JP2011070314A - Information processor, character display method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor, a character display method and a program for running a character application and other applications simultaneously and improves visibility or operability of a user. <P>SOLUTION: The information processor includes a character movement control means for moving the character while avoiding an area of a specific window displayed on a desktop. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a character display method, and a program.

  In recent years, there is a technique for displaying various characters by displaying various characters on a display screen (desktop) of a computer. For example, the technique described in Patent Document 1 describes a technique for displaying a character on a desktop and changing its size, color, and form by changing and using a computer system environment.

  Among such technologies for displaying characters on the desktop, there are technologies that not only display characters on the desktop, but also allow the characters to move and move, and to allow some interaction with the user. .

JP 2002-251238 A

  Character applications that display characters on the desktop as described above and perform animation operations, movement, or some interaction with the user are individually established as a single application that handles characters. Did not consider other applications in.

  Specifically, because the character moves regardless of the usage status of other applications on the user's side and the display position of the application window, the character may be superimposed on the other application window being used. In some cases, the visibility of the operation surface and other applications is adversely affected.

  For this reason, one of the applications must always be moved exclusively to the backmost layer or terminated. In other words, both of them are likely to fall into a situation where it is difficult to coexist, and as a result, this is one of the factors that hinder the continuous use of character applications.

  Also, from the viewpoint of moving the coordinates of the application on the display, consideration has not been given to the difference between the characteristics that the specific window is based on the user and the character is based on the application.

  Therefore, the present invention has been invented in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an information processing apparatus that allows the application of a character to coexist with other applications, improving the operability and visibility of the user, The object is to provide a character display method and program.

  The present invention for solving the above-described problems is an information processing apparatus having character movement control means for moving a character by bypassing a specific window area displayed on the desktop.

  Moreover, the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a character display method characterized in that the character is moved while bypassing a specific window area displayed on the desktop.

  Further, the present invention that solves the above-described problem is a program that causes an information processing apparatus to execute a character movement control process for moving a character by bypassing a specific window area displayed on a desktop.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a character's application and another application can be coexisted, and a user's operativity and visibility can be made favorable.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the third embodiment.

  The present invention is characterized in that a character displayed on the same desktop is moved by bypassing a specific window area by an application displayed on the desktop. Here, the specific window refers to a window that is displayed on the desktop by an application such as document creation software or spreadsheet software, in which the window is in an active state, or a window designated by the user.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the present invention, when the character 1 is moved on the desktop, the character 1 is moved around the area of the specific windows 2 and 3. Here, as a detour control, the positional relationship between the character 1 and the areas of the specific windows 2 and 3 is acquired, and before the character 1 enters the areas of the specific windows 2 and 3, the character's traveling direction is changed. To control. Further, the movement target position of the character 1 is determined in advance, the shortest route between the movement target position and the current position is determined, and when there is an area of the specific window 2 or 3 on the shortest route, the specific window 2 or 3 It may be controlled to determine a route that bypasses the area. In addition, as a route which detours the area | region of the specific windows 2 and 3, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, there is a route which moves on the boundary line of the specific windows 2 and 3, but other detour routes may be used.

Specific embodiments will be described below.
<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1st Embodiment is an example of the information processing apparatus which performs a character movement, displaying a some application software on a display part (display) under basic software.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  In FIG. 3, the information processing apparatus 1 includes a display unit 11 on which windows by a plurality of applications and characters to be described later are displayed, an application control unit 12 that executes a plurality of applications, and a character in which character image data is stored. A data storage unit 13 and a character movement control unit 14 that controls the display / movement of the character displayed on the display unit 11 based on the character image data stored in the character data storage unit 13 are provided.

  The display unit 11 is a display unit such as a display. The display unit 11 is not only integrated with an information processing apparatus such as a notebook personal computer, but may also be configured such that the display unit 11 is configured independently such as a desktop computer. good.

  The application control unit 12 includes, for example, a CPU, and executes an application on the information processing apparatus. Specific examples of applications include document creation software such as a word processor, spreadsheet software, and chart creation software. The application control unit 12 executes these applications and displays a predetermined window on the display unit 11. The application control unit 12 preferably employs a multi-window system and displays a plurality of application windows.

