JP2000003240A - Display method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To input the existing data via a key operation without occupying a display screen even in a monitoring state of the data by dividing the display screen into plural areas and assigning every area with no display, to a specific key. SOLUTION: A touch panel part 16 of a programmable terminal is divided with no display into plural areas, and a standard input key function of a personal computer is assigned to each of divided areas. Thus, a key input operation is possible with no display of a graphic screen of a standard input key nor display of a function key image. In such a constitution, a CPU 11 calculates the corresponding standard key of the personal computer via a conversion table and based on a touched screen position when an input operation is given to the part 16 by means of a user's finger, etc. Then the CPU 11 discriminates the type of the standard key of the personal computer at the relevant position and registers the standard key into a key buffer (DRAM 14). Thereafter, the key codes where the applications operating on the personal computer are registered are used.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display method and apparatus having a touch-type operation panel, and more particularly, to a display method and apparatus in which a position where a panel is pressed without being displayed is assigned to a specific key.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a display device having a touch-type operation panel, for example, a programmable terminal (PT), to perform an input operation, a CTRL or E-line is displayed on a screen.
A standard input key such as a personal computer called SC was displayed in a graphic form, and the operator pressed and operated the corresponding part.

[0003]

However, in the conventional apparatus as described above, while monitoring the existing screen,
To perform an input operation, a standard input key of a personal computer or the like is graphically displayed on the display screen currently being monitored.

Therefore, there is a problem in that the screen currently being monitored is blocked by the standard input keys displayed graphically, and the monitor screen is difficult to see when performing an input operation while looking at the screen being monitored.

In order to avoid this problem, a configuration is conceivable in which a function key displayed on a personal computer or the like is displayed as an image at the bottom line of the panel. However, such a configuration has a problem in that it is difficult to operate. Was.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a user-friendly display method and apparatus which allows an input operation without blocking the monitor screen even during monitoring.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as described above.

That is, the invention according to claim 1 is a display method in which a display screen can be used as a touch-type operation panel for key input, and the touch-type operation panel divides the display screen into a plurality of regions, Area is hidden and assigned to a specific key.

For this reason, the operation panel does not block the display screen being displayed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device capable of inputting a key by using a display screen as a touch-type operation panel, wherein the screen area of the display screen is divided into a plurality of areas; Means for allocating each area of the plurality of areas to each input key of the personal computer in a non-display manner,
Touch input to each of the divided areas is performed on the display screen in a non-display manner.

Therefore, the operation panel does not block the display screen being displayed.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the display method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which the display method and apparatus according to the present invention are applied to a programmable terminal (PT) having a ladder program monitoring function and the like.

In FIG. 1, a programmable terminal is connected to a bus 10 to control a whole operation of the apparatus, a CPU 11, a BIOS ROM 12 storing a control program of the apparatus, a touch panel section 16.
Memory 1 for storing image information and the like displayed on the
3. This device is a programmable controller (PLC)
Data obtained through communication with the touch panel 16
DR that stores the data input by pressing the button
The AM 14 and the touch panel section 16 on which image information and the like stored in the video memory 13 are displayed under the control of the VGA controller 15 and the touch panel section 16 which is not displayed and divided into a plurality of areas is pressed based on a pressing operation. A / D and serial converter 18 for A / D converting the input information and converting the input information into serial data.
And a serial controller 17 for sending the data to the server.

In this embodiment, the touch panel section 16 of the programmable terminal is divided into a plurality of non-display areas, and the functions of the standard input keys of the personal computer are assigned to the respective areas. It is configured so that key input can be performed without displaying a function key image.

This will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the touch panel section 16 of the programmable terminal is divided into twelve non-display areas as shown in FIG. Assign input key functions.

Thus, even if the touch panel unit 16 is currently a monitor screen, key input can be performed while watching the monitor screen without blocking the monitor screen.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the CPU 11 of FIG. 1 when a key input is made on the touch panel section 16.

In FIG. 4, when the program is started, input to the touch panel by the user's finger or the like is awaited (step 100). If there is no input to the touch panel unit 16 by the user's finger or the like (N in step 100).
O) The process of step 100 is repeated, but if there is an input to the touch panel unit 16 with the user's finger or the like (YES in step 100), the PC standard key corresponding to the touched screen position is calculated from the conversion table 50. (Step 102). The conversion table 50 is a conversion table between the personal computer standard key and the screen position, and is a table in which the personal computer standard key shown in FIG. 2 and the position information shown in FIG. 3 are stored in pairs.

Here, when the type of the personal computer standard key at that position is determined from the position on the touch panel input by the processing of step 102, the standard key is registered in the key buffer (DRAM 14) (step 10).
4).

Thereafter, the application running on the personal computer uses the key code registered in the key buffer (DRAM 14).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the screen of the programmable terminal is divided into twelve areas, and each area itself is provided with a key switch function, so that the display screen is closed even when the current data is being monitored. This has the effect of enabling key input without the need for key input.

In the above description, the case where the present invention assigns a standard key of a personal computer to a display device called a programmable terminal has been described. However, the present invention is also applicable to various display devices having an operation panel on a display unit. Of course, you can.

[0024]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display method capable of performing key input using a display screen as a touch-type operation panel, wherein the touch-type operation panel includes a plurality of display screens. Since the data is divided into regions and each region is assigned to a specific key in a non-display state, there is an effect that a key can be input without blocking the display screen even if the currently existing data is being monitored.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device capable of performing key input using a display screen as a touch-type operation panel, wherein: a means for dividing a screen area of the display screen into a plurality of areas; Means for assigning each area of the plurality of areas to each input key of the personal computer in a non-display manner, and the touch input to each of the divided areas is performed in a non-display manner from the display screen. Also, there is an effect that a key can be input without blocking the display screen even when the current data is being monitored.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an assignment configuration diagram when a specific function key is assigned to a touch panel unit of the display device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the position of each key on the screen when a specific function key is assigned to the touch panel of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of processing of the display device shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Bus 11 CPU 12 BIOS ROM 13 Video Memory 14 DRAM 15 Controller 16 Touch Panel 17 Serial Controller 18 A / D & Serial Converter

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A display method in which a display screen can be key-input as a touch-type operation panel, wherein the touch-type operation panel divides the display screen into a plurality of areas, and each area is not displayed and a specific area is not displayed. A display method characterized by being assigned to a key. 2. A display device capable of performing key input using a display screen as a touch-type operation panel, comprising: means for dividing a screen area of the display screen into a plurality of areas; A display device comprising: means for non-displaying and assigning to each input key of a personal computer; and touch input to each of the divided areas is performed on a display screen in a non-display manner.