JP2001350457A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor permitting to improve ease of use for a user. SOLUTION: This information processor is provided with a main body part 100 which executes processing information when a power source switch 302 is ON and stops processing information when the power source switch is OFF, and an auxiliary display device 200 which is able to operate in either of ON and OFF states of the power source switch and display the information received from the main body part 100. The main body part 100 transmits the information expressing character strings to be displayed on the auxiliary display part 200 to the auxiliary display part 200 in a form of dot pattern information when the power source switch 302 is ON. The auxiliary display part 200 displays the above character strings in a dot pattern using the dot pattern information received from the main body part 100.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus. More specifically, the present invention provides a main body that executes information processing when the power switch is on and stops information processing when the power switch is off, and the power switch is either on or off. The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus including an auxiliary display unit that operates and displays information received from the main unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an information processing apparatus of this type as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1A, the information processing apparatus includes a main body unit 1000, an auxiliary display unit 2000, and a power supply unit 3000. Main unit 1
000 is control means 1001 for controlling the main body.
And storage means 1002 for storing data, display means 1003 for displaying execution results, and input means 1004 for inputting characters and the like. Auxiliary display unit 2000
Is provided with a control unit 2001 for controlling the auxiliary display unit, and a display unit 2002 including a segment type LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for displaying information. FIG.
As shown in (b), the display means 2002 displays “MA
It comprises a “MAIL” display section 2010 for turning on (lighting) or off (turning off) the letters “IL”, and number display sections 2011 and 2012 capable of displaying two-digit numbers. Control unit 1001 of main body unit and control unit 2001 of auxiliary display unit
Are connected so that they can communicate with each other. Power supply unit 30
Reference numeral 00 includes a power supply circuit 3001 for supplying power to the main unit 1000 and the auxiliary display unit 2000, and a power switch 3002 inserted in a power supply line connecting the main unit 1000 and the power supply circuit 3001. Power switch 3
When 002 is set to ON, the main body unit 1000 receives power supply from the power supply circuit 3001 and executes information processing.
When the power switch 3002 is turned off, power is not supplied, and the main body 1000 stops information processing. The auxiliary display unit 2000 operates by receiving power supply from the power supply circuit 3001 regardless of whether the power switch 3002 is on or off.

[0003] Specifically, control means 1001 of the main body section
Transmits the display type information and the numerical information to the control means 2001 of the auxiliary display unit when the power switch 3002 is on. For example, “MAIL mode” is transmitted as display type information and “12” is transmitted as numerical information to the control unit 2001 of the auxiliary display unit. Control means 2001 for auxiliary display unit
Receives the display type information and the numerical information,
“MAIL” display section 2010, number display sections 2011 and 11,
It decides which segment of 012 is turned on and which segment is turned off, and gives an instruction to the display means 2002. As a result, as illustrated in FIG.
The “MAIL” display section 2010 is turned on, and the segments corresponding to “1” and “2” in the number display sections 2011 and 2012 are turned on. This auxiliary display unit 2000
Operates regardless of whether the power switch 3002 is on or off, so that the display is maintained not only when the power switch 3002 is on, but also after the power switch 3002 is turned off. Therefore, the user can use the power switch 300
Even when 2 is in the off state, it is possible to confirm that 12 e-mails have arrived by looking at the display.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional information processing apparatus, only a fixed character string "MAIL" and a numerical value can be displayed. After the power switch 3002 is turned off, only the information received last on the auxiliary display unit 2000 can be displayed.
In particular, it is not possible to display appropriate information as time passes. Therefore, there is a problem that the usability of the user is not good.

An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus that can improve the user's convenience.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention performs information processing when a power switch is on and stops information processing when the power switch is off. And an auxiliary display unit that operates regardless of whether the power switch is on or off and that can display information received from the main unit. The information representing the character string to be displayed on the unit is sent to the auxiliary display unit in the form of dot pattern information when the power switch is on, and the auxiliary display unit uses the dot pattern information received from the main unit. The character string is displayed in a dot pattern.

[0007] The "character string" includes not only a string of a plurality of characters but also a string of one character. "letter"
Is a concept that includes characters and numbers in addition to hiragana, katakana, kanji, and the alphabet, and is a concept that widely refers to characters.

[0008] The "dot pattern" means that a display area for displaying each character is decomposed into a dot matrix (a fine square area is arranged in a matrix) and the lines and points constituting the character are decomposed. This means a format in which the corresponding dot and the dot corresponding to the background are encoded as “1” or “0”.
“Dot pattern information” means a set of data encoded in such a manner to display characters in a dot pattern.

