JP7617486B1 - Notebook computer, control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for appropriately moving a cursor in response to a user operation.
[Solution] A display 12 displays a first screen. A connection unit 14 is connectable to an external display 20 that displays a second screen. A processing unit 11 accepts a user's operation input via a pointing device 13 for moving a cursor included on the first screen or the second screen. Then, based on the usage state of the external display 20, the processing unit 11 corrects the movement direction of a cursor P1 in accordance with the rotation of the first screen or the second screen, and invalidates the correction made in response to the operation input.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a notebook computer, a control method, and a program.

Notebook computers equipped with a display and a keyboard are in use. Notebook computers are also called notebook PCs (Personal Computers) or laptop PCs. Some notebook computers are of the so-called 2-in-1 type, which can be transformed into a tablet. Some notebook computers also have a detachable keyboard.

Here, the screen on the display connected to the computer can be rotated in response to user input operations. For example, there has been a proposal for an information processing device that displays a second display area, in which additional information can be input, within a first display area on the screen, tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the first display area.

JP 2022-65477 A

A cursor that can be operated by a pointing device is displayed on the screen of the display. The computer may have a function to correct the movement direction of the cursor with respect to the direction of the user's operation on the pointing device according to the rotation of the screen. For example, when the screen is rotated 180 degrees around an axis perpendicular to the screen at the center of the screen, the movement direction of the cursor is also corrected to a direction rotated 180 degrees with respect to the operation direction of the pointing device.

By the way, an external display may be connected to a notebook computer and used in conjunction with the display of the notebook computer. The external display may be placed on a desk or the like, and may be used by rotating the display panel housing itself, which is supported by the stand of the external display. In this case, the screen is rotated in accordance with the rotation of the panel housing. In this case, if the direction of cursor movement is corrected in accordance with the rotation of the screen, the cursor may move in a direction different from the direction of the user's operation on the pointing device, making it difficult for the user to move the cursor.

In one aspect, the present invention aims to perform appropriate cursor movement in response to user operations.

In one aspect, a notebook computer is provided. The notebook computer has a display, a connection unit, and a processing unit. The display displays a first screen. The connection unit is connectable to an external display that displays a second screen, the housing of the external display being rotatable in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the second screen on the external display . The processing unit determines whether or not the external display is connected via the connection unit, and when the external display is connected via the connection unit, corrects a movement direction of a cursor included on the first screen or the second screen in accordance with the rotation of the first screen or the second screen, and disables the correction made in response to a user's operation input via a pointing device to move the cursor.

In one aspect, a control method executed by a computer is provided. In another aspect, a program executed by a computer is provided.

In one aspect, cursor movement can be performed appropriately in response to user operations.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a notebook computer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 13 illustrates an example of hardware of a notebook PC according to a second embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of how to use a notebook PC. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example when the screen rotation angle is 0°. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of correction of a cursor movement direction. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of use of an external display. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions of a notebook PC. 11 is a flowchart showing a first control example of cursor movement direction correction. 13 is a flowchart showing a second control example of cursor movement direction correction. 13 is a flowchart showing a third control example of cursor movement direction correction. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of cursor position correction. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of whether or not a cursor movement direction correction function is required. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the moving direction of the cursor when no correction is performed.

The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
A first embodiment will be described.

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a notebook computer according to the first embodiment.

The notebook computer 10 has a processing unit 11, a display 12, a pointing device 13, and a connection unit 14.

The processing unit 11 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). However, the processing unit 11 may also include electronic circuits for specific applications such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The processor executes programs stored in a memory such as a RAM. A collection of multiple processors is sometimes called a "multiprocessor" or simply a "processor."

Although not shown in the figure, the notebook computer 10 has the above-mentioned storage unit that stores data used in the processing of the processing unit 11. The storage unit may be a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), or a non-volatile storage such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or flash memory.

The display 12 is a display device that displays images. The display 12 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (OEL: Organic Electro-Luminescence) display.

The pointing device 13 is an input device such as a touchpad, a mouse, or a digitizer.

The connection unit 14 is a connection interface that can be connected to the external display 20. The external display 20 is a display device that displays images. For example, the external display 20 displays an extended screen that expands the screen area of the display 12. Here, the screen is an image displayed on the display 12 or the external display 20. The external display 20 is, for example, an LCD or an OEL display.

A cursor P1 operated by the pointing device 13 is displayed on the screen displayed on the display 12 and the screen of the external display 20. When the display 12 and the external display 20 are used together, one cursor P1 is displayed on the screen of either the display 12 or the external display 20. The cursor P1 can be moved between the screens of the display 12 and the external display 20 in response to a user operation.

