JPH063575B2 - Icon menu control device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer apparatus that displays and selects functions by using icons, and when one icon is selected, the icon display changes to a plurality of selection items. The present invention relates to an icon menu control device that performs a menu selection control operation of a multifunctional icon capable of selecting any of the selected selection items at high speed by operating a switch attached to a pointing device.

Prior Art FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a conventional computer system, where 1 is an AL
U., 2 is memory, 3 is display memory, 4 is CRT device, 5
Is a display control device for generating a video signal from the contents of the display memory 3 and displaying it on the CRT device 4, 6 is a pointing device management device for controlling a pointing device to manage data input, and 7 is an ALU 1, a memory 2, and a display control device. 5, a control device for controlling the movement of the pointing device management device 6.

The operation of the icon control of the conventional computer device configured as described above will be described below.

First, the control device 7 sends the display data of the icon to be displayed from the memory 2 to the display memory 3, and the display control device 5
To display an icon on the CRT device 4. At the same time, the position of the icon display area displayed on the display memory 3 is stored. In many cases, the number of displayed icons is plural.

Next, the control device 7 inputs from the pointing device management device 6 the position of the cursor on the CRT device 4 that moves according to the movement of the pointing device when the switch attached to the pointing device is pressed.

Then, if the position of the input cursor is within the icon display area of any of the initially stored icons, the menu item corresponding to the icon is displayed on the icon.

Next, the control device 7 controls the pointing device management device 6
The position of the switch attached to the pointing device on the displayed menu item is detected by using, and the function of the menu item corresponding to the position is executed.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above configuration, when selecting an item of a menu displayed by selecting an icon, move the cursor linked to the pointing device on the menu item to the position above the item to be selected. Since the selection is made by using the switch attached to the pointing device, the operation of the cursor movement process takes a long time.

Further, since the icon menu selection processing involves an operation of moving a cursor on a menu item using a pointing device, there is a problem that the operation is complicated and high-speed selection processing cannot be performed.

In view of such a point, the present invention changes the icon display to a plurality of selection items when one icon is selected, and an icon selection of a multi-function icon capable of selecting an arbitrary item among the displayed selection items. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an icon menu control device capable of performing a selection operation of a menu item displayed by the operation of a switch attached to a pointing device at high speed and easily.

Means for Solving Problems The present invention provides a pointing device control device for managing information from a pointing device, a function of each icon, a position on the screen, an icon shape, and a menu displayed when the icon is selected. An icon data management device for storing and managing data, an icon display management device for displaying the icon on the screen and displaying the contents of menu data at the position of the icon when the icon is selected, and particularly a switch from the pointing device management device. Switch operation device with pointing device that generates information for menu selection using information related to operation of the device, control device of pointing device, icon data management device, icon display management device, and switch analysis device with pointing device It is an icon menu control device provided with an icon control device for managing a menu selection operation.

Operation According to the present invention, when the icon menu control device obtains information (including position information) that the switch attached to the pointing device is pressed from the pointing device control device, the corresponding icon is displayed by using the icon data management device. If it exists, the icon data management device is used to display the menu of the icon.

Next, the icon menu control device selects the item of the menu from the switch operation using the switch analysis device attached to the pointing device, so that there is no movement operation of the pointing device for menu selection, so that the menu selection can be performed at high speed. You can take action.

First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a multi-function icon controller according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 8 is A. L. U. , 9 is a memory, 10 is a display memory, 11 is a CRT device, 12 is a display control device which causes the CRT device 11 to generate a video signal from the contents of the display memory 10, and 13
Is a pointing device management device that controls the pointing device and manages input of data, and 14 is a function of each icon, position of screen force, icon shape information,
The icon data management device that manages the menu data displayed when the number of menus / icons is selected, 15 uses the icon data managed by the icon data management device, displays the icon on the screen, and the icon is selected. At this time, an icon display management device for displaying the contents of the menu data at the position of the icon, 16 is a pointing device attached switch analysis device for extracting information on the operation of the switch from the pointing device management device 13 and creating information for selecting a menu item, 17 Is an icon control device that controls the pointing device management device 13, the icon data management device 14, the icon display management device 15, and the pointing device attached switch analysis device 16 to control the icon selection operation and the menu selection operation.
The control device controls the LU 8, the display control device 12, and the icon control device 17.

The operation of the multi-function icon control device of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below.

First, it is assumed that the data of each icon is initialized in the icon data management device 14 as shown in FIG. The icon data is the icon function identifier 19 indicating the function of the icon, the position information 2 of the icon on the screen.
It is assumed that the data is stored in the form of 0, the shape information 21 of the icon, the number of menus 22 the icon has, and the menu data 23 that is the contents of the menu, and the data continues for each icon.

