JP2004206457A - Output device for usage guidance information, output method therefor, and program therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately output usage guidance information on equipment, so that the equipment will be used by a recommended method. <P>SOLUTION: A computer 11 can be connected to a printer 25. A control part 12 of the computer 11 receives, via an input part 14, an activating signal for starting an electronic manual showing the usage method of the printer 25. The control part 12, on receiving the activating signal for starting, acquires a period of time when the activating signal for starting has been inputted in accordance with an electronic manual startup program of an HD 23, from a clock 16. Then, the control part 12 determines whether the acquired period of time is in a mid-day time zone or a night time zone, and in accordance with the determined time zone, selects a file from a plurality of files stored in the HD 23 to execute the file. When the file is executed, an image is displayed on a display part 15 in accordance with the time zone. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a use guide information output device, a use guide information output method, and a program.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art It is widely used to digitize a manual of a device represented by an electronic device or the like and output it from an output device using a computer (for example, see Patent Document 1). In such an electronic manual, there is a problem in that the amount of information that can be output at one time is limited due to restrictions on the output device. For example, when a display is used as an output device, the amount of information that can be displayed at one time has been reduced because the size of the display is limited.
[0003]
Therefore, there has been an electronic manual created using HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and displayed on a display using dedicated viewing software. According to this, a function called a so-called hypertext, which can embed position information of another document in an arbitrary position of the document and connect a plurality of documents to each other, can be used. Then, it was possible to display a plurality of documents on the display one after another by following the link. As a result, a large amount of information can be handled even in a limited display range.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-11-53377
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, among the devices provided with the above-mentioned conventional electronic manuals, there are some devices whose recommended use method changes depending on the use time and use environment. For example, in some cases, it is desired to use a silent mode at night, and when temperature is high, it is desired to use a component having heat resistance.
[0006]
Then, in order for the user to adopt the above usage method, it is necessary to check the usage method using the above-mentioned conventional electronic manual. That is, the user has to follow the link as described above to find a document that meets his purpose.
[0007]
However, the above-mentioned conventional electronic manual has to be troublesome because it is necessary to search for a target document while manually moving back and forth between a plurality of linked documents. As a result, there has been a possibility that the user cannot find the desired use guidance information satisfactorily.
[0008]
Furthermore, it has been considered that the user does not notice the existence of the recommended usage method as described above and does not even check the electronic manual. Therefore, even if there is a usage method recommended for the user, there is a possibility that the opportunity of using the usage method is lost.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to output a use guide information of a device appropriately, and to output a use guide information that allows a device to be used in a recommended use method. An object of the present invention is to provide a method and a program for outputting usage guide information.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention relates to a use guide information output device comprising: storage means for storing a plurality of use guide information related to a device; and output means for outputting the use guide information. Means, time zone information determining means for determining a time zone corresponding to when the output request signal is received, and the use guidance information corresponding to the time zone determined by the time zone information determining means from the storage means. Output information selecting means for selecting and outputting from the output means.
[0011]
Therefore, according to the present invention, the use guide information suitable for the time zone when the input means inputs the output request signal is output from the output means. As a result, the use guide information of the device is selected according to the time zone and output from the output means, so that the use guide information of the device that changes depending on the time zone can be accurately grasped. Then, it is possible to recommend an optimal use method of the device that changes depending on the time zone, and the device is used effectively.
[0012]
In this use guidance information output device, the time zone is a time zone indicating whether it is daytime or nighttime.
According to this, the use guide information of the device, which changes between daytime and nighttime, can be accurately output from the output unit. As a result, for example, at night, it may be desired that the device be used quietly, so when an output request signal is input at night, the use guidance information for silent use is given priority. It can be output from the output means. Therefore, it is possible to recommend the use of the function of the device that changes depending on the time zone, and the device can be used effectively.
[0013]
In this use guide information output device, the use guide information includes silent use guide information that recommends that the device be used silently.
According to this, it is possible to change whether or not to output the silent use guide information from the output means depending on the time zone. As a result, for example, at night, there is a high possibility that it is desired that the device be used quietly. Therefore, adjustment can be made so that the silent use guide information is actively displayed at night. Therefore, the silent use guide information can be output from the output means only in an appropriate time zone, and the silent use of the device can be effectively performed.
