JPH04256125A - Multi-window display system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain the selection and the shift of a cursor even if the position of the cursor is unknown end also to attain the switch of windows without releasing the hands even in a typing mode by moving a desired window to the highest surface of another window. CONSTITUTION:A window generation/input device 11 is provided to produce and edit a window in response to a 1st step together with a window switch/input device 12 which outputs an instruction signal to switch the current windows in response to a 3rd step, a window controller 13, a memory 14 which stores the present cursor position in response to a 2nd step end at the same time stores the coordinates of windows and the window identifiers received from the device 11 via the controller 13 in the sorting order, a cursor controller 15, and a display device 16.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to multi-window display systems, and more particularly to multi-window display systems relating to selection of a current window.

0002

[Prior Art] In conventional multi-window display systems, the current window is determined by placing the cursor on the window in question, and the cursor can only be moved between windows using the mouse. The method used is to visually confirm the current cursor position and the position of the window in which you will be working, and then manually select the current window using a mouse.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional multi-window display method described above, the current
When selecting a window, one must first visually locate the current cursor position and the position of the window on which the user will work. Therefore, after executing a program in which the cursor position moves, there is a drawback that it becomes difficult to check the cursor if the cursor position is no longer known. Also, when using multi-windows, multiple windows are usually overlapped and displayed on the same display, so small windows are completely hidden, making it difficult to find the desired window. There is, and furthermore,
Since the operation of moving the cursor between windows relies only on the mouse, there is a drawback that it lacks operability when dealing with keyboard operations.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] The multi-window display method of the present invention includes a first step of generating and editing a window on a predetermined display;
a second step of sequentially storing the coordinates and window identifier of the window generated in the step in a predetermined memory; and a second step of sorting the memory according to a predetermined input signal to switch the current window. It is characterized by having three steps.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, this example
Corresponding to the first step, a window generation input device 11 for creating and editing a window, and the third
A window switching input device 12 that outputs a command signal for switching the current window in accordance with the step.
, the window control device 13 stores the current cursor position, and also stores the window coordinates and window identifier sent from the window generation input device 11 via the window control device 13. The cursor control device 15 is configured to include a memory 14 for storing the information in sorted order, a cursor control device 15, and a display device 16.

Furthermore, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image of the memory contents and the operation on the display screen at the time of window switching in this embodiment. In FIG. 2, numerals 201 to 204 indicate screen display examples in which a plurality of windows are being displayed, and numerals 211 to 214 indicate cursor positions corresponding to screen displays 201 to 204, respectively. , or memory that indicates the window and cursor position.

[0008] Initial screen display (screen display 2) shown in FIG.
01), the cursor indicated by the ↑ mark in FIG. 2 is not on the window, so the operator is unable to use any window. At this point, the cursor is at W0 shown in memory 211.
It is above. Here, from the window switching input device 12,
When the window switching signal is input to the window control device 13 and the cursor control device 15, the cursor control device 13 accesses the memory 14, the next window in the memory W0 is sorted, and the cursor is displayed in the memory 212. Move to W1. Next, the window control device 13 pulls out the data of the new current window (W1) from the memory 14, and
1 is displayed on the top screen (screen display 202).

Similarly, each time a window switching signal is input from the window switching input device 12 to the window control device 13 and the cursor control device 15, W2,
W3, . . . , the windows are sequentially switched and displayed in the sort order (screen displays 203, 204). Of course, even when there are a large number of windows, the window switching input device 12 assigns two buttons on the mouse or two keys on the keyboard so that the desired window can be easily searched for in the memory. Consideration is given so that the stored data can be sorted vertically.

FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, a window generation input device 31 that creates and edits a window corresponds to the first step.
, a window switching input device 32 that inputs a command signal for switching the current window, a window control device 33, and the second window, corresponding to the third step.
a memory 34 that stores the current cursor position and stores window coordinates and window identifiers sent from the window generation input device 31 via the window control device 33 in sorted order in accordance with the step;
The display device 35 is configured to include a display device 35.

Furthermore, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image of the memory contents and the operation on the display screen at the time of window switching in this embodiment. In FIG. 4, numerals 401 to 404 indicate screen display examples in which a plurality of windows are being displayed, and numerals 411 to 414 indicate cursor positions corresponding to screen displays 401 to 404, respectively. , or memory that indicates the window and cursor position.

In FIG. 4, the current window is located at W5 as shown in the memory 411 (thick-framed/hatched area of the screen display 401, hereinafter the same). Here, when a window switching signal is output from the window switching input device 32 and inputted to the window control device 33, the window control device 33 accesses the memory 34 and retrieves the data of the new current window (W4). Then, the W4 is displayed on the top screen (screen display 402). Note that this current window selection method is cursor-less, and as is clear from the screen display example shown in FIG. 4, the ↑ mark of the cursor is not displayed. In this case, the cursor is not used because the window is determined not by the presence of the cursor, but by the sort order of memory. Here, in order to distinguish the current window from other coexisting windows, the current window is colored or displayed with a different frame.

As in the case of the first embodiment described above, in this embodiment as well, each time a window switching signal is output from the window switching input device 32 and inputted to the window control device 33, W2, W3 , . . . , the windows are sequentially switched and displayed in the sort order (screen displays 403, 404). Of course, even when there are a large number of windows, the window switching input device 12 assigns two buttons on the mouse or two keys on the keyboard so that the desired window can be easily searched for in the memory. Consideration is given so that the stored data can be sorted vertically.

[0014]

As explained above, the present invention stores window coordinates and window identifiers in a memory in sorted order when a window is generated, and when switching the current window, the window switch signal is used to By switching the current window in sort order and moving it to the top of other displayed windows, you can easily move the cursor even when the cursor position is unknown or when corresponding to a small window behind a large window. This also has the effect that the desired window can be found by checking the windows displayed on the top surface.

Furthermore, since the window and cursor can be moved only by sending a switching signal, it is possible to switch windows without taking your hands off even while typing, allowing for cursor-less window selection. This has the effect of improving operability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image of the operation of a memory and a display screen in the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image of the operation of a memory and a display screen in a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 31 Window generation input device 12, 32
Window switching input device 13, 33 Window control device 14, 34 Memory 15 Cursor control device 16, 35 Display device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first step of generating and editing a window on a predetermined display, and sequentially storing coordinates and a window identifier of the window in a predetermined memory for the window generated in the first step. a second step of storing, and a third step of sorting the memory according to a predetermined input signal to switch the current window.
A multi-window display method comprising the following steps.