JP2004178363A - Terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the ease of use of a menu screen according to the use frequency of menu items and automatically update the menu items belonging to a custom menu screen. <P>SOLUTION: The terminal device, which displays a menu screen including a plurality of menu items, monitors a menu operation by a user and collects on use frequency information on the menu items. Further, the display mode of each of the menu items in the menu screen is changed based on the use frequency information on each of the menu items. A menu item not belonging to the custom menu screen is automatically added to the custom menu screen based on the use frequency information on each of the menu items. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a terminal device having a display screen for displaying a plurality of menu items.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a terminal device having a relatively small display screen size, such as a mobile phone, generally employs a hierarchical menu structure for selecting various functions. A menu item positioned deep in the menu structure not only requires a complicated operation before reaching the menu item, but also has a problem that its location is not immediately known. Also, which functions are frequently used also differs depending on the user.
[0003]
Therefore, a menu screen dedicated to the user (referred to as a custom menu screen) is generally provided, and an arbitrary menu item selected by the user is added to the custom menu screen so that a frequently used menu item can be immediately selected. .
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, adding a menu item to a custom menu has to be performed manually by the user. In addition, once an item is added to the custom menu, the menu item remains in the screen until it is manually deleted, and as the number of menu items increases, the operability (usability) of the custom menu screen is improved. Was not good.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal device that can improve the ease of use of a menu screen according to the frequency of use of menu items.
[0006]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a terminal device that can automatically update a menu item belonging to a custom menu screen.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A terminal device according to the present invention is a terminal device that displays a menu screen including a plurality of menu items, a unit that displays the plurality of menu items on a menu screen, a unit that collects usage frequency information of the menu items, Means for changing the display mode of each menu item in the menu screen based on the use frequency information of the item.
[0008]
In this terminal device, usage frequency information of each menu item is collected in accordance with the operation of the user selecting a menu item in the menu screen. Further, the display mode changes based on the use frequency information of each menu item. That is, as the user uses the terminal device, the use frequency of each menu item is learned, and the result is reflected in the display mode of each menu item. In particular, by changing the degree of change of the display mode in accordance with the frequency of use, menu items that are frequently used can be made to stand out. As a result, the usability of the menu screen can be improved.
[0009]
The display form is at least one of the size, color, blinking cycle, display order, and movement of the menu item.
[0010]
It is also possible to change the display order of the menu items on the menu screen based on the use frequency information. For example, menu items that are frequently used can be ordered first.
[0011]
Another terminal device according to the present invention is a terminal device that displays an operation menu having a hierarchical menu structure, a means for displaying a custom menu screen dedicated to a user, a means for collecting usage frequency information of a menu item, Means for automatically adding a menu item that does not belong to the custom menu screen to the custom menu screen based on the usage frequency information of the menu item.
[0012]
In this terminal device, as the frequency of use of each menu item increases, the menu item is automatically added to the custom menu. Therefore, frequently used menu items are automatically added to the custom menu as the user uses the device. Therefore, there is no need for the user to manually perform a setting operation for adding to the custom menu.
[0013]
The apparatus may further include means for automatically deleting a menu item having a relatively low use frequency based on the use frequency information of each of the menu items. That is, in this case, when the use frequency falls below a predetermined level, the menu item is automatically deleted from the custom menu without the need for manual operation by the user.
[0014]
Still another terminal device according to the present invention is a terminal device that displays a menu screen including a plurality of menu items, a unit that displays the plurality of menu items on a menu screen, and a unit that collects usage frequency information of the menu items. Means for giving a motion to each menu item in the menu screen based on the use frequency information of each menu item, so that the change frequency increases as the use frequency increases.
[0015]
In this terminal device, a movement is given to a menu item displayed in a menu screen in accordance with the frequency of use of each menu item, and the higher the frequency of use, the faster the movement of each menu item. This makes it possible to highlight frequently used menu items.
[0016]
The present invention can be understood as a computer program for realizing the operation of each terminal device as described above or a recording medium storing the computer program.
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone will be described as an example of a terminal device (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a terminal) of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to a portable terminal, but can be widely applied to a terminal device having a display screen for displaying a menu.