  Further, the application control unit 12 has a function of notifying the character movement control unit 14 of window position information of a window displayed by the currently executed application. The window position information is, for example, information in a coordinate system with the upper left position of the desktop screen of the display unit 11 as the origin, and the upper left vertex coordinates (Bx, By) of the window and the width Bw and height Bh of the window. Information is included and notified to the character movement control unit 14 as window position information. The specific window may be specified by the user or the user may specify the application itself, and the specified specific window position information is notified to the character movement control unit 14.

  The character data storage unit 13 stores data of characters appearing on the desktop screen after starting the basic software (Operating System: OS) by executing the character application. In the information processing apparatus, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory mounted in the drive is the character data storage unit 13.

  The character movement control unit 14 reads character data stored in the character data storage unit 13 and displays the character on the display unit 11. The character displayed on the display unit 11 is moved on the desktop of the display unit 11 by the character movement control unit 14 based on a user operation (for example, an instruction of a movement target position using a mouse). The movement is controlled so that the character does not enter this area.

  Next, the operation of the information processing apparatus configured as described above will be described.

  Note that the character's movement target position is designated by the user with a mouse or the like, but any method may be used, such as a method for randomly determining the target position or a method for automatically determining the target position based on some rule.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the position information of the character is expressed by a coordinate system having the upper left position on the desktop screen as the origin, and the upper left xy coordinate of the rectangle circumscribing the character and the rectangle circumscribing the character. Including the width Aw and the height Ah, it is expressed as (Ax, Ay, Aw, Ah).

  Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4, the position information of the specific window is expressed in a coordinate system with the upper left position of the desktop screen as the origin, and the upper left xy coordinate of the specific window, the width Bw and the height of the specific window. And (Bx, By, Bw, Bh).

  In the following description, the description starts after the character application is activated.

  FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart of the first embodiment.

  First, when the character movement target position is determined by the user's designation using a mouse or the like, the character movement control unit 14 determines the character's current position information (= A) and the character's target position information (= B). Are acquired (Step 100).

  If the current position information A of the character and the target position information B of the character are the same (Step 101), the character movement control ends. Here, the determination is made based on whether or not the upper left xy coordinates of the rectangle circumscribing the character are the same, but the coordinates of the center and the center of gravity of the rectangle circumscribing the character may be used.

  On the other hand, if the current position information A of the character is different from the target position information B of the character, the direction in which the moving distance from the current position of the character to the target position is the shortest is detected (Step 102). Then, the character is moved in the detected direction (Step 103).

Along with the movement, the character movement control unit 14 continues to acquire the current position information (= A) of the character, acquires the position information of the specific window, and determines whether or not the character is in contact with the boundary of the specific window. Perform (Step 104). Whether or not the character is in contact with the boundary of the specific window is determined that the character is in contact with the boundary of the specific window when all the following conditions 1 to 4 are satisfied (becomes true).

Judgment conditions 1. Ax <(Bx + Bw)
2. (Ax + Aw)> Bx
3. Ay <(By + Bh)
4). (Ay + Ah)> By)

When it is determined that the character is in contact with the boundary of the specific window, the character is moved along the boundary of the specific window (Step 105).

According to the first embodiment, since the character moves while bypassing the area of the specific window, the character's application and other applications can be improved without hindering the visibility of the user with respect to the specific window. Can coexist.
<Second Embodiment>
A second embodiment will be described.

  In the first embodiment, the specific window has been described as not changing or moving in size. However, if the size of the specific window is suddenly changed or the specific window is moved by the user's operation, the character and the specific window may overlap.

  Thus, in the second embodiment, when the size of the specific window is changed or the specific window is moved, the character and the specific window overlap each other as shown in FIG. To be able to see what is displayed in a specific window.

  When the size of the specific window is changed or the specific window is moved, the application control unit 12 notifies the character movement control unit 14 of the position information of the specific window.

As in the first embodiment, the character movement control unit 14 continues to acquire the current position information (= A) of the character, and based on the current position information of the character and the notified position information of the specific window. Then, it is determined whether or not the character is in contact with the boundary of the specific window. However, if the following conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied as a result of changing the size of the specific window or moving the specific window, that is, the upper left xy coordinate of the rectangle circumscribing the character falls within the area of the specific window. If this happens, make the character translucent. Since the character translucency itself is a conventional technique, description thereof is omitted.

