JPS63229518A - Screen management method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the addition of applications as well as the change of the screen constitution by performing a series of processes via the message communication carried out between objects by means of a pointer. CONSTITUTION:There is no module controlling an entire screen, and the coordinates are analyzed by a cooperative action of patterns (objects serving as modules respectively) on a display. Each object has its own procedure as well as its own state and starts an application via the message communication carried out between objects. In such a case, the state of each object includes the pointers to its own coordinate position as well as to its related objects. In such a way, the state of the screen of each object is controlled by itself and therefore the screen constitution can be easily changed just with the local comprehension of the constitution.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] This invention relates to a screen management method for a terminal having a direct operation type man-machine interface, and enables easy addition and modification of applications by managing the screen state in a distributed manner. .

[Industrial application field]

The present invention utilizes a man-machine interface (MMI)
The present invention relates to a screen management method for a terminal device having the following.

In recent years, as information processing devices have become more sophisticated, research into the ease of use of information processing devices has become important. However, there is currently no solid basic theory regarding "ease of use," and a trial-and-error approach is being used.

One of the most promising approaches is direct manipulation (
direct mani-pulsion) man-machine interface. In such an environment, a user can direct a figure represented on a bitmap display using a pointing device (electronic pen, mouse, etc.) and receive rapid feedback at the same time, and can immediately determine what has happened based on changes in the screen. Can be done. In addition, the figures on the display are miniature versions of the real world and can be operated in the same way as real objects, so users can easily learn how to operate them.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the display. The whole of FIG. 2 is displayed on the CRT display of the terminal device, the right end is called an icon (ICON; similar symbol, picture command) box, and the rest are called windows. In this example, from the top, the icon box includes the following shapes: tool box TB, paint drawer PD, draft drawer DD, edit drawer ED, rush TR, and desk DS. In this example, the windows include a chart CH, a partial circle (graph) PC, and the like. IC0N B of this display
When a certain figure is touched with the pen, the coordinates of the touch point are analyzed, the application program runs, and predetermined processing such as opening a drawer is performed.

A problem with the software that constitutes such an operating method is that the coordinate analysis must also change in a complicated manner as the screen configuration changes in a complicated manner. In particular, when figures overlap in a complex manner, coordinate analysis becomes extremely complex. Furthermore, as programs become more complex, it becomes difficult to easily add and change screen configurations and applications. For this reason, a screen management system is desired that allows the screen configuration and additions and changes of applications to be easily made.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a conventional method of centrally managing screens. As shown in (middle), this is divided into a screen management section and an application execution section, and as shown in (a), the screen management section consists of a screen management table, a coordinate analysis section, and a screen change processing section. The screen management table allows each screen on the display (such as the toolbox mentioned above) to be
, Y coordinate, width, height, overlap, and the number of the application program (also simply referred to as application) for the screen.

When coordinates are input from a pointing device, the screen management section analyzes the coordinates and launches an application corresponding to the coordinates. When the screen configuration changes due to the application, the screen change processing section of the screen management section is activated to change the screen management table. For example, as shown in Figure 2, when an electronic pen is applied to the paint drawer PD, the pen produces an output, and from this output the X and Y coordinates of the point where the pen was in contact are determined, and from these X and Y coordinates, the paint drawer The application runs, the drawer opens, and three brushes appear as shown in Figure 3 (the screen configuration changes).

When you touch one of these three brushes with the electronic pen, the second
This means that the brush is specified instead of the paint drawer, but in order to do this, we changed the screen management table,
Change the correspondence between the coordinates of the pen touch point, the shape, and its application.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In this conventional method of centrally managing screens, when adding a new application, it is necessary to change two parts: the application section and the screen management section. Also, if you try to change the screen configuration or screen flow, you will have to change the screen management section and the application section at the same time.
Particularly when making large-scale changes, the changes will spread all over the place. Another problem is that changes or additions cannot be made without understanding the entire program of the screen management section and application section.

