JP2002132425A - Remote control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote control system that has a built-in PC user interface for an actual machine so that a PC can use the built-in PC user interface. SOLUTION: The remote control system that is comprised of a personal computer and the actual machine that can be remotely controlled by the personal computer has a software key to simulate an operation button of the actual machine in a graphic user interface installed in the actual machine. The control system can use the software key displayed on a display screen using the graphic user interface at the side of the personal computer, and at the side of the actual machine, the system can arrange the software key to move to the outside of display area of the display screen.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote control system for controlling a device by a remote controller, and more particularly, to a system in which a personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as a PC) can remotely control embedded devices. The present invention relates to the realization of a user interface that requires little development man-hour for a remote control application.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of a conventional remote control system. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a PC, which comprises a main body 11, a display 12, and input devices such as a mouse 13 and a keyboard 14.
Reference numeral 20 denotes a built-in device that can be remotely controlled from the PC 10 and includes a display screen 21, operation buttons 22, a jog dial 23, and the like, and can operate an actual device using input devices such as the operation buttons 22 and the jog dial 23. It has become.

On the actual machine side, devices such as the mouse 13 and the keyboard 14 on the PC side cannot be used via the user interface (not shown), or it is often undesirable to use the device due to the specifications of the device. is there.

For this reason, a normal embedded device receives a user input through a device-specific device such as a button 22 or a jog dial 23 dedicated to the actual device, while a remote control application on the PC uses only the mouse 13 and the keyboard 14 on the PC. Generally, it is possible to operate it.

[0005]

However, in order to operate the real machine using two different input devices, the real machine and the PC, two user interfaces for the real machine and the PC must be designed. Instead, they need to be evaluated individually. Therefore, compared to devices that do not support remote control, the number of development steps is increased and the cost is high. In addition, when adding functions after product release, two independent user interfaces need to be redesigned and re-evaluated. Also increases.

The user interface for the actual machine and the user interface for the PC are not designed and developed separately, but it is desirable that the same user interface can be used. Therefore, it is necessary to create a user interface for a PC in advance in the user interface of the actual machine, and to use the user interface itself of the actual machine created in the PC.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a P
Create a user interface for C
An object of the present invention is to provide a remote control system that can use the user interface itself of the actual device thus created.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 is a remote control system in which a personal computer and an actual machine which can be remotely controlled by the personal computer are combined. In the graphic user interface mounted on the actual device, a software key portion simulating an operation button portion of the actual device is provided, and the software key portion is displayed on a display screen using the graphic user interface on the personal computer side, and software is displayed. Keys can be used, and the software key portion is configured to be out of the display area of the display screen on the actual device side.

If the actual machine is equipped with the graphic user interface configured as described above, even if the actual machine is replaced, there is no need to newly design a user interface for a personal computer, and additional evaluation for that purpose. Is also unnecessary.

In this case, the screen display portion excluding the software key portion displayed on the graphic user interface has the same number of dots as the resolution of the display screen of the actual device. It is also possible to hide the part.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The remote control system according to the present invention has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 2 except for a user interface (not shown). The user interface will be described below. The present invention is characterized by a user interface, particularly a graphical user interface (hereinafter referred to as a GUI).

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a GUI screen display. A GUI for a PC that can display the entire screen is created in the actual device, and the GUI of the actual device created in this way can be used on the PC side.

Therefore, in the actual machine, only the area A can be displayed on the screen 21, and in the PC, all areas B (including the area A) can be displayed on the display 12 of the PC. For example, if the resolution of the display screen 21 mounted on the actual device is 640 dots wide by 480 dots high, the GUI displays the display area of A in the same manner as 640 dots wide x
It is designed to be 480 dots vertically. By doing so, only the area A is naturally displayed on the actual device. Therefore, no additional man-hours for the GUI such that only the area A is displayed are required. Usually very little, if any.

In a real machine equipped with a GUI having such a function, a user's input is received using the button 22 or the jog dial 23 on the real machine as an input device, and the key command is sent to the GUI. G that received the key command
The UI performs processing according to the command.

A remote control application (not shown) on the PC side can use a GUI mounted on an actual device, and can display all areas B on a display screen. Since the resolution of the screen of the display 12 of the recent PC 10 is generally higher than the resolution of the display screen 21 of the actual device, it is sufficiently possible to display the area B.

In the remote control application on the PC side, a virtual input device (also called a software key) imitating a button or a jog dial of an actual machine.
On the screen using the mouse. The GUI accepts the user's mouse input as well as the key command, and performs the same processing.

If the device is equipped with a GUI having such a function, there is no need to newly design a graphical user interface for a PC even if the device is replaced, and no additional evaluation is necessary. .

It should be noted that the foregoing description has been directed to specific preferred embodiments for the purpose of illustration and illustration of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes many more modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.
This includes deformation.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) If the actual device is equipped with a GUI having the above functions, it is not necessary to newly design a user interface for a PC, and it is not necessary to perform additional evaluation for the user interface. For this reason, most of the man-hours required for mounting the remote control required in the conventional system can be omitted. (2) The number of steps required for adding functions after product shipment can be reduced. (3) Since it is not necessary to create a user interface for each of the PC and the actual device as in the related art, the speed of product development is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI display screen mounted on a remote control system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a conventional remote control system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 PC 11 Main body 12 Display 13 Mouse 14 Keyboard 20 Embedded device 21 Display screen 22 Button 23 Jog dial

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A remote control system in which a personal computer is combined with an actual machine capable of being remotely controlled by the personal computer, wherein software emulating an operation button section of the actual machine is included in a graphic user interface mounted on the actual machine. The personal computer side uses the graphic user interface so that the software key portion is displayed on the display screen so that the software key can be used. On the actual device side, the software key portion is displayed on the display area of the display screen. A remote control system characterized by being configured to go outside. 2. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the screen display portion excluding the software key portion displayed on the graphic user interface has the same number of dots as the resolution of the display screen of the actual device.