JP2011059901A - Multi-monitor system, information processing apparatus, and cursor control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the operability of cursors of a multi-monitor system. <P>SOLUTION: A cursor control part 24 of the multi-monitor system 100 includes a real cursor display means 40 for displaying a real cursor RC that is the subject of operation on one of a plurality of display means, and a virtual cursor display means 42 for displaying a virtual cursor VC that is not the subject of operation on another of the plurality of display means. This arrangement facilitates determining the first cursor that is the subject of operation, since either the real cursor RC or the virtual cursor VC is displayed in the display means. Using the first and second cursors alternately can improve the operability of the cursors. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to cursor control in a multi-monitor system.

  In information devices such as personal computers and PDAs, a pointing device such as a mouse is used as an input device. A pictorial symbol called a cursor is displayed on the screen of the display device on which input is performed by the pointing device. The user can operate the information device by moving the cursor with a pointing device and selecting an object (icon or the like) on the screen.

  In recent years, a multi-monitor system in which a plurality of display devices are mounted on one information device has been developed. According to this, it is possible to display different images on each of the plurality of display devices, and to use the plurality of display devices as one large display device. In addition, in order to reduce the load on the user due to an increase in the number of display devices to be input, multi-monitor systems with improved operability of cursor control have been developed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2003-202953 A JP 2005-293292 A

  In a multi-monitor system having a plurality of display devices, the cursor operation by the pointing device may be complicated as compared with the case of one display device. For example, the user may lose sight of the cursor due to an increase in the number of display screens, or it may take time to move the cursor between display devices that are separated from each other.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to improve the operability of a cursor in a multi-monitor system.

  The multi-monitor system includes a plurality of display means, a first cursor display means for displaying a first cursor to be operated on one of the plurality of display means, and another of the plurality of display means. The display means includes a second cursor display means for displaying a second cursor which is not an operation target, and an input means for inputting an operation on the first cursor.

  The information processing means includes a first cursor display means for displaying a first cursor to be operated on one display means among the plurality of display means, and an operation target on the other display means among the plurality of display means. Second cursor display means for displaying a second cursor that does not become.

  The cursor control program displays, on the information processing apparatus, a step of displaying a first cursor to be operated on one display unit among a plurality of display units, and another display unit among the plurality of display units. And a step of displaying a second cursor that is not an operation target.

  According to the multi-monitor system, the information processing apparatus, and the cursor control program, the operability of the cursor in the multi-monitor system can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a multi-monitor system according to the first embodiment. 2A to 2C are diagrams showing the form of the cursor. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the cursor control unit shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a monitor arrangement and a cursor display mode. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the flow of cursor operation. FIG. 6 is a diagram (part 1) illustrating the flow of the cursor setting operation. FIG. 7 is a diagram (part 2) illustrating the flow of the cursor setting operation. FIG. 8 shows a setting screen related to the cursor. FIGS. 9A and 9B are views (No. 1) showing how the cursor is switched. FIGS. 10A and 10B are views (No. 2) showing the state of cursor switching. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the monitor layout is displayed on one monitor. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of cursor selection using the monitor layout.

  Next, a multi-monitor system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a multi-monitor system according to the first embodiment. The multi-monitor system 100 includes an input device 10, an information processing device 20, and a display device 30.

  The input device 10 includes a pointing device 12 for operating a cursor, which will be described later, and a keyboard 14 that accepts key input. For example, a mouse or a trackball can be used as the pointing device 12.

  The information processing apparatus 20 includes an input unit 22 that receives an input from the input device 10, a cursor control unit 24 for performing cursor control described later, and a storage unit 26. The cursor control unit 24 is configured by hardware such as a CPU, for example, and can be realized by causing the CPU to execute a cursor control program described later. The storage unit 26 is composed of a storage medium such as a hard disk or a flash memory, and stores a cursor control program to be executed by the CPU. When information (for example, the coordinates of the cursor) is input from the input device 10 to the input unit 22 of the information processing apparatus 20, the cursor control unit 24 controls the cursor based on the input information (for example, the cursor position to the specified coordinates). A signal for performing movement) is output.

  The display device 30 includes a plurality of monitors (here, nine monitors 30A to 30I). The monitors 30 </ b> A to 30 </ b> I are configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display, and display image information output from the information processing apparatus 20. At this time, the plurality of monitors 30A to 30I may display different image information, or may display one image information as a whole (in this case, the plurality of monitors are as if they were one monitor). To work). The monitors 30 </ b> A to 30 </ b> I display a cursor on each monitor based on an output signal from the cursor control unit 24.