In the information processing apparatus according to the present invention, the main body includes:
Information representing a character string to be displayed on the auxiliary display is sent to the auxiliary display in the form of dot pattern information when the power switch is on. The auxiliary display unit displays the character string in a dot pattern using the dot pattern information received from the main unit. Since this auxiliary display unit operates regardless of whether the power switch is on or off, the character string can be displayed not only when the power switch is on, but also after the power switch is turned off. Here, “characters” include not only numbers and alphabets but also hiragana, katakana, kanji, and the like. Therefore, according to this information processing apparatus, the usability of the user is improved as compared with the conventional information processing apparatus.

[0010] In one embodiment, the information processing apparatus is characterized in that the main unit includes a conversion unit that converts a character code forming a character string into dot pattern information.

In the information processing apparatus of this embodiment, since the conversion means converts the character code constituting the character string into dot pattern information, it is possible to send an arbitrary character string from the main body to the auxiliary display as dot pattern information. Can be. As a result, various messages composed of character strings containing, for example, Chinese characters are displayed on the auxiliary display unit. Therefore,
Further, the usability of the user is improved. In addition, since the main unit includes the conversion unit, it is not necessary to provide a conversion unit (a unit for converting kanji into dot pattern information using a kanji font file or a kanji ROM) in the auxiliary display unit.
Therefore, the size and economy of the auxiliary display unit can be reduced. When it is desired to display foreign language characters such as Arabic characters on the auxiliary display unit, the conversion unit of the main unit may be configured to convert the foreign language characters into dot pattern information. Need not be changed.

In one embodiment of the information processing apparatus, the auxiliary display unit includes a storage unit capable of storing dot pattern information representing a plurality of character strings, and selects a character string to be displayed from the plurality of character strings. Input means for performing the operation.

In the information processing apparatus of this embodiment, the auxiliary display unit stores dot pattern information representing a plurality of character strings received from the main unit by the storage unit. Therefore, when the user selects a character string to be displayed from the plurality of character strings by the input unit, the selected character string can be displayed on the auxiliary display unit in a dot pattern. Therefore, the usability of the user is further improved.

In one embodiment of the information processing apparatus, when the power switch is turned on, the main body sends date and time information indicating a date and time corresponding to the dot pattern information to the auxiliary display, Means for storing the dot pattern information and the date and time information in association with each other; timer means for measuring the current date and time; and current time and date for the dot pattern information stored in the storage means to be measured by the timer means. Control means for selecting based on the

In the information processing apparatus of this embodiment, when the power switch is on, the main body sends date and time information indicating date and time corresponding to the dot pattern information to the auxiliary display unit. The auxiliary display unit stores the dot pattern information and date and time information in association with each other by a storage unit. The control means selects the dot pattern information stored in the storage means based on the current date and time measured by the timer means. Therefore, appropriate dot pattern information according to the passage of time is selected, and as a result, a character string corresponding to the dot pattern information is displayed on the auxiliary display unit. For example, when the power switch is turned on, a character string representing a task (such as the name of an event) scheduled by the user in the future and its date and time are associated with each other and input to the main body as schedule information. Even after the power switch is turned off, when the date and time of the event arrives (or ahead of the date and time by a certain margin time), a character string representing the event is displayed by the auxiliary display unit. Therefore, even if the user completely forgets the event after inputting the schedule information, the arrival of the event can be remembered thanks to the display by the auxiliary display unit. Therefore, the usability of the user is further improved.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

(First Embodiment) In the first embodiment,
A PDA (portable information processing terminal) to which the present invention is applied, which enables a message indicating the number of registered schedules to be displayed on an auxiliary display unit, will be described.

FIG. 1 shows a block configuration of a PDA. The PDA includes a main unit 100 that controls a schedule information addition / deletion function, an auxiliary display unit 200 that controls a function of displaying the number of registered schedules, and a power supply unit that supplies power to the main unit 100 and the auxiliary display unit 200. 300
Is provided integrally.

The main unit 100 includes a control unit 101 for controlling the inside of the main unit 100 and communication with the control unit 201 of the auxiliary display unit, and a storage unit 102 for storing schedule information in the format shown in FIG. A dot matrix type display means 103 for displaying schedule information;
An input unit 104 is provided for the user to input or modify schedule information, and a conversion unit 105 having a function of converting a character string including a character code including Chinese characters into dot pattern information. The storage unit 102 is configured by a nonvolatile storage device such as a hard disk drive.

The auxiliary display unit 200 includes a control unit 201 for controlling the inside of the auxiliary display unit 200 and communicating with the control unit 101 of the main unit, and a dot matrix type display unit 202 capable of displaying a dot pattern.

The control unit 101 of the main unit 100 and the control unit 201 of the auxiliary display unit 200 are connected so that information can be transmitted to each other.