Here, the processing unit 11 corrects the movement direction of the cursor P1 relative to the operation direction of the pointing device 13 according to the rotation of the screen of the display 12 and the rotation of the screen of the external display 20. Table D1 shows the movement direction of the cursor P1 when the cursor movement direction correction is effective with respect to the operation direction of the user by the pointing device 13 for two rotation angles (0°, 90°) of the screen displayed on the external display 20 as a comparative example. Note that when the screen rotation angle of the external display 20 is set to 90°, the display panel housing of the external display 20 is often rotated 90° in the direction of the arrow R1 when used. The direction of the arrow R1 is opposite to the screen rotation direction. To make this easier to understand, in the example of the screen rotation angle of 90° in table D1, the panel housing of the external display 20 itself is also illustrated rotated 90°.

In the comparative example, when the screen rotation angle is 0°, i.e., when there is no rotation, the operation direction of the pointing device 13 by the user and the movement direction of the cursor P1 are not corrected. Therefore, the operation direction of the pointing device 13 by the user (e.g., from left to right) and the movement direction of the cursor P1 (e.g., from left to right) are the same.

Next, in the comparative example, when the screen rotation angle is 90°, the cursor movement direction is corrected. At this time, as shown in the figure, the display panel housing of the external display 20 is rotated 90° in the direction of the arrow R1. The surface to which the arrow R1 belongs is the same surface as the screen of the external display 20. In this case, the movement direction of the cursor P1 becomes a direction rotated 90° (e.g., a direction from top to bottom) with respect to the operation direction of the pointing device 13 by the user (e.g., a direction from left to right) due to the correction. In the comparative example, the correction of the cursor movement direction is enabled, for example, when the screen displayed on at least one of the display 12 and the external display 20 is rotated. For example, the correction function of the cursor movement direction is enabled by default, and the cursor movement direction is corrected when the screen displayed on at least one of the display 12 and the external display 20 is rotated. Thus, in the comparative example, the user operation direction and the cursor movement direction are different, making it difficult for the user to move the cursor.

Therefore, the processing unit 11 disables the correction of the movement direction of the cursor P1 based on the usage state of the external display 20. In other words, the processing unit 11 controls not to correct the movement direction of the cursor P1 based on the usage state of the external display 20.

In the first example, the usage state of the external display 20 is whether or not the external display 20 is connected to the notebook computer 10 via the connection unit 14. In the "connected" state, it is sufficient that the notebook computer 10 recognizes the external display 20 via the connection unit 14, and it does not matter whether or not a screen is displayed on the external display 20. In the first example, the processing unit 11 determines whether or not the external display 20 is connected to the notebook computer 10 via the connection unit 14. When the external display 20 is connected to the notebook computer 10 via the connection unit 14, the processing unit 11 disables correction of the movement direction of the cursor P1 according to the rotation of the screen of at least one of the display 12 and the external display 20. On the other hand, when the external display 20 is not connected to the notebook computer 10 via the connection unit 14, the processing unit 11 enables correction of the movement direction of the cursor P1 according to the rotation of the screen of the display 12.

In the second example, the use state of the external display 20 is whether or not a screen is being displayed on the external display 20 connected via the connection unit 14. In the second example, the processing unit 11 determines whether or not a screen is being displayed on the external display 20 connected via the connection unit 14. If a screen is being displayed on the external display 20, the processing unit 11 disables correction of the movement direction of the cursor P1 according to the rotation of the screen of at least one of the display 12 and the external display 20. On the other hand, if a screen is not being displayed on the external display 20, the processing unit 11 enables correction of the movement direction of the cursor P1 according to the rotation of the screen of the display 12. Note that "when not being displayed" may be a state in which power is supplied to the external display 20, but the external display 20 is powered off. Furthermore, "when not being displayed" may include a standby state (power saving state) of the external display 20.

In a third example, the usage state of the external display 20 is a state of whether or not the cursor P1 is present on the screen being displayed on the external display 20 connected via the connection unit 14. In the third example, the processing unit 11 determines whether or not the cursor P1 is present on the screen being displayed on the external display 20. If the cursor P1 is present on the screen being displayed on the external display 20, the processing unit 11 disables correction of the movement direction of the cursor P1 in accordance with the rotation of the screen of the external display 20. On the other hand, if the cursor P1 is not present on the screen being displayed on the external display 20, that is, if the cursor P1 is present on the screen being displayed on the display 12, the processing unit 11 enables correction of the movement direction of the cursor P1 in accordance with the rotation of the screen of the display 12.

In this way, according to the notebook computer 10, the processing unit 11 accepts the user's operation input by the pointing device 13 to move the cursor P1. Based on the usage state of the external display 20, the movement direction of the cursor P1 is corrected in accordance with the rotation of the first screen of the display 12 or the second screen of the external display 20, and the correction made in response to the user's operation input is invalidated.

This allows the notebook computer 10 to appropriately move the cursor in response to user operations.

As shown in the comparative example in Figure 1, for example, when the display housing of the external display 20 is rotated 90 degrees in the direction of the arrow R1, if the cursor P1 is corrected according to the 90-degree rotation of the screen, the user's operation direction and the movement direction of the cursor P1 will differ.

