JP2008059465A - Operation menu controller and control program, recording medium stored with operation menu control program, and operation menu control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an operation menu controller capable of improving the operability of a system. <P>SOLUTION: The operation menu controller 1000 includes: an operating part 10 with which a user selects choices; an operation menu information part 1 for storing a plurality of operation menus; an execution frequency information part 2 for storing a first operation instruction and second operation instruction among operation instructions successively executed after the first operation instruction by the system while the first operation instruction is associated with the second operation instruction; an operation instruction specifying part 3 for specifying an operation instruction to be executed after the first operation instruction among the second operation instructions as a predictive operation instruction on the basis of a frequency that the second operation instructions are executed; an operation menu creating part 4 for creating a second operation menu obtained by adding information of the specified operation instruction to a first operation menu; and an operation menu presenting part 5 for giving the second operation menu created by the operation menu creating means to a display device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for improving the operability of a system.

  There is an operation method in which a user performs a desired operation by performing a plurality of operations on an electronic device in succession. In general, the above-described operation method using a so-called hierarchical menu structure is often used for a system including an interface employing a GUI (Graphical User Interface).

  An operation menu in a certain hierarchy is an item for instructing an operation to the system (hereinafter referred to as “operation instruction”) or an item for instructing to display an operation menu in an adjacent hierarchy (hereinafter referred to as “display transition instruction”). It consists of options associated with.

  In the case of performing operations in a continuous manner in such a system, after the user designates the first option in the first operation menu in a certain hierarchy and the system performs the first operation instruction, the second in another hierarchy is performed. Consider a case where the second operation instruction is executed by specifying the second option in the operation menu. In such a case, the burden on the user is reduced if the time required to specify the logical distance and options between the hierarchy to which the first operation menu belongs and the hierarchy to which the second operation menu belongs is reduced. The For this reason, it is desirable to construct an optimum menu hierarchy while assuming various operation patterns performed by the user.

  As a method for constructing an optimal menu hierarchy, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of displaying an option indicating an operation that is frequently performed continuously with the immediately preceding operation in a place where it is easier to select.

Patent Document 2 discloses a method in which a plurality of operation instructions are associated with one option. In this method, it is detected that a specific operation instruction sequence is frequently repeatedly selected, and the operation instruction sequence is additionally registered as an item of the personal menu.
JP-A-3-191413 JP-A-2005-229310

  However, according to the menu display method described in Patent Document 1, when performing an operation having a low relevance to the operation performed immediately before, or performing an operation with a low execution frequency even though there is a relevance, There is a possibility that the menu configuration is changed from the time when the same operation is performed, and the physical display position of the options is changed. Thereby, the user must watch the menu display each time. In particular, in a device having a display device with a relatively small area, such as a mobile phone, the convenience may be impaired. In addition, there is a problem that consideration is not given when the device fails to execute the operation instruction specified immediately before or when an operation result unexpected by the user is obtained.

  Further, according to the method described in Patent Document 2, it is possible to sequentially execute the operation instruction sequence with only one user operation, but in the first place, the user recognizes that the operation instruction sequence has been additionally registered. If not memorized, the effect of this method cannot be obtained. In addition, there is a problem that consideration is not made when the device fails to execute the operation or when an operation result unexpected to the user is obtained in the operation instruction sequence that is automatically executed sequentially.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an operation menu control device that improves the operability of the system.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation menu control apparatus that controls processing for a hierarchical operation menu including options associated with a command for a system, wherein the command is a first operation menu in the operation menu. Including an operation instruction given to the system by an option included in the menu, an operation unit for the user to select an option, an operation menu information storage unit for storing a plurality of operation menus, a first operation instruction, Based on the frequency of execution frequency accumulating means for associating and storing the second operation instruction among the operation instructions subsequently executed by the system after the operation instruction of 1, and the frequency of execution of the second operation instruction, An operation instruction specifying means for specifying, as a predicted operation instruction, an operation instruction to be executed next to the first operation instruction from among the second operation instructions; The first operation menu, and an operation menu creation means for creating a second operation menu plus information for that operation instruction.

  Preferably, the operation menu information storage means is configured such that when the user selects an option, the operation menu in a hierarchy logically adjacent to the hierarchy of the operation menu including the option is displayed on the display device of the system. The execution frequency accumulating means is an operation performed by the system following the first operation instruction and the operation menu displayed on the display device at least once after the first operation instruction. Operation menu presenting means for storing a second operation instruction among the instructions in association with each other and providing the display device with the second operation menu created by the operation menu creating means is further provided.

  Preferably, the operation instruction specifying unit specifies, as the predicted operation instruction, a third operation instruction that is executed most frequently after the first operation instruction among the second operation instructions.