The power supply unit 300 includes a power supply circuit 301 for supplying power to the main unit 100 and the auxiliary display unit 200.
And a power switch 302 interposed in a power supply line connecting the main body 100 and the power supply circuit 301.
When the power switch 302 is set to ON, the main unit 10
Numeral 0 receives power supply from the power supply circuit 301 and executes information processing. When the power switch 302 is turned off, power is not supplied, and the main body unit 100 stops information processing. The auxiliary display unit 200 operates by receiving power supply from the power supply circuit 301 regardless of whether the power switch 302 is on or off.

FIG. 4 shows a storage format when the control means 101 of the main body stores the schedule information in the storage means 102. The schedule information includes a “schedule matter” indicating the name of the event and the like, and a “schedule date and time” indicating the corresponding date and time. Therefore, the storage unit 102 is provided with a “date and time” field for storing a schedule date and time, and a “message” field for storing a character string representing a schedule matter.

FIG. 7 shows the main display unit 100 and the auxiliary display unit 20.
0 shows a transmission format when a message display request is transmitted to the server. The message display request includes a "message display request" specifier and dot pattern information indicating a character string as a message.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a message displayed on the display means 202 of the auxiliary display unit. In this example, a message indicating "the number of registered schedules is 10" is displayed.

FIG. 12 and FIG.
3 shows an operation flow of the auxiliary display unit 200.

The operation of the main unit 100 will be described below with reference to the operation flow of FIG.

I) The power switch 30 is operated by the user.
2 is turned on, the power supply 300
0, power is supplied to the main unit 100, and the operation of the
It is started from 101.

Ii) In step S101, the control means 101
Reads the schedule information stored in the format shown in FIG. Subsequently, the control unit 105 controls the conversion unit 105 to convert the character string representing the date and time and the message included in the schedule information into dot pattern information. Then, using the dot pattern information, the contents of the schedule information are displayed in a dot pattern on the display means 103 of the main body. After this processing is completed, step S102
Proceed to.

Iii) At step S102, the control means 10
1 detects whether an instruction to add a schedule has been issued through the input unit 104, and if there is an instruction to add a schedule, the process proceeds to step S111; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S103.

Iv) In step S103, the control means 101
Determines whether a schedule deletion has been instructed through the input unit 104. If there has been a schedule deletion instruction, the process proceeds to step S121. If not, the process proceeds to step S102.

V) In step S111, the control means 101
Receives the schedule information input through the input unit 104, stores the input information in the storage unit 102 in the format shown in FIG. 4, and proceeds to step S112.

Vi) In step S112, the control means 101
Counts the number of pieces of schedule information stored in the storage unit 102. Then, based on the count result, a schedule number character string as a message indicating the number of registered schedules as illustrated in FIG. 10 is generated. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S113.

Vii) At step S113, the control means 10
1 converts the character string of the number of schedules generated in step S112 into dot pattern information using the conversion unit 105. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S114.

Viii) At step S114, the control means 10
1 converts the dot pattern information generated in step S113 according to the data transmission format shown in FIG.
This is transmitted to the control means 201 of the auxiliary display unit. After this processing is completed, the process returns to step S101.

Ix) In step S121, the control means 101
Accepts designation of schedule information to be deleted through the input unit 104, and deletes the corresponding schedule information from the storage content of the storage unit 102. After this process is completed,
Proceed to step S122.

X) In step S122, the control means 101
Generates a schedule number character string having a format as illustrated in FIG. 10 based on the number of pieces of schedule information stored in the storage unit 102. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S123.

Xi) In step S123, the control means 101
Converts the character string of the number of schedules generated in step S122 into dot pattern information using the conversion unit 105. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S124.

Xii) At step S124, the control means 10
1 transmits the dot pattern information generated in step S123 to the control unit 201 of the auxiliary display unit according to the data transmission format shown in FIG. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S101.

When the power switch 302 is turned off, the power supply to the main unit 100 is stopped, so that the operation of the main unit 100 is stopped. Since the storage unit 102 is configured by a nonvolatile storage device such as a hard disk drive, the contents stored in the storage unit 102 are retained even after the power supply to the main unit 100 is stopped.

Next, the operation of the auxiliary display unit 200 will be described with reference to the operation flow of FIG.

I) The operation of the auxiliary display unit 200 is performed in step S
It is started from 201.

Ii) In step S201, control means 201
Detects whether data has been transmitted from the main unit 100. If data transmission is detected, the process proceeds to step S202. Otherwise, the process of step S201 is repeated.

Iii) At step S202, the control means 20
2 receives the data having the format shown in FIG. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S203.

Iv) In step S203, control means 202
Displays a message indicating the number of registered schedules on the display unit 202 in a dot pattern using the dot pattern information included in the data received in step S202. After this processing is completed, the process returns to step S201.

The auxiliary display unit 200 includes a power switch 302
Is operated in either the on or off state, the display of the message is maintained even after the power switch 302 is set to off. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, "currently xx schedules are registered."
Is displayed. Therefore, even when the power switch 302 is in the OFF state, the user can confirm that the schedule is registered in XX by looking at the display.