Judgment conditions 1. Bx <Ax <(Bx + Bw)
2. Ay <By <(By + Bh)

Further, the determination as to whether the character has entered the area of the specific window is not limited to the method described above. In the above description, the upper left xy coordinate of the rectangle circumscribing the character is compared with the area of the specific window, but the coordinates of the center of the rectangle circumscribing the character and the coordinates of the center of gravity may be used.

According to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, when the size of the specific window is changed or the specific window is moved, the character and the specific window overlap each other. Even so, since the character is translucent, the visibility of the specific window is not hindered.
<Third Embodiment>
A third embodiment will be described.

  In the third embodiment, in the state described in the first embodiment, especially when a specific window designated by the user becomes active, the movement of the character is stopped and the character is converted into an icon.

  The application control unit 12 monitors a specific window designated by the user, and notifies the character movement control unit 14 when the specific window designated by the user becomes active.

  As in the first embodiment, the character movement control unit 14 continues to acquire the current position information (= A) of the character, and based on the current position information of the character and the position information of the specific window, Is determined to contact the boundary of the specific window, and the character is moved while bypassing the area of the specific window. However, when the application control unit 12 notifies that the specific window designated by the user has become active, the movement of the character is stopped and the character is converted into an icon as shown in FIG.

  If the user designates a particular window, the work in that window is important and it is often desired to concentrate. In such a case, according to the third embodiment, the movement of the character is stopped and the character is converted into an icon, so that the user's work is not disturbed.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which each unit is configured by hardware has been described. However, it may be configured by a CPU or the like that operates by a program. In this case, the program causes the CPU to execute the above-described operation.

  Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea.

1 Character 2, 3 Specific window 11 Display unit 12 Application control unit 13 Character data storage unit 14 Character movement control unit

Claims (15)

  An information processing apparatus comprising character movement control means for moving a character by bypassing a specific window area displayed on a desktop. The character movement control means includes:
Obtaining specific window information regarding the position and area of the specific window displayed on the desktop in the desktop;
Obtaining character movement information regarding the size of the character on the desktop and the position of the character to move;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific window information is compared with the character movement information, and the character is moved by bypassing an area of the specific window.   The said character movement control means moves the said character along the boundary of the said specific window, when the said specific window and the said character contact according to the movement of the said character. The information processing apparatus described in 1.   The character movement control means displays the character in a semi-transparent state when the area of the specific window overlaps the character due to the movement of the specific window or the display of a new specific window. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The character movement control means converts the icon into an icon when the specific window is in an active state, and releases the icon when the specific window is no longer in an active state or is in a non-display state. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus starts moving.   A character display method, characterized in that the character is moved by bypassing a specific window area displayed on the desktop. The movement of the character is
Obtaining specific window information regarding the position and area of the specific window displayed on the desktop in the desktop;
Obtaining character movement information regarding the size of the character on the desktop and the position of the character to move;
The character display method according to claim 6, wherein the specific window information is compared with the character movement information, and the character is moved by bypassing an area of the specific window.   The movement of the character is characterized by moving the character along a boundary of the specific window when the specific window comes into contact with the character due to the movement of the character. The character display method described.   The movement of the character is characterized in that when the area of the specific window and the character overlap due to the movement of the specific window or the display of a new specific window, the character is displayed in a translucent manner. The character display method according to claim 6.   When the specific window is in an active state, the character is moved into an icon. When the specific window is no longer in an active state or in a non-display state, the icon is released and the character is moved. The character display method according to claim 6, wherein movement is started.   A program for causing an information processing device to execute a character movement control process for moving a character by bypassing a specific window area displayed on a desktop. The character movement control process
Processing for obtaining specific window information regarding the position and area of the specific window displayed on the desktop in the desktop;
Processing for obtaining character movement information relating to the size of the character on the desktop and the position to which the character moves;
The program according to claim 11, further comprising a process of comparing the specific window information and the character movement information, detouring an area of the specific window, and moving the character.   13. The character movement control process according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the character is moved along a boundary of the specific window when the specific window comes into contact with the character due to the movement of the character. The program described in.   The character movement control process is characterized in that when the character is overlapped by the movement of the specific window or the display of a new specific window, the character is displayed in a translucent manner. The program according to any one of claims 11 to 13.   The character movement control process converts the icon into an icon when the specific window is in an active state, and cancels the iconification when the specific window is no longer in an active state or is in a non-display state. The program according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the program starts moving.

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