  Preferably, the operation menu presenting means gives the second operation menu to the display device in response to the determination that the first operation instruction has been normally performed.

  Preferably, the operation instruction specifying unit specifies the fourth operation instruction that is executed most frequently before the first operation instruction as the predicted operation instruction.

  Preferably, the operation menu presenting means gives the second operation menu to the display device in response to the determination that the first operation instruction has not been normally executed.

  Preferably, the operation instruction specifying means is a third operation instruction that is executed most frequently after the first operation instruction, and a fourth operation that is executed most frequently before the first operation instruction. The instruction is specified as the predicted operation instruction.

  Preferably, the operation menu presenting unit gives the second operation menu to the display device only immediately after the execution of the first operation instruction.

  Preferably, the operation menu presenting means is a moving cost required for the user to operate the operation means to display a third operation menu including options associated with the predicted operation instruction from the first operation menu on the display device. Is determined to be greater than or equal to the first predetermined value, the first operation menu is given to the display device.

  Preferably, the operation menu presenting means gives the second operation menu to the display device in response to determining that the execution frequency is equal to or higher than the second predetermined value.

  Preferably, the operation menu presenting means is a moving cost required for the user to operate the operation means to display a third operation menu including options associated with the predicted operation instruction from the first operation menu on the display device. In response to the determination that the operation menu coefficient calculated based on the execution frequency is greater than or equal to the third predetermined value, the second operation menu is given to the display device.

  Preferably, the execution frequency storage means has a time difference between the first operation instruction and the fifth operation instruction executed after the first operation instruction within a fourth predetermined value. In response to the determination, the fifth operation instruction is stored as the second operation instruction.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation menu control program for causing a computer having a calculation unit and a storage unit to execute processing control for a hierarchical operation menu including options associated with commands to the system. The command includes an operation instruction given to the system by an option included in the first operation menu of the operation menu, the storage unit stores a plurality of operation menus, and the calculation unit selects the option selected by the user. The step of accepting and the step of the calculation unit associating and writing the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction among the operation instructions subsequently executed by the system to the storage unit after the first operation instruction. And the computing unit selects the second operation instruction next to the first operation instruction based on the frequency of execution of the second operation instruction. Comprising identifying an operation instruction to be applied as a prediction operation instruction, the arithmetic unit, the first operation menu, and creating a second operation menu plus information for that operation instruction.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable recording medium storing the operation menu control program is provided.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation menu control method for causing a computer having a calculation unit and a storage unit to execute processing control on a hierarchical operation menu including options associated with commands to the system. The command includes an operation instruction given to the system by an option included in the first operation menu in the operation menu, stores a plurality of operation menus, accepts an option selected by the user, A step of storing the first operation instruction in association with the second operation instruction subsequently executed by the system after the first operation instruction, and a frequency at which the second operation instruction is executed. Based on the second operation instruction, the operation instruction to be executed next to the first operation instruction is specified as the predicted operation instruction. A step that, in the first operation menu, and a step of creating a second operation menu plus information for that operation instruction.

  According to the present invention, the operability of the system can be improved. Thereby, a user's convenience can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

  Prior to the description of the embodiments, the outline of the present invention will be described. The present invention is used in a system having an interface adopting a GUI. In the present embodiment, the “system” means a software or hardware operation for realizing a user-desired result. The user displays an operation menu including one or a plurality of options on a display device included in the system, and instructs a desired operation to the system by selecting an appropriate option therefrom.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hierarchical menu structure.
With reference to FIG. 1, the operation of the system using the hierarchical menu method will be described.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the hierarchical menu includes a menu hierarchy 100 that is a main hierarchy and menu hierarchies 110, 111, and 120 that are subordinate hierarchies.

  Each menu layer displays an item for instructing an operation to the system (hereinafter referred to as “operation instruction”) and a menu layer logically adjacent to the currently displayed menu layer on the display means of the system. And an option associated with the item to be instructed (hereinafter referred to as “hierarchy movement instruction”).

  The system operation may refer to, for example, an operation of a single application started on the system, or may refer to an operation performed by controlling hardware by an application.

  In FIG. 1, in the menu hierarchy 100, options A and B are associated with the hierarchy movement instruction, and option C is associated with the operation instruction C. When the user selects option A, the menu hierarchy 110 is displayed on the display device of the system. Similarly, when option B is selected, a menu hierarchy 120 is displayed. When the option C is selected, the system executes the operation instruction C.

  Generally, it is displayed on the same screen to prevent the user from being confused by presenting a large number of options at once and due to physical restrictions on the display screen (for example, display area and display resolution). There are certain restrictions on the number of possible options. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 1, a hierarchical menu in which the structure is hierarchized by classifying the options for each operation type is often used.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of a system using a conventional menu display method.
A conventional menu display method will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the following description, it is assumed that after an operation instruction for the system is executed, a menu hierarchy including options associated with the executed operation instruction is presented to the user again.