  FIGS. 2A to 2C are diagrams showing a form of a cursor according to the multi-monitor system 100. FIG. In this embodiment, there are two types of cursors for the user to operate with the pointing device 12. The first is a real cursor RC, which is a first cursor, which is an operation target for the user (FIG. 2A). The second is a virtual cursor VC as a second cursor, which is a dummy cursor that is not an operation target for the user (FIGS. 2B and 2C). Comparing FIGS. 2A and 2B, the real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC have the same shape and different colors. Comparing FIGS. 2A and 2C, the shapes of the real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC are different. Thus, it is preferable that the real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC have different forms and can be distinguished in appearance.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing details of the cursor control unit 24 shown in FIG. The real cursor display means 40 as the first cursor display means displays the real cursor RC to be operated on the monitor. The cursor operation performed by the user includes operations for selecting an object on the screen, such as click, double click, drag and drop, in addition to cursor movement. The virtual cursor display means 42 as the second cursor display means displays the virtual cursor VC on the monitor. A real cursor RC is displayed on one of the monitors 30A to 30I, and a virtual cursor VC is displayed on each of the other monitors. That is, there is only one monitor on which the real cursor RC is displayed (to be operated).

  The movement range setting means 44 sets the movement range of the real cursor RC on the monitor. The switching means 46 switches the display of the real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC (one of the cursors that has been the virtual cursor VC until now is the real cursor RC, and the cursor that has been the real cursor RC until now is the virtual cursor VC). . The arrangement display means 48 displays an overall arrangement diagram of the monitors 30A to 30I in the multi-monitor system 100 on at least one monitor. The selection unit 50 selects one monitor from the displayed monitor layout. The position notification means 52 notifies the user of the position of the real cursor RC. These functions will be described in detail later.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a monitor arrangement and a cursor display mode. Nine monitors 30A to 30I having different sizes and resolutions are arranged side by side. In this example, the real cursor RC is displayed on the monitor 30F located at the center, and the virtual cursor VC is displayed on the other monitors 30A to 30E and 30G to 30I. Each cursor is displayed at a common position in the monitor screen. For example, in the example of FIG. 4, the cursor is displayed so that the tip of the cursor is positioned at about one third of the top and bottom and left and right of the monitor. The sizes of the real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC are also in accordance with the sizes of the monitors 30A to 30I.

  5A and 5B are diagrams showing the flow of cursor operation. FIG. 5A illustrates the movement of the cursor. First, the cursor control unit 24 receives a cursor movement command (step S10). The cursor control unit 24 moves the real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC to designated positions based on the input movement command. The designation of the movement destination may be designated by absolute coordinates, for example, or may be designated by relative coordinates from the current location. The cursor movement command affects both the real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC. Accordingly, when the real cursor RC is moved by the user's operation, the virtual cursor VC is also moved (so as to maintain the same relative position with respect to the monitor screen).

  FIG. 5B illustrates the selection (clicking etc.) of the object. First, the cursor control unit 24 receives an object selection command (step S20). Next, the cursor control unit 24 performs a selection operation using the real cursor RC based on the input selection command (step 22). The cursor movement command affects only the real cursor RC. Therefore, even if there is any object on the display position of the virtual cursor VC, the object is not selected by the above selection operation.

  Next, settings regarding cursor operation will be described.

  6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the flow of the cursor setting operation. In this embodiment, settings are made for three points: (1) cursor movement range, (2) cursor switching method, (3), and presence / absence of display of monitor position information. First, the cursor control unit 24 determines whether the operation range of the cursor is set to “one screen” or “full screen” (step S30). When the operation range is set to “one screen”, the cursor control unit 24 limits the movement range of the real cursor RC within one monitor (step S32). At this time, if the real cursor RC moves to the end of the monitor, the real cursor RC stops at the end of the monitor without moving any further. On the other hand, when the operation range is set to “full screen”, the cursor control unit 24 sets the movement range of the real cursor RC to the full screen (step S34). At this time, the real cursor RC can freely move between the monitors 30A to 30I shown in FIG. The operation range setting operation is performed by the movement range setting means 44 shown in FIG.

  Next, the cursor control unit 24 determines whether or not the cursor can be switched with the mouse (pointing device 12) (step S36). When “switching with the mouse” is possible, the cursor control unit 24 moves the real cursor RC to the adjacent monitor by moving the real cursor RC from the end of the monitor toward the outside of the screen with the mouse ( Cursor switching) is executed (step S38). Since this is possible only when the cursor movement range is the full screen, these steps are not executed when “one screen” is selected in step S30.