[0014]
The present invention relates to a use guide information output device comprising: storage means for storing a plurality of use guide information related to a device; and output means for outputting the use guide information. Means, use environment information acquisition means for acquiring use environment information indicating the use environment of the device when receiving the output request signal, and the use guide corresponding to the use environment of the use environment information from the storage means. Output information selecting means for selecting information and outputting the selected information from the output means.
[0015]
Therefore, according to the present invention, the use guide information suitable for the use environment of the device when the input means inputs the output request signal is output from the output means. As a result, the use guide information of the device is selected according to the use environment and output from the output unit, so that the use guide information of the device that changes depending on the use environment can be accurately grasped. Then, it is possible to recommend the use of the function of the device that changes depending on the use environment, and the device is used effectively.
[0016]
In this use guide information output device, the use environment information is at least information on temperature, geographical environment, or weather.
According to this, at least the use guide information of the device that changes depending on the temperature, the geographical environment, or the weather can be accurately output from the output unit. As a result, for example, when the temperature is high, it may be desirable to replace the components of the device with components that can withstand high temperatures. Guidance information can be preferentially output from the output means. Therefore, at least, it is possible to recommend an optimal method of using the device that changes depending on the temperature, the geographical environment, or the weather, and the device can be used effectively.
[0017]
The present invention provides a method for outputting guidance information on a plurality of devices, which is stored in a storage means of a guidance information output device, via an output means of the guidance information output device. Receiving the output request signal, a time zone information determining step of determining a time zone corresponding to receiving the output request signal, and a time zone determined in the time zone information determining step from the storage means. An output information selecting step of selecting the use guide information corresponding to (i) and outputting from the output means.
[0018]
Therefore, according to the present invention, the use guide information suitable for the time zone when the input means inputs the output request signal is output from the output means. As a result, the use guide information of the device is selected according to the time zone and output from the output means, so that the use guide information of the device that changes depending on the time zone can be accurately grasped. Then, it is possible to recommend an optimal use method of the device that changes depending on the time zone, and the device is used effectively.
[0019]
The present invention provides a program for outputting, via an output unit of the use guide information output device, use guide information of a plurality of devices stored in a storage unit of the use guide information output device. Receiving means for receiving the output request signal of the use guide information, time zone information determining means for determining a time zone corresponding to when the output request signal is received, and the storage means for determining the time zone information. The use guide information corresponding to the set time zone is selected, and is made to function as output information selecting means for outputting from the output means.
[0020]
Therefore, according to the present invention, the use guide information suitable for the time zone when the input means inputs the output request signal is output from the output means. As a result, the use guide information of the device is selected according to the time zone and output from the output means, so that the use guide information of the device that changes depending on the time zone can be accurately grasped. Then, it is possible to recommend an optimal use method of the device that changes depending on the time zone, and the device is used effectively.
[0021]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram showing a hardware configuration of a computer. As shown in FIG. 1, a computer 11 as a use guide information output device includes a control unit 12, a storage unit 13, an input unit 14, a display unit 15 as an output unit, and a clock 16, which are mutually connected by a bus 18. It is connected to the.
[0022]
The control unit 12 as a receiving unit, a time zone information determining unit, and an output information selecting unit includes a CPU, and controls the entire computer 11 according to various control programs stored in the storage unit 13. The storage unit 13 includes a ROM (read only memory) 21, a RAM (read and write memory) 22, and an HD (hard disk) 23 as storage means. The ROM 21 stores the minimum programs and data necessary for starting the computer 11 and the like. A resident area and a work area for various programs stored in the ROM 21 and the HD 23 are secured in the RAM 22, respectively. The HD 23 stores various control programs executed by the control unit 12, various software, and various data.
[0023]
The control unit 12 can access the input unit 14, the display unit 15, and the clock 16. The input unit 14 includes a keyboard, a pointing device (for example, a mouse), and the like, and inputs various characters, numbers, image data, and instructions for various operations. The display unit 15 includes a display device such as a CRT or a liquid crystal display, and displays various images. The clock 16 acquires the current time. Further, the control unit 12 is connected to a printer 25 as a device via a printer interface (not shown).