The present invention improves these points, adds applications,
The purpose is to make it possible to easily change the drawing configuration by local processing, even without knowing the entire program.

[Means for solving problems] FIG. 1 shows the software structure according to the present invention.

In the present invention, there is no module that manages the entire screen, but each figure (called an object) on the display.

The coordinates are analyzed by cooperating with each other (each of which is a module). Each object has its own state and its own procedure, and procedures (applications) are started by communicating messages between objects (same as the idea of object-oriented programming).
. Here, your state includes your own coordinate position and pointers to objects related to you.

[Effect]

For example, we only know that the display above is an object, which includes a window and an icon box. A window and an icon box are also each an object. Now, when you touch the paint drawer with a pen, the coordinates of the point of contact are given to the display, and the display gives this message to the window and icon box. The window analyzes the coordinates, finds out that they are irrelevant, and does nothing.

The icon box analyzes the coordinates and knows its identity, and then opens the toolbox, paint drawer, etc.
It knows that it contains ..., so it sends a message to these objects. The toolbox, paint drawer, etc. (these are also objects) will analyze the coordinates and determine whether it is you or not, and the toolbox will determine that it is not you and will do nothing, but The paint drawer recognizes itself and opens the drawer (processes it. When the drawer is opened, the paint drawer changes its internal state to the state that the drawer is open, and displays itself in the icon box above. Notify that the display is overlapping.

In this state, if you touch one of the brushes, for example, the thick brush on the right end, it will be notified on the display, and from the display it will be notified on the icon box, and in the icon box, it will be on top of the open drawer. If the objects overlap like this, the message will be notified to the one above it, so the message will be notified to the open drawer (also an object), and each army (also an object) will be notified of the message in the open drawer (this is also an object). ) analyzes the coordinates and learns that the rightmost brush itself was touched by the pen in this example.

In this way, in the present invention, each object manages its own screen state, so you can easily change the screen configuration by understanding a local area without understanding the entire program. can.

〔Example〕

The flow of control is shown below based on the example in Figure 2.Before that, we will explain the meanings of the shapes in the icon box from top to bottom. The performed operation will be undone. Next 2
The two are large and small erasers, and if you touch one of them, it will glow, and the others will not glow.)
Then, when you stroke a figure on the window with the pen, the stroked part is erased. The width of the erase line is equal to the width of the eraser. The next four are lead workers, and when you touch one of them and then move the pen across the window, the thin solid line, dotted line, semi-thick solid line, and thick solid line shown in the figure appear in its wake.

The next P^INT is a paint drawer, and when you touch it, the drawer opens, and as shown in Figure 3, 3 brushes, 1
Rollers (bainer Σ, and palettes) appear.The rPAINTJ area in Figure 2 is not enough to display these, so they extend beyond rDRAFTJ, etc., and r
The letters and figures such as DRAFT J disappear. rDRAF
When you touch TJ, a compass, ruler, etc. (not shown) will appear.

The following r EDITJ is an editor that moves the figure on the window to another position, and formats it. English sentences are organized,
There are other functions. Next is the trash can, and if you touch it, all the shapes on the window will disappear. Finally at the desk,
It shows a state where there is paper on the desk, and if you touch the paper in this state, the paper will be stored on the desk (the window shape will be stored in memory), and if you touch the paper while it is on the desk, the paper will spread out on the desk again. (the shape is displayed in the window).

Now, as shown in Figure 2, ■Place the electronic pen in the paint drawer
If D is touched, the TOUCH message is transmitted to the object DISPLAY. The TOUCH message is accompanied by X and Y coordinates as parameters.

■The object DISPLAY is the object WINDO- on the left side of the screen and the object IC0NBOX on the screen.
It has a pointer to each TOUC similar to ■.
Send H message.

■WINDOW4, receive the TOUCH message and judge whether it is in your own coordinate area or not. Since it's not within my coordinate area, I end up doing nothing.

