JPS6320525A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily confirm and change the priority levels of windows even when windows are displayed one over another by providing a means for displaying the priority of overlapping of the windows on a screen and a means which change the priority order to optional order. CONSTITUTION:When windows (a), (b), and (c) are stored in a frame memory 9, for example, in this priority order, the priority order of the overlapping of all windows is displayed like a window order display 11 by an indication of window order display. Then, if the screen display is indicated after priority levels are inputted from a keyboard 3 through a keyboard interface 4, for example, in the reverse order, i.e. in the order of '3', '2', and '1', a window control part 5 erases the window order display 11. Then, display data are transferred from a window contents display data area 7 to a frame memory 9 in the order of the windows (c), (b), and (a) corresponding to the respective numbers, so that the windows are displayed again.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides a plurality of display effective parts (hereinafter referred to as windows) of a word processor, workstation, etc.
This invention relates to a display device having a function (hereinafter referred to as a multi-window display function) of superimposing and displaying each of the above at a specified position on the screen and in a specified priority order.

(Prior Art) A conventional display device having a multi-window display function will be explained with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a display section of a conventional display device having a multi-window display function. In the figure, 21 is a display data memory, 22 is a window management unit, 23 is a frame memory, and 24 is a CR.
It is T. Upon receiving an instruction to display a screen, the window management section 22 takes out a plurality of specified windows from the data memory 21 for one display, transfers each of them to the frame memory 23, and transfers each of them to the specified position on the CRT 24. Multi-window display is performed by overlapping in priority order. The frame memory 23 corresponds to the screen of the CRT 24, and the contents written there are displayed as they are on the screen of the CRT 24. In the example of FIG. 3, window a has the highest priority and is therefore displayed at the front of the screen, followed by window b and window C, in that order. When windows overlap, the overlapping part will be displayed with the higher priority, and the overlapped part with the lower priority will be hidden behind the window with the higher priority and will not be displayed.

If you want to bring a window with a lower priority to the forefront on the screen, that is, if you want to give it the highest priority, it is generally done by pointing the window with a pointing device.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional device described above, if a window with a lower priority is small and completely hidden behind a window with a higher priority, the priority of the window is Not only is the user unaware of the hidden window, but there are cases where the user is not even aware of the existence of the hidden window. In this case, if you want to bring a hidden window to the forefront, you can first bring some or all of the hidden windows onto the screen by reducing or moving the window in front. After confirming this, the window priority had to be changed using the pointing device as described above, which caused problems with operability.

The present invention provides a display device with an excellent multi-window display function that allows the priority order of windows to be easily confirmed and changed even when windows overlap each other in any size, position, and priority order.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a means for displaying the priority order of window overlap on a screen, and a method based on the content displayed by this display means. and a means for changing the priority order of window overlapping to an arbitrary order.

(Function) With the above configuration, the present invention allows the size of the window displayed in the front to be changed or moved, regardless of the size, position, or priority in which multiple windows are displayed superimposed. You can change the priority order of window overlap to any order without having to do anything.

(Example) An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2(A) is a diagram showing a window overlap priority display screen in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2(B) is a diagram showing the window overlap priority order display screen in an embodiment of the present invention. The priority order has been changed (window C, window b,
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a window display screen when the window a is in the order shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a mouse, 2 is a mouse interface, 3 is a keyboard, 4 is a keyboard interface, 5 is a window management unit, 6 is a display data memory,
7 is a data area for displaying window contents, 8 is a data area for displaying window order, 9 is a frame memory, and 10 is C
It is RT. In FIG. 2(A), 11 is a window order display, 12 is a number indicating the priority order, and 13 is the content name of the window.

In FIG. 1, input information from a mouse 1 and a keyboard 3 are transmitted to a window management section 5 via a mouse interface 2 and a keyboard interface 4, respectively. Upon receiving an instruction to display the screen, the window management unit 5 retrieves windows forming a plurality of designated rectangular areas from the display data memory 6, transfers each of them to the frame memory 9, and stores them on the CRTIO. Displays multiple windows by overlapping them at the specified position and in the specified priority order. However, normally, the window is extracted only from the window content display data area 7 in the display data memory 6 to display the window. Window management section 5
Every time an instruction is given to change the priority order of windows, data for displaying the overlapping order of windows is reset in the window order display data area 8.

When window order display is instructed by a predetermined instruction operation from the mouse 1 via the mouse interface 2, the window management section 5 extracts display data from the window order display data area 8 and transfers it to the frame memory 9. This is displayed on the CRTIO. When performing this display, the priority is set higher than any other window retrieved from the window content display data area 7.
In other words, it is displayed at the forefront. For example, as shown in the frame memory 9 of FIG.

If window b and window C are displayed in priority order, the screen displayed when window order display is instructed will be as shown in window order display 11 in Figure 2 (A), and here Displays the overlap priority of all windows.

12 is a priority number, and 13 is a window name, which is defined by the application program using the window. For example, if a word processor program uses a window, the document name is displayed as the window name.

The display device for the window ranking display 11 is the mouse 1 at the time when the window ranking display instruction operation is performed from the mouse 1.
Determined by the position of

Next, from keyboard 3 to keyboard interface 4
For example, after inputting the priority order opposite to the priority order shown in the window order display 11 of FIG. , when there is an instruction to display the screen, the window management unit 5 first erases the window order display 11, and then displays the windows C corresponding to the respective numbers above so that the screen shown in FIG. 2(B) is newly displayed. , window b, and window a, the display data is transferred from the window content display data area 7 to the frame memory 9 in order, and the windows are redisplayed. At this time, the window management unit 5 transfers the new window order display data. The data area 8 for displaying the window order is set again.

In this way, if there is an instruction to change the next priority order, the priority order can always be changed to an arbitrary one by repeating the same operation as the above, and the overlapping priority order of all windows can be displayed.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, it is possible to easily check and change the priority order of overlapping windows regardless of the state in which the windows are overlapped, and this has an excellent effect in improving the operability of the multi-window display function. has.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 (A) is a diagram showing a priority order display screen for window overlap in an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 (B) is a diagram showing window overlap. The priority of (113 I+, 112)+ has been changed.
, 1'' order) Figure showing the display screen of the window at the time of 3rd
The figure is a diagram showing the configuration of a display section of a conventional display device having a multi-window display function. 1...Mouse, 2...Mouse interface, 3...Keyboard, 4...Keyboard interface, 5...Window management section,
6...Data memory for display, 7...Data area for displaying window contents, 8...Data area for displaying window order, 9...Frame memory, 10.
... CRT, 11... Window ranking display, 12.
...Number indicating the window priority, 13...Window content name. Figure 1 1 Mouse 2 Mouse Ben 7-7r-Person 3\-Board 4 Large-, Yaζ-1-'4n77. Knees 6-L too
11 Digits ξ Noah Kun F'' 7 Inner Number Table, ↑・Piece Tilting (8 Lies Il! + Additional Additive Dictionary 9 Frame Memory 0-CRT a, b , c −'rt and Y

Claims (1)

[Claims] By extracting a plurality of display effective parts from the display data memory and transferring each of them to a frame memory corresponding to the screen, the plurality of display effective parts are placed at specified positions on the screen and in a specified priority order. It has a superimposed display function, and even when the plurality of display effective parts overlap in any size, position, and priority order,
means for displaying on a screen the priority order of superimposition of all the display effective parts; and means for changing the superimposition priority order of all display effective parts to an arbitrary order based on the content displayed by the display means. A display device equipped with