The processing unit 11 therefore disables correction of the movement direction of the cursor P1 based on the usage state of the external display 20. For example, when the external display 20 is used with its display housing rotated 90° in the direction of the arrow R1, the movement direction of the cursor P1 displayed on the external display 20 is not corrected. As a result, the cursor P1 is appropriately moved so that the user's operation direction and the movement direction of the cursor P1 match. This allows the user to intuitively understand the movement direction of the cursor in response to an operation on the pointing device 13, making it easier to move the cursor.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described.

Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware of a notebook PC according to the second embodiment.

The notebook PC 100 has a processor 101, a RAM 102, an SSD 103, a media reader 104, a communication interface 105, a GPU 106, a connection interface 107, a sensor 108, an input interface 109, an LCD 110, a keyboard 120, and a touchpad 130. The processor 101 corresponds to the processing unit 11 in the first embodiment.

The processor 101 is an arithmetic device that executes program instructions. The processor 101 is, for example, a CPU. The processor 101 loads at least a portion of the programs and data stored in the SSD 103 into the RAM 102 and executes the programs. The processor 101 may include multiple processor cores. The notebook PC 100 may also have multiple processors. The processes described below may be executed in parallel using multiple processors or processor cores. A set of multiple processors may also be called a "multiprocessor" or simply a "processor." A processor may also be called a "processor circuitry."

RAM 102 is a volatile semiconductor memory that temporarily stores programs executed by processor 101 and data used by processor 101 for calculations. Note that notebook PC 100 may be provided with a type of memory other than RAM, or may be provided with multiple memories.

SSD103 is a non-volatile storage device that stores software programs such as an OS (Operating System), middleware, and application software, as well as data. Notebook PC100 may also include other types of storage devices, such as an HDD, and may also include multiple non-volatile storage devices.

The media reader 104 is a reading device that reads programs and data recorded on the recording medium 30. For example, a semiconductor memory can be used as the recording medium 30. The recording medium 30 may be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk (MO: Magneto-Optical disk), etc. Magnetic disks include flexible disks (FD: Flexible Disks) and HDDs. Optical disks include CDs (Compact Discs) and DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs).

The media reader 104 copies, for example, the program or data read from the recording medium 30 to another recording medium such as the RAM 102 or the SSD 103. The read program is executed, for example, by the processor 101. Note that the recording medium 30 may be a portable recording medium, and may be used to distribute programs and data. Also, the recording medium 30 and the SSD 103 may be referred to as computer-readable recording media.

The communication interface 105 is connected to the network 40 and communicates with other information processing devices via the network 40. The communication interface 105 may be a wired communication interface connected to a wired communication device such as a switch or a router, or a wireless communication interface connected to a wireless communication device such as a base station or an access point.

The GPU 106 outputs an image to the LCD 110 according to instructions from the processor 101. The LCD 110 is a display device that displays an image. The LCD 110 may be another type of display, such as an OEL display.

The connection interface 107 is connected to the external display 200. The connection interface 107 outputs the image output by the GPU 106 to the external display 200. For the connection interface 107, an interface such as HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface, registered trademark), DisplayPort, or VGA (Video Graphics Array) is used.

Of the first and second housings of the notebook PC 100, the sensor 108 is provided in the first housing that includes the LCD 110. The sensor 108 is an acceleration sensor that detects the angle of inclination of the first housing or the LCD 110. The second housing of the notebook PC 100 includes a keyboard 120 and a touchpad 130.

The processor 101, RAM 102, SSD 103, media reader 104, communication interface 105, GPU 106, connection interface 107, and input interface 109 may each be provided in the first housing or in the second housing.

The input interface 109 is connected to the keyboard 120 and the touchpad 130. The keyboard 120 and the touchpad 130 are input devices that accept user operation input. The input interface 109 acquires input signals from the keyboard 120 and the touchpad 130 and outputs them to the processor 101. The notebook PC 100 may also be equipped with a pointing device other than the touchpad 130, such as a touch panel or a trackball. The input interface 109 may also be connected to a mouse or a digitizer, and may acquire input signals from the mouse or the digitizer.

Figure 3 shows an example of how to use a notebook PC.

The notebook PC 100 has a first housing 100a, a second housing 100b, and a hinge 140. The first housing 100a has a sensor 108 and an LCD 110. The second housing 100b has a keyboard 120 and a touchpad 130. The hinge 140 is a member that connects the first housing 100a and the second housing 100b. The first housing 100a and the second housing 100b can rotate around the rotation axis of the hinge 140. The angle of inclination of the first housing 100a and the second housing 100b corresponds to the rotation angle around the rotation axis.

The first housing 100a and the second housing 100b may be detachable via a hinge 140. The notebook PC 100 is a so-called 2-in-1 type computer, and can also be used as a tablet.

