JP2005332189A - Information processor and input support method for information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the operability of an information processor having a plurality of operation buttons. <P>SOLUTION: The plurality of operation buttons K1-K12, each has a light emitting section and independently conducts lighting and extinction. A control section 6 determines the operation button validating an operation and the operation button invalidating the operation out of the plurality of operation buttons K1-K12. The operation button validating the operation turns on the light emitting section. The operation button invalidating the operation turns off the light emitting section. Thus, the operation button validating the operation and the operation button invalidating the operation are easily recognized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus including a plurality of operation buttons for receiving a user's operation and an input support method for the information processing apparatus. Specifically, the operation buttons that can be operated can be easily recognized by switching the presence / absence of light emission of the operation button that enables the operation and the operation button that disables the operation according to the operation state of the device. .

  In an electronic device such as an audio device, operation buttons for operating the device are increasing as the number of functions increases. The increase in the number of operation buttons leads to a loss of operation or a search for a corresponding button. As described above, in the electronic device, the operability is deteriorated by increasing the number of operation buttons in proportion to the increase in the functions.

  Now, personal computers and television receivers have a function that allows various settings to be performed while viewing the screen display. And in the setting item displayed on the screen, when there is a setting item for which setting change is prohibited, for example, a technique has been proposed in which the corresponding setting item can be distinguished as a halftone display ( For example, see Patent Document 1.)

JP-A-5-75946

  However, even if it is possible to distinguish the items for which setting changes are prohibited among the displayed setting items as halftone display etc., which button operation is effective on the operation button side, and which button operation is It cannot be recognized whether it is invalid.

  Conventionally, visibility has been improved by labeling the operation buttons or lighting the operation buttons. However, when lighting the operation buttons, it is common to light all the operation buttons.

  For this reason, it is determined whether or not the operation is effective by actually pressing the operation button, and there is a problem that the operability is poor because the operation is lost or the corresponding button is searched.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an information processing apparatus with improved operability and an input support method for the information processing apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a self-illuminating unit that causes each operation unit to independently emit light, and a plurality of operations in an information processing apparatus that includes a plurality of operation units that receive user operations. Among the means, the operation means for validating the operation and the operation means for invalidating the operation are determined, and the control means for controlling the presence / absence of light emission of the self-illuminating means according to the valid operation means and the invalid operation means It is equipped with.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, an operation unit that validates an operation and an operation unit that invalidates an operation are determined from among a plurality of operation units. The presence or absence of light emission of the self-illuminating means is controlled according to the operation means that is valid and invalid.

  As a result, the operation means for which the operation is effective and the operation means for which the operation is invalid are distinguished by the presence or absence of light emission.

  Also, an input support method for an information processing apparatus according to the present invention is an input support method for an information processing apparatus that includes a plurality of operation means for receiving a user's operation. This is a process of determining the means and the operation means that invalidates the operation, turning on the operation means for which the operation is valid, and turning off the operation means for which the operation is invalid.

  In the input support method of the information processing apparatus of the present invention, an operation unit that validates an operation and an operation unit that invalidates an operation are determined from among a plurality of operation units. The operation means that is effective is turned on, and the operation means that is invalid is turned off.

  Thereby, only the operation means with which operation is effective lights up and it supports the input by a user.

  According to the present invention, among the plurality of operation means provided in the information processing apparatus, since the presence / absence of light emission is switched between the operation means that validates the operation and the operation means that invalidates the operation, the operation means that invalidates the operation. Compared to the above, it is possible to easily recognize the operation means that makes the operation effective.

  Thereby, since the user can easily recognize the operation means that can be actually operated from among many operation means, it is possible to reduce the trouble of being confused by the operation and searching for the operation means that can be operated, and the operability is improved.

  Embodiments of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, an in-vehicle audio device will be described as an example of the information processing apparatus.

<Configuration of in-vehicle audio equipment>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the in-vehicle audio device according to the present embodiment. The in-vehicle audio device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a CD (Compact Disc) player and a tuner, for example, and performs CD playback and radio playback according to user operations.

  The in-vehicle audio device 1 includes a disk drive unit 2 as a reproducing unit. The disk drive unit 2 includes an optical pickup (not shown) and has a function of reading information from a disk such as a CD and playing it as a recording means.

  The in-vehicle audio device 1 includes a tuner unit 3. The tuner unit 3 is connected to an antenna (not shown) and has a function of receiving a radio broadcast.

  The in-vehicle audio device 1 includes an input unit 4 that receives a user operation. The input unit 4 includes a plurality of operation buttons K1 to K12 as operation means. Each of the operation buttons K1 to K12 includes a light emitting unit, and each of the operation buttons K1 to K12 can be operated independently, and can be turned on and off independently.

  FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a configuration example of the operation button. Each operation button K1-K12 is provided with the cover part 11 supported movably with respect to the housing | casing 1a of the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus 1, the switch part 12 pushed by the cover part 11, and light emission parts 13, such as a light emitting diode. The switch unit 12 and the light emitting unit 13 are mounted on the substrate 14 or the like.

  As will be described later, the cover portion 11 shows functions that can be executed when the operation button is pressed, using characters or the like. The character portion 11a is configured to transmit light, for example. The light emitting unit 13 is an example of a self-illuminating unit, and is provided inside the cover unit 11 so as to face the character portion 11a. Accordingly, when the light emitting unit 13 emits light, the character portion 11a of the cover unit 11 is turned on.

  The operation button can detect that the operation button is pressed by pressing the switch portion 12 when the cover portion 11a is pressed. Thereby, each operation button K1-K12 can be operated independently, respectively, and can light-emit and light-extinguish independently.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the in-vehicle audio device 1 includes a display unit 5. The display unit 5 is composed of a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays, for example, a clock, a song number being reproduced, and the like. In addition, the display part 5 may be comprised with one display, and may be comprised with a some display.

  The in-vehicle audio device 1 includes a control unit 6 that controls each unit as a control unit. The control unit 6 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The control unit 6 receives the operation of each of the operation buttons K1 to K12, and performs control according to the operated operation button.

