JP2009159376A - Display device, display control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display device capable of displaying the display contents of a plurality of display areas in linkage. <P>SOLUTION: The display device includes: an item display part for displaying selectable items inside one display area; and a relating information display part for displaying information relating to the selected item in the other display area when the item displayed by the item display part is selected. Also, when the item selected in the one display area is changed, the relating information display part displays the information relating to the item after the change in the other display area in linkage with change processing by the item display part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device, a display control method, and a program.

  In recent years, content such as video and music has been rapidly digitized, and many home appliances installed in ordinary living rooms have been replaced with devices called digital home appliances. In particular, with the start of digital broadcasting, the spread of digital broadcast receivers has accelerated, and now broadcast receivers installed in most homes have been replaced with digital broadcast receivers. However, these digital home appliances are more complicated to set up as devices used at home than conventional analog devices, and there are many users who are confused by the operation. Therefore, digital home appliances such as digital broadcast receivers are equipped with a function of displaying an operation guide indicating an operation procedure in addition to an operation screen for setting.

  For example, Patent Document 1 below describes a technique related to a television receiver with a guide function. This technique relates to a technique for displaying an operation guide related to operation of operation keys provided in a remote controller (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller). For example, this document describes a technique in which when an operation key provided on a remote controller is pressed, an operation guide related to the pressed operation key is displayed. Further, the document relates to a selected menu item by pressing a guide key of a remote controller in a state where a menu item for which an operation guide is to be displayed is selected from the menu items displayed on the display screen. A technique for displaying an operation guide is also described.

  As another example, the following Patent Document 2 describes a technique related to a digital television receiver with a guide function. This technology relates to a technology for operating a TV in another screen area while displaying an operation guide described in a markup language such as BML (Broadcast Markup Language) or HTML (HyperText Markup Language) on a browser or the like. . For example, the document discloses a digital TV receiver with a guide function in which a display area for displaying a TV screen and a display area for displaying a guide screen are partitioned and the TV screen and the guide screen are displayed simultaneously. The structure of is described.

JP-A-8-65587 JP 2003-304467 A

  However, when the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above are applied, the operation guide screen is not updated in conjunction with the operation screen. Therefore, even after the screen is switched according to the operation screen operation, the operation related to the previous operation is performed. The guide screen or the operation guide screen that is displayed first remains displayed. For this reason, it is difficult for the user to perform the screen operation while referring to the operation guide of each stage when performing a plurality of stages of operation continuously.

  For example, a channel information setting screen, an error occurrence setting screen, and the like are often arranged hierarchically, and other setting items are displayed according to the contents set by the user. In such a case, if the operation guide and the setting screen are not linked, it is difficult for the user to continue the setting while referring to the operation guide. Eventually, the user will perform the setting operation while referring to the manual provided on the paper.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to display a selection item to be operated by the user and display related information to which the user refers in the selection. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved display device, display control method, and program capable of browsing related information only by a selection operation.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, a display device capable of displaying a plurality of display areas on a screen is provided. The display device includes an item display unit that displays selectable items in one display area, and information related to the selected item when an item displayed by the item display unit is selected. And a related information display unit for displaying in the display area. And when the item selected in the one display region is changed, the related information display unit displays information on the item after the change in the other display region in conjunction with the change process by the item display unit. It is characterized by displaying.

  The display device may further include a history storage unit that records a display history of information displayed in the display area. The item display unit may record information on items displayed in the one display area and information on items selected in the display area in the history storage unit. Further, the related information display unit may display information corresponding to the past display history in the display area different from the other display areas based on the past display history recorded in the history storage unit. Good.

  The item display unit may display a setting menu item for eliminating the error that has occurred, and record a display history in the history storage unit each time the setting menu item is selected. The related information display unit may display setting contents set in the past in the display area based on the display history recorded in the history storage unit.

  The display device includes a broadcast information receiving unit that receives broadcast information, regional information included in the broadcast information received by the broadcast information receiving unit, and an input interface displayed in the one display region. An inconsistency detection unit that detects an inconsistency with the input regional information and outputs an error may be further included. The related information display unit may display information related to the error output by the inconsistency detection unit in the display area.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display control method for controlling a plurality of display areas displayed on a screen by a plurality of corresponding display control means. The The display control method relates to an item display step in which selectable items are displayed in one display area, and an item displayed in the item display step is related to the selected item. A related information display step in which information is displayed in another display area. In the related information display step, when the information on the item selected in the one display area is notified from the display control means that controls the display area to the control means that controls the other display area. Information related to the item is displayed on the screen.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to realize a function for controlling a plurality of display areas displayed on a screen. The program displays an item display function for displaying selectable items in one display area, and when an item displayed by the item display function is selected, the program displays the item display function in the one display area. Is a program for causing a computer to realize a related information display function for acquiring information on an item selected in step (b) and displaying information related to the selected item in another display area.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the display of the selection item to be operated by the user and the display of the related information referred to by the user at the time of selection are linked, the related information can be browsed only by the selection operation. Is possible.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawing, about the component which has the substantially same function structure, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment relates to a display device that displays an operation guide and a selection menu item in separate display areas. In particular, when the focus position of the selection menu item is changed, the operation guide is linked with the change process. There is a feature in the technology to be updated. Therefore, an embodiment of an apparatus and a method capable of realizing this technique will be described in detail below.