The sensor 108 detects the rotation angle of the first housing 100a around the rotation axis of the hinge 140. The notebook PC 100 may also be provided with a detection mechanism other than the sensor 108 that detects the rotation angle of the first housing 100a around the rotation axis of the hinge 140.

The user places the notebook PC 100 on a table or the like, and opens the first housing 100a so that the screen of the LCD 110 of the notebook PC 100 and the key surface of the keyboard 120 are flush with each other, thereby allowing the screen displayed on the LCD 110 to be shown to the person facing the notebook PC 100. At this time, the notebook PC 100 rotates the screen displayed on the LCD 110 by 180 degrees around the rotation axis H, making it easier for the person to see the screen. The rotation axis H is an axis that passes through the center M1 of the screen of the LCD 110 and is perpendicular to the screen. The screen may be rotated automatically in response to the detection of the tilt angle of the first housing 100a by the sensor 108, or may be manually set by the user. The second housing 100b may further include an acceleration sensor, and the screen of the LCD 110 may be rotated automatically based on the difference between the detection angle of the acceleration sensor and the detection angle of the sensor 108.

Figure 4 shows an example of the display when the screen rotation angle is 0°.

For example, a user can place the notebook PC 100 with the second housing 100b facing down on a table, and from a state in which the first housing 100a and the second housing 100b are closed (when the angle between the first housing 100a and the horizontal plane is 0°), the user can open the first housing 100a to about 100° to 120° with respect to the horizontal plane and use it. In this case, the rotation axis of the hinge 140 is parallel to the x-axis in FIG. 4, and the sensor 108 can detect the angle around the rotation axis of the hinge 140 as the tilt angle of the first housing 100a.

In this way, to make it easier for a user operating the notebook PC 100 to view the screen from the front, the screen is displayed on the LCD 110 without screen rotation, i.e., with a screen rotation angle of 0°, so that the vertically upward direction corresponds to the upward direction of the screen and the vertically downward direction corresponds to the downward direction of the screen. The screen rotation angle of the external display 200 is also the same as that of the LCD 110.

Figure 5 shows an example of cursor movement direction correction.

Figure 5 (A) shows an example of a case where the movement direction of cursor C1 is corrected when first housing 100a is opened approximately 180° as in Figure 3. In the upside-down screen mode, notebook PC 100 accepts a user's operation input in the direction of arrow A1 on touchpad 130 for cursor C1 displayed on the screen of LCD 110. Then, notebook PC 100 moves cursor C1 in the direction of arrow B1, which indicates the same direction as arrow A1.

Figure 5 (B) shows an example of the case where the movement direction of cursor C1 is not corrected when first housing 100a is opened approximately 180° as in Figure 3. If the movement direction of cursor C1 is not corrected, cursor C1 will be moved in the direction of arrow B2, which is opposite to arrow A1, in response to a user's operation input in the direction of arrow A1 on touchpad 130.

In this way, the notebook PC 100 can correct the direction of cursor movement using the touchpad 130, mouse, etc., to help the user operate the cursor C1 without feeling uncomfortable, even when the screen of the LCD 110 is rotated 180 degrees.

Figure 6 shows an example of how to use an external display.

The external display 200 has a stand 210 that is placed on a desk or the like, and a panel housing 220 that is supported by the stand 210. The external display 200 is connected to the notebook PC 100 via a cable that corresponds to the connection interface 107, for example.

Figure 6 (A) shows an example of how the external display 200 is used when the rotation angle of the panel housing 220 = 0° and the screen rotation angle = 0°. Figure 6 (B) shows an example of how the external display 200 is used when the rotation angle of the panel housing 220 = 90° and the screen rotation angle is 90°.

As shown in FIG. 6(B), when the panel housing 220 is rotated 90 degrees for use, the screen displayed on the panel housing 220 is rotated 90 degrees in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the panel housing 220 according to the user's settings, etc., so that the screen can be easily viewed from the front.

When the panel housing 220 is rotated 90 degrees, if the notebook PC 100 corrects the cursor movement direction in response to the screen rotation, it becomes difficult for the user to move the cursor C1. Therefore, the notebook PC 100 provides a function to disable the correction function for the movement direction of the cursor C1 under certain conditions.

Figure 7 shows an example of the functions of a notebook PC.

The notebook PC 100 has a storage unit 150 and a display control unit 160. The storage unit 150 uses the storage areas of the RAM 102 and the SSD 103. The display control unit 160 is realized by the processor 101 executing a program stored in the RAM 102.

The memory unit 150 stores various data used for processing by the display control unit 160.

The display control unit 160 controls the display of images by the LCD 110 and the external display 200. The display control unit 160 has a screen rotation unit 161, a cursor correction control unit 162, and a cursor correction unit 163.

The screen rotation unit 161 rotates the screens displayed on the LCD 110 and the external display 200 in accordance with manual settings made by the user. The screen rotation unit 161 may automatically rotate the screen displayed on the LCD 110 in accordance with detection by the sensor 108 of the opening angle of the first housing 100a.