  For example, a CD changer 8 is connected to the in-vehicle audio device 1 via an external I / O 7. The CD changer 8 is installed in a car trunk room or the like, and is configured to store about 6 to 12 CDs at a time and reproduce any CD.

  The in-vehicle audio device 1 may include a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive Device). Further, an MD (mini disc) player or the like may be provided as a reproducing means.

<Operation panel configuration>
FIG. 3 is a front view showing a configuration example of the operation panel of the in-vehicle audio device. The operation panel 9 includes operation buttons K1 to K12 and a display unit 5 shown in FIG. The display on the display unit 5 changes according to the operating state of the in-vehicle audio device 1. The form shown in FIG. 3 is a so-called 1DIN type.

  Each of the operation buttons K1 to K12 has a function that can be executed as specific information such as characters. The function assigned to each operation button will be described. The operation button K1 is a SOURCE button. The SOURCE button K1 is used when selecting a source for outputting sound information. In this example, every time the SOURCE button K1 is pressed, the source is switched from tuner to CD to tuner.

  The operation button K2 is a DSPL (display) button. The DSPL button K2 is used when switching the display of the display 5. During CD playback, every time the DSPL button K2 is pressed, the display is switched as follows: DTMS → disc name → track name → clock → DTMS. Here, DTMS is a general display form in which tracks of a CD are displayed by numbers.

  The operation button K3 is an SCRL (scroll) button. The SCRL button K3 is used when the character string displayed on the display 5 is scrolled. In the case of a character string that exceeds the character string that can be displayed on the display unit 5 at once (for example, eight characters), the character string is scrolled by pressing the SCRL button K3. Thereby, all characters can be displayed.

  The operation button K4 is an OFF button. The OFF button K4 is used when turning off the source. Further, when the OFF button K4 is pressed and held for 2 seconds, a transition is made to a suspended state (a standby state with low power consumption).

  The operation button K5 is a MODE (mode) button. The MODE button K5 is used when a mode is selected, and is used when a broadcasting station is switched when the source is a tuner. For example, every time the MODE button K5 is pressed, the selected broadcasting station is switched in the order FM1 → FM2... FMn → AM1 → AM2... AMn → FM1.

  Further, when the source is a CD and there are a plurality of CD sources due to the connection of the CD changer 8 or the like, it is used when moving between CDs. For example, every time the MODE button K5 is pressed, the selected CD is switched from CD1 to CD2.

  The operation button K6 is a SOUND (sound) button. The SOUND button K6 is used when adjusting the sound output such as LR balance adjustment for adjusting the balance between the left and right speakers.

  The operation button K7 is a +/− button. The +/− button K7 is used for a disk UP / DOWN operation for switching a disk to be played when the CD changer 8 or the like is connected. It is also used for UP / DOWN operation when a preset station is called in the preset number UP / DOWN direction on the radio.

  The operation button K8 is an OPEN (open) button. The OPEN button K8 is used for opening / closing the operation panel 9. Although not shown, when the operation panel 9 is opened, a CD insertion slot appears in this example. For this reason, the OPEN button K8 is operated when the operation panel 9 is opened and closed for removing or inserting a CD.

  The operation button K9 is a MENU button. The MENU button K9 is used for an operation for entering a menu mode for performing various settings such as ON / OFF of a beep sound and an operation for terminating the menu mode.

  The operation buttons K10 are AMS (automatic music search) and SEEK (broadcast station search) +/− buttons. The AMS, SEEK +/− button K10 is used for a track Up / Down operation for changing the track of a CD to be reproduced. It is also used for Up / Down operation for selecting the radio frequency. In the following description, the operation button K10 is referred to as an AMS +/− button.

  The operation button K11 is a LIST (list) button. The LIST button K11 is used when displaying a list of disk lists of the CD changer 8. It is also used when displaying a list of broadcast stations preset on the radio.

  The operation button K12 is an ENTER button. The ENTER button K12 is used when selecting a setting on the menu screen. It is also used when selecting a CD or the like on the list screen.

<Example of overall operation>
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an input support method for an information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described as an operation of the in-vehicle audio device 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the overall processing of the in-vehicle audio device 1. The process of the flowchart 100 shown in FIG. 4 is performed when the operation state of the in-vehicle audio device 1 is changed, or when the display of the “menu” or the like returns to the CD playback display or the like when a predetermined time elapses (timeout). To be executed.

  Step 101 checks the operating state of the in-vehicle audio device 1. The in-vehicle audio device 1 of this example is assumed to be equipped with an AM / FM tuner and a CD player. For this reason, the following three states exist as states that the in-vehicle audio device 1 can take. The first state is a “source OFF” state in which no music source is output. The second state is a “during CD playback” state during CD playback. The third state is a “tuner playback” state where the tuner is listening to the radio.

  The control unit 6 of the in-vehicle audio device 1 performs “operation button lighting process when the source is turned off” at step 200, “operation button lighting process at the time of CD playback” at step 200, and “ "Operation button lighting process during tuner playback" is executed. The processes of steps 200, 300, and 400 are shown as flows 200, 300, and 400 in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, and each process will be described below.

<Operation button lighting process when the source is off>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the lighting process of each operation button when the source is OFF. The process of the flowchart 200 is executed when the control unit 6 checks the operating state of the in-vehicle audio device 1 in step 101 shown in FIG. 4 and determines that the in-vehicle audio device 1 is in the “source OFF” state. .

  In step 201, it is checked whether or not the in-vehicle audio device 1 is in the “suspended state”. The in-vehicle audio device 1 is in a suspended state when the vehicle ignition key is in the OFF position.

  Normally, the in-vehicle audio device 1 cannot operate unless the ignition key is set to the ACC (accessory) position. For this reason, if the in-vehicle audio device 1 is in the suspended state in step 201, the control unit 6 does not light all the operation buttons K1 to K12, and exits the process of the flowchart 200.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 201 that the in-vehicle audio device 1 is not in the suspended state, the process proceeds to the next condition determination.

  Here, the in-vehicle audio device 1 can be forced to shift to a suspended state by a user operation. That is, for example, when the OFF button K4 is pressed for 2 seconds or longer in a clock display state to be described later, the control unit 6 shifts the in-vehicle audio device 1 to the suspend state even if the ignition key of the vehicle is in the ACC position. .