[Functional configuration of display device 100]
First, the functional configuration of the display device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the display device 100 according to the present embodiment. The display device 100 has a function of, for example, a digital television receiver with an operation guide function.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the display device 100 mainly includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102, a display unit 104, a bus 106, a control signal receiving unit 108, a broadcast receiving unit 110, and a history storage unit 112. And a central processing unit 120 and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 130.

  The RAM 102 is a storage unit for temporarily storing data. For example, the RAM 102 is used as a means for caching intermediate data during arithmetic processing by the central processing unit 120. The display unit 104 is a means for configuring the display screen of the display device 100. The display unit 104 includes a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), or an ELD (Electro-Luminescence Display).

  The bus 106 is a means for forming a communication path between the components constituting the display device 100. The broadcast receiving unit 110 is means for receiving broadcast data distributed from a broadcast station. The broadcast receiving unit 110 may have a function of receiving wirelessly distributed broadcast data such as terrestrial digital broadcast, terrestrial analog broadcast, or satellite broadcast, or wired such as cable TV or Internet TV. You may have the function to receive the broadcast data delivered. Furthermore, the broadcast receiving unit 110 may have a function of receiving broadcast program information, setting information such as channel settings, or information on a region where the display device 100 is installed.

(Control signal receiver 108, control device 10)
The control signal receiving unit 108 is a means for receiving a control signal transmitted from the control device 10. When receiving the control signal from the control device 10, the control signal receiving unit 108 inputs the control signal to the central processing unit 120. The control signal receiving unit 108 is a light receiving unit for receiving, for example, an infrared signal, a visible light signal, an RF signal, or the like transmitted from the control device 10.

  The control device 10 is, for example, a remote controller as shown in FIG. The control device 10 is provided with a plurality of operation buttons for controlling the display device 100. In particular, the control device 10 is formed with a guide button 12 for displaying an operation guide and an operation key 14 for selecting an operation menu. When the guide button 12 is pressed, a control signal for displaying an operation guide on the display device 100 is output. For example, the control device 10 has a function of transmitting a control signal superimposed on a transmission medium such as an infrared ray, visible light, or an RF signal corresponding to the function of the control signal receiving unit 108. For example, the user can display the operation guide on the display unit 104 by operating the control device 10.

(Central processing unit 120)
The central processing unit 120 is a function providing unit that provides a predetermined function by a calculation unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) in accordance with a program 132 recorded in the ROM 130 or the like. The central processing unit 120 mainly includes a browser function providing unit 122, a guide function providing unit 124, a display setting function providing unit 126, and a history information management unit 128. In addition to the program 132, an operation guide 134 is recorded in the ROM 130.

(Browser function providing unit 122)
The browser function providing unit 122 is a unit that displays a browsing display interface (hereinafter referred to as a browser) on the display screen of the display unit 104. For example, the browser function providing unit 122 is a unit that causes the display unit 104 to display a browser for displaying data input by the guide function providing unit 124 or the display setting function providing unit 126. The browser function providing unit 122 is realized based on, for example, a browser application program 132 stored in the ROM 130.

  Further, the browser function providing unit 122 can display a plurality of browsers on the display screen of the display unit 104 and display different information on each browser. Therefore, the browser function providing unit 122 can form a plurality of display areas using a plurality of browsers. For example, the browser function providing unit 122 can display a display area in which a setting menu item for setting a television function is displayed and a display area in which an operation guide is displayed using different browsers.

  In addition, since the browser function providing unit 122 effectively uses the display screen of the display unit 104, it is possible to adjust the display position and size of each browser so that a plurality of browsers do not overlap. Further, the browser function providing unit 122 may adjust the display position and size of the browser according to the content displayed on the browser. For example, the browser function providing unit 122 displays the browser in which the setting menu item is displayed and the browser in which the operation guide is displayed relatively large, while the past operation history and other reference information are displayed. The browser may be displayed relatively small.