  Next, the cursor control unit 24 determines whether or not the cursor can be switched by the key (keyboard 14) (step S40). When “switching by keyboard” is enabled, the cursor control unit 24 receives a predetermined key input on the keyboard and replaces the real cursor RC on one monitor with the virtual cursor VC on another monitor (real The cursor RC is moved in units of monitor) (step S42). This switching method can be adopted regardless of the operating range of the cursor.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart regarding display setting of monitor position information. First, the cursor control unit 24 determines whether or not to display monitor position information (step S50). The monitor position information is information including the arrangement relationship of the monitors 30A to 30I included in the multi-monitor system 100. For example, a reduced view of the monitor arrangement (see FIG. 10) is used. When the monitor position information is set to be displayed only on the operation screen, the cursor control unit 24 displays the monitor position information only on the monitor having the real cursor RC (step S52). When the monitor position information is set to be displayed on the entire screen, the cursor control unit 24 displays the monitor position information at a predetermined position on each screen of the monitors 30A to 30I (step S54). If the setting is such that the monitor position information is not displayed, the cursor control unit 24 does not display the monitor position information (step S56).

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a setting screen related to the cursor operation. For example, the user operates the pointing device 12 and clicks a check box in the setting screen 60 to change various settings (cursor movement range, cursor switching method, and presence / absence of display of monitor position information). be able to. Note that “switching with the mouse” and “switching with the keyboard” in the switching method of the cursor are not exclusive, and both can be set simultaneously.

  FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams showing how the cursor is switched by the mouse. In FIG. 9A, the real cursor RC is moving toward the right end of the monitor 30A. At this time, the virtual cursor VC similarly moves toward the right end of the monitor 30B. Description of other monitors is omitted. As shown in FIG. 9B, when the real cursor RC arrives at the right end of the screen of the monitor 30A, the display of the real cursor RC disappears from the monitor 30A and appears at the left end of the monitor 30B. At this time, the display of the virtual cursor VC disappears from the monitor 30B and appears at the left end of the monitor 30A. The above switching operation for erasing and appearing the real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC is performed by the switching means 46 in FIG.

  FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing how the cursor is switched using the keyboard. In FIG. 10A, the real cursor RC is located at the center of the monitor 30A, and the virtual cursor VC is located at the center of the monitor 30B. In FIG. 10B, the positions of the real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC are switched by performing a predetermined key operation. This switching operation is performed by the switching means 46 in FIG. According to this method, since the cursor can be switched without moving the real cursor RC to the end of the screen, when the moving distance of the cursor is large (for example, the real cursor RC is moved from the monitor 30H to 30D in FIG. 4). This is particularly effective when moving.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which a monitor layout, which is one piece of monitor position information, is displayed on one monitor. In the area 70 on the lower right of the monitor 30A where the virtual cursor VC is displayed, the arrangement of the monitors 30A to 30I in the multi-monitor system 100 is displayed by the arrangement display means 48. Further, in the monitor layout diagram, the position of the real cursor RC is indicated by the position notification means 52 (in this embodiment, the central monitor 30F is displayed darkly, and the real cursor RC is present here. It is shown). Thereby, the user can easily grasp the position of the monitor and the position of the real cursor RC.

  FIG. 12 is an example of cursor selection using the monitor layout. The cursor control unit 24 as the selection means 50 selects one monitor from the reduced monitor layout based on the input from the user (step S60). The cursor control unit 24 as the switching unit 46 switches the cursor of the selected monitor from the virtual cursor VC to the real cursor RC (step S62). As a result, the user can quickly move the real cursor RC to a desired monitor using the monitor layout displayed in the area 70.

  In the multi-monitor system 100 of the first embodiment, the real cursor RC that is an operation target is displayed on one of the plurality of monitors 30A to 30I, and the virtual cursor VC that is not the operation target is displayed on another monitor. Since the cursor is displayed on all monitors, the user can first find the cursor displayed on an arbitrary monitor and search for the real cursor RC by determining whether or not it is the real cursor RC. . This makes it easier to grasp the cursor to be operated as compared to the case where only one cursor is displayed on all the monitors. As a result, the operability of the cursor can be improved. The same effect can be expected also in a cursor control program having the above function and an information processing apparatus having the program.