  In this way, even if the check in step 201 is performed after forcibly shifting to the suspend state by the user's operation, if the suspend state is maintained, the lighting processing of all the operation buttons is not performed and the process of the flowchart 200 is performed. Exit processing.

  In step 202, if it is determined in step 201 that the in-vehicle audio device 1 is not in the “suspended state”, it is checked whether the state of the in-vehicle audio device 1 is in the “clock display” state that is the source OFF state in normal use. doing. In this example, when the in-vehicle audio device 1 is not operating, the control unit 6 displays a clock on the display unit 5 of the operation panel 9.

  When the clock is displayed when the source is OFF, the control unit 6 performs the process of step 203. Further, when the display is not the clock display, it may be considered that the “menu screen” for performing the basic setting of the in-vehicle audio device 1 is displayed.

  Step 203 shows a process of turning on an operation button that can be operated while the clock is displayed with the source OFF in the vehicle-mounted audio device 1. While the clock is displayed when the source is OFF, the control unit 6 validates the operation with the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, the OPEN button K8, and the MENU button K9.

  For this reason, the control unit 6 turns on the light emitting units of the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, the OPEN button K8, and the MENU button K9, and turns off the light emitting units of the other operation buttons.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of the operation panel during clock display when the source is OFF. While the clock is displayed when the source is OFF, the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, the OPEN button K8, and the MENU button K9 are turned on, and the other eight operation buttons are turned off. As a result, an operation button that can be operated while the clock is displayed when the source is turned off and an operation button that does not operate are distinguished based on whether or not each button is lit. In addition to the clock display, a demonstration display may be performed on the display unit 5.

  In the clock display when the source is OFF, the SOURCE button K1 is used when selecting the source, so that the operation is valid. When the SOURCE button K1 is pressed, the control unit 6 selects a CD as a source when a CD is set in the disk drive device 2, and selects a tuner as a source when a CD is not set.

  Since the OFF button K4 is used when the user forcibly shifts the in-vehicle audio device 1 to the suspended state, the operation is validated. When the OFF button K4 is pressed for 2 seconds, the control unit 6 shifts the in-vehicle audio device 1 to the suspended state. Note that when the pressing time of the OFF button K4 is less than 2 seconds, the operation is invalid.

  Since the OPEN button K8 is used when the operation panel 9 is opened and closed for inserting / removing a CD, the operation is validated. When the OPEN button K8 is pressed, the control unit 6 opens the operation panel 9 so that the CD can be attached and detached.

  Since the MENU button K9 is used when displaying a menu screen for performing basic settings of the in-vehicle audio device 1, the operation is validated. When the MENU button K9 is pressed, the control unit 6 displays a menu screen on the display unit 5, and the displayed menu screen changes depending on the states of “source OFF”, “CD playback”, and “tuner playback”.

  When the MENU button K9 is pressed when the source is turned off, the control unit 6 displays a menu screen on which the clock can be set and the operation button emission color (selection of green or orange) can be selected.

  Returning to FIG. 5, when it is determined in step 202 that “clock display” is not performed when the source is turned off, it is checked whether or not the “menu screen” is being displayed.

  In this example, when the source is OFF, when the MENU button K9 is pressed during the clock display shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 6 displays a menu screen on the display unit 5 on the operation panel 9 as will be described later. Switches the button on / off. When the menu screen display is exited, the clock display is restored.

  Therefore, in this example, when the source that is not in the suspended state is OFF, either the clock display or the menu screen display is performed. It is not determined that the menu screen is not displayed.

  Therefore, in this example, the determination in step 204 from the flowchart 200 may be omitted. However, when the number of check items is increased by adding displays other than the clock display and the menu screen display when the source is OFF, the determination in step 204 is performed. Necessary. For this reason, the determination in step 204 is entered.

  Step 205 shows processing for turning on an effective operation button while the menu screen is displayed when the source is OFF. While the menu screen is displayed when the source is OFF, the control unit 6 turns off the operation button K9 among the operation buttons that are turned on with the operation enabled in step 203, and turns off the operation with the MENU button K9 and the +/- button K7 and ENTER. The operation with the button K12 is validated.

  Therefore, the control unit 6 turns on the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, the +/− button K7, the OPEN button K8, and the ENTER button K12, and turns off the other operation buttons.

  Since the description of the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, and the OPEN button K8 is the same as that in step 203, the description thereof is omitted.

  Since the +/− button K7 is used when selecting a plurality of menu setting items, the operation is validated. When the + button or the − button of the +/− button K7 is pressed, the control unit 6 sequentially changes the setting items displayed on the display unit 5 so that setting items whose setting values can be changed can be selected.

  Since the ENTER button K12 is used when exiting the menu screen display, the operation is validated. When the ENTER button K12 is pressed, the control unit 6 switches the display of the display unit 5 from the menu screen to the clock display, and switches the presence / absence of each operation button to the lighting pattern shown in FIG.

  Note that the menu screen is displayed when the source is turned off when the user presses the MENU button K9 in the clock display of step 203, and the menu screen is displayed by the user's operation.

  For this reason, it can be considered that the user changes some settings, and the operation of the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4 and the OPEN button K8 is invalidated and turned off while the menu screen is displayed.

  In this case, other operations cannot be performed unless the user exits the menu screen by operating the ENTER button K12. Therefore, in this example, when the menu screen is accidentally entered, the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, and the OPEN button K8 are enabled so that the source can be directly selected without operating the ENTER button K12. ing.

  Step 206 checks whether or not the selection of the setting value of the setting item displayed on the display unit 5 is performed by switching between ON and OFF.

  Step 207 shows a process of turning on the operation button that enables the operation when it is determined in step 206 that the setting value is selected by switching between ON and OFF.

  When the setting value is selected by switching between ON and OFF, the control unit 6 is lit in step 205 to indicate that the operation is valid because it is used when switching between ON and OFF. In addition to the operation buttons, the + button of the AMS +/− button K10 is further lit to validate the operation with the + button of the AMS +/− button K10.