The cursor correction control unit 162 controls whether the cursor movement direction correction function executed by the cursor correction unit 163 is enabled or disabled based on the usage state of the external display 200. When the cursor movement direction correction function is enabled, the cursor movement direction is corrected by the cursor correction unit 163 when a predetermined condition is met. When the cursor movement direction correction function is disabled, correction of the cursor movement direction by the cursor correction unit 163 is inhibited even if the predetermined condition is met. In the default setting of the notebook PC 100, the cursor movement direction correction function may be set to enabled.

The cursor correction unit 163 corrects the movement direction of the cursor C1 displayed on the LCD 110 and the external display 200 in accordance with the rotation of the screen displayed on the screen. For example, the cursor correction unit 163 corrects the operation direction of the touchpad 130 so that the movement direction of the cursor C1 is the direction rotated in the opposite direction to the rotation of the screen by the same angle as the angle of the rotation of the screen.

Here, the usage state of the external display 200 determined by the cursor correction control unit 162 may include the following three examples:

An example of a first usage state is whether or not the external display 200 is connected to the notebook PC 100 via the connection interface 107. The cursor correction control unit 162 determines whether or not the external display 200 is connected to the notebook PC 100 via the connection interface 107. When the external display 200 is connected to the notebook PC 100 via the connection interface 107, the cursor correction control unit 162 disables the correction function by the cursor correction unit 163. On the other hand, when the external display 200 is not connected to the notebook PC 100 via the connection interface 107, the cursor correction control unit 162 enables the correction function by the cursor correction unit 163.

An example of a second usage state is whether or not a screen is being displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107. The cursor correction control unit 162 determines whether or not a screen is being displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107. When a screen is being displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107, the cursor correction control unit 162 disables the correction function by the cursor correction unit 163. On the other hand, when a screen is not being displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107, the cursor correction control unit 162 enables the correction function by the cursor correction unit 163. Note that "when not being displayed" may be a state in which power is supplied to the external display 200 but the external display 200 is powered off. Furthermore, "when not being displayed" may include a standby state (power saving state) of the external display 200.

An example of a third usage state is whether or not the cursor C1 is present on the screen being displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107. The cursor correction control unit 162 determines whether or not the cursor C1 is present on the screen being displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107. If the cursor C1 is present on the screen being displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107, the cursor correction control unit 162 disables the correction function by the cursor correction unit 163. If the cursor C1 is not present on the screen being displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107, that is, if the cursor C1 is present on the screen of the LCD 110, the cursor correction control unit 162 enables the correction function by the cursor correction unit 163.

In the first to third examples of usage states, the cursor correction control unit 162 switches between enabling and disabling the correction function of the cursor correction unit 163 at the following times. The first time is when the setting for whether to use the LCD 110 or the external display 200 is changed. The second time is when the notebook PC 100 is started up. The third time is when the notebook PC 100 resumes from a suspended or hibernated state.

In the example of the third usage state, the cursor correction control unit 162 also switches the correction function of the cursor correction unit 163 between enabled and disabled at the following fourth timing. The fourth timing is the timing when the cursor C1 moves between the screen of the LCD 110 and the screen of the external display 200. Also, in the example of the third usage state, when the cursor C1 moves between the screen of the LCD 110 and the screen of the external display 200, the cursor correction unit 163 also corrects the position of the cursor C1, as described below.

Next, the processing procedure of the notebook PC 100 will be described. First, a case in which the cursor correction control unit 162 determines the first usage state of the external display 200 will be illustrated.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing a first control example of cursor movement direction correction.

(S10) The cursor correction control unit 162 determines whether or not a screen is being displayed on the built-in LCD, i.e., the LCD 110. If a screen is being displayed on the LCD 110, processing proceeds to step S11. If a screen is not being displayed on the LCD 110, processing proceeds to step S12.

(S11) The cursor correction control unit 162 determines whether or not the external display 200 is connected via the connection interface 107. If the external display 200 is connected, the process proceeds to step S12. If the external display 200 is not connected, the process proceeds to step S13. Here, the cursor correction control unit 162 can determine whether or not the external display 200 is connected based on whether or not a predetermined signal is detected from the external display 200 via the connection interface 107.

(S12) The cursor correction control unit 162 disables the cursor movement direction correction function performed by the cursor correction unit 163. Then, the first control process ends.

(S13) The cursor correction control unit 162 determines whether or not there has been screen rotation of the built-in LCD (LCD110), i.e., whether or not the screen being displayed on the LCD110 has been rotated. If there has been screen rotation of the LCD110 (the screen being displayed on the LCD110 has been rotated), processing proceeds to step S14. If there has not been screen rotation of the LCD110 (the screen being displayed on the LCD110 has not been rotated), processing proceeds to step S12.

(S14) The cursor correction control unit 162 enables the cursor movement direction correction function by the cursor correction unit 163. Then, the first control process ends.