[0018]
FIG. 1 shows an appearance of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. The portable terminal 100 is a so-called folding (folding) type model, but the present invention is not limited to this. The main body includes a first housing 11 and a second housing 12 that are swingably connected to each other via a hinge 13. An operation unit 16 including ten keys, various operation keys, a jog dial, and the like is arranged on a main surface inside the first housing 11, and a microphone 14 is arranged below the operation unit 16. A display unit 23 such as a liquid crystal display is arranged on a main surface inside the second housing 12, and a speaker 20 is arranged above the display unit 23. In this example, the antenna 21 is provided on the second housing 12 side.
[0019]
FIG. 2 shows a general schematic configuration of the mobile terminal 100. The mobile terminal 100 includes an antenna 200, a duplexer 201 serving as an antenna duplexer, a receiving unit (RX) 202, a transmitting unit (TX) 203, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 204, A speaker 205, a microphone 206, and an ear receiver 207 are provided. The terminal 100 further includes a control unit 208, a display unit 209, an operation unit 211, a ROM 213, and a RAM 214 as parts related to the control of the terminal. The control unit 208 includes a central processing unit (CPU), and in the present invention, means for collecting usage frequency information of menu items, means for changing the display mode of each menu item in the menu screen, and other related means. Function. The operation unit 211 corresponds to various keys, buttons, dials, and the like. The ROM 213 is a non-volatile memory that stores a control program, fixed data, and the like for implementing an operation described later in the present embodiment. The RAM 214 is a memory used by the CPU to provide a temporary storage area for data and a work area.
[0020]
FIG. 3 shows a display example of the menu screen 400 of the mobile terminal 100. In the menu screen 400, icons 401 to 404 for switching various menus are displayed on the left side of the screen. An icon 401 indicates a custom menu, and when the user specifies the menu, a menu item of the custom menu is displayed in the menu item area 411. The icon 402 is for displaying a menu item for making a telephone-related setting in the menu item area 411. The icon 403 is for displaying menu items of various tools (for example, web browsing, e-mail, schedule table, memo pad, address book, calculator, etc.) in the menu item area 411. The icon 404 is for displaying a menu item of various settings (manner mode, security, etc.) other than the telephone-related items in the menu item area 411. At the top of the menu item area 411 of the menu screen 400, a title area 410 for displaying the title of the currently selected menu item group is provided. The example in the figure shows a state where the custom menu is selected.
[0021]
In the menu item area 411 of the custom menu shown in FIG. 3A, "Web browsing", "E-mail", and "Address" are displayed as menu items. In this embodiment, these menu items are automatically registered in the custom menu as menu items frequently used by the user. FIG. 3B shows a state in which “Notepad” is further added as a menu item frequently used by the user. “Use frequently” means that the frequency of use is high. Therefore, in this embodiment, the frequency of use of each menu item is constantly monitored. As a result, when the frequency of use of a menu item selected from a menu screen other than the custom menu exceeds a predetermined level, the menu item is automatically added to the custom menu. In the present invention, "automatically" means system-led, and includes a case where the process is executed with the user's consent. If the user's consent is not obtained in advance, the user may be notified after the addition.
[0022]
In the present embodiment, in addition to automatically adding the items of the custom menu as described above, the display form of the menu items is changed according to the use frequency as follows. As the "display form", various things such as character size (font size), color, blinking cycle, display order, movement of menu items, and the like can be considered.
[0023]
FIG. 4 shows a display example in which the size of characters is adopted as the display mode. In the example of FIG. 4A, the larger the frequency of use, the larger the character size is displayed. It should be noted that the actual control of the character size may be such that the character size of the relatively frequently used menu item is larger than the character size of the less frequently used menu item. That is, not only the operation of increasing the character size of the frequently used menu item but also the operation of decreasing the character size of the less frequently used menu item may be used together. The change in the character size is performed in a plurality of stages, and the use frequency is classified and assigned to each of these stages.
An arbitrary menu item in the menu screen is selected in an arbitrary display form such as reverse display, highlight display, cursor display, and the like, and the selection is moved and confirmed by a user's operation of a key, a jog dial, or the like. I have.