  In this example, the setting item for selecting the setting value by switching between ON and OFF is set to be switched between ON and OFF each time the + button of the AMS +/− button K10 is pressed.

  Thus, when the menu item is displayed, the setting item is selected by operating the +/− button K7, and when the displayed setting item is to select the setting value by switching between ON and OFF, AMS + / The operation of the + button of the − button K10 is validated, and ON or OFF is selected by the operation of the AMS +/− button K10.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of the operation panel during menu display when the source is OFF. While the source screen is OFF and the menu screen is displayed, the +/− button K7, the ENTER button K12, and the AMS +/− button K10, which have been turned off in the clock display, are newly lit. Further, the MENU button K9 that has been turned on in the clock display is turned off.

  When the MENU button K9 is pressed and the clock display changes to the menu screen, the +/− button K7 used when selecting the setting item on the menu screen and the setting value are selected by the setting item. The AMS +/- button K10 used at the time and the ENTER button K12 used when confirming the setting item with the displayed setting value are effective operation buttons, and the MENU button K9 is an invalid operation button. Because it became.

  Here, in the example of FIG. 9, a menu for setting whether to enable or disable the output of the beep sound is selected as a setting item. Since the setting value of the beep sound is selected by switching between ON and OFF, only the + button of the AMS +/− button K10 is lit as an operation button for selecting the setting value.

  FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B show a state where the set value is changed by operating the + button of the AMS +/− button K10. In FIG. 9A, the setting value of the setting item regarding the output of the beep sound is set to ON.

  When the + button of the AMS +/− button K10 is pressed from this state, the control unit 6 changes the setting value of the setting item of the beep sound to OFF as shown in FIG. 9B. When the + button of the AMS +/− button K10 is pressed from the state shown in FIG. 9B, the setting value of the setting item for the beep sound is changed to ON as shown in FIG. 9A.

  Here, when the set value is changed, there is no operation button that is newly enabled or disabled, and thus the number of buttons that are lit does not change.

  When the ENTER button K12 is pressed in the state shown in FIG. 9B, the set value of the beep sound is confirmed as OFF, and the menu screen is exited to return to the clock display shown in FIG. Also, the lighting pattern of the operation buttons is switched in accordance with the clock display.

  Returning to FIG. 5, when it is determined in step 206 that the setting item selected by being displayed on the display unit 5 does not select the setting value by switching between ON and OFF, in step 206, It is checked whether the setting item has multiple options.

  In this example, there are two types of setting items: selection of setting values by switching between ON and OFF, or selection from a plurality of options, so switching between ON and OFF is determined in step 206. If you don't do it, you will always have multiple options. For this reason, it is not determined in step 208 that there are not a plurality of options.

  Accordingly, in this example, the determination in step 208 from the flowchart 200 may be omitted, but there are items to be checked by adding a selection of setting values by switching between ON and OFF and items other than selecting from a plurality of options. If the number further increases, the determination in step 208 is required. For this reason, the determination in step 208 is included.

  Step 209 indicates a process of turning on the operation button that enables the operation when it is determined in step 208 that the setting item is to select the setting value from a plurality of options.

  When the setting value is selected by selecting from a plurality of options, the control unit 6 performs the operation that is lit in step 205 because it is used when selecting a desired setting value from the plurality of options. In addition to the buttons, both the + button and the − button of the AMS +/− button K10 are lit to enable the operation with the AMS +/− button K10.

  In this example, in the setting item having a plurality of choices in the setting value, the setting value is switched every time the + button or the − button of the AMS +/− button K10 is pressed.

  Thus, when the menu item is displayed, the setting item is selected by operating the +/− button K7, and when the displayed setting item is for selecting a setting value from a plurality of options, AMS +/− The operation of the button K10 is validated, and the setting value is selected by the operation of the AMS +/− button K10.

  As described above, the +/− button K7, the AMS +/− button K10, and the ENTER button K12 are used for selecting setting items, setting values, and setting values on the menu screen.

  Therefore, when the menu screen is displayed, the lighting colors of the +/− button K7, the AMS +/− button K10 and the ENTER button K12 related to the menu setting, and the lighting colors of the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4 and the OPEN button K8 are displayed. Differently, the operation buttons related to the operation may be grouped.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the +/− button K7, the AMS +/− button K10 and the ENTER button K12 related to the menu setting are lit in “blue”, the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4 and the OPEN The button K8 is lit in “red”.

  As a result, among the operation buttons that are enabled on the menu screen, the operation buttons used for setting the menu can be easily recognized, thereby further improving usability.

  In order to change the emission color of the operation button, for example, a diode that can emit light in two different colors may be used as the light emitting unit 13 shown in FIG. Further, by providing such a light emitting unit, it is also possible to set the light emission color of the operation button according to the user's preference. For example, it is possible to change the emission color by using the operation buttons that are frequently used by the user and the operation buttons that are not frequently used according to the frequency of use of the operation buttons.

  Furthermore, when entering the menu screen, the user may change some settings and return to, for example, a clock display or a CD playback display as described later. For this reason, while the menu screen is being displayed, the +/− button K7, the AMS +/− button K10 and the ENTER button K12 related to the menu setting may be blinked.

  As a result, among the operation buttons enabled on the menu screen, the operation buttons used for setting the menu are emphasized, and the operation can be guided. In an in-vehicle audio device, it is possible to concentrate on driving when the operation button is lit during driving. For this reason, the operation buttons that can be operated are blinked only on the setting screen such as the menu screen that is operated while the operation is stopped, and the operation is effective even if the same operation button is used when the source is OFF or during CD playback. If it is, turn it on.

<Operation button lighting process during CD playback>
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing lighting processing of each operation button during CD reproduction. The process of the flowchart 300 is executed when the control unit 6 checks the operating state of the in-vehicle audio device 1 in step 101 shown in FIG. 4 and determines that the in-vehicle audio device 1 is in the “CD playback” state. .

  In step 301, it is checked whether or not the in-vehicle audio device 1 is in a “reproduction display” state, which is a normal display during CD reproduction. In this example, four types of screens, “menu display”, “sound display” and “list display”, are displayed in addition to “playback display” as the screen displayed during CD playback. The lighting pattern of each operation button is set.

