JP2002063018A - Application window switching device for computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To rapidly and surely switch the application window of a personal computer screen. SOLUTION: A dial 20 is made to rotate in a clicked manner. Each position of the dial 20 is previously linked to each application window in the order. When the dial 20 is rotated, the position is detected and the application window corresponding to the detected position is called out and displayed on the personal computer screen. Furthermore, the application window corresponding to the position is called and displayed also by operating a pointing device 30 using thumb.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer application window switching apparatus for switching application windows on a computer screen such as a personal computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional personal computer, when switching an application window on a screen, a cursor (or pointer) on the screen is moved using a mouse or the like, and a cursor is pointed to a predetermined position. Click to open the application window.

[0003]

However, when a large number of application windows are opened, it takes time and effort to quickly select a required application window from a large number of application windows opened in duplicate. There was a problem. In addition, it takes time and effort to reliably move the cursor to a desired position on the screen to select a desired application window, and it is easy to move the cursor to an incorrect position. There was a problem that an application window different from the application window was opened.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has as its object to enable a user to quickly and error-freely switch to a desired application window.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a computer application according to the present invention is provided.
In the window switching device, operating means for sequentially selecting a plurality of positions, storage means for storing application window information corresponding to the plurality of positions,
Position detecting means for detecting a position selected by the operating means, and searching means for searching the storage means based on the detected position and obtaining corresponding application window information are provided.

In another application window switching device for a computer according to the present invention,
Operation means for sequentially selecting a plurality of positions, position detection means for detecting the position selected by the operation means, and transmission means for wirelessly transmitting the detected position detection signal are provided.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external view showing a case where a personal computer is provided with an application window switching device (hereinafter simply referred to as a window) according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view. 1 and 2,
A window switching dial 20 is provided on the side surface of the housing 10 of the personal computer so as to be clickable and rotatable. A pointing device 30 that operates independently of the dial 20 and can be operated by the thumb is coaxially provided inside the dial 20. Specifically, the dial 20 has a ring shape, and a pointing device 30 is provided at the center of the dial 20 so that the dial 20 can operate independently of the dial 20.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram conceptually showing the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, the dial 20 is configured as a switch having a plurality of contacts 1, 2, 3,..., N, and when one of the contacts is selected by turning the dial, the contact position (contact number) is detected. It is detected by the unit 40.
The window search unit 50 acquires the corresponding window information from the window information storage unit 60 based on the detected position information, and displays the window information on the monitor screen of the display unit 70.

In the window information storage section 60, each position of the dial 20 and corresponding window information are sequentially linked and stored. In that case, one or more positions and window information of one window are linked and stored, and one or more positions and window information of the window for one position selected from the one or more positions are further stored. Are linked and stored. In this way, each position and the window information are sequentially linked and stored in a branched manner for each window.

In the case of FIG. 3, the dial 20 has a switch structure. Alternatively, for example, by turning the dial 20, a pulse having a polarity corresponding to the rotation direction is generated, and the number of pulses is counted. Other conventionally known means may be used, such as a configuration in which position detection is performed by using a conventional method.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the sequence chart of FIG. FIG. 4 shows the operation of the user and the operation of the OS of the personal computer. First, when the dial 20 is located at a certain position and a window on the screen is open, the user
Turn the finger to the right, for example, to select the next position, and the OS closes the currently open window with
To open the next window which is ordered in advance and display the window information.

The user looks at this window, and if the window is unnecessary, turns the dial 20 to the right to select the next position. As a result, the operation is performed again and the next window is opened. If the window is a necessary window, the dial 20 is stopped by and the state returns to the state of.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the user sequentially turns the dial 20 to sequentially display windows that have been ordered in advance, so that the dial 20 is stopped when a necessary window is displayed. By doing so, it is possible to reliably switch to the desired window. Also, since you simply dial with your finger,
Operation can be performed quickly.

Further, the cursor on the screen can be moved in the direction of the eccentricity by performing an operation of putting the thumb on the pointing device 30 and pressing the eccentric position. Therefore, by operating the pointing device 30, it is possible to switch windows by searching for window information according to the position.

In the present embodiment, the dial 20 and the pointing device 30 are provided on the housing 10 of the notebook computer, but they may be provided at appropriate places on the keyboard of the desktop computer.

In the first embodiment, the dial 20 and the pointing device 30 are provided in the personal computer. In the second embodiment, the window is switched by remote-controlling the personal computer. It was done. For example, a dial 20 and / or a pointing device 30 is provided on a side surface of a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile phone, a remote control device attached to a personal computer, or the like, and a position detection signal is wirelessly transmitted to the personal computer to switch windows. It can be carried out. In this case, an infrared ray, a radio wave, or the like can be used as the wireless medium.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the window on the computer screen can be quickly and reliably switched to the desired window by a simple operation of operating the operating means such as the dial member. .

Further, by providing the operating means in a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile phone or a remote control device attached to a personal computer, the window can be switched by the remote control operation, and in general, the mobile terminal or the remote control device has a dimensional restriction. Various operations can be performed using the few keys.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a window switching device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a dial 20 and a pointer device 3 shown in FIG.
0 is a side view.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram conceptually showing a window switching device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sequence chart showing an operation of the window switching device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2, 3 to n contacts 10 case 20 dial 30 pointing device 40 position detection unit 50 window search unit 60 window information storage unit 70 display unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 3/02 390 G06F 3/02 390B 3/023 340 3/023 340Z 3/033 380 3/033 380A ( 72) Inventor Koji Onishi 1-7 Yukitani-Otsuka-cho, Ota-ku, Tokyo Alps Electric Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) AE00 BC08 BC13 BC19 DD06 DE07 DG02 DJ01 5E501 AA03 AC37 BA05 CA04 CB03 CB07 CB20 DA11 EA02 EB05 FA02 FA06 FB32 FB43

Claims (8)

[Claims] An operation unit for sequentially selecting a plurality of positions; a storage unit for storing application window information corresponding to the plurality of positions; and a position detection unit for detecting a position selected by the operation unit. An application window switching device for a computer, further comprising: a search unit that searches the storage unit based on the detected position and obtains corresponding application window information. 2. The application window switching device according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying the searched application window information on a computer screen. 3. An operation unit for sequentially selecting a plurality of positions, a position detection unit for detecting a position selected by the operation unit, and a transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting the detected position detection signal. An application window switching device for a computer. 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means are provided in a housing of a notebook computer. 5. The application / window switching device according to claim 3, wherein each of the means is provided on a housing of a remote control device for wirelessly transmitting a command to a personal computer. 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operation means is a dial member which is rotated by clicking. 7. The computer application according to claim 5, further comprising an operating means for outputting a signal indicating the direction of the eccentricity when an eccentric force is applied to the center of rotation of the dial member. -Window switching device. 8. The computer application window switching device according to claim 6, wherein a cursor on a computer screen can be moved in an eccentric direction of a force applied to the operation means by the other operation means.