[0024]
In the example of FIG. 4B, not only the character size is changed, but also the display order (arrangement order) of the menu items is changed. That is, in this example, the display order is controlled so that the frequently used menu items are arranged on the upper side. It is also possible to control only the display order of the menu items without changing the character size.
[0025]
FIG. 5 shows an example in which the display mode of the menu items in the menu screen is changed with time according to the frequency of use.
[0026]
FIG. 5A shows an example in which a menu item is periodically moved (vibrated) in the menu screen. From the viewpoint of visibility, the range of the lateral movement can be preferably within the horizontal width of the menu screen. However, as an interesting design or a dynamic expression, a movement that slightly protrudes is also possible. The frequency of the vibration increases as the frequency of use increases. However, the frequency is set such that it is visible at the highest speed. Usually, in the menu screen, menu items having different vibration frequencies are mixed in accordance with the frequency of use of the menu items. In other words, the more frequently used menu items move “energically”, the more they stand out.
[0027]
FIG. 5B shows an example in which a menu item is periodically moved up and down (vibrated) in the menu screen according to the frequency of use. The range of the vertical movement is preferably within the range of the boundary with the menu item next (up and down) on the menu screen from the viewpoint of visibility. However, in this case, it is also possible to perform a motion that goes beyond the boundary. The frequency of the vibration increases as the frequency of use increases.
[0028]
FIG. 5C shows an example in which a menu item is blinked periodically. The frequency of the blinking increases as the frequency of use increases. In the present embodiment, "blinking" broadly includes changing display colors and repeating fade-out / fade-in.
[0029]
FIG. 5D shows an example in which menu items are periodically scaled in the menu screen according to the frequency of use. From the viewpoint of visibility, the range of zooming is preferably within the horizontal width of the menu screen in the horizontal direction, and within the boundary between adjacent menu items in the vertical direction. However, in this case, it is also possible to perform a motion that goes beyond the boundary. The frequency of the scaling is increased as the frequency of use increases.
[0030]
FIG. 5E shows an example in which the menu items are periodically fluctuated in the menu screen according to the use frequency. The “fluctuation” here is not a simple horizontal movement and a vertical movement, but an operation in which a character string is wavy or curved. The frequency of the fluctuation increases as the frequency of use increases.
[0031]
5A to 5E can be realized by using existing display technology. As shown in FIGS. 6 (a), 6 (b) and 6 (c), the change in the display form of the character string over time shown in FIG. , T2, T3). However, the present invention is not limited to three stages, but may be two stages or four or more stages. Although the change shown in FIG. 6 is linear (linear), it may be non-linear. Although the cycle of the change is constant, the cycle does not necessarily have to be constant if the average cycle is determined to be large, medium, or small.
[0032]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing related to the display of the menu screen in the present embodiment. This process is realized by the control of the control unit 208 in FIG.
[0033]
First, when the user performs a menu operation on the standby screen S11, a process corresponding to the operation is performed (S12). Then, it is determined what the menu item is (S13).
[0034]
In accordance with the selected menu item, the frequency of use F1, F2, F3 of the menu item is updated (S1, S15, S16). The “frequency of use” here is a count value (or a value equivalent thereto) of the number of times of use since the beginning of use, or a total value (or a value equivalent thereto) of the number of times of use within a predetermined period. is there. Here, the “corresponding value” is a value obtained by performing processing such as multiplying a raw value by a coefficient.
[0035]
When the cumulative use count is used, the raw use count may be used as the use frequency, but preferably, the use frequency is calculated by normalizing the raw use count. As a normalization method, for example, it is possible to divide the number of times of use of each menu item by the number of times of use of the most frequently used menu item. In this case, the use frequency of the highest menu item is 1, and the use frequency of the other menu items is the ratio of the use frequency to 1 (smaller than 1).
[0036]
In the case of the number of uses within a predetermined period, for example, the number of uses per day is held for a certain period (for example, 30 days), and the certain period is updated daily (shifted), and the number of uses within the period is shifted. The usage frequency is updated by calculating the total.