  Step 302 shows a process of turning on an operation button whose operation is effective during playback display during CD playback in the vehicle-mounted audio device 1. During playback display during CD playback, the control unit 6 validates the operation with the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, the SOUND button K6, the OPEN button K8, the MENU button K9, and the AMS +/− button K10. .

  Therefore, the control unit 6 turns on the light emitting units of the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, the SOUND button K6, the OPEN button K8, the MENU button K9, and the AMS +/− button K10, and turns off the light emitting units of the other operation buttons. Let

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the state of the operation panel during playback display during CD playback. Currently, some CDs record character information such as a track name representing a song name or a disc name representing an album name as identification information.

  In this example, during reproduction display during CD reproduction, the operation button lighting pattern is switched depending on the presence or absence of character information, as will be described later. FIG. 10A shows the state of the operation panel when a CD on which character information is not recorded is set.

  When character information is not recorded, the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, the SOUND button K6, the OPEN button K8, the MENU button K9, and the AMS +/− button K10 are lit as described above, and the other six operation buttons. Is off.

  As a result, an operation button that is valid during the playback display during CD playback and an operation button that is invalid during the operation are distinguished by whether or not each button is lit. The display unit 5 displays the track number being played, the playback time, and the like.

  In the playback display during CD playback, the SOURCE button K1 is used when selecting the source because the tuner exists in addition to the CD as the source in this example, so that the operation is valid. When the SOURCE button K1 is pressed during CD playback, the control unit 6 selects a tuner as a source.

  Since the OFF button K4 is used when the source is turned off and when the user forcibly shifts the in-vehicle audio device 1 to the suspended state, the operation is validated. If the OFF button K4 is pressed during CD playback, and the pressing time of the OFF button K4 is less than 2 seconds, the control unit 6 turns off each source. When the OFF button K4 is pressed for 2 seconds, the control unit 6 shifts the in-vehicle audio device 1 to the suspended state.

  The SOUND button K6 is used when displaying a sound screen, which is a menu related to audio output adjustment, in the vehicle-mounted audio device 1, and thus enables an operation. When the SOUND button K6 is pressed, the control unit 6 displays a sound screen on the display unit 5 and switches the lighting pattern of the operation buttons as described later.

  The OPEN button K8 and the MENU button K9 enable the operation for the same reason as described in step 203 of the flowchart 200 of FIG. Thus, when the OPEN button K8 is pressed, the control unit 6 opens the operation panel 9 so that the CD can be attached and detached. When the MENU button K9 is pressed, the control unit 6 displays a menu screen related to CD playback on the display unit 5 and switches the operation button lighting pattern as described later.

  The AMS +/− button K10 is used when changing the track to be played back on the CD, so that the operation is valid. When the + button of the AMS +/− button K10 is pressed, the control unit 6 advances the track to be played back to the next track. When the − button is pressed, the control unit 6 returns the track to be played back to the previous track.

  Returning to FIG. 6, in step 303, it is checked whether or not there are a plurality of CDs. Since the in-vehicle audio device 1 of the present example may have a plurality of CDs when the CD changer 8 is connected, the determination in step 303 is performed.

  Step 304 indicates a process of turning on an operation button that enables an operation when it is determined in step 303 that a plurality of CDs exist. When there are a plurality of CDs, the control unit 6 turns on the +/− button K7 and the LIST button K11 in addition to the operation button lit at step 302, and operates with the +/− button K7 and the LIST button K11. Is valid.

  When there are a plurality of CDs, the +/− button K7 is used to switch the playback target CDs in order from the CD currently selected as the playback target. In contrast, the LIST button K11 is used to display a list of selectable CDs and select a desired CD from the list.

  That is, when the + button of the +/− button K7 is pressed, the control unit 6 selects different CDs in order of increasing numbers based on the number assigned to the CD currently selected for playback. To do. When the-button of the +/- button K7 is pressed, different CDs are selected in order in the direction of decreasing numbers.

  If it is determined in step 303 that a plurality of CDs do not exist, the operation button enabled in step 302 is lit as it is.

  In step 305, it is checked whether or not character information such as a track name representing a song name or a disc name representing an album name is recorded on the CD being reproduced. Currently, there are discs such as CDs in which character information is recorded in addition to music information. In order to switch the lighting pattern of the operation button in accordance with the presence or absence of character information, the determination is made in this step 305.

  Step 306 shows a process of turning on an operation button that enables the operation when it is determined in step 305 that character information is recorded on the CD. When the character information is recorded, the control unit 6 turns on the DSPL button K2 in addition to the operation button lit at step 302 or the operation button lit at step 304 according to the determination at step 303, The operation with the DSPL button K2 is validated.

  FIG. 10B shows the state of the operation panel when a CD on which character information is recorded is set. When character information is recorded, in addition to the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, the SOUND button K6, the OPEN button K8, the MENU button K9 and the AMS +/− button K10, the DSPL button K2 is lit, and the other five The operation button is turned off.

  Thus, the user can determine whether or not character information is recorded on the CD based on whether or not the DSPL button K2 is lit. That is, when character information is not recorded on the CD, the DSPL button K2 is turned off, so that the user can determine that the character information such as the disc name is not included in the CD without any operation.

  On the other hand, when character information is recorded on the CD, the DSPL button K2 is lit, so the user can determine that the CD includes character information such as a disc name.

  When character information is recorded on the CD, the DSPL button K2 is used to switch the display to a screen for displaying a track name and a disc name in addition to the normal display called DTMS.

  Returning to FIG. 6, when it is determined in step 305 that character information is recorded on the CD, it is checked whether or not the number of characters in the character information exceeds the number of characters that can be displayed on the display unit 5. Since the determination in step 307 is necessary only when character information is recorded, the determination in step 307 is not performed when character information is not recorded. Further, the subsequent processing in step 308 is not performed.

  Step 308 indicates a process of turning on the operation button that enables the operation when it is determined that the number of characters in the character information exceeds the number of characters that can be displayed on the display unit 5. When the number of characters in the character information exceeds the number of characters that can be displayed, the control unit 6 turns on the operation button lit at step 302, or the operation button lit at step 304 according to the determination at step 303, and lit at step 306. In addition to the operation button, the SCRL button K3 is lit to enable the operation with the SCRL button K3.

