JPH1055252A - Computer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to operate a GUI(graphical user interface) without seeing. SOLUTION: The computer system is provided with a memory stored with information executed in GUI environment, a body part 1 composed of a CPU which performs data processing according to the information, a CRT 2 which outputs the processing result of this body part 1 as visual information, and a tablet 6 which makes an uneven display of the contents of the CRT 2 displayed by the GUI as tactile information and inputs the information to the body part 1 by pointing a given place of the uneven display. Part of the screen of the CRT 2 is outputted selectively to the tablet 6 by operating a keyboard 7 or touch panel 8. Further, input/output contents are voiced out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer system, and more particularly, to a GUI (Graphical User Interface: GUI).
The present invention relates to a technology that is effective when applied to a computer system that operates according to instructions by a graphical user interface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In operation of a computer system, a CUI (Character Character) for inputting characters from a keyboard is used.
In addition to a user interface (character interface), a user interface called a GUI for giving an instruction through graphics such as a picture (icon) is known. Examples of detailed descriptions of this GUI include, for example, Nikkei BP, “Latest Personal Computer Technology Taikei '95” (published June 21, 1995),
There are P229 to P310.

[0003] As can be seen from the description of the publication, GU
In I, a desired operation is executed by clicking a corresponding graphic with a pointing device such as a mouse. Therefore, there is an advantage that the operation is much easier than the keyboard operation and there are few mistakes. And C
Clicking on graphics displayed on a display such as RT (Cathode Ray Tube)
The UI can be said to be a visual interface.

[0004]

As described above, the conventional G
Since the UI is based on visual operation, it cannot be operated in an environment such as in the dark.
Further, a user who cannot see the display on the display, such as a visually impaired person, cannot use the GUI itself.

[0005] Therefore, if the above problems can be solved, the GUI can be more useful as a user-friendly tool.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of operating a GUI blindly.

[0007] The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Among the inventions disclosed in the present application, the outline of a representative one will be briefly described.
It is as follows.

That is, the computer system of the present invention comprises a main unit comprising a memory in which information is stored so that at least a part of the processing is executed in a GUI environment, and a CPU for performing data processing in accordance with the information. A display for outputting the processing result of the main body as visual information,
A tablet that displays the contents of the display displayed on the GUI as tactile information and that inputs information to the main body by pointing to a predetermined portion displayed as unevenness. .

In this computer system, display area selecting means for selectively outputting a part of the screen of the display to the tablet can be provided. Further, the main body unit can be provided with a sound output function of outputting the input / output contents as sound.

According to the above-mentioned means, it is possible to operate the GUI blindly without visual recognition. Thereby, even when the display cannot be viewed or the user is visually impaired, information processing by the GUI can be performed.

Further, if a part of the display area is selectively displayed on the tablet, the display contents can be easily grasped, and the tactile information can be more reliably recognized.

[0013] Furthermore, if the input / output contents are output as voice,
Hearing information is added to the tactile information of the tablet, GUI
Can be reliably performed.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings for describing the embodiments, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the components of a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention and the contents displayed on a display. FIGS. 2 and 3 are explanatory diagrams showing the correspondence between display area selection means and a display. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence between the display and the tablet.

As shown in FIG. 1, a computer system according to the present embodiment has a memory in which predetermined information such as programs and data is stored, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes data processing in accordance with the information.
t: central processing unit). The main body 1 has a voice output function, and the input and output contents in a GUI environment described later are displayed as voice.

The main body 1 is connected to a CRT (display) 2 for outputting the processing result of the main body 1 as visual information. However, another visual display medium such as a liquid crystal display panel can be used as the display.

A GUI application is installed in the main body 1, and accordingly, on the CRT 2, for example, icons 3a to 3g which graphically display predetermined functions such as "system access" and "communication" by pictures.
c and, for example, "File (F)""Edit(E)"
A pull-down menu 4 indicating one of the prepared menus in a strip shape and a cursor 5 indicating an instruction execution position are displayed. When one of the icons 3a to 3c or the pull-down menu 4 is clicked with a pointing device such as a mouse, the content is executed.

In the present invention, all processing is performed by GU
It does not need to be executed under the I environment, and some processes such as a procedure until the desired application software is started are G
It may be performed in the UI. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the input / output of the GUI is guided by voice, but the input / output of the CUI does not necessarily have to be such.

A tablet 6 is connected to the main body 1. The tablet 6 is composed of a plurality of elevating pins, and ascends and descends according to the screen display of the CRT 2, so that the unevenness of the surface changes. Therefore, the user can grasp the output content from the main unit 1 blindly by the tactile information obtained by tracing the tablet 6. Furthermore, such a tablet 6
Required information is input to the main unit 1 by pointing a predetermined location (the icons 3a to 3c displayed as tactile information on the tablet 6 and the predetermined location of the pull-down menu 4), and the content is executed. It has become so. Although the lifting pins may be exposed to the outside, the entire lifting pins may be covered with a sheet to change the shape of the sheet.

Further, a keyboard 7 and a touch panel (display area selecting means) 8 are connected to the main body 1.

