JPH04349526A - Information terminal machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To fill up the help function for guiding a key operation in the information terminal machine such as an electronic pocketbook, etc. CONSTITUTION:Information related to a help screen of a display part 6 is formed by a data structure consisting of a large classification, a middle classification, a small classification and a detailed classification, and stored in a ROM 2. Selection of the help screen, that is, a shift to the large classification-the detailed classification is executed by a fact that an operator executes a touch operation to an icon displayed on the help screen consisting of said classifications. In the help screen, the operation contents whose operation cannot be executed are displayed with lighter characters than the operation contents whose operation can be executed. When the operation contents whose operation can be executed are selected, its operation contents are executed. This selection is executed by a fact that the operator executes a touch operation or a turn-on operation of the corresponding key of ten keys provided on a keyboard with respect to an area of a touch panel 8 corresponding to a display area of the operation contents.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information terminal such as an electronic notebook, and more particularly to an information terminal equipped with a help function for guiding key operations.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art One example of an electronic notebook is one that is equipped with this type of help function. In the conventional help function, when a user (hereinafter referred to as an operator) did not know the desired operation and turned on the help key on the keyboard, a summary of the operation was displayed on the help screen.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, if only the outline of the operation is displayed, when the user attempts to execute the operation, the user must select the corresponding key on the keyboard and enter the key. The disadvantage is that it is difficult to understand. For this reason, the current situation is that it takes time to operate.

[0004] The present invention solves these drawbacks of the prior art, and allows the user to immediately understand the operation contents.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an information terminal that can easily perform the operations and, as a result, can significantly improve usability.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The information terminal of the present invention includes:
In information terminals in which a help screen that guides key operations is displayed on the display when a help key is operated, the help screen is designed to identify and display executable and non-executable operations. , thereby achieving the above objective.

Preferably, when an executable operation content display section on the help screen is touched or a corresponding key on a key operation section is turned on, the selected operation content is executed.

[0007]

[Operation] In the above configuration, when the help key is turned on, a help screen is displayed on the display section in which executable and unexecutable operations are identified. Therefore, by viewing the help screen, the operator can immediately understand the operation contents.

Furthermore, if the operation contents are executed by touching the operation contents display section on the help screen or by turning on the corresponding key on the key operation section, the corresponding operation contents can be performed quickly and reliably.

[0009]

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 shows the circuit configuration of an electronic notebook according to the present invention. The CPU 1 serves as the control center of this electronic notebook, and controls various operations such as data display and data transfer to external devices such as a printer, according to a control program stored in the ROM 2. Further, the ROM 2 stores data for a help screen, which will be described later, in a tree structure.

The CPU 1 performs the above control after waiting for a key input from an operator, and the key input is performed by the operator operating the keyboard 5. That is, when the operator turns on a corresponding key on the keyboard 5, information regarding the turned-on key is input to the CPU 1 via the I/O section 4. The I/O section 4 is realized by an LSI for interface.

[0012] The CPU 1 is operated by an operator using a keyboard 5.
When data related to a trading partner is inputted by the key operation, the inputted data is written into the RAM 3. R
The data written in AM3 is displayed on the display section 6 according to a command from the CPU1. That is,
When the data display mode is selected by key input,
The CPU 1 reads the data once stored in the RAM 3 and writes the data into the display memory 7. The data (image data) written in the display memory 7 is then
It is displayed on the display unit 6 according to the command from U1. The display unit 6 is composed of, for example, a graphic type liquid crystal display. Further, the RAM 3 is also used as a stack and work for the CPU 1.

A touch panel 8 is attached to the display section 6 so as to cover it. The touch panel 8 is composed of a transparent analog resistive touch panel, and the display data on the display section can be visually recognized through the touch panel 8. A control circuit 9 that controls voltage application to the touch panel 8 is connected to the touch panel 8 . When the touch panel 8 is touched by the operator, the A/
The D converter 9 converts the touched position information (analog information) into digital position data and provides it to the CPU 1. This allows the CPU 1 to recognize the position on the display section 6 that corresponds to the touch position on the touch panel 8.

Signals are exchanged between the CPU 1 and various devices such as the RAM 3 and the display memory 7 via the system bus 11.

FIG. 2 shows the data structure of a help screen stored in the ROM 2, read out by the CPU 1, and displayed on the display screen of the display unit 6. The display data on the help screen has a four-stage tree structure as shown in the figure, with a major classification screen 12 showing major classifications of operation contents, a medium classification screen 13, a minor classification screen 14, and a detailed classification screen 15 in this order. It is now selected. Note that depending on the content of the operation, the process may not proceed to the detailed classification screen 15.

FIG. 3 shows the display items of the major classification screen 12, from the top column: "1. Display screen format", "2. Printing"
, "3. Data registration/recall", "4. Key input method", "5. Data transfer", and icons consisting of "Back", "Previous page", and "Next page" are displayed. It looks like this. The icon displays the "previous page" if the display item of the major classification screen 12 is also in front of the display screen, and displays the "next page" if it is also in the back. Therefore, if you touch the "previous page" or "next page" icon through the touch panel 8,
It is now possible to select other pages in the major classification. Note that if there is no item before or after, "previous page" and "next page" are not displayed.

In addition, when a displayed item is not executable, the item is displayed while being distinguished from other executable items. That is, currently, no printer is connected to the electronic notebook of this embodiment, and "2.
If "Printing" is not possible, the display field corresponding to "2. Printing" will disappear, for example, in a grid state in which every dot in the vertical and horizontal directions are missed, and as a result, the characters in this display field will be The characters are displayed lighter than the characters in other display columns. Therefore, by visually checking the display contents on the display unit 6, it is possible to immediately determine which items are executable and which items are not executable.