  First, the system displays the menu hierarchy 100 as the main hierarchy on the display device (step S20). Here, when the user selects option C, the system executes an operation instruction C (step S21). After executing the operation instruction C, the menu hierarchy 100 is displayed again (step S22). Next, the user selects the options A, D, and K according to the displayed menu hierarchy 100 (step S23), menu hierarchy 110 (step S24), and menu hierarchy 111 (step S25) in order to cause the device to execute the operation instruction K. select. Since the option K is selected, the system executes the operation instruction K (step S25) and displays the menu hierarchy 111 again (step S26).

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the hierarchical menu structure, since options including operation instructions to the system are hierarchized, the menu hierarchy currently presented is associated with the operation instruction that the user wants the system to execute next. In some cases, such as when the menu hierarchy containing the selected option is logically separated, the travel cost until the user selects the desired option may increase. Here, the “movement cost” indicates a cost required until a desired option is selected from the currently displayed menu hierarchy. Specifically, depending on the characteristics of the system, the type and form of the input device, the display area of the display device, etc., numerical values such as the time required for operation, the number of choices, the number of user operations, etc., can be absolute or relative Can be identified.

  In general, in the operation instruction sequence that is frequently executed, if the cost of moving to the next operation instruction is large, the user's convenience is reduced, and satisfaction with the device or system is satisfied regardless of the original function evaluation of the device. It can also result in reduced degrees. For this reason, it is desirable for the operation instruction sequence that is frequently executed that the movement cost between options associated with the operation instructions executed before and after is as low as possible.

  For example, in FIG. 2, when the operation instruction K is frequently executed after the operation instruction C, the menu hierarchy 100 (step S22) after the operation instruction C is executed is associated with the operation instruction K. It is desirable that option K is included. Thus, when the user wants to execute the operation instruction K after the operation instruction C is executed, the user can select the option K without displaying the menu layers 110 and 111 on the display device.

  The present invention predicts an operation instruction to be executed next to a certain operation instruction in the operation instruction sequence that is frequently executed as described above, and displays options related to the predicted operation instruction on the displayed menu. It is related with the technique which improves the operativity with respect to an apparatus by including. In the following description, the operation menu refers to each of the menu layers described above.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the operation menu control apparatus 1000 according to the first embodiment.

A configuration example of the operation menu control apparatus 1000 will be described with reference to FIG.
The operation menu control device 1000 includes a computer main body 31, a display device 32 such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an FD drive 33 to which an FD (Flexible Disk) 34 is mounted, a keyboard 35, A mouse 36, an optical disk drive 37 in which a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory) 38 is mounted, and a communication interface 39.

  A program for controlling the operation menu (hereinafter simply referred to as an operation menu control program) is supplied by a storage medium such as the FD 34 or the CD-ROM 38. When the operation menu control program is executed by the computer main body 31, the operation menu is controlled. The operation menu control program may be supplied to the computer main body 31 from another computer via the communication interface 39.

  The computer main body 31 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 40, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 41, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 42, and a hard disk 43. The CPU 40 performs processing while inputting / outputting data to / from the display device 32, the FD drive 33, the keyboard 35, the mouse 36, the optical disk drive 37, the communication interface 39, the ROM 41, the RAM 42, or the hard disk 43. The operation menu control program recorded on the FD 34 or the CD-ROM 38 is stored in the hard disk 43 by the CPU 40 via the FD drive 33 or the optical disk drive 37. The CPU 40 loads the operation menu control program from the hard disk 43 as appropriate to the RAM 42 and executes it, thereby controlling the operation menu described above.

  The computer hardware itself and its operating principle shown in FIG. 3 are general. Therefore, an essential part for realizing the functions of the present invention is software stored in a recording medium such as the FD 34, the CD-ROM 38, and the hard disk 43.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the CPU 40 of the operation menu control apparatus 1000.

  The functional configuration of the CPU 40 of the operation menu control apparatus 1000 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The CPU 40 includes an operation instruction specifying unit 3, an operation menu creating unit 4, and an operation menu presenting unit 5. Each component will be described later.

  The hard disk 43 includes implementation frequency information 2 and menu information 1. Each component will be described later.

  The operation unit 10 includes a keyboard 35 and a mouse 36, a pointing device such as a tablet and a joystick, and a touch sensor type input device integrated with the display device 32. The option C1 selected by the user via the operation unit 10 is given to the execution frequency information 2, the operation instruction specifying unit 3, the operation menu presenting unit 5, and the main function unit 14.

  The display unit 12 includes a display device connected via the communication interface 39 in addition to the display device 32. Based on the operation menu information M3 given from the operation menu presentation unit 5, an operation menu screen is generated and displayed.