  When the number of characters in the character information exceeds the number of characters that can be displayed, the SCRL button K3 is used when scrolling and displaying a character string in a portion that exceeds the number of characters that can be displayed on the display unit 5 by a user operation.

  In step 309, if it is determined in step 301 that "reproduction display" is not performed during CD reproduction, it is checked whether or not the "menu screen" is being displayed.

  In this example, during CD playback, when the MENU button K9 is pressed during playback display shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 6 displays a menu screen on the display unit 5 on the operation panel 9 and changes the lighting pattern of the operation buttons. Switch. When the menu screen is exited, the playback display is restored.

  Step 310 shows a process of turning on an effective operation button while the menu screen is displayed during CD playback. While the menu screen is displayed during CD playback, the control unit 6 turns on these operation buttons by enabling the operations of the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, the +/− button K7, the OPEN button K8, and the ENTER button K12. Other operation buttons are turned off.

  The processing in step 310 is the same processing as step 205 in the flowchart 200 shown in FIG. That is, the setting item is selected by operating the +/− button K7, and the menu screen is exited by operating the ENTER button K12. However, the setting items selected by operating the +/− button K7 are items related to CD playback.

  The processing in steps 311, 312, 313, and 314 is the same as the processing in steps 206, 207, 208, and 209 in the flowchart 200. That is, whether only the + button of the AMS +/− button K10 is turned on or both the + button and the − button of the AMS +/− button K10 are turned on according to the setting item selected by operating the +/− button K7. Is switched. Therefore, detailed description of steps 311, 312, 313, and 314 is omitted.

  Step 315 is a menu related to audio output adjustment when it is determined in step 301 that “playback display” is not performed during CD playback and in step 309 it is determined that “menu screen” is not displayed. Checks whether the "Sound screen" is displayed.

  In this example, during CD playback, when the SOUND button K6 is pressed during playback display shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 6 displays a sound screen on the display unit 5 on the operation panel 9 and changes the operation button lighting pattern. Switch. When the sound screen is exited, the playback display is restored.

  Step 316 shows processing for turning on an effective operation button during display of the sound screen during CD playback. While the sound screen is being displayed during CD playback, the control unit 6 activates these operations using the SOURCE button K1, OFF button K4, +/- button K7, OPEN button K8, AMS +/- button K10 and ENTER button K12. The button is turned on and the other operation buttons are turned off.

  The processing in step 316 is also substantially the same as that in step 205 in the flowchart 200 shown in FIG. 5, but the setting item selected by operating the +/− button K7 is related to sound.

  For example, BAS (bass) that adjusts the intensity of bass, TRE (treble) that adjusts the intensity of treble, BAL (left-right) that adjusts the left / right balance of the speaker, and the output level of the front and rear speakers FAD (front rear) or the like can be selected as a setting item on the sound screen.

  Since the setting values of these setting items are selected from a plurality of setting values and levels instead of switching between ON and OFF, the AMS +/− button K10 is lit as an operation button for selecting the setting value.

  In step 317, it is determined in step 301 that “reproduction display” is not performed during CD reproduction, it is determined in step 309 that “menu screen” is not displayed, and “sound screen” is not displayed in step 315. If it is determined, it is checked whether or not the “list screen” is being displayed.

  The list screen is displayed when there are a plurality of CDs. That is, in this example, the CD changer 8 is connected and a plurality of CDs are set in the CD changer 8.

  In this case, in this example, there are four types of screens displayed during CD playback: “playback display”, “menu display”, “sound display”, and “list display”. It is not judged that it is not.

  Therefore, in this example, the determination in step 317 may be omitted from the flowchart 300. However, if the display screen during CD playback is added and the number of check items is further increased, the determination in step 317 is necessary. For this reason, the determination in step 317 is entered. On the other hand, when the CD changer 8 is not provided, an example in which the processing of step 317 and step 318 is omitted can be considered.

  Step 318 shows processing for turning on an effective operation button during display of the list screen during CD playback. While the list screen is being displayed during CD playback, the control unit 6 lights up these operation buttons by enabling the operations of the SOURCE button K1, the OFF button K4, the +/− button K7, and the ENTER button K12, and the other operation buttons are Turn off the light.

  The information displayed on the list screen is, for example, the disc number and the disc name when the disc name is recorded as character information on the CD. If no character information is recorded and the user registers a disc label corresponding to each CD, that is the label.

  However, since the operation of the SCRL button K3 is invalid while the list screen is displayed, if the number of characters of the disc name or disc label exceeds the number of characters that can be displayed on the display unit 5, the number of characters that can be displayed from the top of the disc name A column is displayed, and the part exceeding the number of displayable characters is not displayed.

  When the list screen is displayed, the +/− button K7 is used to select a disk number. The ENTER button K12 is used when the selected disc number is determined as the reproduction target CD.

<Operation button lighting process during tuner playback>
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing lighting processing of each operation button during tuner reproduction. The process of the flowchart 400 is executed when the control unit 6 checks the operating state of the in-vehicle audio device 1 in step 101 shown in FIG. 4 and determines that the in-vehicle audio device 1 is in the “tuner playback” state. .

  In step 401, it is checked whether or not the in-vehicle audio device 1 is in a “reception display” state, which is a normal display when listening to the radio with the tuner. In the reception display, the tuned frequency is displayed on the display unit 5 of the operation panel 9 or is registered if the tuned frequency is the same as the frequency of the broadcast station name registered in advance. The station name is displayed.

  Step 402 shows a process of turning on an indispensable operation button for enabling the operation during reception display during tuner playback in the in-vehicle audio device 1. While receiving and displaying the tuner, the control unit 6 uses the OFF button K4, MODE button K5, SOUND button K6, +/- button K7, OPEN button K8, MENU button K9, and LIST button K11. Enable the operation.

  For this reason, the control unit 6 lights up the light emitting units of the OFF button K4, MODE button K5, SOUND button K6, +/− button K7, OPEN button K8, MENU button K9 and LIST button K11, and other operation buttons. The light emitting unit is turned off.

