flowchart, first, initial processing required by the program, for example, reading window definition information, initial window information, and the like is performed (Step S).
1).

[0024] Then, when you run a predetermined initial processing, then, open the function key guide display dedicated guide window W _G. Then, the window becomes the active window, for example, when the window W ₁ as the active window, and stored in the main memory 12 or the like in association advance, and the key guide display information of the function keys to be used in this process executing program and the processing execution program of on the basis of the correspondence, to search for key guide information corresponding to the window W _1, on the basis of this, the guide window W
Displaying the function key guide for the window W ₁ to _G (step S2).

Next, the windows W ₁ and W ₂ instructed to be displayed are opened, and for example, a water amount monitoring screen as shown in FIG. 2 created in the above-mentioned water amount monitoring processing execution program and stored in a predetermined area. based on the screen information to form a, a screen displayed in the window W _1. Further, based on the screen information to form a database screen that contains created in a predetermined region in said database management processing execution program, a screen displayed in the window W ₂ (step S3).

As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the display device 24 has a window W ₁ comprising a water amount monitoring screen,
A window W ₂ consisting Database screen displays the guide window W _G, in this case, the window W ₁
There Window W ₁ because it is the active window is displayed superimposed on the window W _2. And, this guide window W _G, the window W ₁ is the active window at this point, i.e., the function key guide function keys to be used in water monitoring process execution program is displayed.

[0027] From this state, for example, when the operator performs an operation for the window W ₂ by the mouse 21, since the window W ₂ is the active window, as shown in FIG. 4, the window W ₂ is the window W
_Appears above _one . Then, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, since the active window is changed to W ₂ the window W ₁ (step S11), and similarly to the above, based on the correspondence information stored in the main memory 12 or the like, the active window Find the key guide information of the window W _2, which has become, on the basis of this, to update the screen information of the guide window W _G (step S12).

[0028] Thus, the display device 24, as shown in FIG. 4, which displays a window W _1, together with the display window W ₂ is superimposed on this, the guide window W _G is displayed, the the guide window W _G,
Window W which is the active window at this time
_{The second} function key guide is displayed.

For example, when any of the function keys on the keyboard 20 is operated, first, as shown in a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the key processing program in FIG. A window is obtained (step S21). Then, based on the key information stored in advance in the main memory 12 or the like,
The process assigned to the function key operated in the process execution program corresponding to the obtained window is specified (step S22). For example, if the active window is the window W ₂ is the key information, the processing execution program corresponding to the window W _2, in this case the database monitoring processing execution program,
Identify the process assigned to the operated function key.

Then, the obtained processing is executed for a processing execution program corresponding to the active window, that is, a database monitoring processing execution program (step S23).

Therefore, only the function key guide corresponding to the currently active window is displayed on the display device 24.
Only the function key guides required at the present time are displayed on the display device 24, and the function key guides are not displayed for each window as in the related art, so that the resources of the window system can be saved.

When displaying a window screen, it is not necessary to provide an area for displaying a function key guide in each window, so that the displayable area in the window is increased by that amount, and more information is displayed. Therefore, system performance can be improved.

Further, since the function key guide is displayed in a guide window different from each window, even if the window is small, for example, the guide window does not become small. Thus, the size of the window does not make it difficult to read the characters of the function key guide, and the function key guide can always be displayed in a size that is easy to read, and the operability can be further improved.

Although only the function key guide corresponding to the window that is the active window is displayed, only the active window can receive processing for the function key. Even if is not displayed, there is no problem and the operation can be performed in the same manner as in the related art.

Further, since the function key guide is displayed in the guide window, the size of each window can be reduced accordingly. For example, when displaying a plurality of windows, the display screen is displayed. Are superimposed due to the limitation on the number of overlapping portions, but the overlapping portion is smaller than in the past, so that more information can be displayed.

Further, since the function key guide is displayed in the guide window independent of the window, the guide window can be displayed at a position where the operation is easy according to the work content.

In the above embodiment, the case where the function keys on the keyboard 20 are operated based on the function key guide has been described. For example, in the guide window, the designated area of the corresponding function key is designated by the mouse 21 or the like. By doing so, it is possible to select a function key, and in this case, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, the case where _two windows W ₁ and W ₂ are displayed has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a new window W ₃ is opened, since the ₃ becomes the active window, the guide window W _G, window W
₃ displays a corresponding function key guide, thereafter, in the same manner as described above, the function key guide for the window from which the active window guide window W _G is displayed. The same applies to the case where more windows are displayed.

[0039]

As described above, in the method of displaying a function key guide according to the present invention, a function key guide of an active window capable of accepting an input operation is displayed in a guide window, and the function key guide is displayed in each window. Since the display is not performed, more information can be efficiently displayed on the display device, the processing performance of the system can be improved, and the operability of the MMI on the window screen can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a personal computer system to which a function key guide display method according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure at the time of initial processing of a window display processing program.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when the active window of the window display processing program is changed.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a key processing program.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a conventional operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 personal computer 11 arithmetic processing unit 12 main memory 20 keyboard 21 mouse 24 display device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A function key applied to a system capable of displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen and representing processing contents assigned to the function keys of a processing program associated with the windows and accompanied by function key operations. In the guide display method,
A method for displaying a function key guide, wherein a guide window for displaying the function key guide is provided, and a function key guide corresponding to a window capable of accepting an input operation by an input means is displayed in the guide window.