[0024]
Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the HD 23 stores electronic manual data 27 indicating a method of using the printer 25. Note that the electronic manual data 27 is composed of a plurality of files as use guide information, and the plurality of files include a file A and a file B. These files are created by HTML. The HD 23 stores a WWW browser 28 which is software dedicated to HTML, and each file of the electronic manual data 27 is executed by the WWW browser 28.
[0025]
When the file A and the file B are executed by the WWW browser 28, images P1 and P2 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are displayed on the display unit 15. The files A and B have a hypertext function, and the description items on the images P1 and P2 are identified and displayed by underlining or the like. Then, when the item that is identified and displayed is selected via the input unit 14 or the like, another file of the linked link is executed, and a new image is displayed on the display unit 15. It has become.
[0026]
Note that, in the present embodiment, the image P1 displayed by the file A includes entry items 31 to 33 that are identified and displayed by underlining as shown in FIG. When these items 31 to 33 are selected via the input unit 14 or the like, “print on plain paper / special paper”, “print on L / 2L size”, “print on postcard”, or the like is performed. In addition, a file for performing a display for guiding a general printing method is executed.
[0027]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the image P2 displayed by the file B includes the description items 34 to 36 identified and displayed by underlining. By selecting these items 34 to 36, a printing method such as "print in silent mode", "print on plain paper / special paper", or "print on L / 2L" is provided. The file to be displayed is to be executed.
[0028]
In the image P2, a description item 34 “Print in Silent Mode”, which is not displayed in the image P1 based on the file A, is displayed so as to be positioned at the highest position. Then, when the entry item 34 is selected, a file is executed as the silent use guidance information for displaying on the display unit 15 a display for guiding the printing method in the silent mode. Note that the printing method in the silent mode is a printing method in which printing is performed at a low speed so that printing can be performed quieter than usual.
[0029]
In the image P2, the description items 35 and 36 of "print on plain paper / special paper" and "print on L size / 2L size", which were displayed at a higher position in the image P1, are displayed at a lower position. It is supposed to be. That is, with respect to the image P2, the description item 34 for guiding the printing method recommended at night, such as the silent mode, is preferentially displayed higher than the other description items 35 and 36, so that the image P2 is easily executed. It has become.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 2, the HD 23 stores an electronic manual activation program 38. The electronic manual activation program 38 performs an operation for requesting activation of the electronic manual via the input unit 14, and when an activation operation signal is input as an output request signal, the time at which the input was performed is indicated by time information. Is a program to be obtained from the clock 16. The electronic manual activation program 38 is also a program for determining whether or not the time indicated in the time information is during the daytime (7:00 to 20:00). Further, the electronic manual activation program 38 executes the file A when the acquired time is during the daytime, and executes the file B when the acquired time is not during the daytime. It is also a program.
[0031]
That is, when receiving the operation signal for starting the electronic manual from the input unit 14, the control unit 12 acquires the time at which the operation signal was input from the clock 15 as time information according to the electronic manual start program 38. Then, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the time indicated by the time information is during the daytime. If the acquired time is in the daytime, the file A is selected and executed from the files constituting the electronic manual. If the acquired time is not in the daytime, the file B is selected and executed from the files constituting the electronic manual.
[0032]
Next, the operation of the control unit 12 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, when the user wants to know the operation method of the printer 25 and operates the input unit 14 of the computer 11 to activate the electronic manual, the control unit 12 of the computer 11 shifts to a reception stage. Then, an operation signal for starting the electronic manual is received (step S1). Next, the control unit 12 acquires the time at which the operation signal was received from the clock 15 according to the electronic manual activation program 38 of the HD 23 (step S2).