In this way, the cursor correction control unit 162 may enable or disable the cursor movement direction correction function based on whether or not an external display 200 is connected to the notebook PC 100.

Next, an example will be given of a case in which the cursor correction control unit 162 determines the second usage state of the external display 200.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing a second control example of cursor movement direction correction.

The second control example differs from the first control example in that step S11a is executed instead of step S11 among steps S10 to S14 in FIG. 8. Therefore, step S11a will be mainly described, and a description of steps S10 and S12 to S14 will be omitted. Step S11a is executed if step S10 is Yes.

(S11a) The cursor correction control unit 162 determines whether or not a screen is being displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107. If a screen is being displayed on the external display 200, processing proceeds to step S12. If a screen is not being displayed on the external display 200, processing proceeds to step S13.

In this way, the cursor correction control unit 162 may enable or disable the cursor movement direction correction function based on whether or not a screen is being displayed on the external display 200.

Next, an example will be given of a case in which the cursor correction control unit 162 determines the third usage state of the external display 200.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing a third control example of cursor movement direction correction.

The third control example differs from the first control example in that steps S11b and S11c are executed instead of step S11 among steps S10 to S14 in FIG. 8. Therefore, steps S11b and S11c will be mainly described, and a description of steps S10 and S12 to S14 will be omitted. Step S11b is executed if step S10 is Yes.

(S11b) The cursor correction control unit 162 determines whether or not a screen is being displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107. If a screen is being displayed on the external display 200, processing proceeds to step S11c. If a screen is not being displayed on the external display 200, processing proceeds to step S13.

(S11c) The cursor correction control unit 162 determines whether the current position of the cursor C1, i.e., the cursor position, is on the screen of the external display 200. If the cursor position is on the screen of the external display 200, the process proceeds to step S12. If the cursor position is not on the screen of the external display 200, the process proceeds to step S13. Note that the cursor correction control unit 162 can determine whether the cursor position is on the screen of the external display 200 depending on whether the current coordinates of the cursor C1 are included in the coordinate range corresponding to the screen of the external display 200.

In this way, the cursor correction control unit 162 may enable or disable the cursor movement direction correction function based on whether the current position of the cursor C1 is on the screen of the external display 200.

As described above, in the third control example, the cursor correction unit 163 corrects the cursor position in addition to correcting the cursor movement direction. Next, the correction of the cursor position by the cursor correction unit 163 will be described.

Figure 11 shows an example of cursor position correction.

Figure 11 (A) shows an example of display number settings on the OS of notebook PC 100. For example, the display number of LCD 110 is "1". The display number of external display 200 is "2". Assume that the screen of LCD 110 is set to be located to the right of the screen of external display 200. In this case, the left edge of the screen of LCD 110 is connected to the right edge of the screen of external display 200. Therefore, when the screen of LCD 110 is not rotated, it is possible to move cursor C1 from the left edge of the screen of LCD 110 to the right edge of the screen of external display 200, or in the opposite direction.

Figure 11 (B) shows an example in which the screen displayed on LCD 110 is rotated 180 degrees when LCD 110 and external display 200 are arranged as in Figure 11 (A). When the screen displayed on LCD 110 is rotated 180 degrees, if the cursor position is not corrected, the right edge of the rotated screen of LCD 110 will connect to the left edge of external display 200, making it difficult for the user to move cursor C1 between the two screens.

Therefore, in the third control example of FIG. 10, the cursor correction unit 163 corrects the cursor position in addition to correcting the cursor movement direction in response to the rotation of the screen of the LCD 110 as follows.

First, the cursor correction unit 163 sets the edge of the LCD 110 screen opposite the external display 200 as the area edge E1 of the screen, and prohibits the cursor C1 from moving in a direction that goes outside the screen from the area edge E1. In the example of FIG. 11(B), the area edge E1 is the right edge of the LCD 110 screen.

Secondly, the cursor correction unit 163 determines the edge of the LCD 110 screen that is on the side of the external display 200 as adjacent edge E2 adjacent to the screen of the external display 200. The cursor correction unit 163 also determines the edge of the external display 200 screen that is on the side of the LCD 110 as adjacent edge E3 adjacent to the screen of the LCD 110. Then, when the cursor C1 reaches adjacent edge E2, the cursor correction unit 163 moves the cursor C1 to adjacent edge E3.

Third, when cursor C1 reaches adjacent end E3, cursor correction unit 163 moves cursor C1 to adjacent end E2.

In the example of FIG. 11(B), adjacent end E2 is the left edge of the screen of LCD 110. Also, in the example of FIG. 11(B), adjacent end E3 is the right edge of the screen of external display 200.

By correcting the cursor C1 as described above, the cursor correction unit 163 enables the cursor C1 to move between screens as indicated by the cursor movement direction B3. This allows the notebook PC 100 to assist the user in easily moving the cursor C1 between the screen of the LCD 110 and the screen of the external display 200 when the screen of the LCD 110 is displayed rotated. The user can also easily move the cursor C1 between both screens.

