JP2016126621A - Display control device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a user to more easily recognize an item which can be selected according to a next selection operation.SOLUTION: A display control device comprises: selection means for, according to execution of a predetermined selection operation, selecting another item in substitution of an item which is being selected, out of plural items which are displayed on a display part and can be selected by a user; and display control means for, when an item being selected is an item which was selected according to the predetermined selection operation following an item which had been selected just before, and is disposed in a specific direction from the item which had been selected just before, and when an item which can be selected by the next predetermined selection in a direction being different from the specific direction from the item which is being selected, is displayed, controlling so that the item which can be selected by the next predetermined selection operation is displayed and identified in a manner of being different from a display and identification state of items which are not selected in the next selection operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for sequentially selecting items from a plurality of items.

  When selecting from a plurality of items included in the same hierarchy, there is a method of selecting an item that moves to a target item by sequentially selecting candidate items. Knowing which item is selected makes it easier for the user to use.

  Patent Document 1 discloses that the rotation direction of the dial and the movement direction of the cursor according to the rotation direction are indicated.

JP 2008-243117 A

  Just by indicating the operation direction and the cursor movement direction as in the display method described in Patent Document 1, there are a plurality of items that are likely to be selected or there are no items in the direction corresponding to the operation direction as seen from the user. In some cases, the item selected according to the next operation may not be known.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a display control device that allows a user to more easily recognize items that can be selected in accordance with the next selection operation.

  In order to achieve the above object, the display control device of the present invention replaces a currently selected item among a plurality of selectable items displayed on the display unit in response to a predetermined selection operation. A selection means for selecting another item, and the item being selected is an item selected according to the predetermined selection operation from the item selected immediately before, and the item selected immediately before Are arranged in a specific direction, and when the item that can be selected by the next predetermined selection operation is displayed in a direction different from the specific direction from the selected item, the next predetermined Display control means for controlling to select and display items that can be selected by a selection operation in a different form from items that are not selected by the next selection operation.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to make it easier for the user to recognize items that can be selected in accordance with the next selection operation.

1 is an external view of a digital camera as an example of an apparatus to which the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a digital camera as an example of an apparatus to which the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. The flowchart which shows 1st embodiment of the selection item display in this invention The figure which shows the example of a display of the display part in 1st embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows 2nd embodiment of the selection item display in this invention. The figure which shows the example of a display of the display part in 2nd embodiment of this invention.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIGS. 1A and 1B are external views of a digital camera as an example of an imaging apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of the digital camera 100, and FIG. 1B is a rear perspective view of the digital camera 100. In FIG. 1, a display unit 28 is a display unit that displays images and various types of information. The shutter button 61 is an operation unit for issuing a shooting instruction. The mode switch 60 is an operation unit for switching various modes. The main dial 71 is a rotation operation member included in the operation unit 70. By turning the main dial 71, setting values such as a shutter speed and an aperture can be changed. The power switch 72 is an operation member that switches the power of the digital camera 100 on and off. The sub dial 73 is a rotation operation member included in the operation unit 70, and can move a selection frame, feed an image, and the like. The cross key 74 is included in the operation unit 70, and is a cross key (four-way key) that can push in the upper, lower, left, and right portions. An operation corresponding to the pressed portion of the cross key 74 is possible. The SET button 75 is included in the operation unit 70, is a push button, and is mainly used for determining a selection item. A playback button 79 is included in the operation unit 70 and is an operation button for switching between a shooting mode and a playback mode. When the playback button 79 is pressed during the shooting mode, the mode is switched to the playback mode, and the latest image among the images recorded on the recording medium 200 can be displayed on the display unit 28. The viewfinder 16 is a view-type viewfinder for confirming the focus and composition of an optical image of a subject obtained through the lens unit.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment.

  The lens 103 is usually composed of a plurality of lenses, but here, only a single lens is shown for simplicity. The AE sensor 17 measures the luminance of the subject. The quick return mirror 12 is instructed by the system control unit 50 during exposure, live view shooting, and moving image shooting, and is moved up and down by an actuator (not shown).

  The photographer can confirm the focus state and composition of the optical image of the subject obtained through the lens 103 by observing an image obtained by forming the optical image obtained through the lens 103 through the pentaprism 14 and the finder 16. Become.

  The focal plane shutter 101 is for freely controlling the exposure time of the imaging unit 22 under the control of the system control unit 50.

  The imaging unit 22 is an imaging device configured with a CCD, a CMOS device, or the like that converts an optical image into an electrical signal. The A / D conversion circuit 23 converts an analog signal into a digital signal. The A / D conversion circuit 23 is used to convert an analog signal output from the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal.

  The image processing unit 24 performs resizing processing such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction and color conversion processing on the data from the A / D conversion circuit 23 or the data from the memory control unit 15. The image processing unit 24 performs predetermined calculation processing using the captured image data, and the system control unit 50 performs exposure control and distance measurement control based on the obtained calculation result. Thereby, AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, and EF (flash pre-emission) processing of the TTL (through-the-lens) method are performed. The image processing unit 24 further performs predetermined calculation processing using the captured image data, and also performs TTL AWB (auto white balance) processing based on the obtained calculation result.

  The A / D conversion circuit 23 converts the analog signal converted into an electrical signal by the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal.