  Here, at the time of tuner reproduction, in the in-vehicle audio device 1 of this example, there is no source that can be selected other than the tuner when the CD is not set. For this reason, the SOURCE button K1 is not included in the essential operation buttons during tuner reproduction. Lighting of the SOURCE button K1 is controlled according to the presence or absence of a CD.

  In the reception display at the time of tuner reproduction, the MODE button K5 is used when switching between AM broadcast and FM broadcast, and the operation is validated. When the MODE button K5 is pressed, every time the MODE button K5 is pressed, the broadcasting stations are switched in the order of FM1, FM2, FM3, AM1, AM2, FM1,.

  Although not shown, it is possible to select a channel by using a preset registration button provided in the remote control device of the in-vehicle audio device 1, but a plurality of broadcasting stations are registered in one preset registration button. In order to be able to do so, broadcast stations preset in groups called banks can be managed.

  This bank switching can also be performed by operating the MODE button K5. Thereby, a plurality of users can use the preset registration buttons respectively.

  Since the +/− button K7 is used when selecting a preset broadcasting station, the operation is validated.

  Since the LIST button K11 is used when displaying a list of preset broadcast stations, the operation is validated. When the LIST button K11 is pressed, the control unit 11 displays a list screen on the display unit 5 and switches the operation button lighting pattern as described later.

  The SOUND button K6, the OPEN button K8, and the MENU button K9 enable the operation for the same reason as in step 203 of the flowchart 200 in FIG. 5 and step 302 in the flowchart 300 in FIG.

  Thus, when the SOUND button K6 is pressed, the control unit 6 displays a sound screen on the display window and switches the lighting pattern of the operation buttons as described later. When the MENU button K9 is pressed, the control unit 6 displays a menu screen related to tuner reproduction on the display unit 5 and switches the operation button lighting pattern as described later. Further, when the OPEN button K8 is pressed, the control unit 6 opens the operation panel 9 so that the CD can be attached and detached.

  In step 403, it is checked whether or not a CD is set in the in-vehicle audio device 1.

  Step 404 shows a process of turning on an operation button that enables the operation when it is determined in step 403 that a CD is set. When the CD is set, there is a source that can be selected other than the tuner. Therefore, the control unit 6 lights the SOURCE button K1 in addition to the operation button that is turned on in step 402 to indicate that the operation is valid. The operation with the SOURCE button K1 is validated.

  Step 405 checks whether the broadcast station name is registered in the preset broadcast station.

  Step 406 shows a process of turning on the operation button that enables the operation when it is determined in step 405 that the broadcast station name is registered in the preset broadcast station.

  When the broadcast station name is registered, the control unit 6 lights the DSPL button K2 in addition to the operation button lit at step 402 and the operation button lit at step 404 according to the determination at step 403. The operation with the DSPL button K2 is validated.

  When the broadcast station name is registered, when the DSPL button K2 is pressed, the control unit 6 displays the display screen of the display unit 5 on the screen 81. The display is switched from a frequency display such as xx MHz to a broadcast station name display such as FMxx registered in advance.

  Step 407 checks whether the number of characters of the broadcast station name exceeds the number of characters that can be displayed on the display unit 5 when it is determined in step 405 that the broadcast station name is registered. Note that the determination in step 407 is necessary only when the broadcast station name is registered in advance, and therefore the determination in step 407 is not performed when the broadcast station name is not registered. Further, the subsequent processing in step 408 is not performed.

  Step 408 indicates a process of turning on the operation button that enables the operation when it is determined that the number of characters of the registered broadcasting station name exceeds the number of characters that can be displayed on the display unit 5. When the number of characters of the broadcast station name exceeds the number of displayable characters, the control unit 6 turns on the operation button lit at step 402, or the operation button lit at step 404 according to the determination at step 403 and the step 406. In addition to the operation button, the SCRL button K3 is lit to enable the operation with the SCRL button K3.

  When the number of characters of the broadcast station name exceeds the number of displayable characters, the SCRL button K3 is used when scrolling and displaying the character string of the portion exceeding the number of displayable characters on the display unit 5 by a user operation.

  In step 409, if it is determined in step 401 that "reception display" is not performed during tuner reproduction, it is checked whether or not the "menu screen" is being displayed.

  In this example, during tuner playback, when the MENU button K9 is pressed during reception display, the control unit 6 displays a menu screen on the display unit 5 and switches the lighting pattern of the operation buttons. When the display of the menu screen is exited, the display is returned to the reception display.

  Step 410 shows a process for turning on an effective operation button while the menu screen is displayed during tuner reproduction. While the menu screen is displayed during tuner playback, the control unit 6 turns on these operation buttons by enabling the operation with the OFF button K4, the +/- button K7, the OPEN button K8, and the ENTER button K12, and other operation buttons. Is turned off.

  The process in step 410 is substantially the same as step 205 in the flowchart 200 shown in FIG. 5 and step 310 in the flowchart 300 shown in FIG. 6 except for the process related to the lighting control of the SOURCE button K1. That is, the setting item is selected by operating the +/− button K7, and the menu screen is exited by operating the ENTER button K12. However, the setting item selected by operating the +/− button K7 is an item related to tuner reproduction.

  The lighting of the SOURCE button K1 is controlled in accordance with the presence or absence of a CD in steps 411 and 412. That is, in step 411, it is checked whether or not a CD is set in the in-vehicle audio device 1.

  Step 412 shows a process of turning on an operation button that enables the operation when it is determined in step 411 that a CD is set. When the CD is set, the control unit 6 turns on the SOURCE button K1 in addition to the operation button lit in step 410, and validates the operation with the SOURCE button K1.

  Steps 413, 414, 415, and 416 have the same contents as steps 206, 207, 208, and 209 in flowchart 200 and steps 311, 312, 313, and 314 in flowchart 300.

  That is, whether only the + button of the AMS +/− button K10 is turned on or both the + button and the − button of the AMS +/− button K10 are turned on according to the setting item selected by operating the +/− button K7. Is switched. Therefore, detailed description of steps 413, 414, 415, and 416 is omitted.