Here, we will explain whether or not a cursor movement direction correction function is required depending on the screen rotation of the LCD 110 and the external display 200.

Figure 12 shows an example of whether or not the cursor movement direction correction function is required.

Table 70 illustrates the need for cursor movement direction correction depending on the position (cursor position) where cursor C1 is located and the rotation angle of the screen where the cursor is located.

For example, if the cursor position is on the screen of LCD 110 (built-in LCD) and the rotation angle of the screen is 0°, the cursor movement direction correction function is "unnecessary."

In addition, if the cursor position is on the screen of LCD 110 (built-in LCD) and the rotation angle of the screen is 90°, 180°, or 270°, the cursor movement direction correction function is "necessary."

Furthermore, when the cursor position is on the screen of the external display 200 and the rotation angle of the screen is 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270°, the cursor movement direction correction function is "unnecessary."

Next, we will explain an example of the cursor movement direction when the cursor movement direction is not corrected in response to the rotation of the LCD 110 screen.

Figure 13 shows an example of the cursor movement direction when no correction is applied.

Table 80 illustrates the cursor movement direction when there is no correction to the touchpad 130 operation direction with respect to the screen rotation direction of the LCD 110, and whether or not correction of the cursor movement direction is required. It is assumed that the operation direction of the touchpad 130 by the user is toward the right.

When the screen rotation angle is 0°, the cursor movement direction without correction is to the right when the operation direction of the touchpad 130 is to the right. Since the operation direction and the cursor movement direction are the same, cursor movement direction correction is "unnecessary."

When the screen rotation angle is 90°, the cursor movement direction without correction is an upward movement direction for an operation direction toward the right of the touchpad 130. Since the operation direction and the cursor movement direction do not match, cursor movement direction correction is "necessary."

When the screen rotation angle is 180°, the cursor movement direction without correction is to the left when the operation direction of the touchpad 130 is to the right. Since the operation direction and the cursor movement direction do not match, cursor movement direction correction is "necessary."

When the screen rotation angle is 270°, the cursor movement direction without correction is downwards when the operation direction is to the right of the touchpad 130. Since the operation direction and the cursor movement direction do not match, cursor movement direction correction is "necessary."

On the other hand, in the case of the external display 200, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, the panel housing 220 is often rotated in response to screen rotation. Therefore, cursor movement direction correction is "unnecessary" for the external display 200. This is because the user's operation direction and the cursor movement direction match when the panel housing 220 is rotated, without the need for cursor movement direction correction.

For this reason, in the above third control example, the cursor correction control unit 162 disables cursor movement correction when the cursor C1 is present on the screen of the external display 200. The cursor correction control unit 162 enables cursor movement correction when the cursor C1 is present on the screen of the LCD 110 and the screen of the LCD 110 is rotated.

The cursor correction control unit 162 may enable or disable cursor movement correction when the cursor C1 is present on the screen of the LCD 110 and the screen of the LCD 110 is not rotated. When the cursor C1 is present on the screen of the LCD 110 and the screen of the LCD 110 is not rotated, the screen rotation angle is 0°, so even if the user's operation direction is corrected at a rotation angle of 0°, the cursor movement direction will be the same as the operation direction.

As described above, the notebook PC 100 executes the following process, for example:

The LCD 110 displays the first screen. The connection interface 107 can be connected to an external display 200 that displays the second screen. The processor 101 accepts a user's operational input using a pointing device such as a touchpad 130 to move a cursor included in the first screen or the second screen. The processor 101 then corrects the cursor movement direction in accordance with the rotation of the first screen or the second screen based on the usage state of the external display 200, and disables the correction made in response to the user's operational input.

This enables the notebook PC 100 to appropriately move the cursor in response to the user's operation. For example, the notebook PC 100 can prevent the user's operation direction and the cursor movement direction from becoming inconsistent on the second screen of the external display 200, and can assist the user in easily moving the cursor on the external display 200. The user can also easily move the cursor. The LCD 110 is an example of the display 12 of the first embodiment. The connection interface 107 is an example of the connection unit 14 of the first embodiment. The cursor may be referred to as a mouse cursor.

The processor 101 may determine whether the external display 200 is connected via the connection interface 107 to determine the usage state of the external display 200. The processor 101 may disable correction of the cursor movement direction when the external display 200 is connected.

This enables the notebook PC 100 to appropriately move the cursor in response to the user's operation. For example, the notebook PC 100 can prevent the user's operation direction and the cursor movement direction from becoming mismatched on the second screen of the external display 200, and can assist the user in easily performing cursor movement operations on the external display 200. The user can also easily perform the cursor movement operations.

The processor 101 may determine whether the second screen is displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107 as the use state of the external display 200. The processor 101 may disable correction of the cursor movement direction when the second screen is displayed on the external display 200.