[0033]
Subsequently, the control unit 12 proceeds to a time zone information determination step, and determines whether or not the acquired time is a time included in a time zone between 7:00 and 20:00. Then, for example, when the time acquired in step S2 is “13:00”, the control unit 12 determines that the time is in the daytime (YES in step S3), and proceeds to step S4. Then, the control unit 12 proceeds to the output information selection stage, selects and executes the file A from the HD 23, displays the image P1 on the display unit 15, and ends the processing of the electronic manual activation program 38 (Step S4).
[0034]
Therefore, when the user inputs an operation signal for starting the electronic manual via the input unit 14 at a time included in the daytime, for example, “13:00”, the image P1 is displayed on the display unit 15. Is done. Then, the user views the image P1 and selects desired description items 31 to 33 via the input unit 14, and understands how to use the printer 25.
[0035]
On the other hand, when the time acquired in step S2 is a time that is not included in the daytime period, for example, “22:00”, the control unit 12 determines that the acquired time is not the daytime time period. Is determined to be during the nighttime (NO in step S3), and the routine goes to step S5. Then, the control unit 12 selects and executes the file B from the HD 23, displays the image P2 on the display unit 15, and ends the processing of the electronic manual activation program 38 (Step S5).
Accordingly, when the user inputs an operation signal for starting the electronic manual via the input unit 14 at a time not included in the daytime, for example, “22:00”, the image P2 is displayed on the display unit 15. Is displayed. Note that, in the image P2, description items for guiding a recommended printing method at night, such as "print in silent mode", are displayed with priority.
[0036]
Therefore, when the electronic manual is activated not in the daytime, but in the nighttime, the item for guiding the recommended usage at night is displayed preferentially. More opportunities to know how to use it. As a result, there is a high possibility that the printer 25 will be used in a usage method suitable for the time zone, and the functions of the printer 25 will be effectively utilized.
[0037]
According to the above embodiment, the following features can be obtained.
(1) In the above embodiment, when the control unit 12 of the computer 11 receives the start operation signal of the electronic manual via the input unit 14, the control unit 12 acquires the time at which the start operation signal was input from the clock 16. Then, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the acquired time is during the daytime. Then, the file A or the file B stored in the HD 23 is executed according to the determined time zone, and the image P1 or the image P2 is displayed on the display unit 15.
[0038]
Therefore, when the electronic manual of the printer 25 is activated, the image initially displayed on the display unit 15 is changed and displayed according to the time zone in which the activation operation signal is input. As a result, it is possible to appropriately recommend to the user how to use the printer 25 that changes depending on the time zone. Therefore, the possibility that the user executes the recommended function of the printer 25 at an appropriate time is increased, and the function of the printer 25 is effectively used.
[0039]
(2) In the above embodiment, the control unit 12 selects the images P1 and P2 to be displayed from the display unit 15 depending on whether the input of the activation operation signal is during the daytime. Therefore, it is possible to make the user actively know how to use the printer 25 that changes depending on the difference between the daytime and the nighttime, and the functions of the printer 25 are effectively used.
[0040]
(3) In the above embodiment, when the time is not the daytime, the description item 34 “Print in silent mode” is displayed at the top of the image P2 displayed on the display unit 15. As a result, for example, at night, it is highly likely that the printer 25 should be used quietly. Therefore, it is possible to recommend that the printing in the silent mode be actively performed at night.
[0041]
Conversely, in the daytime, since printing in the silent mode is unnecessary, such a description item 34 is not displayed on the image P1. As a result, the description item 34 “Print in Silent Mode” can be output only in an appropriate time zone, and the use of the printer 25 in the silent mode can be effectively performed.
[0042]
The above embodiment may be modified as follows.
In the above-described embodiment, the daytime period is set to 7:00 to 20:00, but may be set to another time period.
[0043]
In the above embodiment, the time zone is divided into two, that is, daytime and nighttime, and when the electronic manual is started, one of the files A and B corresponding to the two time zones is stored in the control unit. 12 is selectively executed. The time zone is divided into three or more time zones, files corresponding to each time zone are stored in the HD 23, and when the electronic manual is started, the file corresponding to each time zone is controlled. The selection may be performed by the unit 12.