■IC0NBOX receives the TOUCH message and determines whether it is within its own coordinate area. Since it is within your own coordinate area, the TOOLBOX that makes up IC0NBOX
, PAINT DRAWER, DRAFT DRA ridge R
, EDIT DRAWER, TRASH, and DESK
Sends a TO[lCH message to.

(2) TOOLBOX-DESK determines whether it is within its own coordinate area based on the parameters of the received TOUCH message. I can't do anything because it's not in my area.

■PAINT DRAWER is TOUCII) 7
S';L': ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,determine whether or not it is within the,coordinate area, and, since it is within the own coordinate area, give 0PE to,itself,
Send N's message.

■PAINT DRAWER receives the 0PEN message and opens (processes) the picture in the drawer. Figure 3 shows this drawer in an open state.
Since it is displayed overlapping on 0NBOX, IC0NBOX
Send a PUTON message to. The parameter is a pointer to itself. After opening the drawer, change your coordinate area to the value when it was opened, and change the contents (3 BRUS) l, PAINTER
.

PALLET), send the message APPEAR.

■IC0NBOX receives the PUTON message, holds its parameters, and has the relationship of being on top (displayed overlappingly).

■BRUSH, PAINTER, PALLET are ^PP
Receive the EAR message and display yourself on the screen.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 3, when you bend touch the paint, the TOυCO message is transmitted to DISPLAY by the bend touch.

Same as ■■ @ Same as ■ @ IC0NBOX receives TOUCH menu 7 (F-ji) and determines whether it is within its own coordinate area.It determines that it is within its own area, but it is above Because there is something (
■), in response to which TOUCI (sends a message and waits for a reply).

[Phase] PAINT DRAWER is TOUC of reply interception
Upon receiving an H message, it is determined whether it is within its own coordinate area. Since it is within its own area, it returns an ACK (affirmative) response and sends a TOUCH message to what is inside the PAINT DRAWER.

@ IC0NBOX returns an ACK response (if NA
If the CK is returned, TOOLBOX, DRAF
TDR7V[! Send TOUCH message to R...).

[Phase] TOUCH for 3 BRUSH and PALLET
A message comes, but since it's not in my area, I don't do anything.

■The TOUCH message arrives at Painter, and since it is within his area, Painter interprets it as being touched and lights up himself.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the pen touches column B of the table CH while the pen is leaning. As a result, the same processing as above is performed, and the window becomes as shown in FIG. That is, column B is hatched with a vertical line. Although omitted above, once you touch the painter and make it shine, next touch the desired one on the palette (in this example, the vertical line pattern at the top), and then press B.
Bentouch the column. As shown in the figure, there are many types of hatches, such as diagonal lines, horizontal lines, mesh lines, and dots, and you can select any of these with a touch.

Next, as shown in Figure 5, touch the PAINT, the paint drawer will close as shown in Figure 6, and the IC0NB
OX returns to its initial state.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the software structure of the present invention. Although this figure only shows the details of the paint drawer among the lower-level objects, the same applies to the pond object. The present invention is characterized by the layering of objects, and the figure shows an image of this.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, since the screens are managed in a distributed manner, changes and additions to the program can be made locally and can be easily made without understanding the entire program.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the software structure of the present invention. FIGS. 2 to 6 are explanatory diagrams showing the flow of control in the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the software structure of the present invention. , FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional centralized management type screen management system.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Various figures are displayed on a display (DISPLAY), and one of the figures is displayed using a pointing device (PEN).
In the screen management system of a terminal device, in which the application program corresponding to the figure is started and the corresponding processing is performed by instructing one of the figures, the various figures that appear on the display are treated as objects, and each object is assigned its own coordinate position. A screen management method characterized in that an object has an internal state including a pointer to another object and its own procedure, and a series of processing is performed by message communication between objects using the pointer.