  For example, the browser function providing unit 122 may increase the size of the browser on which the operation guide is displayed based on a predetermined operation. The predetermined operation is, for example, when the operation guide is displayed and the guide button 12 is further pressed, or a zoom-up operation set in advance by combining the operation key 14 with another button is executed. This is the case. Of course, the browser enlargement / reduction operation method is not limited to these examples, and is executed in response to a predetermined user operation input from the control device 10 via the control signal receiving unit 108. The predetermined user operation includes an operation using a graphical user interface displayed on the display unit 104. In this case, the user operates the object displayed on the display unit 104 using a combination of the operation keys 14 and other keys.

  The browser function providing unit 122 has a function of recording the content displayed on the browser as history information. When a plurality of browsers are displayed, the browser function providing unit 122 may record the contents displayed on each browser as history information for each browser. At this time, the browser function providing unit 122 records the history information of the display content in the history storage unit 112. Further, the browser function providing unit 122 may add an index to the history information for each type and attribute so that the history information of the display content can be efficiently read. Further, the browser function providing unit 122 may record the history information in the history storage unit 112 in association with the time information.

(Guide function providing unit 124)
The guide function providing unit 124 is a unit that displays an operation guide on the display screen of the display unit 104 via a browser. Therefore, the guide function providing unit 124 inputs the information of the operation guide 134 stored in the ROM 130 (for example, the URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) of the operation guide 134 to be displayed) to the browser function providing unit 122. At this time, the guide function providing unit 124 changes the information of the operation guide 134 read from the ROM 130 in accordance with the change of the focus position of the setting menu item displayed on the display screen of the display unit 104 via the browser. That is, the guide function providing unit 124 displays the operation guide in cooperation with the operation of the display setting function providing unit 126 described later. The guide function providing unit 124 is realized by a guide application program 132 stored in the ROM 130, for example.

  For example, when the focus moves to a channel setting item in the browser in which the setting menu item is displayed, the guide function providing unit 124 reads the operation guide 134 having contents related to the channel setting item, and the browser function providing unit Input to 122. At this time, the guide function providing unit 124 may specify a browser for displaying the operation guide 134 with respect to the browser function providing unit 122. For example, when the operation guide 134 does not fit on one screen of the browser, the browser function providing unit 122 may display a portion that cannot be displayed on another browser. Alternatively, the browser function providing unit 122 may cause the browser function providing unit 122 to display scroll means for displaying the display content in the browser by lowering or raising it.

  In addition, the guide function providing unit 124 can read the past operation guide 134 recorded in the history storage unit 112 and display it on the display unit 104. For example, the guide function providing unit 124 may display the operation guide 134 displayed before the currently displayed operation guide 134 in another browser provided separately. Further, the guide function providing unit 124 may constantly display the operation guide 134 indicating the overall flow of the setting operation on another browser while the setting screen is displayed. Further, the guide function providing unit 124 determines the display position and size of the browser in which the operation guide 134 is displayed, the size of the font displayed in the browser, and the like according to the content of the operation guide 134 to be displayed. Display information may be input to the browser function providing unit 122.

(Display setting function providing unit 126)
The display setting function providing unit 126 is a means for displaying a display setting interface such as a setting menu item on the display screen of the display unit 104 via a browser. Therefore, the display setting function providing unit 126 inputs display data for displaying the display setting interface to the browser function providing unit 122 based on the display setting application program 132 stored in the ROM 130. The display setting function providing unit 126 is also a means for displaying an error display and a setting screen related to the error.

  The display setting function providing unit 126 can move the focus on the object displayed on the display screen in accordance with the control signal input via the control signal receiving unit 108. Further, the display setting function providing unit 126 notifies the guide function providing unit 124 of the fact that the focus has moved (event) and information indicating the object of the movement destination. By this notification, the display setting function providing unit 126 can update the content of the operation guide 134 provided by the guide function providing unit 124.

  For example, when the focus is moved to the area setting item according to the user operation among the plurality of setting menu items displayed on the display screen, the display setting function providing unit 126 indicates that the focus has moved to the area setting item. The guide function providing unit 124 is notified. As a result, the content of the browser on which the operation guide 134 is displayed is updated to the content of the operation guide 134 related to the area setting item.

  Further, when the setting screen has a multi-level hierarchical structure, the display setting function providing unit 126 also indicates that the hierarchy has moved when the setting menu item is selected and the setting menu item of the upper or lower hierarchy is displayed. Then, the information indicating the hierarchy is notified to the guide function providing unit 124. Also in this case, the content of the browser displaying the operation guide 134 is updated to the content of the operation guide 134 related to the upper or lower hierarchy. However, even if the hierarchy moves, the content of the operation guide 134 may not be changed by the guide function providing unit 124 when the operation procedure or the like is not substantially changed.