  The main function unit 14 controls the device to execute an operation instruction associated with the option C1.

  The menu information 1 stores various information including options constituting the operation menu. The operation menu is stored in a hierarchically arranged and optimized state assuming various operation patterns performed by the user. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the hierarchical menu shown in FIG. 1 is stored. The entity of the menu information may be described in a markup language such as XML (eXtensible Markup Language) or may be defined as simple fixed data. In addition, information such as character fonts, images, and voices for configuring the operation menu may be included.

  The execution frequency information 2 regards an operation instruction associated with an option selected by the user so far as an operation instruction sequence, and accumulates at least the frequency of the operation instruction to be executed next to a certain operation instruction for each operation instruction.

  For example, if there are 10 types of operation instructions in total, there are 10 square types, that is, 100 types of operation instruction sequences, which are two operation instructions executed in succession. The execution frequency information 2 includes a procedure for storing the frequency executed for each of these 100 types, a procedure for updating the execution frequency of the designated operation instruction sequence, and a procedure for recognizing the operation instruction sequence, so that the execution frequency described above is obtained. Accumulate. Specifically, a 10 × 10 table (array) is prepared, each element in the array is assigned to each operation instruction sequence, and a numerical value is stored in each element to recognize the operation instruction sequence. A method of adding numerical values (frequency) of corresponding elements every time can be used.

  The execution frequency information 2 may be set in advance so as to store and store two operation instructions that are executed continuously within a predetermined time as an operation instruction sequence.

  The operation instruction specifying unit 3 is executed next to the first operation instruction D1 from the execution frequency information 2 when the option C1 given from the operation unit 10 is associated with the first operation instruction D1. The second operation instruction D2 having the highest frequency is specified as the predicted operation instruction. The operation instruction to be specified is not limited to the operation instruction with the highest frequency, and may be freely set by the user, for example, from the highest frequency to the third.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the operation instruction specifying unit 3.
With reference to FIG. 5, the process of the operation instruction specifying unit 3 will be described.

  First, in step S500, the operation instruction specifying unit 3 receives the first operation instruction D1 from the operation unit 10.

  In step S <b> 502, the operation instruction specifying unit 3 specifies an operation instruction that is executed next frequently based on the execution frequency information 2.

  In step S <b> 504, the operation instruction specifying unit 3 notifies the operation menu creating unit 4 of the second operation instruction that is the specified result.

The operation instruction specifying unit 3 performs the above processing.
The operation menu creation unit 4 receives first operation menu information M1 which is information of an operation menu to be displayed on the display unit 12 after the option C1 is selected from the menu information 1. Further, second operation menu information M2 including an element corresponding to the second operation instruction specified by the operation instruction specifying unit 3 in the operation menu information M1 is created. The element corresponding to the second operation instruction is an option associated with the operation instruction including processing such as activation of an application that is required in advance for the system to execute the second operation instruction. That is. As described above, when the operation menu information is described in the markup language, the second operation menu information is obtained by adding an element corresponding to the operation instruction specified from the operation instruction specifying unit 3 by an appropriate procedure. M2 can be created. For example, when the menu information is described in an XML language, it can be realized by a process of adding an element corresponding to an operation instruction using a general XML parser.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the operation menu creation unit 4.
With reference to FIG. 6, the process of the operation menu preparation part 4 is demonstrated.

  First, in step S600, the operation menu creation unit 4 receives the first operation menu information M1 from the second operation instruction and menu information 1 specified by the operation instruction specifying unit 3.

  In step S602, an element corresponding to the second operation instruction is added to the first operation menu information M1.

  In step S604, the result created in step S602 is notified to the operation menu presenting unit 5 as second operation menu information.

The operation menu creation unit 4 performs the above processing.
The operation menu presenting unit 5 receives the first operation menu information M1 from the menu information 1 and the second operation menu information M2 from the operation menu creation unit 4 based on the option C1 given from the operation unit 10. In the present embodiment, when the option C1 is associated with the operation instruction D1, an element corresponding to the operation instruction specified by the operation instruction specifying unit 3 as the operation instruction to be executed next to the operation instruction D1 is added. Second operation menu information M2 is given to the display unit 12 as operation menu information M3.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the operation menu presentation unit 5.
With reference to FIG. 7, the process of the operation menu presentation part 5 is demonstrated.

  First, in step S700, the operation menu presenting unit 5 receives the first operation menu M1 and the second operation menu M2 based on the option C1.

  In step S702, the operation menu presenting unit 5 determines whether the operation menu displayed on the display unit 12 is the operation menu after the operation is performed.

  If it is determined that the operation menu is after the operation has been performed (YES in step S702), second operation menu information M2 is notified to display unit 12 (step S704).