Further, in this PDA, the main unit 100 writes the message in the form of dot pattern information in the auxiliary display unit 2.
00, and the auxiliary display unit 200 performs dot pattern display using the dot pattern information, so that not only numbers and alphabets but also any character string including hiragana, katakana, kanji, etc. can be displayed as a message. Therefore, according to this PDA, the usability of the user can be improved as compared with the conventional one.

Since the main body 100 has the conversion means 105, it is necessary to provide a conversion means (a means for converting kanji into dot pattern information using a kanji font file or kanji ROM) in the auxiliary display section 200. Absent. Accordingly, the size and economy of the auxiliary display unit 200 can be reduced. When it is desired to display foreign language characters such as Arabic characters on the auxiliary display unit 200, the conversion unit 1 of the main body unit converts the foreign language characters into dot pattern information.
05, and there is no need to change the configuration of the auxiliary display unit 200 side.

(Second Embodiment) In the second embodiment,
A PDA (portable information processing terminal) to which the present invention is applied, which allows schedule information to be selected by an input operation of a user and displayed on an auxiliary display unit, will be described.

FIG. 2 shows a block configuration of the PDA of this embodiment. The PDA includes a main unit 400 that controls a schedule information addition / deletion function, an auxiliary display unit 500 that controls a function of displaying a schedule information character string, and a power supply for supplying power to the main unit 400 and the auxiliary display unit 500. The unit 600 is integrally provided.

The main unit 400 includes a control unit 401 for controlling the inside of the main unit 400 and communication with the control unit 501 of the auxiliary display unit, and a storage unit 402 for storing schedule information in the format shown in FIG. A dot matrix display means 403 for displaying schedule information;
An input unit 404 for a user to input or modify schedule information and a conversion unit 405 having a function of converting a character string including a character code including kanji into dot pattern information are provided. The storage unit 402 is configured by a nonvolatile storage device such as a hard disk drive.

The auxiliary display unit 500 includes a control unit 501 for controlling the internal display of the auxiliary display unit 500 and communicating with the control unit 401 of the main unit, a dot matrix type display unit 502 capable of displaying a dot pattern, and FIG. Storage means 503 for storing schedule information in the format shown, and input means 5 having next button 504a and previous button 504b
04.

The control unit 401 of the main unit 400 and the control unit 501 of the auxiliary display unit 500 are connected so that information can be transmitted to each other.

The power supply section 600 includes a power supply circuit 601 for supplying power to the main body section 400 and the auxiliary display section 500.
And a power switch 602 interposed in a power supply line connecting the main body 400 and the power circuit 601.
When the power switch 602 is set to ON, the main unit 40
Numeral 0 receives power supply from the power supply circuit 601 and executes information processing. When the power switch 602 is turned off, power is not supplied, and the main unit 400 stops information processing. The auxiliary display unit 500 operates by receiving power supply from the power supply circuit 601 regardless of whether the power switch 602 is on or off.

FIG. 4 shows a storage format when the control unit 401 of the main unit stores the schedule information in the storage unit 402. The schedule information includes a “schedule matter” indicating the name of the event and the like, and a “schedule date and time” indicating the corresponding date and time. Therefore, the storage unit 402 is provided with a “date and time” field for storing the schedule date and time, and a “message” field for storing a character string representing the schedule message.

FIG. 5 shows a storage format when the control unit 501 of the auxiliary display unit stores the schedule information in the storage unit 503. Therefore, the storage means 503
Has a “date and time” field for storing the schedule date and time, and a “message” field for storing dot pattern information representing the schedule and date.

FIG. 6 shows a storage format when the control means 501 of the auxiliary display unit stores the schedule information display index in the storage means 503. The schedule information display index indicates the order of the schedule information to be displayed in the schedule information stored in the storage unit 503.

FIG. 8 shows the main display unit 400 and the auxiliary display unit 50.
0 indicates the transmission format when transmitting the schedule information addition request. The schedule information addition request
It consists of a “schedule addition request” specifier, “schedule date and time” indicating the date and time of an event to be added, and dot pattern information indicating “schedule matter” such as the name of the event.

FIG. 9 shows the main display unit 400 and the auxiliary display unit 50.
0 indicates a transmission format when transmitting a schedule information deletion request. The schedule information deletion request is
It consists of a "schedule deletion request" specifier and a "schedule date and time" indicating the date and time of the event to be deleted.

FIG. 11 shows an example of a schedule information character string displayed on the display means 502 of the auxiliary display unit.
In this example, “Tuesday, January 25, 2000 15:00
１６16: 00 meeting ”is displayed.

FIG. 14 and FIG.
5 shows an operation flow of the auxiliary display unit 500.

The operation of the main unit 400 will be described below with reference to the operation flow of FIG.