  The cursor control unit 24 of the multi-monitor system 100 includes switching means 46 that switches between the real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC. As a result, the virtual cursor VC displayed on the monitor desired to be operated can be switched to the real cursor RC, and a quick cursor operation can be performed. The cursor switching operation may be performed using the pointing device 12 (such as a mouse) or the keyboard 14. When the pointing device 12 is used, an intuitive switching operation is possible, and the user can perform switching on an extension line of a normal cursor operation without releasing the pointing device. On the other hand, when the keyboard 14 is used, the real cursor RC can be moved more quickly by a method such as assigning a command to a predetermined key.

  The real cursor RC and the virtual cursor VC are preferably displayed at positions corresponding to each other in the monitor. The corresponding position means that the relative position with respect to the display area of the monitor is substantially the same. For example, even when the sizes, aspect ratios, resolutions, and the like are different among a plurality of monitors, by setting the cursor display position in common, the user can register the cursor position on each screen. In addition, by making the virtual cursor VC move in accordance with the movement of the real cursor RC, the movement of the cursor is unified, so that visual complexity for the user is reduced. As a result, the operability of the cursor can be further improved.

  The cursor control unit 24 functions as a movement range setting unit 44 that can set the movement range of the real cursor RC to one screen or all screens. Thereby, the user can further improve operability by setting the movement range of the real cursor RC according to his / her preference. When the movement range of the real cursor RC is set to the full screen and the real cursor RC moves from one monitor to another monitor, the cursor control unit 24 functioning as the switching means 46 displays on the destination monitor. The cursor to be switched is switched from the virtual cursor VC to the real cursor RC. As a result, the user can move the real cursor RC as if the plurality of monitors were one monitor.

  In addition, the cursor control unit 24 functions as an arrangement display unit 48 that displays an arrangement diagram of all the monitors in a predetermined area (area 70 in FIG. 11) in the monitor. As a result, the user can quickly grasp the arrangement relationship of all the monitors and the position of the monitor where the real cursor RC is located. The cursor control unit 24 functions as selection means 50 for selecting one monitor from the monitor layout displayed in the area 70. Thereby, the user can move the real cursor RC to a desired monitor by designating one monitor in the area 70. This is convenient when the destination monitor is far away from the monitor where the real cursor RC is currently located.

  The cursor control unit 24 functions as a position notification unit 52 that notifies the user of the position of the real cursor RC. Thus, the user can quickly know the position of the real cursor RC by requesting the cursor control unit 24 to know the position of the real cursor RC. As a notification method, for example, it is conceivable to display the position of the real cursor RC on the layout diagram of all monitors described in FIG. In addition, a method of notifying the user by a text or voice message can be considered.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims. It is.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Input device 12 Pointing device 14 Keyboard 20 Information processing apparatus 24 Cursor control part 30 Display apparatus 30A-30I Monitor 40 Real cursor display means 42 Virtual cursor display means 44 Movement range setting means 46 Switching means 48 Arrangement display means 50 Selection means 52 Position Notification means

Claims (10)

For information processing equipment
Displaying a first cursor to be operated on one of the plurality of display means;
Displaying a second cursor which is not an operation target on another display means among the plurality of display means;
Cursor control program to execute.   The cursor control program according to claim 1, further comprising a step of switching one of the plurality of second cursors to the first cursor simultaneously with switching the first cursor to the second cursor.   The cursor control program according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first cursor and the second cursor are displayed at positions corresponding to each other in the display means.   The cursor control program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which further causes a step of setting a moving range of the first cursor to one of display means or all display means.   In the case where the moving range of the first cursor is all display means, when the first cursor moves from one display means to another display means, the cursor displayed on the one display means to be moved is changed. The switch of the said 2nd cursor to the said 1st cursor, and performing further the step which switches the cursor displayed on the said other display means of a movement source from the said 1st cursor to the said 2nd cursor is further performed. Cursor control program. Displaying position information of the plurality of display means on at least one of the plurality of display means;
Selecting one display means based on the displayed position information of the plurality of display means;
Switching the cursor of the selected one display means from the second cursor to the first cursor;
The cursor control program according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the cursor control program is further executed.   The cursor control program according to claim 1, wherein the form of the first cursor is different from that of the second cursor.   The cursor control program according to claim 1, further causing a step of displaying the position of the first cursor on at least one of the plurality of display means. First cursor display means for displaying a first cursor to be operated on one of the plurality of display means;
A second cursor display means for displaying a second cursor not to be operated on another display means among the plurality of display means;
An information processing apparatus comprising: A plurality of display means;
First cursor display means for displaying a first cursor to be operated on one of the plurality of display means;
A second cursor display means for displaying a second cursor not to be operated on another display means among the plurality of display means;
Input means for inputting an operation on the first cursor;
A multi-monitor system comprising:

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