  If it is determined that this is not the case (NO in step S702), first operation menu information M1 is notified to display unit 12 (step S706).

The operation menu presenting unit 5 performs the above processing.
Processing performed by the operation menu control apparatus 1000 configured as described above will be described.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing processing performed by the operation menu control apparatus 1000.
With reference to FIG. 8, a process performed by operation menu control apparatus 1000 will be described.

  In step S800, the CPU 40 instructs the display device 32 to display an operation menu.

  In step S802, the CPU 40 determines whether the user has selected an operation menu option via the mouse 36 or the like.

  If it is determined that an option has been selected (YES in step S802), it is determined whether the option is associated with an operation instruction to the system (step S804).

  If it is determined that the option is not associated with the operation instruction (NO in step S804), CPU 40 obtains information on the operation menu to be displayed next according to the option selected by the user from hard disk 43 (step S816). ). Then, the display unit 32 is instructed to display the operation menu acquired in step S816 (step S818), and the process returns to step S802.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the option is associated with the operation instruction (YES in step S804), CPU 40 instructs the system to perform an operation corresponding to the operation instruction (step S806).

  In step S808, the CPU 40 acquires information on the operation menu to be displayed after the operation in step S806 is performed from the hard disk 43.

  In step S <b> 810, the CPU 40 specifies an operation instruction having the highest frequency executed next to the operation executed in step S <b> 806 from the execution frequency information stored in the hard disk 43.

  In step S812, the CPU 40 creates an operation menu by adding the element corresponding to the operation instruction specified in step S810 to the operation menu to be displayed next that has been set in advance.

  In step S814, the CPU 40 instructs the display device 32 to display the operation menu created in step S812, and the process returns to step S802.

  If CPU 40 determines in step S802 that no option has been selected (NO in step S802), CPU 40 determines whether or not an end condition is satisfied (step S820). For example, an end condition may be set such that the process ends when another button such as a cancel button is selected instead of an option. If it is determined that the end condition is satisfied (YES in step S820), the process ends. If it is determined that this is not the case (NO in step S820), the process returns to step S802.

  Next, specific processing of the operation menu control apparatus 1000 that performs the above processing will be described with an example.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of specific processing of the operation menu control apparatus 1000.
In the following, description will be made using the operation menu hierarchy shown in FIG. Further, the operation instruction H is an operation instruction that is most frequently executed after the operation instruction K.

  As shown in FIG. 9, at a certain point in time, the menu hierarchy 111 is displayed on the display device 32 (step S90).

  At this time, the user selects the option K via the mouse 36 or the like, and the system executes the operation instruction K (step S92).

  Further, the CPU 40 determines that the operation instruction H is the most frequently performed operation instruction after the operation instruction K (step S94).

  After determining in step S94, the menu hierarchy 111 to which the option H corresponding to the operation instruction H is added is displayed (step S96).

  As described above, the operation menu control apparatus 1000 displays the operation menu on the display device 32.

  Here, the operation menu control apparatus 1000 according to the present embodiment specifies the operation instruction with the highest frequency as the operation instruction to be executed after a certain operation instruction. In addition, the following operation instructions may be specified.

  The operation instruction specifying unit 3 specifies an operation instruction most frequently executed immediately before a certain operation instruction as an operation instruction to be executed next. For example, when there are 10 types of operation instructions in total, there are 10 types of operation instructions β that may have been executed immediately before the operation instruction K. The operation instruction specifying unit 3 extracts from the execution frequency information 2 the element having the largest numerical value (frequency) from among the elements corresponding to the operation instruction sequence of 10 types of operation instruction β → operation instruction K. It is possible to specify the instruction β.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of specific processing of the operation menu control apparatus 1000.
In the following, description will be made using the operation menu hierarchy shown in FIG. Further, the operation instruction I is an operation instruction that is most frequently performed immediately before the operation instruction K.

  As shown in FIG. 10, at a certain point, the menu hierarchy 111 is displayed on the display device 32 (step S100).

  At this time, the user selects the option K via the mouse 36 or the like, and the system executes the operation instruction K (step S102).

  Further, the CPU 40 determines that the operation instruction I is executed most frequently as the operation instruction immediately before the operation instruction K (step S104).

  Following the determination in step S104, the menu hierarchy 111 to which the option I corresponding to the operation instruction I is added is displayed (step S106).

  As described above, the operation menu control apparatus 1000 displays the operation menu on the display device 32.

  Further, based on the information accumulated in the execution frequency information 2, the operation instruction specifying unit 3 performs both the operation instruction executed most frequently after a certain operation instruction and the operation instruction executed frequently before. May be specified. Needless to say, it is obvious that both can be specified from the information of the same operation instruction history stored in the execution frequency information 2, without needing to be explained using a precedent. By using the same implementation frequency information, the necessary system resources can be minimized.