I) The power switch 60 is operated by the user.
2 is set to ON, the power supply unit 600 sends the main unit 40
0 is supplied to the main unit 400, and the operation of the
It is started from 401.

Ii) In step S401, control means 401
Reads the schedule information stored in the format shown in FIG. Subsequently, the control unit 405 controls the conversion unit 405 to convert the character string representing the date and time and the message included in the schedule information into dot pattern information. Then, using the dot pattern information, the contents of the schedule information are displayed in a dot pattern on the display unit 403 of the main body. After this processing is completed, step S402
Proceed to.

Iii) In step S402, the control means 40
No. 1 detects whether an instruction to add a schedule has been issued through the input unit 404. If an instruction to add a schedule has been issued, the process proceeds to step S411; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S403.

Iv) In step S403, control means 401
Determines whether a schedule deletion instruction has been issued through the input unit 404. If there has been a schedule deletion instruction, the flow advances to step S421; otherwise, the flow advances to step S402.

V) In step S411, control means 401
Receives the schedule information input through the input unit 404, stores the input information in the storage unit 402 in the format shown in FIG. 4, and proceeds to step S412.

Vi) In step S412, the control means 401
Generates a schedule information character string having a format as illustrated in FIG. 11 using the schedule information stored in step S411. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S413.

Vii) In step S413, the control means 40
1 converts the schedule information character string generated in step S412 into dot pattern information using the conversion unit 405. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S414.

Viii) At step S414, the control means 40
1 creates schedule information addition request data in accordance with the format shown in FIG. 8 using the schedule information stored in step S411 and the dot pattern information generated in step S413, and transmits it to the control unit 501 of the auxiliary display unit. I do. After this processing is completed, step S401
Return to

Ix) In step S421, control means 401
Accepts designation of schedule information to be deleted through the input unit 404, and deletes the corresponding schedule information from the storage content of the storage unit 402. After this process is completed,
Proceed to step S422.

X) In step S422, control means 401
Creates schedule information deletion data according to the format shown in FIG. 9 from the date and time of the schedule information designated to be deleted in step S421, and transmits the schedule information deletion data to the control unit 501 of the auxiliary display unit. After this processing is completed, step S4
Go to 01.

When the power switch 602 is turned off, the power supply to the main unit 400 stops, and the operation of the main unit 400 stops. Since the storage unit 402 is configured by a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk drive, the contents stored in the storage unit 402 are retained even after the power supply to the main unit 400 is stopped.

Next, the operation of the auxiliary display unit 500 will be described with reference to the operation flow of FIG.

I) The operation of the auxiliary display unit 500 is performed in step S
The process is started from 501.

Ii) In step S501, control means 501
Initializes the schedule information display index (index indicating what schedule information is to be displayed) stored in the storage unit 503 to 0. After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S502.

Iii) In step S502, the control unit 50
1 obtains schedule information indicated by the schedule information display index from the schedule information stored in the storage unit 503, and displays a schedule information character string as illustrated in FIG. Display in dot pattern. If the schedule information display index is 0, the display on the display unit 502 is deleted. After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S503.

Iv) In step S503, control means 501
Checks whether data is being transmitted from the main unit 400. If the data transmission is detected, the process proceeds to step S511; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S5.
Go to 04.

V) In step S504, control means 501
Checks whether the next button 504a of the input means 504 has been pressed, that is, whether the display of the schedule information specified by the next display index has been instructed. If it is detected that the next button 504a has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S521, where the control unit 501
The value of the schedule information display index is increased by one. However, when the schedule information display index exceeds the number of schedule information stored in the storage unit 503, the above-mentioned schedule information registration number is set in the schedule information display index. After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S502. On the other hand, step S50
If it is not detected in step 4 that the next button 504a is pressed, the process proceeds to step S505.

Vi) At step S505, the control means 501
Checks whether the previous button 504b of the input unit 504 has been pressed, that is, whether the display of the schedule information specified by the previous display index has been instructed. If the control unit 501 detects that the previous button 504b has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S531, and the control unit 501
The value of the schedule information display index is reduced by one. However, when the schedule information display index becomes 0, the schedule information display index becomes 1
Set to. If the schedule information is not stored in the storage unit 503, the schedule information display index is set to 0. After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S502. On the other hand, if it is not detected in step S505 that the previous button 504b has been pressed, the process advances to step S503.

Vii) In step S511, the control means 50
1 receives the data transmitted from the main unit 400.
After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S512.

Viii) In step S512, the control unit 50
1 determines whether the data received in step S511 is a schedule addition request. If it is a schedule addition request, the process proceeds to step S541; otherwise, the process is a schedule deletion request, and the process proceeds to step S551.

Ix) In step S541, control means 501
Is the date and time part of the data received in step S511,
The message part is stored in the storage unit 503 in the format shown in FIG. After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S542.