Further, the cursor moves on the CRT device 11 according to the movement of the pointing device, and the pointing device has two or more switches (main switch and sub switch).

In the present embodiment, the selection of the menu item is determined by the number of times the sub switch attached to the pointing device is pressed after the icon is selected using the main switch, and the main switch is pressed again to end the selection process. It shall be pushed.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 (a) on the CRT device 11,
It is assumed that an icon is displayed, and the operation of each function when the cursor is placed on this icon and the menu selecting operation is performed will be described.

The actual operation will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 and 5.

First, at 24, the icon control device 17 gives a command to the pointing device management device 13 to input the state of the switch attached to the pointing device (information on whether the switch is pressed, the current cursor position, the switch number, etc.). If the main switch is pressed, the following 25 processes are performed. If the main switch is not pressed, the processing of 24 is repeated.

In 25, the icon control device 17 instructs the icon data management device 14 of the switch states obtained in 24.
If the position of the cursor when the main switch is pressed corresponds to the position information of the icon registered in the icon data management device 14 is given, and a command confirms the existence, a 26 command is issued. The process moves to the process, and if it does not exist, the process returns to 24.

At 26, the icon control device 17 instructs the icon display management device 15 to display the menu data of the icon designated at 25. In this case, the screen display changes as shown in FIG.

In 27, the icon control device 17 requests data for selecting a menu item from the pointing device attached switch analysis device 16 and indicates the number of times the sub switch transmitted from the pointing device attached switch analysis device 16 is pressed. The data is used to determine the selected menu item.

At 28, the icon controller 17 controls the selected icon and its selected menu item by the controller 18
And waits until the function is executed and ends, and when the function ends, moves to 24.

The operation of the pointing device-attached switch analysis device 16 at 27 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, when the menu item selection data is requested from the icon control device 17, the counter in the pointing device attached switch analysis device 16 is initialized at 29. (Set 0.) Next, in step 30, the state of the switch is input using the pointing device management device 13, and if the switch is pressed, the process proceeds to step 31. If not, the process in step 30 is continued.

The state of the switch is checked at 31 and if the sub switch is pressed, the process proceeds to 32. If it is not the sub switch, the process proceeds to 33.

At 32, it is confirmed that the sub switch is released by using the pointing device management device 13, and the counter is set to 1
Add values. Then, the control is returned to 30.

At 33, the contents of the counter are transferred to the icon control device 17 as information for selecting a menu item (the number of times the sub switch is pressed), and the operation of the pointing device attached switch analysis device is ended.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the pointing device control device that manages the information from the pointing device, the function of each icon, the position on the screen, the shape of the icon, the menu displayed when the icon is selected An icon for managing data stored in the data management device, an icon display management device for displaying the icon on the screen and displaying the contents of the menu data at the position of the icon when the icon is selected, and especially for the switch from the pointing device management device. Controls the switch for pointing device attachment, which generates information for menu selection by using information related to operation, and the pointing device management device, icon data management device, icon display management device, and pointing device attached switch analysis device to control icon selection operation and menus. By providing an icon controller for managing the selection operation, it is possible to perform the menu selection operation at high speed can make a selection of a menu item from the number of press sub-switch.

In the first embodiment, the selection of the menu item is the number of times the sub switch is pressed, but the selection information may be expressed by a combination of two types of codes, short pressing and long pressing.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the operation of the switch attached to the pointing device is used for menu selection, there is no movement of the pointing device, and the menu selection operation is performed quickly and easily. It is possible and its practical effect is great.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an icon menu control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a storage format of icon data managed by an icon data management device of the embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display screen in the same embodiment, FIGS. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing the operation of the embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a computer device using conventional icons. is there. 8 ... A. L. U. , 9 ... Memory, 10 ... Display memory, 11 ... CRT device, 12 ... Display control device, 13
...... Pointing device management device, 14 ...... Icon data management device, 15 ...... Icon display management device, 1
6 ... switch analysis device attached to pointing device,
17 ... Icon control device, 18 ... Control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pointing device management device that manages information from a pointing device, and icon data that stores and manages the function of each icon, the position on the screen, the shape of the icon, and the menu data displayed when the icon is selected. A management device, an icon display management device that displays the icon on the screen and displays the contents of the menu data at the position of the icon when the icon is selected, and a menu using the information about the operation of the switch from the pointing device management device. A pointing device attached switch analysis device that generates selection information, the pointing device management device, the icon data management device, the icon display management device, and the pointing device attached switch analysis device are controlled to perform icon selection operation and menu selection. Icon menu control apparatus characterized by comprising an icon controller for managing the operation.