This enables the notebook PC 100 to appropriately move the cursor in response to the user's operation. For example, the notebook PC 100 can prevent the user's operation direction and the cursor movement direction from becoming mismatched on the second screen of the external display 200, and can assist the user in easily performing cursor movement operations on the external display 200. The user can also easily perform the cursor movement operations.

The processor 101 may determine whether the second screen is displayed on the external display 200 connected via the connection interface 107 and whether the cursor is located on the second screen, as the use state of the external display 200. The processor 101 may disable correction of the cursor movement direction when the second screen is displayed on the external display 200 and the cursor is located on the second screen.

This enables the notebook PC 100 to appropriately move the cursor in response to the user's operation. For example, the notebook PC 100 can prevent the user's operation direction and the cursor movement direction from becoming mismatched on the second screen of the external display 200, and can assist the user in easily performing cursor movement operations on the external display 200. The user can also easily perform the cursor movement operations.

Furthermore, in an example in which the processor 101 disables correction of the cursor movement direction when the second screen is displayed on the external display 200 and the cursor is on the second screen, the processor 101 may correct the cursor position as follows. The processor 101 sets the first end of the first screen as an adjacent end adjacent to the second end of the second screen when the first screen is not rotated. The processor 101 performs the following processing in response to the rotation of the first screen. First, the processor 101 changes the third end of the first screen after rotation to an adjacent end, and prohibits the cursor from moving from the first end to the outside of the first screen. Second, the processor 101 moves the cursor to the second end when the cursor comes to the third end due to a user's operation input. Third, the processor 101 moves the cursor to the third end when the cursor comes to the second end due to a user's operation input.

This allows the notebook PC 100 to appropriately move the cursor in response to a user operation, as shown in FIG. 11. The area end E1 in FIG. 11 is an example of a first end. The adjacent end E3 is an example of a second end. The adjacent end E2 is an example of a third end.

The information processing of the first embodiment can be realized by having the processing unit 11 execute a program. The information processing of the second embodiment can be realized by having the processor 101 execute a program. The program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium 30.

For example, the program can be distributed by distributing the recording medium 30 on which the program is recorded. The program may also be stored in another computer and distributed via a network. For example, the computer may store (install) the program recorded on the recording medium 30 or a program received from another computer in a storage device such as RAM 102 or SSD 103, and read and execute the program from the storage device.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Notebook computer 11 Processing unit 12 Display 13 Pointing device 14 Connection unit 20 External display D1 Table P1 Cursor

Claims (6)

a display for displaying a first screen;
an external display that displays a second screen, the external display being configured to rotate a housing of the external display in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the second screen on the external display; and a connection unit that can be connected to the external display .
a processing unit that determines whether or not the external display is connected via the connection unit, and when the external display is connected via the connection unit, corrects a moving direction of a cursor included on the first screen or the second screen in accordance with a rotation of the first screen or the second screen, and disables the correction that is performed in response to a user's operation input by a pointing device to move the cursor;
A notebook computer having: the processing unit, in determining whether or not the external display is connected via the connection unit, further determines whether or not the second screen is being displayed on the external display connected via the connection unit, and disables the correction when the external display is connected via the connection unit and the second screen is being displayed on the external display.
2. The notebook computer of claim 1. In determining whether or not the external display is connected via the connection unit, the processing unit further determines whether or not the second screen is being displayed on the external display connected via the connection unit and the cursor is on the second screen, and disables the correction when the external display is connected via the connection unit, the second screen is being displayed on the external display, and the cursor is on the second screen.
2. The notebook computer of claim 1. The processing unit includes:
a first end of the first screen in a state where the first screen is not rotated is set to be an adjacent end adjacent to a second end of the second screen;
changing a third edge of the first screen to the adjacent edge in response to the rotation of the first screen, prohibiting movement of the cursor from the first edge to the outside of the first screen, moving the cursor to the second edge when the cursor comes to the third edge by the operation input of the user, and moving the cursor to the third edge when the cursor comes to the second edge by the operation input of the user;
4. The notebook computer according to claim 3. a computer having a display for displaying a first screen,
determining whether or not an external display that displays a second screen is connected via a connection unit of the computer, the external display being capable of rotating a housing of the external display in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the second screen on the external display ;
when the external display is connected via the connection unit, a correction of a moving direction of a cursor included on the first screen or the second screen in accordance with a rotation of the first screen or the second screen, the correction being made in response to a user's operation input by a pointing device for moving the cursor, and disabling the correction.
Control methods. A computer having a display for displaying a first screen,
determining whether or not an external display that displays a second screen is connected via a connection unit of the computer, the external display being capable of rotating a housing of the external display in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the second screen on the external display ;
when the external display is connected via the connection unit, a correction of a moving direction of a cursor included on the first screen or the second screen in accordance with a rotation of the first screen or the second screen, the correction being made in response to a user's operation input by a pointing device for moving the cursor, and disabling the correction.
A program that executes a process.

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