X) In step S542, the control means 501
Sets the schedule information display index to 1 if the schedule information display index is 0. After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S502.

Xi) At step S551, the control means 501
Is the date and time part of the data received in step S511,
The schedule information stored in the storage unit 503 is compared with the date and time part, and the schedule information having the same date and time is deleted from the storage content of the storage unit 503. After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S552.

Xii) At step S552, the control means 50
1 sets the value of the schedule information display index to the above-mentioned schedule registration number when the value of the schedule information display index exceeds the number of registered schedule information stored in the storage unit 503. After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S502.

The auxiliary display unit 500 includes a power switch 602
Operates regardless of whether the power switch is on or off. Therefore, even after the power switch 602 is turned off, for example, FIG.
1 Tuesday, January 25, 2000 15:00
The display of the schedule information character string such as "0 to 16:00 meeting" is maintained. Therefore, even when the power switch 602 is off, the user can check the schedule by looking at the display. Further, the auxiliary display unit 500 stores the dot pattern information representing the plurality of schedule information character strings received from the main unit 400 in the storage unit 5.
03, and the schedule information character string selected (pressing the next button 504a or the previous button 504b) through the user's input means 504 is displayed on the display means 502 in a dot pattern, so that the user's convenience is further improved.

The auxiliary display unit 500 can display not only numbers and alphabets but also any character string including hiragana, katakana, kanji, and the like. The auxiliary display unit 500 displays foreign language characters such as Arabic characters. Even in this case, there is no need to change the configuration of the auxiliary display unit 500, which is the same as in the first embodiment.

(Third Embodiment) In the third embodiment,
A description will be given of a PDA (portable information processing terminal) to which the present invention is applied, which can display an appropriate schedule information character string according to the passage of time on an auxiliary display unit.

FIG. 3 shows the block configuration of the PDA of this embodiment. The PDA includes a main unit 700 that controls a schedule information adding / deleting function, an auxiliary display unit 800 that controls a function of displaying a schedule information character string, and a power supply for supplying power to the main unit 700 and the auxiliary display unit 800. The unit 900 is integrally provided.

The main unit 700 is a control unit 7 for controlling the inside of the main unit 700 and communicating with the control unit 801 of the auxiliary display unit.
01, a storage unit 702 for storing schedule information in the format shown in FIG. 4, a dot matrix type display unit 703 for displaying schedule information, and for a user to input or modify schedule information. And a conversion unit 705 having a function of converting a character string composed of character codes including Chinese characters into dot pattern information. The storage unit 702 is configured by a nonvolatile storage device such as a hard disk drive.

The auxiliary display unit 800 includes a control unit 801 for controlling the inside of the auxiliary display unit 800 and communicating with the control unit 801 of the main unit, a dot matrix type display unit 802 capable of displaying a dot pattern, and FIG. A storage unit 803 for storing schedule information in the format shown, and a timer unit 804 for measuring the current date and time are provided.

The control unit 701 of the main unit 700 and the control unit 801 of the auxiliary display unit 800 are connected so that information can be transmitted to each other.

Power supply section 900 includes a power supply circuit 901 for supplying power to main body section 700 and auxiliary display section 800.
And a power switch 902 interposed in a power supply line connecting the main body 700 and the power circuit 901.
When the power switch 902 is turned on, the main body 70
Numeral 0 receives power supply from the power supply circuit 901 and executes information processing. When the power switch 902 is turned off, power is not supplied, and the main body 700 stops information processing. The auxiliary display unit 800 operates by receiving power supply from the power supply circuit 901 regardless of whether the power switch 902 is on or off.

FIG. 4 shows a storage format when the control unit 701 of the main unit stores the schedule information in the storage unit 702. The schedule information includes a “schedule matter” indicating the name of the event and the like, and a “schedule date and time” indicating the corresponding date and time. Therefore, the storage unit 702 is provided with a “date and time” field for storing a schedule date and time, and a “message” field for storing a character string representing a schedule message.

FIG. 5 shows a storage format when the control unit 801 of the auxiliary display unit stores the schedule information in the storage unit 803. Therefore, the storage unit 803 is provided with a “date and time” field for storing a schedule date and time, and a “message” field for storing dot pattern information indicating a schedule matter.

FIG. 7 shows the main display unit 700 to the auxiliary display unit 800.
3 shows a transmission format when transmitting a schedule information addition request.

FIG. 8 shows the main display unit 700 to the auxiliary display unit 800.
9 shows a transmission format when transmitting a schedule information deletion request.

FIG. 11 shows an example of a schedule information character string displayed on the display means 802 of the auxiliary display unit.
In this example, “Tuesday, January 25, 2000 15:00
１６16: 00 meeting ”is displayed.

FIG. 16 and FIG.
4 shows an operation flow of the auxiliary display unit 800.