  As described above, the operation instruction specifying unit 3 specifies an operation instruction that is the operation that is performed next to or just before the operation instruction at a certain time, and the operation menu creating unit 4 By including an element corresponding to the operation instruction specified by the operation instruction specifying unit 3 in the operation menu, it is possible to reduce the movement cost between operation menus when an operation instruction sequence having a high execution frequency is executed. Thereby, it is possible to greatly contribute to the improvement of user convenience.

  In addition, the operation menu creation unit 4 has a moving cost from the menu layer displayed after the operation instruction given by the operation unit 10 to the menu layer including the operation instruction specified by the operation instruction specifying unit 3 in advance. Only when the set threshold value is exceeded, an operation menu including the specified operation instruction may be created. For example, when the movement cost is defined by the number of hierarchies, the operation menu (menu hierarchy 111) displayed after execution of the operation instruction K to the operation menu (menu hierarchy 120) including the operation instruction H is three hierarchy (menu hierarchy 111). → 110 → 100 → 120) It can be seen that it exists. For example, when the setting threshold is defined as “3 levels”, the operation instruction is included in the operation menu only when the operation instruction to be included has a movement cost of 3 levels or more (when 3 levels or more are separated). .

  Further, the operation menu creation unit 4 defines, for example, the sum of the movement cost and the execution frequency as the operation menu generation coefficient, and the operation instruction specifying unit 3 is displayed on the operation menu displayed after the operation instruction is performed only when this is equal to or greater than the set threshold. The operation instruction specified by may be included. By appropriately setting the function to generate the coefficient, it is possible to include an operation instruction with a high movement cost even if the execution frequency is low, or conversely, an operation instruction with a low movement cost is not included even if the execution frequency is high. It becomes possible. The definition of the movement cost and the operation menu generation coefficient is not limited to this example, and an optimal definition may be made according to the target device, the hierarchical structure of the operation menu, user characteristics, and the like.

  In addition, the operation menu creation unit 4 may create an operation menu including the specified operation instruction only when the frequency of execution of the operation instruction specified by the operation instruction specifying unit 3 is equal to or higher than a preset threshold value. Good.

  The operation menu created by the operation menu creating unit 4 so as to include the second operation instruction specified based on the first operation instruction given to the operation instruction specifying unit 3 is executed by the first operation instruction. It may be displayed on the display device 32 only immediately after.

  As described above, according to the operation menu control device of the present invention, an operation instruction to be executed next is specified based on a preset criterion, and an element corresponding to the operation instruction is included in the operation menu. Can do. Thereby, the movement cost between operation menus at the time of implementing the operation instruction sequence with high implementation frequency can be reduced. Therefore, it can greatly contribute to the improvement of user convenience.

[Embodiment 2]
The configuration of operation menu control apparatus 2000 according to the present embodiment is the same as that of operation menu control apparatus 1000 shown in FIG. The operation menu control apparatus 2000 is different from the operation menu control apparatus 1000 of the first embodiment in that the operation menu is displayed in consideration of whether the system has normally performed the operation instruction.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the CPU 40 of the operation menu control device 2000.

  A functional configuration of the CPU 40 of the operation menu control device 2000 will be described with reference to FIG.

The main function unit 14 ′ gives the operation result R1 to the operation menu presenting unit 5 ′.
The operation menu presenting unit 5 ′ selects the first operation menu information M1 or the second operation menu information M2 in consideration of the operation result R1 given from the main function unit 14 ′ and gives it to the display unit 12. The operation result R1 receives the first operation instruction associated with the option C1, and transmits the operation result of the main function unit 14 ′ that realizes the main function of the system to the operation menu presenting unit 5 ′. Two types of information can be transmitted, such as the success of the system operation based on the operation instruction and the failure of the system operation based on the designated operation instruction.

Processing performed by the operation menu control apparatus 2000 having the above configuration will be described.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing processing performed by the operation menu control apparatus 2000.

With reference to FIG. 12, a process performed by operation menu control apparatus 2000 will be described.
In step S1200, CPU 40 instructs display device 32 to display an operation menu.

  In step S1202, the CPU 40 determines whether the user has selected an operation menu option via the mouse 36 or the like.

  If it is determined that an option has been selected (YES in step S1202), it is determined whether the option is associated with an operation instruction to the system (step S1204).

  If it is determined that the option is not associated with the operation instruction (NO in step S1204), CPU 40 obtains operation menu information to be displayed next according to the selected option from hard disk 43 (step S1220). Then, the display device 32 is instructed to display the operation menu acquired in step S1220 (step S1222), and the process returns to step S1202.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the option is associated with the operation instruction (YES in step S1204), CPU 40 instructs the system to perform an operation corresponding to the operation instruction (step S1206).