In the keyboard 7, necessary information is input to the main body 1 by key operation, and as shown in FIG.
A part of the screen of the CRT 2 is enlarged and displayed on the tablet 6 (FIG. 1). That is, the screen of the CRT 2 is divided into, for example, four, and the upper left screen is displayed on the tablet 6 by pressing a key (display area selection means) 7a associated with the cursor position according to the divided screen.
When the key (display area selecting means) 7b is pressed, the lower left screen is pressed. When the key (display area selecting means) 7c is pressed, the upper right screen is pressed. When the key (display area selecting means) 7d is pressed, the lower right screen is selectively tablet. 6 is displayed.

The display contents may be sequentially switched by pressing the same key. Also, including the case of the touch panel 8 described below, the number of screen divisions is not limited to four in the present embodiment.
However, if the screen is divided, the contents displayed as tactile information on the tablet 6 can be easily grasped.

In the touch panel 8, as shown in FIG.
The screen position of the CRT 2 corresponding to the touching panel position is displayed on the tablet 6 as tactile information. In the case shown, the case where the lower left of the panel is touched is shown, and the lower left of the CRT 2 is displayed corresponding to the cursor position. Note that, similarly to the case of the keyboard 7, the upper left screen is touched by touching the upper left of the panel, the lower right screen is touched by touching the lower right, and the upper right screen is touched by touching the upper right. However, in the touch panel 8, C
The screen of RT2 may be continuously displayed on the tablet 6 without being divided so as to correspond to a linear change in the contact position with respect to the panel.

Although the screen of the CRT 2 is partially displayed on the tablet 6 by the keys 7a to 7d and the touch panel 8 in the present embodiment, only the entire display may be displayed. .

As described above, since the input and output of the GUI are guided by voice, the icon 3 at the cursor position specified by the keys 7a to 7d or the touch panel 8 is displayed.
Information such as a to 3c and the pull-down menu 4 is output as voice, and the contents are recognized by hearing.

A part of the screen of the CRT 2 is output to the tablet 6 as tactile information as shown in FIG. In the case shown, the icon 3a on the upper right screen is displayed. Therefore, the user can recognize the icon 3a in a blind state by touching the tablet 6 and grasping the shape by touch. Note that the characters in the case of the pull-down menu 4 are displayed unevenly in the font, but can be displayed in braille if the user is visually impaired.

Such a computer system is used as follows. Note that the description here assumes that the operation is performed in the dark.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the icons 3a to 3c and the pull-down menu 4
Displayed on RT2. Here, in the darkness,
Although the user cannot grasp the output content through the CRT 2, the user is guided by voice and displayed unevenly on the tablet 6, and thus is recognized as auditory information and tactile information. At this time, by operating the keys 7a to 7d or the touch panel 8 to sequentially enlarge and display each part of the display screen of the CRT 2, the output contents can be more reliably recognized.

Next, for example, when selecting the icon 3a from the screen, the user presses the key 7c or touches the upper right of the touch panel 8 to display it on the tablet 6. Then, the user clicks on the portion of the tablet 6 where the icon 3a is displayed. Thus, for example, desired application software is started. In addition,
Also at this time, the input content is transmitted to the user by voice,
It is checked whether a correct input operation has been performed.

When the software is, for example, word processing software, the user operates the keyboard 7 with a blind touch to start a predetermined input operation.

As described above, according to the computer system of the present embodiment, the contents of the GUI are displayed as bumps and valleys as tactile information by the tablet 6, and further, input is performed by pointing a predetermined place where bumps and valleys are displayed. It is a GUI without visual
Operation can be performed.

As a result, it is possible to operate the GUI blindly, so that it is possible to work in an environment where the CRT 2 cannot be viewed or to perform information processing using the GUI even if the user is visually impaired.

Further, in addition to the tactile information of the tablet 6, the GUI can be reliably operated by the auditory information obtained by outputting the input / output contents by voice.

Although the invention made by the inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment, the invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the invention. It goes without saying that it is possible.

[0036]

The effects obtained by typical ones of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

(1) In other words, according to the computer system of the present invention, the contents of the GUI are displayed as irregularities as tactile information by the tablet, and the input is performed by pointing a predetermined place where the irregularities are displayed. Therefore, the GUI can be operated without visual recognition. Therefore, the GUI can be operated blindly.

(2) As a result, even if the display cannot be seen or the user is visually impaired,
I can perform information processing.

(3) Also, if a part of the display is selectively displayed on the tablet, the display contents can be easily grasped, and the tactile information can be recognized more reliably.

(4) If the input / output contents are output as sound, the auditory information is added to the tactile information of the tablet, so that the GUI can be reliably operated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing components of a computer system and display contents of a display according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence relationship between a display area selection unit and a display.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a correspondence relationship between a display area selection unit and a display.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a correspondence between a display and a tablet.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body part 2 CRT (display) 3a-3c icon 4 Pull-down menu 5 Cursor 6 Tablet 7 Keyboard 7a-7d key (display area selection means) 8 Touch panel (display area selection means)

Claims (3)

[Claims] A main unit including a memory storing information so that at least a part of the processing is executed in a GUI environment, a CPU performing data processing according to the information, and a processing result of the main unit. A display that outputs as visual information, and a tablet that inputs and outputs information to the main body by pointing and displaying a predetermined portion of the display as unevenness and the unevenness of the content of the display displayed on a GUI as tactile information. A computer system, comprising: 2. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising a display area selecting means for selectively outputting a part of the screen of said display to said tablet. 3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the main body has at least a voice output function of guiding output contents and input contents by voice in a GUI environment.