The operation of the main unit 700 will be described below with reference to the operation flow of FIG.

The operation of the main unit 700 is the same as the operation of the main unit 400 of the second embodiment.

I) The power switch 90 is operated by a user operation.
2 is set to ON, the power supply unit 900 sends the main unit 70
0 is supplied, and the operation of the
701 is started.

Ii) In step S701, control means 701
Reads the schedule information stored in the format shown in FIG. Subsequently, the control unit 705 controls the conversion unit 705 to convert the character string representing the date and time and the message included in the schedule information into dot pattern information. Then, using the dot pattern information, the contents of the schedule information are displayed in a dot pattern on the display unit 703 of the main body. After this processing is completed, step S702
Proceed to.

Iii) In step S702, control unit 70
1 detects whether or not an instruction to add a schedule has been issued through the input unit 704, and proceeds to step S711 if there has been an instruction to add a schedule; otherwise, proceeds to step S703.

Iv) In step S703, control means 701
Determines whether or not schedule deletion has been instructed through the input unit 704. If there has been a schedule deletion instruction, the flow advances to step S721; otherwise, the flow advances to step S702.

V) In step S711, the control unit 701
Receives the schedule information input through the input unit 704, stores the input information in the storage unit 702 in the format shown in FIG. 4, and proceeds to step S712.

Vi) In step S712, control means 701
Generates a schedule information character string having a format as illustrated in FIG. 11 using the schedule information stored in step S711. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S713.

Vii) In step S713, the control unit 70
1 converts the schedule information character string generated in step S712 into dot pattern information using the conversion unit 705. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S714.

Viii) At step S714, the control unit 70
1 generates schedule information addition request data according to the format shown in FIG. 8 using the schedule information stored in step S711 and the dot pattern information generated in step S713, and transmits the schedule information addition request data to the control unit 801 of the auxiliary display unit. I do. After this processing is completed, step S701
Return to

Ix) In step S721, control means 701
Accepts designation of schedule information to be deleted through the input unit 704 and deletes the corresponding schedule information from the storage content of the storage unit 702. After this process is completed,
Proceed to step S722.

X) In step S722, control means 701
Creates schedule information deletion data according to the format shown in FIG. 9 from the date and time of the schedule information designated to be deleted in step S721, and transmits the data to the control unit 801 of the auxiliary display unit. After this processing is completed, step S7
Go to 01.

When the power switch 902 is turned off, the power supply to the main unit 700 stops, and the operation of the main unit 700 stops. Since the storage unit 702 is configured by a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk drive, the contents stored in the storage unit 702 are retained even after the power supply to the main unit 700 is stopped.

Next, the operation of the auxiliary display unit 800 will be described with reference to the operation flow of FIG.

I) Operation of auxiliary display section 800 is step S
801 is started.

Ii) In step S801, control means 801
Checks whether data is being transmitted from the main unit 700. If data transmission is detected, the process proceeds to step S811; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S8.
Go to 02.

Iii) In step S802, the control unit 80
1 judges whether or not the data of the current date and time acquired from the timer unit 804 matches the data of the date and time part of any schedule information stored in the storage unit 803. If there is one whose date and time match, the process proceeds to step S821, and the control unit 801 sets the object part of the schedule information whose date and time match, that is, the dot pattern representing the schedule information character string illustrated in FIG. The obtained dot pattern is displayed by the display unit 802. After this processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S801. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S802 that there is no one whose date and time match, the process directly proceeds to step S801.

Iv) In step S811, the control unit 801
Receives the data transmitted from the main unit 700. After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S812.

V) In step S812, control means 801
Determines whether the data received in step S811 is a schedule addition request. If it is a schedule addition request, the process proceeds to step S831, otherwise, it is determined that the request is a schedule deletion request, and the process proceeds to step S841.

Vi) In step S831, the control means 801
Stores the date and time part and the message part of the data received in step S811 in the storage unit 803 in the format shown in FIG. After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S801.

Vii) In step S841, the control means 80
1 compares the date and time part of the data received in step S811 with the date and time part of the schedule information stored in the storage unit 803, and deletes the schedule information having the same date and time from the storage content of the storage unit 803. . After this processing ends, the flow proceeds to step S801.

The auxiliary display unit 800 includes a power switch 902
1 operates in either the on or off state, so even after the power switch 902 is set to off, the schedule information character string at which the schedule date and time has arrived, for example, FIG.
1 Tuesday, January 25, 2000 15:00
A schedule information character string such as "0 to 16:00 meeting" can be displayed. Therefore, even if the user completely forgets the event after inputting the schedule information, the arrival of the event can be remembered by the display of the auxiliary display unit 800.
Therefore, the usability of the user is further improved.