  The display setting function providing unit 126 can also read the past setting screen configuration recorded in the history storage unit 112 and display it on the display unit 104. For example, the display setting function providing unit 126 may display the contents of the setting screen displayed before the currently displayed setting screen in another browser provided separately. In addition, the display setting function providing unit 126 may constantly display the entire history of setting menu items selected by the user in the past while continuously updating the entire history. Further, the display setting function providing unit 126 determines the display position and size of the browser on which the setting screen is displayed, the size of the font displayed in the browser, or the like according to the content of the setting menu item to be displayed. The browser function providing unit 122 may be instructed to change the display information.

(History information management unit 128, history storage unit 112)
The history information management unit 128 is a means for managing the display history recorded in the history storage unit 112. As described above, the history storage unit 112 stores display histories such as the operation guide 134 and the setting screen displayed by the browser function providing unit 122. Therefore, the history information management unit 128 manages these display histories in association with time information.

  For example, when the content of the operation guide 134 displayed before the currently displayed operation guide 134 is referred to by the guide function providing unit 124, the history information management unit 128 stores the content in the history storage unit 112. Can be detected from. Similarly, when the display setting function providing unit 126 refers to the contents of the setting screen displayed before the currently displayed setting screen, the history information managing unit 128 displays the contents as the history storage unit 112. Can be detected from. Further, when the setting menu item focused before the currently focused setting menu item is referred to by the display setting function providing unit 126 by the display setting function providing unit 126, the history information managing unit 128 stores the item from the history storage unit 112. Can be detected.

  Furthermore, the history information management unit 128 displays the past displayed in each browser when the browser function providing unit 122 receives a user operation and the display content displayed in each browser is changed to the past display content. Is displayed from the history storage unit 112 and input to the browser function providing unit 122. At this time, the history information management unit 128 can also detect the display content before or after the predetermined number of steps from the history storage unit 112.

  Further, the history information management unit 128 may automatically delete the past display history that has passed for a predetermined time from the history storage unit 112. Furthermore, the history information management unit 128 may automatically reproduce past setting operations by sequentially reading the display history recorded in the history storage unit 112 in time series and inputting it to the browser function providing unit 122. . In this way, by effectively using the display history, the user can quickly and surely find mistakes in setting operations, and can reconfirm past setting operations at any time. It is possible to perform setting operations without worry. As a result, inadvertent setting mistakes resulting from psychological anxiety are reduced, and even an elderly person or a machine-onch user can efficiently perform setting operations with their own hands.

  The functional configuration of the display device 100 according to the present embodiment has been described above. As described above, when the technology according to the present embodiment is applied, the setting screen and the operation guide are displayed in conjunction with each other, so that the user can make a desired setting with few remote control operations. Further, since the past operation history can be referred to, the user can efficiently find a setting error. In particular, in the setting processing related to error recovery, even when there are hierarchical setting items, an appropriate operation guide is displayed in cooperation with the selection of each setting item or the display of the setting screen. Error recovery is possible by performing the setting operation according to the operation guide.

[Operation guide display method]
Next, the operation guide display method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow of the operation guide display method according to the present embodiment. This operation guide display process is executed by each functional configuration of the display device 100 described above.

  As shown in FIG. 3, first, it is determined whether or not the display setting function providing unit 126 is operating (S102). If the setting screen is displayed on the display unit 104 and the display setting function providing unit 126 is operating, the display device 100 proceeds to the process of step S104. On the other hand, when the display setting function providing unit 126 is not operating, the display device 100 proceeds to the process of step S116.

  In step S104, the display setting function providing unit 126 notifies the browser function providing unit 122 of information (for example, the corresponding URI) of the displayed setting screen (S104). Next, the operation guide 134 corresponding to the information notified from the display setting function providing unit 126 is read by the browser function providing unit 122 (S106). Next, the operation guide 134 read via the browser is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 104 by the browser function providing unit 122 (S108).

  In step S116, the browser function providing unit 122 displays the contents screen of the operation guide (S116). When an item displayed on the table of contents screen is selected by the user, the guide function providing unit 124 displays an operation guide 134 corresponding to the item (S118). Further, when receiving a setting function selection operation by the user, the display device 100 determines whether or not a selection operation corresponding to the displayed operation guide 134 has been performed (S120). If the corresponding selection operation is performed, the display device 100 proceeds to the process of step S122. Conversely, when the corresponding selection operation is not performed, the display device 100 proceeds to the process of step S124.

  In step S122, the display device 100 activates the display setting function providing unit 126 and enables the setting function selected by the user (S122). On the other hand, in step S124, the display device 100 determines whether or not the end of the operation guide has been selected by the user (S124). When the end of the operation guide is selected, the display device 100 ends the operation guide display process. On the other hand, when the end of the operation guide is not selected, the display device 100 proceeds to the process of step S118.