Items that are displayed in a dim manner are not executed even if the corresponding area of the touch panel 8 is turned on, and such identification display is caused by a predetermined drive command given from the CPU 1 to the control circuit 9 via the system bus 11. achieved by. Therefore, such a display/operation method has the advantage of reliably preventing erroneous operations by the operator.

In the major classification screen 12 shown in FIG.
When "5. Data Transfer" is selected, the display contents of the help screen are shifted to the intermediate classification screen 13 shown in FIG. This shift is performed by turning on the area corresponding to the display field "5. Data Transfer" on the touch panel 8 or turning on the numeric keypad "5" of the keyboard 5. The display contents of the medium classification screen 13 are as follows. The message "Please select a transfer device" is displayed in the top column, and the following columns are "1. Same device,""2. Lower model,""3.Computer,""4. Word processor," and the icon ""Back" is displayed respectively. When the icon "Return" is selected, the previous classification screen, that is, the help screen returns to the main classification screen 12.

When "1. Same device" is selected on the intermediate classification screen 13 in FIG. 4, the help screen is shifted to the minor classification screen 14 shown in FIG. This selection is also made in the same way as above by turning on the area corresponding to the display field "1. Same device" on the touch panel 8 or turning on the numeric keypad "1" on the keyboard 5. The display contents of the minor classification screen 14 are as follows. The message "Please select the transfer direction" will be displayed in the top column, and the following columns will display "1. Output" and "2.
．． "Enter" and "Back" icons are displayed respectively.

When "1. Output" is selected on the minor classification screen 14 of FIG. 5, the help screen is shifted to the detailed classification screen 15 shown in FIG. This selection is made in the same manner as described above. The display contents of the detailed classification screen 15 are as follows. The message "Please select the type of output data" will be displayed in the top column, and the columns below it will display options such as "1. Display data only,""2. All display application data,""
3. "All data" and the icon "Back" are displayed.

In the detailed classification screen 15 of FIG. 6, "3.
When "all data" is selected, the CPU 1 reads out the data stored in the RAM 3 and transfers all the data to another electronic notebook as an external device via a communication port (not shown). At this time, if there is no data to be transferred in the RAM 3, select "1. Output" on the small classification screen 14 in FIG.
is displayed faintly, and even if you touch it, the help screen will not be shifted to the detailed classification screen 15.

FIG. 7 shows the data structure of each item of classification data of major classification, medium classification, minor classification, and detailed classification stored in the ROM 2 for each classification. It is now possible to determine whether it is impossible to carry out. The details are shown below.

[0024] In FIG. 7, "Number of items" in ■ is a column showing how many conditions there are to indicate whether or not it is executable. If there is one condition, the number of items = 01h as shown in FIG.
becomes. In addition, the condition is stored in the column ■.
The address of AM3 is shown. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the contents of the RAM 3 at address (XXXX) are followed for each applicable item. Here, if it is executable, all RAM3 addresses corresponding to the number of items are "00h" indicating that it is not executable.
”. Also, “number of items” = 00h
indicates that the condition indicating whether it is executable is 0, that is, it is unconditionally executable.

Incidentally, FIG. 8 shows the classification data in the ROM 2 when "2. Print" is selected on the major classification screen 12, and the execution conditions in this case are determined by whether or not a printer is connected. Therefore, the "number of items" in ■ becomes 01h. If a printer is connected, the address of the RAM 3 where information indicating that the printer is connected is stored (written) is shown in the column ``■''.

Information indicating whether the printer is connected or disconnected is written to the corresponding address as follows. That is, when the power of this apparatus is turned on, the CPU 1 checks the connection state of the printer, and if it confirms that it is connected, writes information "01h" indicating the connection state of the printer to the corresponding address in the RAM 3. On the other hand, if it is confirmed that the printer is not connected, information "00h" is written.

RAM 3 for writing such information
256 bits are reserved for each classification data, and in this example, the "number of items" is FFh (255).
, it means a message. That is, when "number of items"=FFh, the message "Please select a transfer device" shown in FIG. 4, for example, is displayed on the help screen. According to such an embodiment, there is an advantage that the messages can be made richer and the operation contents can be made easier to understand.

[0028]

According to the present invention, the operable contents and the unexecutable operation contents are displayed in a distinguished state on the help screen, so that the operability can be improved.
Less likely to cause incorrect operation. Therefore, usability can be improved.

[0029] In particular, the information terminal according to claim 2 has the advantage that the displayed operation details can be executed quickly and reliably.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of an electronic notebook of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the data structure of a help screen.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of a major classification screen.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a medium classification screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of a small classification screen.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of a detailed classification screen.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the data structure of each item of classification data in the ROM.

8 is a diagram showing a specific example of the data structure of FIG. 7. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CPU 2 ROM 3 RAM 4 I/O section 5 Keyboard 6 Display section 7 Display memory 8 Touch panel 9 Control circuit 10 A/D converter 11 System bus 12 Main classification screen 13 Middle classification screen 14. Minor classification screen 15 Detailed classification screen

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: In an information terminal in which a help screen that guides key operations is displayed on a display section when a help key is operated, executable and unexecutable operations are identified and displayed on the help screen. information terminal. 2. The information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein when the user touches an executable operation content display section of the help screen or turns on a corresponding key on a key operation section, the selected operation content is executed.