[0044]
In the above-described embodiment, the image P2 displayed on the display unit 15 at night includes the description item 34 “print in silent mode”. If this is another entry item that is recommended to be used in the night time zone, the other entry item may be included in the image P2. For example, a description item such as "print in slow speed mode" may be described.
[0045]
In the above embodiment, the control unit 12 executes the file A or the file B stored in the HD 23 in accordance with the time period when the activation operation signal is input from the input unit 14. This causes the control unit 12 to function as a use environment information acquisition unit, acquires the use environment information of the printer 25 when a start operation signal is input from the input unit 14, and responds to the use environment information. The selected file may be selected from the HD 23 and executed.
[0046]
The use environment information may be information on temperature, geographical environment, and weather. Then, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 12 may acquire the temperature via a temperature sensor 25a provided in the printer 25. Further, the control unit 12 may acquire information on temperature, geographical environment, weather, and the like from a public organization or the like via a network such as the Internet.
[0047]
In the above embodiment, the printer 25 is connected to the computer 11 for use. This may be a so-called stand-alone type printer that is used even when the printer 25 is not connected to the computer 11. In such a case, the printer 25 includes the same components as the control unit 12, the storage unit 13, the input unit 14, the display unit 15, and the clock 16 of the computer 11. In this manner, even in the case of the stand-alone type printer, it is possible to appropriately recommend the usage of the printer that changes depending on the time zone to the user via the display unit of the printer in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. .
[0048]
In the above-described embodiment, the electronic manual is described as a manual relating to a printer as a device. However, if the recommended usage varies depending on the timing of use or usage environment, the electronic manual relates to a device other than a printer such as a digital camera. It may be a manual.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a computer according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of data stored in an HD.
FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of an image displayed on a display unit.
FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of an image displayed on the display unit.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an electronic manual activation program.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a computer in another example.
[Explanation of symbols]
A, B: files as use guide information, 11: computer as use guide information output device, 12: control unit as reception means, time zone information determination means, output information selection means, use environment information acquisition means, 15 ... A display unit as an output unit; 23, an HD as a storage unit;

Claims (7)

Storage means for storing a plurality of use guidance information about the device, and a use guidance information output device comprising an output means for outputting the use guidance information,
Receiving means for receiving an output request signal of the use guide information,
Time zone information determining means for determining a time zone corresponding to when the output request signal is received,
Output information selecting means for selecting, from the storage means, the use guide information corresponding to the time zone determined by the time zone information determining means, and outputting the output information from the output means. Output device. The use guidance information output device according to claim 1,
The usage guidance information output device, wherein the time zone is a time zone indicating whether it is daytime or nighttime. The use guidance information output device according to claim 1 or 2,
The use guide information output device, wherein the use guide information includes silent use guide information that recommends that the device be used silently. Storage means for storing a plurality of use guidance information about the device, and a use guidance information output device comprising an output means for outputting the use guidance information,
Receiving means for receiving an output request signal of the use guide information,
Usage environment information obtaining means for obtaining usage environment information indicating a usage environment of the device when receiving the output request signal,
An output information selecting unit that selects the use guide information corresponding to the use environment of the use environment information from the storage unit and outputs the use guide information from the output unit. The use guidance information output device according to claim 4,
The use guide information output device, wherein the use environment information is at least information on a temperature, a geographical environment, or weather. In a usage guidance information output method of outputting usage guidance information of a plurality of devices stored in the storage means of the usage guidance information output device via the output means of the usage guidance information output device,
A receiving step of receiving an output request signal of the use guide information,
A time zone information determining step of determining a time zone corresponding to when the output request signal is received;
An output information selecting step of selecting the use guidance information corresponding to the time zone determined in the time zone information determination step from the storage means, and outputting the output information from the output means. output method. In a program for outputting usage guidance information of a plurality of devices stored in the storage means of the usage guidance information output device via the output means of the usage guidance information output device,
The use guidance information output device,
Receiving means for receiving an output request signal of the use guide information,
Time zone information determining means for determining a time zone corresponding to when the output request signal is received,
A program for selecting the use guide information corresponding to the time zone determined by the time zone information determination unit from the storage unit, and causing the output unit to function as output information selection unit output from the output unit.

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