  In step S110, the user sets a display function while referring to the displayed operation guide 134 (S110). At this time, the operation guide 134 is also updated in conjunction with the setting operation by the user. Next, the display device 100 determines whether the setting of the display function is completed (S112). When the setting is completed, the display device 100 ends the process related to the operation guide display method. On the other hand, when the setting is not completed, the display device 100 proceeds to the process of step S114. In step S114, the display device 100 displays the next setting screen (S114), and proceeds to the process of step S104 again.

  The operation guide display method according to the present embodiment has been described above. As described above, by applying the operation guide display method according to the present embodiment, the user can easily set the display function by starting the display setting function providing unit 126 from the operation guide. When the display function setting operation is completed, the display of the operation guide 134 is also ended.

[Specific example of display screen configuration]
Next, a specific display screen configuration of the display device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4-15 is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of the display screen structure by the display apparatus 100 which concerns on this embodiment. In the following description, the TV function setting will be described as an example of the display setting, but the application range of the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, communication settings other than the broadcast reception setting that the display device 100 has and settings related to other connected devices are also included in the applicable range.

(Basic screen configuration)
A basic display screen configuration of the display device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, referring to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, a display area (setting screen 152) on which setting menu items for television setting are displayed is displayed on the display screen 150 of the display unit 104. The setting screen 152 includes, for example, an “operation guide” object 154, an “end” object 156, a “next” object 158, a “region setting” object 160, a “channel setting” object 162, and a “phone setting”. The object 164 is displayed. These objects are selectable setting menu items.

  On the setting screen 152, the focus moves between objects or a focused object is selected in accordance with a user operation using the control device 10. In this state, the user can display the operation guide screen by pressing the guide button 12 of the control device 10 or by selecting the “operation guide” object 154 displayed on the setting screen 152.

  Reference is now made to FIG. FIG. 5 is an example of a screen configuration when a display area (operation guide screen 170) for displaying an operation guide is displayed side by side in addition to the setting screen 152. In this example, the operation guide screen 170 displays information related to the contents of the setting screen 152 (digital TV settings). In this state, the user can move the focus to another object of the setting screen 152 by operating the control device 10.

  Incidentally, the display device 100 can display a plurality of display areas using a browser. Further, the display device 100 can freely arrange a plurality of display areas and freely adjust the size thereof. In the example of FIG. 5, the setting screen 152 and the operation guide screen 170 are juxtaposed in the longitudinal direction of the display screen 150 with the same size, but is not limited thereto. For example, when the amount of character information displayed on the operation guide screen 170 is large, the display device 100 may display the operation guide screen 170 large in the longitudinal direction and / or the lateral direction.

  When the focus is moved to the “region setting” object 160 according to the user operation, the content of the operation guide displayed on the operation guide screen 170 is updated according to the movement process, as shown in FIG. Reference is now made to FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a screen configuration of the display screen 150 when the “region setting” object 160 is focused.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the focus is moved to the “region setting” object 160, information on the region setting in this television setting is displayed on the operation guide screen 170 on the operation guide screen 170. As described above, among the objects displayed on the setting screen 152, an operation guide is set for each object, such as the “region setting” object 160, an “operation guide” object 154, and a “next” object 158. In some cases, the operation guide is not set individually. For example, when the focus moves from the “region setting” object 160 to the “phone setting” object 164, an operation guide related to telephone setting is displayed on the operation guide screen 170 as shown in FIG.

  Reference is now made to FIGS. FIG. 7 shows a display screen configuration when the focus moves to the “telephone setting” object 164. FIG. 8 is a display screen configuration of a detailed setting screen displayed when the “telephone setting” object 164 is selected.

  For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, when the user performs a selection operation using the control device 10 while the “telephone setting” object 164 is focused, a detailed setting screen as illustrated in FIG. 8 is displayed. . Referring to FIG. 8, the setting screen 152 displays a detailed setting area 166 for setting a line type, an outside line transmission number, and a telephone setting as detailed setting items related to “telephone setting”. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when “line type” in the detailed setting area 166 is focused, an operation guide related to the line type is displayed on the operation guide screen 170. Thus, even if the setting screen 152 has a display structure that is displayed in a hierarchical manner, an operation guide corresponding to the display content is displayed on the operation guide screen 170.

  Reference is now made to FIG. FIG. 9 shows an example of the display screen configuration when the history display screen 172 is displayed on the display screen 150. As shown in FIG. 9, in addition to the current setting screen 152 and the operation guide screen 170 corresponding thereto, a setting screen 152 displayed in the past may be displayed on the history display screen 172 on the display screen 150. The content displayed on the history display screen 172 is extracted from the history storage unit 112 by the history information management unit 128 and displayed by the browser function providing unit 122. The display of the history information is controlled by, for example, the guide function providing unit 124 because the content serves as an operation guide for the user.