  In step S1208, the CPU 40 acquires, from the hard disk 43, operation menu information to be displayed after the operation in step S1206.

  In step S1210, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the system has normally operated.

  If it is determined that the system is not operating normally (NO in step S1210), CPU 40 instructs display device 32 to display the operation menu acquired in step S1208 (step S1218). The process returns to S1202.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the system has normally operated (YES in step S1210), CPU 40 accumulates in hard disk 43 the operation instruction most frequently performed after the operation performed in step S1206. Specified based on information on the frequency of implementation.

  In step S1214, the CPU 40 creates an operation menu by adding an element corresponding to the operation instruction specified in step S1212 to a previously set operation menu to be displayed next.

  In step S1216, the CPU 40 instructs the display device 32 to display the operation menu created in step S1214, and the process returns to step S1202.

  If CPU 40 determines in step S1202 that no option has been selected (NO in step S1202), CPU 40 determines whether or not an end condition is satisfied (step S1224). For example, an end condition may be set such that the process ends when another button such as a cancel button is selected instead of an option. If it is determined that the end condition is satisfied (YES in step S1224), the process ends. If it is determined that this is not the case (NO in step S1224), the process returns to step S1202.

  Next, specific processing of operation menu control apparatus 2000 that performs the above-described processing will be described with an example.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of specific processing of the operation menu control apparatus 2000.
In the following, description will be made using the operation menu hierarchy shown in FIG. Further, it is assumed that the operation instruction H is the operation instruction that is most frequently executed next to the operation instruction K, and the operation instruction K is normally executed.

  As shown in FIG. 13, at a certain point, the menu hierarchy 111 is displayed on the display device 32 (step S130).

  At this time, the user selects the option K via the mouse 36 or the like, and the system executes the operation instruction K (step S132).

  Next, the CPU 40 determines that the operation instruction H is executed most frequently as the operation instruction next to the operation instruction K, and further determines that the operation corresponding to the operation instruction K has been normally performed (step S134).

  Upon receiving the determination in step S134, the menu hierarchy 111 to which the option H corresponding to the operation instruction H is added is displayed on the display device 32 (step S136).

  As described above, the operation menu control device 2000 causes the display device 32 to display the operation menu.

  The operation menu control apparatus 2000 according to the present embodiment displays the operation menu in consideration of whether the system has normally performed the operation instruction. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the cost of moving to an operation instruction that is frequently executed next unconditionally, and to prevent the user from inducing an unexpected operation.

  Further, the operation menu control device 2000 displays an operation instruction that is most frequently executed immediately after the first operation instruction when the operation instruction is not normally executed in the main function unit 14 ′. It may be included in the menu.

  In most cases, the operation instruction sequence composed of two operation instructions is considered to perform the next operation on the assumption that the system operation corresponding to the first operation has been normally performed. If the corresponding operation is not normally performed, it is highly likely that the operation is resumed from the immediately preceding operation.

  As described above, the operation menu control apparatus according to the present embodiment can display the operation menu in consideration of whether the system has normally performed the operation instruction. Thereby, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, an unexpected operation can be prevented. Therefore, it can greatly contribute to the improvement of user convenience.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is the figure which showed an example of the hierarchical type menu structure. It is the figure which showed the operation example of the system using the conventional menu display method. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an operation menu control apparatus 1000 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a CPU 40 of the operation menu control apparatus 1000. FIG. It is the flowchart which showed the flow of the process which the operation instruction specific part 3 performs. It is the flowchart which showed the flow of the process which the operation menu preparation part 4 performs. It is the flowchart which showed the flow of the process which the operation menu presentation part 5 performs. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the operation menu control apparatus 1000 performs. It is a figure showing an example of concrete processing of operation menu control device. It is a figure showing an example of concrete processing of operation menu control device. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a CPU 40 of an operation menu control device 2000. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the operation menu control apparatus 2000 performs. 5 is a diagram showing an example of specific processing of an operation menu control device 2000. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Menu information, 2 Implementation frequency information, 3 Operation instruction specification part, 4 Operation menu preparation part, 5, 5 'Operation menu presentation part, 10 Operation part, 12 Display part, 14, 14' Main function part, 31 Computer main body, 32 Display device, 33 FD drive, 34 FD, 35 Keyboard, 36 Mouse, 37 Optical disk drive, 38 CD-ROM, 39 Communication interface, 40 CPU, 41 ROM, 42 RAM, 43 Hard disk, 100, 110, 111, 120 Menu Hierarchy, 1000, 2000 Operation menu control device.