  Step 417 is a menu related to audio output adjustment when it is determined in step 401 that “reception display” is not performed during tuner reproduction, and in step 409 it is determined that “menu screen” is not displayed. Checks whether the "Sound screen" is displayed.

  During tuner playback, when the SOUND button K6 is pressed during reception display, the control unit 6 displays a sound screen on the display unit 5 and switches the operation button lighting pattern. When the sound screen display is exited, the reception display is restored.

  Step 418 shows processing for turning on an effective operation button during display of the sound screen during tuner reproduction. While the sound screen is being displayed during tuner playback, the control unit 6 turns on these operation buttons by enabling the operation with the OFF button K4, the +/− button K7, the OPEN button K8, and the ENTER button K12, and other operation buttons. Is turned off.

  The processing related to the sound screen during tuner playback is substantially the same as the processing during CD playback described with reference to the flowchart 300, but the processing of step 419 and step 420 is performed for lighting control of the SOURCE button K1. That is, step 419 checks whether or not a CD is set in the in-vehicle audio device 1.

  In step 420, when it is determined in step 419 that a CD is set, the control unit 6 turns on the SOURCE button K1 in addition to the operation button lit in step 418 and validates the operation with the SOURCE button K1. To do.

  In step 421, it is determined in step 401 that “reception display” is not performed during tuner playback, it is determined in step 409 that “menu screen” is not displayed, and “sound screen” is not displayed in step 417. If it is determined, it is checked whether or not the “list screen” is being displayed.

  Step 422 shows processing for turning on an effective operation button during display of the list screen during tuner reproduction. While the list screen is being displayed during tuner reproduction, the control unit 6 enables operations using the OFF button K4, the +/− button K7 and the ENTER button K12 to turn on these operation buttons, and turns off the other operation buttons.

  Moreover, the process of step 423 and step 424 is performed for lighting control of the SOURCE button K1. That is, step 423 checks whether or not a CD is set in the in-vehicle audio device 1.

  In step 424, when it is determined in step 423 that a CD is set, the control unit 6 lights the SOURCE button K1 in addition to the operation button lit in step 422, and the operation with the SOURCE button K1 is validated. To do.

  The information displayed on the list screen during tuner playback is a preset number and a broadcast station frequency, or a pre-registered broadcast station name.

  However, since the operation of the SCRL button K3 is invalid while the list screen is displayed, if the number of characters of the broadcast station name exceeds the number of characters that can be displayed on the display unit 5, the character string is displayed by the number of characters that can be displayed from the beginning of the broadcast station name. Is displayed, and the part exceeding the number of displayable characters is not displayed.

  When the list screen is displayed, the +/− button K7 is used to select a preset number. The ENTER button K12 is used when the broadcast station having the selected preset number is determined as a reproduction target.

<Effect>
As described above, in the in-vehicle audio device 1 according to the present embodiment, an operation button whose operation is valid and an operation button whose operation is invalid are distinguished depending on whether or not each button is lit depending on the operation state. Thereby, the user can easily recognize an operation button that can be operated from among a plurality of operation buttons, and the operability is improved.

  In addition, by blinking the operation buttons that are effective in operation, the operation buttons that can be operated can be more emphasized and recognized. Further, the operation buttons that can be operated can be emphasized and recognized by changing the emission color.

  Also, the presence or absence of character information such as a disc name attached to the CD can be recognized based on whether or not an operation button used for displaying the character information is lit.

  The present invention is applied to various electronic devices having a plurality of operation buttons and having operation buttons that are enabled according to the operation state of the device and operation buttons that are disabled. Can be improved.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a sectional side view which shows the structural example of an operation button. It is a front view which shows the structural example of the operation panel of a vehicle-mounted audio apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the whole process of a vehicle-mounted audio apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the lighting process of each operation button at the time of source OFF. It is a flowchart which shows the lighting process of each operation button at the time of CD reproduction. It is a flowchart which shows the lighting process of each operation button at the time of tuner reproduction | regeneration. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a state of the operation panel in timepiece display at the time of a source OFF. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a state of the operation panel during menu display at the time of a source OFF. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a state of the operation panel in reproduction | regeneration display at the time of CD reproduction | regeneration.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Car audio equipment, 2 ... Disk drive part, 3 ... Tuner part, 4 ... Input part, 5 ... Display part, 6 ... Control part, 9 ... Operation panel , K1 to K12 ... operation buttons, 11 ... cover part, 13 ... light emitting part

Claims (10)

In an information processing apparatus having a plurality of operation means for receiving user operations,
A self-illuminating means for causing each of the operating means to emit light independently;
Among the plurality of operation means, an operation means that validates the operation and an operation means that invalidates the operation are determined, and whether or not the self-illuminating means emits light is determined according to the operation means that is valid and invalid. An information processing apparatus comprising: control means for controlling. The control means turns on the self-lighting means of the operation means whose operation is enabled according to the operation state of the device, and turns off the self-lighting means of the operation means whose operation is invalidated. 1. An information processing apparatus according to 1. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls lighting and blinking of the self-illuminating unit in the operation unit effective in operation according to an operation state of the device. The self-illuminating means has at least two emission colors.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects a light emission color of the self-illuminating unit and causes the operation unit to emit light with a predetermined light emission color. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls a light emission color of the self-illuminating unit in accordance with an operation state of the device in the operation unit that is effective in operation. Reproducing means for reading and reproducing information recorded in the recording means,
The control means determines an operation means that validates an operation according to identification information attached to the recording means, and controls light emission of the self-illuminating means corresponding to the operation means that validates the operation. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. The operation means is an operation button on which specific information for specifying a function to be executed by operating the operation means is illustrated.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the self-illuminating unit causes the operation button to emit light so that the specific information can be recognized. In an input support method for an information processing apparatus having a plurality of operation means for receiving user operations,
Among the plurality of operation means, the operation means that validates the operation and the operation means that invalidates the operation are determined, the operation means that is validated is turned on, and the operation means that is invalidated is turned off. An input support method for an information processing apparatus. The input support method for the information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein lighting and blinking of the operation unit are switched according to an operation state of the device. The input support method for the information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the light emission color of the operation unit is switched according to an operation state of the device.

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