  The user performs display settings while referring to the operation guide. When the display setting is completed, the user can end the setting process by pressing the “End” button of the control device 10 or by selecting the “End” object 156 displayed on the setting screen 152. it can. When an end process is instructed by the user, the display device 100 ends the setting process and returns the display screen 150 to the original one-screen display.

(Display screen configuration related to error recovery processing)
Next, a display screen configuration related to error recovery processing by the display device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The setting items displayed when an error occurs are often particularly complicated. In particular, a general user who does not have special knowledge about a computer, software, or the like often cannot understand even the content of the displayed error. In addition, when the user performs an inappropriate operation, errors due to the inappropriate operation occur in a multiplexed manner, so that the general user can no longer recover. This is because the display format of the setting screen related to error recovery processing has a deep hierarchical structure, or setting operations by a plurality of different applications are required.

  For this reason, attempts have been made to display an operation guide for setting operations related to error recovery processing. However, even though an operation guide that does not directly relate to error recovery is displayed or the setting screen is updated, the operation guide is displayed. There are many problems that the contents of are not updated. In addition, as one form of the display device 100 according to the present embodiment, digital devices such as a digital broadcast receiving device and a digital video recording / playback device are assumed. These devices are like the control device 10 illustrated in FIG. It is controlled by a remote controller or the like having only simple operation means. For this reason, once the setting operation is executed, it is difficult to return to the past setting or to advance the current setting operation while confirming the past setting operation.

  Therefore, it is necessary to devise the configuration of the display screen and to further devise the operation system and display control method related to the display control. Such a device can be realized by applying the above basic display screen configuration and the functional configuration of the display device 100. Therefore, a display screen configuration example related to error recovery processing using the technique according to the present embodiment is shown below.

  First, referring to FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the display device 100 displays an error display screen 180 indicating the content of the error and recovery means in response to the occurrence of the error. In the example of FIG. 10, an “operation guide” object 182 and a “channel setting” object 184 are displayed on the error display screen 180 together with the contents of the error recovery means.

  In this state, when the guide button 12 of the control device 10 is pressed by the user or the “operation guide” object 182 is selected, an operation guide related to channel setting is displayed as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the “channel setting” object 184 is selected, the channel setting application is activated and only the setting screen is displayed. That is, this operation guide is an example of detailed explanation information for notifying the user of the contents of error recovery processing. This application is an example of an application for executing error recovery processing. Here, a case where the “operation guide” object 182 is selected is considered.

  Therefore, reference is made to FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 11, when the “operation guide” object 182 is selected, the display device 100 reduces the error display screen 180 and displays the operation guide screen 190 related to channel setting side by side on the display screen 150. On the operation guide screen 190, for example, a link object 192 for displaying channel settings is displayed. The link object 192 is an activation unit for activating an application used for setting correction. When this link object 192 is selected, a channel setting screen as shown in FIG. 12 is displayed.

  Referring to FIG. 12, a setting screen 186 for channel setting is displayed on the display screen 150 instead of the error display screen 180. Further, the display content of the operation guide screen 190 is updated to the explanation information corresponding to the setting screen 186. The setting screen 186 displays a display area 188 having detailed setting items for channel setting. When the setting item displayed in the display area 188 is focused by the user, a detailed explanation guide regarding the focused setting item is displayed on the operation guide screen 190.

  Therefore, the user can correct an incorrect channel setting while referring to a detailed operation guide displayed on the operation guide screen 190. Further, the user can end the correction process and return the display screen 150 to the original one-screen display by selecting the “end” object displayed on the setting screen 186. Thus, the user can easily recover the error state while referring to the operation guide that is sequentially updated.

  Reference is now made to FIG. FIG. 13 shows an example of the display screen configuration when the history display screen 194 is displayed on the display screen 150. As shown in FIG. 13, in addition to the setting screen 186 and the operation guide screen 190 corresponding thereto, the content of the error displayed on the error display screen 180 may be displayed on the history display screen 194 on the display screen 150. . The content displayed on the history display screen 194 is extracted from the history storage unit 112 by the history information management unit 128 and displayed by the browser function providing unit 122. The display of history information is controlled by the guide function providing unit 124, for example.

(Display screen configuration when an error is expected)
Next, a display screen configuration related to processing at the time of error prediction by the display device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  A broadcasting device such as a digital broadcast receiver has a function of notifying information on a region where the broadcasting device is installed to a broadcasting station or a management unit that manages the region information. Also, such a broadcasting device has a function of discriminating a receivable channel using this area information and presenting it to the user as a channel selection candidate. For this reason, when the user makes an incorrect setting, the broadcasting device can predict the setting error and notify the user of the error.