Claims (15)

An operation menu control device that controls processing for hierarchical operation menus, including options associated with commands to the system,
The command includes an operation instruction given to the system by an option included in the first operation menu of the operation menus,
Operation means for the user to select the option;
Operation menu information storage means for storing a plurality of the operation menus;
An execution frequency accumulating means for associating and storing a first operation instruction and a second operation instruction of the operation instructions subsequently executed by the system after the first operation instruction;
Based on the frequency of execution of the second operation instruction, the operation instruction specification for specifying the operation instruction to be executed next to the first operation instruction as the predicted operation instruction from the second operation instructions. Means,
An operation menu control device, comprising: an operation menu creating means for creating a second operation menu obtained by adding the specified operation instruction information to the first operation menu. The operation menu information is such that when the user selects the option, the operation menu of a hierarchy logically adjacent to the hierarchy of the operation menu including the option is displayed on the display device of the system. Arranged hierarchically in the storage means,
The execution frequency storage means performs the operation performed by the system subsequent to the first operation instruction and the operation menu being displayed on the display device at least once after the first operation instruction. Storing the second operation instruction in association with the second operation instruction;
The operation menu control device according to claim 1, further comprising operation menu presenting means for giving the second operation menu created by the operation menu creating means to the display device.   The operation instruction specifying means specifies, as the predicted operation instruction, a third operation instruction that is executed most frequently after the first operation instruction among the second operation instructions. 3. The operation menu control device according to 2.   The operation menu control device according to claim 3, wherein the operation menu presenting unit gives the second operation menu to the display device in response to a determination that the first operation instruction has been normally performed.   The operation menu control device according to claim 2, wherein the operation instruction specifying unit specifies, as the predicted operation instruction, a fourth operation instruction that is executed most frequently before the first operation instruction.   The operation menu control device according to claim 5, wherein the operation menu presenting unit gives the second operation menu to the display device in response to a determination that the first operation instruction has not been normally performed.   The operation instruction specifying means includes a third operation instruction that is executed most frequently after the first operation instruction, and a fourth operation instruction that is executed before the first operation instruction. The operation menu control device according to claim 2, wherein the operation instruction is specified as the predicted operation instruction.   5. The operation menu control device according to claim 4, wherein the operation menu presenting unit gives the second operation menu to the display device only immediately after the execution of the first operation instruction.   The operation menu presenting means operates the operation means so that the user causes the display device to display a third operation menu including the options associated with the prediction operation instruction from the first operation menu. The operation menu control device according to claim 4, wherein the first operation menu is given to the display device in response to a determination that the movement cost required for the operation is equal to or higher than a first predetermined value.   The operation menu control device according to claim 4, wherein the operation menu presenting unit gives the second operation menu to the display device in response to determining that the execution frequency is equal to or higher than a second predetermined value.   The operation menu presenting means operates the operation means so that the user causes the display device to display a third operation menu including the options associated with the prediction operation instruction from the first operation menu. 5. The second operation menu is given to the display device in response to a determination that an operation menu coefficient calculated based on the movement cost required for the operation and the execution frequency is equal to or greater than a third predetermined value. The operation menu control device described.   The execution frequency storage means has a time difference between the first operation instruction and the fifth operation instruction executed after the first operation instruction within a fourth predetermined value. The operation menu control device according to claim 2, wherein the fifth operation instruction is stored as the second operation instruction in response to the determination. An operation menu control program for causing a computer having a calculation unit and a storage unit to execute processing control for a hierarchical operation menu including options associated with commands for a system,
The command includes an operation instruction given to the system by an option included in the first operation menu of the operation menus,
The storage unit stores a plurality of the operation menus,
The computing unit accepting the option selected by the user;
The arithmetic unit writes the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction among the operation instructions executed by the system in association with the second operation instruction after the first operation instruction to the storage unit. Steps,
Based on the frequency at which the second operation instruction is executed, the calculation unit specifies an operation instruction to be executed next to the first operation instruction as a predicted operation instruction from the second operation instructions. Steps,
An operation menu control program, comprising: a step of creating a second operation menu in which the computing unit adds information on the specified operation instruction to the first operation menu.   A computer-readable recording medium storing the operation menu control program according to claim 13. An operation menu control method for causing a computer having a calculation unit and a storage unit to execute processing control on a hierarchical operation menu including options associated with a command for a system,
The command includes an operation instruction given to the system by an option included in the first operation menu of the operation menus,
Storing a plurality of the operation menus;
Receiving the option selected by the user;
Storing a first operation instruction in association with a second operation instruction of the operation instructions subsequently executed by the system after the first operation instruction;
Identifying, as a predicted operation instruction, an operation instruction to be executed next to the first operation instruction from the second operation instruction based on the frequency of execution of the second operation instruction;
And a step of creating a second operation menu obtained by adding the specified operation instruction information to the first operation menu.

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