It should be noted that the auxiliary display unit 800 can display not only numbers and alphabets but also any character string including hiragana, katakana, kanji, and the like. The auxiliary display unit 800 displays foreign language characters such as Arabic characters. Even in this case, there is no need to change the configuration of the auxiliary display unit 800, which is the same as in the first and second embodiments.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present invention
It can be widely applied to not only DA (portable information processing terminal) but also various other information processing apparatuses.

[0125]

As is clear from the above, according to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, not only when the power switch is turned on but also after the power switch is turned off, the auxiliary display unit displays not only the numbers and alphabets but also the power switch. , Hiragana, katakana, kanji, etc., can be displayed in a dot pattern. Therefore, the usability of the user can be improved as compared with the conventional one.

In the information processing apparatus of one embodiment, since the conversion means of the main body converts the character code forming the character string into dot pattern information, an arbitrary character string is transferred from the main body to the auxiliary display as dot pattern information. Can be sent, and the usability of the user can be improved. Also,
Conversion means (Kanji font file or Kanji R
There is no need to provide a means for converting kanji into dot pattern information using the OM, and the size and economicalness of the auxiliary display unit can be realized. When it is desired to display foreign language characters such as Arabic characters on the auxiliary display unit, the conversion unit of the main unit may be configured to convert the foreign language characters into dot pattern information. Need not be changed.

In one embodiment of the information processing apparatus, the auxiliary display unit selects a storage unit capable of storing dot pattern information representing a plurality of character strings, and selects a character string to be displayed from the plurality of character strings. When the user selects a character string to be displayed from the plurality of character strings by the input means, the selected character string can be displayed in a dot pattern. . Therefore, the usability of the user can be further improved.

In the information processing apparatus of one embodiment, since the dot pattern information stored in the storage means is selected based on the current date and time measured by the timer means, appropriate dot pattern information according to the lapse of time is selected. The character string corresponding to the dot pattern information can be displayed by the auxiliary display unit. Therefore, even if the user completely forgets the event after inputting the schedule information, the arrival of the event can be remembered thanks to the display by the auxiliary display unit. Therefore, the usability of the user can be further improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a block configuration of a PDA according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a block configuration of a PDA according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a block configuration of a PDA according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a storage format when schedule information is stored in a storage unit of a main unit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a storage format when storing schedule information in a storage unit of the auxiliary display unit. .

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a storage format when a schedule information display index is stored in a storage unit of an auxiliary display unit.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a data format when the main body sends a message display request to the auxiliary display.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a data format when the main body sends a schedule information addition request to the auxiliary display.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a data format when the main body sends a schedule information deletion request to the auxiliary display.

FIG. 10 is a diagram exemplifying a character string of the number of schedules displayed on the auxiliary display unit.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a schedule information character string displayed on an auxiliary display unit.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of the main body unit in the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of an auxiliary display unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of a main unit in the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of an auxiliary display unit according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of a main unit in the third embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of an auxiliary display unit according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a block configuration of a conventional information processing apparatus and a display example of an auxiliary display unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

100, 400, 700, 1000 Main body 101, 201, 401, 501, 701, 801, 1
001, 2001 Control means 102, 402, 503, 702, 803, 1002
Storage means 103, 202, 403, 502, 703, 802, 1
003, 2002 Display means 104, 404, 504, 704, 1004 Input means 105, 405, 705 Conversion means 200, 500, 800, 2000 Auxiliary display section 300, 600, 900, 3000 Power supply section 301, 601, 901, 3001 Power supply Circuit 302, 602, 902, 3002 Power switch 804 Timer means 504a Next button 504b Previous button 2010 "MAIL" display section 2011, 2012 Numeric display section

Continued on the front page F-term (reference)

Claims (4)

[Claims] An information processing unit configured to execute information processing when the power switch is on and to stop information processing when the power switch is off, to operate regardless of whether the power switch is on or off; An information processing device comprising: an auxiliary display unit capable of displaying information received from the main unit; wherein the main unit transmits information representing a character string to be displayed on the auxiliary display unit, when the power switch is turned on. An information processing apparatus, wherein the information is sent to the auxiliary display unit in the form of dot pattern information, and the auxiliary display unit displays the character string in a dot pattern using the dot pattern information received from the main unit. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main unit includes a conversion unit that converts a character code forming a character string into dot pattern information. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary display unit is configured to store dot pattern information representing a plurality of character strings, and to display the plurality of character strings from among the plurality of character strings. An input unit for selecting a character string to be used. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body unit sends date and time information indicating date and time corresponding to the dot pattern information to the auxiliary display unit when the power switch is on. The auxiliary display unit includes a storage unit that stores the dot pattern information and the date and time information in association with each other, a timer unit that measures a current date and time, and a timer unit that stores the dot pattern information stored in the storage unit. An information processing apparatus comprising control means for selecting based on the current date and time measured by the information processing apparatus.