  Such a notification function is very useful, for example, for a broadcasting device installed near the boundary between adjacent broadcasting regions. This is because, in the vicinity of the boundary between adjacent broadcast areas, even if an incorrect channel setting is made, there may be a case where the user does not notice the incorrect channel setting because some of the channels may be received correctly. In such a case, there is a case where digital data such as data broadcast is not displayed even if video and audio are correctly displayed. The technology according to the present embodiment is also effectively applied to such display settings at the time of error prediction.

  First, referring to FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, when the display device 100 displays a setting screen 152 for region setting in response to a user operation, the display device 100 displays an operation guide related to region setting on the operation guide screen 170 in conjunction with the display processing. . As in the example illustrated in FIG. 14, for example, when a selection object for setting a prefecture area is focused, explanatory information regarding the prefecture area setting is displayed on the operation guide screen 170.

  In the case of regional setting, the setting screen 152 is provided with a postal code input field and the like in addition to the prefecture region setting object. For example, the display device 100 can determine the region based on the input zip code. Note that the display content of the operation guide screen 170 is also updated when the focus moves to the postal code input field.

  The user can end the setting process by selecting an “end” object on the setting screen 152. At this time, since the channel setting by the user may be wrong, the display device 100 displays a warning as shown in FIG. Furthermore, the display device 100 changes the content displayed on the operation guide screen 170 to the explanation of the warning display according to the warning displayed on the setting screen 152.

  The specific display screen configuration of the display device 100 according to the present embodiment has been described above. A feature of this display screen configuration is that the setting screen and the operation guide are displayed in synchronization. Also, in the error recovery process, when the application corresponding to the error is started, the contents of the operation guide are displayed in conjunction with each other, so even if the display configuration or operation system is changed, the user will not be confused It becomes possible to set. In addition, since the past setting history and display history are displayed, the user can easily recognize errors in past setting operations.

  The embodiment according to the present invention has been described above. As described above, the conventional digital television receiver with an operation guide function has a function of displaying an operation method. However, when the operation procedure is divided into a plurality of hierarchical levels, the setting screen and the operation procedure are different. There was a problem that it was not displayed in conjunction. For this reason, when it is difficult to deal with a complicated operation procedure, such as when an error occurs, the user can solve the problem according to the procedure indicated in the operation guide while referring to the operation guide. It was difficult.

  However, the display device 100 according to the present embodiment operates in cooperation with the operation guide display application (browser function providing unit 122) and the TV function setting application (display setting function providing unit 126). Problems and difficulties can be solved. As a result, it becomes possible for the user to easily set an operation that is difficult to understand during the TV setting while looking at the operation guide. In addition, an operation guide can be activated for an error message displayed when a television setting operation is wrong, and the user can proceed with error recovery processing according to the operation guide. Therefore, the user can easily start the setting application by himself and reset the correct value.

[Hardware configuration (information processing equipment)]
The function of each component included in the above-described device can be realized, for example, by an information processing device having a hardware configuration illustrated in FIG. 16 using a computer program for realizing the above-described function. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus capable of realizing the functions of each component of the apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the information processing apparatus mainly includes a CPU 902, a ROM 904, a RAM 906, a host bus 908, a bridge 910, an external bus 912, an interface 914, an input unit 916, and an output. A unit 918, a storage unit 920, a drive 922, a connection port 924, and a communication unit 926.

  The CPU 902 functions as, for example, an arithmetic processing unit or a control unit, and controls the overall operation of each component or a part thereof based on various programs recorded in the ROM 904, the RAM 906, the storage unit 920, or the removable recording medium 928. . The ROM 904 stores, for example, a program read by the CPU 902 and data used for calculation. The RAM 906 temporarily or permanently stores, for example, a program that is read into the CPU 902 and various parameters that change as appropriate when the program is executed. These components are connected to each other by, for example, a host bus 908 capable of high-speed data transmission. The host bus 908 is connected to an external bus 912 having a relatively low data transmission speed via a bridge 910, for example.

  The input unit 916 is an operation unit such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a button, a switch, and a lever. The input unit 916 may be remote control means (so-called remote controller) capable of transmitting a control signal using infrared rays or other radio waves. Note that the input unit 916 includes an input control circuit for transmitting information input using the above-described operation means to the CPU 902 as an input signal.

  The output unit 918 visually displays the acquired information to the user, such as a display device such as a CRT, LCD, PDP, or ELD, an audio output device such as a speaker or headphones, a printer, a mobile phone, or a facsimile. It is a device that can be audibly notified.

  The storage unit 920 is a device for storing various data, and includes, for example, a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a semiconductor storage device, an optical storage device, or a magneto-optical storage device. Is done.