[0037]
It is determined whether the usage frequency Fx updated in this way has exceeded the first level L1 (S17). If the menu item exceeds the level L1, it is checked whether the menu item already exists in the custom menu (S18). If not, the menu item is added to the custom menu (S19). Next, the magnitude of the use frequency Fx is determined (S20). If Fx <L2 (where L1 <L2), the menu item is set to a display mode with a small change frequency (S21). If L2 ≦ Fx <L3 (where L2 <L3), the menu item is displayed in the changing frequency (S22). If L3 ≦ Fx, the menu item is set to a display mode with a large change frequency (S23). Then, the process returns to step S11.
[0038]
In this process, the menu item once added to the custom menu remains in the custom menu unless manually deleted by the user, even if the menu item is no longer used. Then, the number of menu items in the custom menu is only increasing, which may be inconvenient. Therefore, FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of a process of a modified example in which this point is improved. The processing in FIG. 8 is basically the same as the processing in FIG. 7, and the same steps are denoted by the same reference characters. The difference from the processing of FIG. 7 is that after the No branch of step S17, a step S24 for checking whether or not the menu item exists in the custom menu, and when the presence of the menu item is confirmed in this step, Is deleted from the custom menu. With this processing, it is possible to automatically delete a menu item whose use frequency has decreased in the custom menu from the custom menu. As a result, it is possible to prevent an adverse effect that the menu item whose use frequency has decreased remains in the custom menu forever. Of course, after that, the menu item is automatically added to the custom menu again when its use frequency increases.
[0039]
The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but various modifications and changes other than those described above are possible. For example, addition / deletion of an item of a custom menu according to the frequency of use and change of the display form of the menu item do not necessarily need to be used together, and they can be implemented independently of each other.
[0040]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, frequently used menu items can be made more prominent by changing the display mode of each menu item in the menu screen based on the use frequency information of each menu item. Thereby, the usability of the device can be improved. In particular, by giving a movement to the display of the menu item as a change in the display mode, it is possible to provide a menu screen that is fun to use.
[0041]
In addition, the menu items are automatically added to the custom menu screen based on the usage frequency information of each menu item, so that the contents of the custom menu can be customized for each user without the need for the user to manually perform an additional operation. It can be updated. Thus, each user will need most of his custom menu. In addition, by performing automatic deletion as well as automatic addition of menu items according to the use frequency, it is possible to always keep the contents of the custom menu only in menu items frequently used by the user at each time.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an appearance of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a general schematic configuration of a portable terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of a menu screen of the mobile terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example in which the size of characters is adopted as a display mode according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example in which the display form of a menu item in a menu screen is changed with time according to the frequency of use.
FIG. 6 is a graph showing an example of a change in a display mode of the character string shown in FIG. 5 with time.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing related to display of a menu screen according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the process shown in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... 1st housing | casing, 12 ... 2nd housing | casing, 14 ... Microphone, 16 ... Operation part, 20 ... Speaker, 21 ... Antenna, 23 ... Display part, 100 ... Portable terminal, 400 ... Menu screen, 401-401 404 ... icon, 410 ... title, 411 ... menu item

Claims (6)

In a terminal device that displays a menu screen including a plurality of menu items,
Means for displaying the plurality of menu items on a menu screen;
Means for collecting menu item use frequency information;
Means for changing the display mode of each menu item in the menu screen based on the usage frequency information of each menu item;
A terminal device comprising: The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the display mode is at least one of a size, a color, a blinking cycle, a display order, and a movement of the menu item. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein a display order of menu items in a menu screen is changed based on the use frequency information. In a terminal device that displays an operation menu having a hierarchical menu structure,
Means for displaying a user-specific custom menu screen;
Means for collecting menu item use frequency information;
Means for automatically adding a menu item that does not belong to the custom menu screen to the custom menu screen based on usage frequency information of each menu item,
A terminal device comprising: 5. The terminal device according to claim 4, further comprising means for automatically deleting a menu item having a relatively low frequency of use based on the frequency information of each of the menu items. In a terminal device that displays a menu screen including a plurality of menu items,
Means for displaying the plurality of menu items on a menu screen;
Means for collecting menu item use frequency information;
Means for giving a motion to each menu item in the menu screen based on the use frequency information of each menu item, so that the change frequency increases as the use frequency increases.
A terminal device comprising:

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