  The drive 922 is a device that reads information recorded on a removable recording medium 928 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, or writes information to the removable recording medium 928. The removable recording medium 928 is, for example, a DVD medium, a Blu-ray medium, an HD-DVD medium, a compact flash (CF) (registered trademark), a memory stick, or an SD memory card (Secure Digital memory card). Of course, the removable recording medium 928 may be, for example, an IC card (Integrated Circuit Card) on which a non-contact IC chip is mounted, an electronic device, or the like.

  The connection port 924 is a port for connecting an external connection device 930 such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, an IEEE 1394 port, a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), an RS-232C port, or an optical audio terminal. is there. The external connection device 930 is, for example, a printer, a portable music player, a digital camera, a digital video camera, or an IC recorder.

  The communication unit 926 is a communication device for connecting to the network 932. For example, a communication card for wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or WUSB (Wireless USB), optical communication A router, a router for ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), or a modem for various communications. The network 932 connected to the communication unit 926 is configured by a wired or wireless network, such as the Internet, home LAN, infrared communication, visible light communication, broadcast, or satellite communication.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, in the above description, it is described that the function related to the display setting is provided by the display setting function providing unit 126. However, the display device 100 according to the present embodiment has an application for setting for each setting item. May be. For example, the function of the display setting function providing unit 126 may be divided into modules for each setting item, and the function of the display setting function providing unit 126 corresponding to each setting item may be provided by each module.

  Further, the operation guide 134 and the program 132 may be recorded on a removable removable recording medium instead of the ROM 130 built in the display device 100. Furthermore, it may be configured such that these data can be updated via a network such as a broadcast line or the Internet. Furthermore, an operation guide and a program for determining the configuration of the setting screen may be managed individually. As described above, when the contents of the operation guide and the configuration of the setting screen are managed independently, for example, when the operation guide is updated, the contents of the storage unit in which the operation guide is recorded are updated. You just need to. The operation guide may be described in a markup language such as BML. By describing in such a markup language, the amount of data can be reduced.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the function structure of the display apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the control apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the operation guide display method which concerns on the embodiment. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen configuration of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the display device according to the embodiment. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Control apparatus 12 Guide button 14 Operation key 100 Display apparatus 102 RAM
104 Display Unit 106 Bus 108 Control Signal Receiving Unit 110 Broadcast Receiving Unit 112 History Storage Unit 120 Central Processing Unit 122 Browser Function Providing Unit 124 Guide Function Providing Unit 126 Display Setting Function Providing Unit 128 History Information Management Unit 130 ROM
132 Program 134 Operation Guide 150 Display Screen 152, 186 Setting Screen 154, 182 “Operation Guide” Object 156 “End” Object 158 “Next” Object 160 “Region Setting” Object 162, 184 “Channel Setting” Object 164 “Phone Setting” Object 166 Detailed setting area 170 Operation guide screen 172, 194 History display screen 180 Error display screen 188 Display area 190 Operation guide screen 192 Link object

Claims (6)

A display device capable of displaying a plurality of display areas on a screen,
An item display section for displaying selectable items in the one display area;
A related information display unit that displays information related to the selected item in the other display area when the item displayed by the item display unit is selected;
With
The related information display unit displays information on the item after the change in the other display region in conjunction with the change process by the item display unit when the item selected in the one display region is changed. A display device characterized by that. A history storage unit that records a display history of the information displayed in the display area;
The item display unit records information on items displayed in the one display area and information on items selected in the display area in the history storage unit,
The related information display unit displays information corresponding to the past display history in the display area different from the other display areas based on the past display history recorded in the history storage unit. The display device according to claim 1. The item display unit displays a setting menu item for eliminating the generated error, and records a display history in the history storage unit every time the setting menu item is selected,
The display device according to claim 2, wherein the related information display unit displays setting contents set in the past in the display area based on a display history recorded in the history storage unit. A broadcast information receiver for receiving broadcast information;
An error is output by detecting a mismatch between the area information included in the broadcast information received by the broadcast information receiving unit and the area information input via the input interface displayed in the one display area. An inconsistency detection unit,
Further comprising
The display device according to claim 1, wherein the related information display unit displays information related to an error output by the inconsistency detection unit in the display area. A display control method for controlling a plurality of display areas displayed on a screen by a plurality of corresponding display control means,
An item display step in which selectable items are displayed in the one display area;
When the item displayed in the item display step is selected, information related to the selected item is displayed in another display area related information,
Including
In the related information display step, when the information on the item selected in the one display area is notified from the display control means that controls the display area to the control means that controls the other display area, A display control method, wherein information related to an item is displayed. A program for causing a computer to realize a function for controlling a plurality of display areas displayed on a screen,
An item display function for displaying selectable items in one display area;
When an item displayed by the item display function is selected, information on the item selected in the one display area is acquired from the item display function, and information related to the selected item A related information display function to be displayed in the display area;
A program to make a computer realize.

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