  The D / A conversion circuit 19 can also convert the image data converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion circuit 23 or the image data input by the memory control unit 15 into an analog signal and output it to the display unit 28. Image processing and display processing by the D / A conversion circuit 19 are switched by the system control unit 50. Further, the system control unit 50 performs white balance adjustment based on the color balance information of the captured image.

  The display unit 28 is a rear monitor for displaying an image, and is provided on the rear surface of the digital camera 100 as shown in FIG. The display is not limited to a liquid crystal display as long as it displays an image, and may be a display of another system such as an organic EL.

  The memory 32 has a recording capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still images, a moving image and sound for a predetermined time. The memory 32 also serves as an image display memory (video memory).

  The nonvolatile memory 56 is an electrically erasable / recordable memory, and for example, an EEPROM or the like is used. In the nonvolatile memory 56, constants, programs, and the like for operating the system control unit 50 are recorded. Here, the program is a program for executing various flowcharts described later in the present embodiment.

  The system control unit 50 controls the entire digital camera 100. By executing the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 described above, each process of the present embodiment to be described later is realized. A RAM is used as the system memory 52, and constants and variables for operation of the system control unit 50, a program read from the nonvolatile memory 56, and the like are expanded. The system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling the memory 32, the D / A conversion circuit 19, the display unit 28, and the like.

  The system timer 53 is a time measuring unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of a built-in clock.

  The mode switch 60, the shutter button 61, and the operation unit 70 are operation means for inputting various operation instructions to the system control unit 50.

  The mode switch 60 switches the operation mode of the system control unit 50 to any one of a still image recording mode, a moving image shooting mode, a reproduction mode, and the like. Modes included in the still image recording mode include an auto shooting mode, an auto scene discrimination mode, a manual mode, an aperture priority mode (Av mode), and a shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode). In addition, there are various scene modes, program AE modes, custom modes, and the like which are shooting settings for each shooting scene. The mode changeover switch 60 can directly switch to one of these modes included in the menu button. Or after switching to a menu button once with the mode switch 60, you may make it switch to either of these modes contained in a menu button using another operation member. Similarly, the moving image shooting mode may include a plurality of modes. The first shutter switch 62 is turned on when the shutter button 61 provided in the digital camera 100 is being operated, so-called half-press (shooting preparation instruction), and generates a first shutter switch signal SW1. In response to the first shutter switch signal SW1, operations such as AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, AWB (auto white balance) processing, and EF (flash pre-emission) processing are started.

  The second shutter switch 64 is turned ON when the operation of the shutter button 61 is completed, that is, when it is fully pressed (shooting instruction), and generates a second shutter switch signal SW2. In response to the second shutter switch signal SW2, the system control unit 50 starts a series of shooting processing operations from reading a signal from the imaging unit 22 to writing image data on the recording medium 200.

  Each operation member of the operation unit 70 is appropriately assigned a function for each scene by selecting and operating various function icons displayed on the display unit 28, and functions as various function buttons. Examples of the function buttons include an end button, a return button, an image advance button, a jump button, a narrowing button, and an attribute change button. For example, when a menu button is pressed, various setting menu screens are displayed on the display unit 28. The user can make various settings intuitively using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 28, and the four-way key up / down / left / right and the SET button. The operation unit 70 is various operation members as an input unit that receives an operation from the user. The operation unit 70 includes at least the following operation units. A shutter button 61, a main dial 71, a power switch 72, a sub dial 73, a cross key 74, a SET button 75, and a playback button 79.

  The power control unit 80 includes a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit that switches a block to be energized, and the like, and detects whether or not a battery is installed, the type of battery, and the remaining battery level.

  The power supply unit 30 includes a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li battery, an AC adapter, or the like. The recording medium I / F 18 is an interface with the recording medium 200 such as a memory card or a hard disk. The recording medium 200 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording a captured image, and includes a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like.

  The communication unit 54 is connected by wireless or wired cable, and transmits and receives video signals and audio signals. The communication unit 54 can also be connected to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The communication unit 54 can transmit an image captured by the imaging unit 22 (including a through image) and an image recorded on the recording medium 200, and can receive image data and other various types of information from an external device. it can.

As one of the operation units 70, a touch panel capable of detecting contact with the display unit 28 (touch detection possible) is provided. The touch panel and the display unit 28 can be configured integrally. For example, the touch panel is configured such that the light transmittance does not hinder the display of the display unit 28, and is attached to the upper layer of the display surface of the display unit 28. Then, the input coordinates on the touch panel are associated with the display coordinates on the display unit 28. Thereby, it is possible to configure a GUI (graphical user interface) as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 28. The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states on the touch panel.
-A finger or pen that did not touch the touch panel newly touched the touch panel. That is, the start of touch (hereinafter referred to as touch-down).
A state where the touch panel is being touched with a finger or a pen (hereinafter referred to as touch-on).

  When touchdown is detected, it is also detected that touch-on is performed at the same time. After touch-down, unless touch-up is detected, normally touch-on continues to be detected. The touch move is detected in a state where touch-on is detected. Even if the touch-on is detected, the touch move is not detected unless the touch position is moved. After it is detected that all fingers or pens that have been touched are touched up, the touch is turned off. The touch panel may be any of various types of touch panels such as a resistive film method, a capacitance method, a surface acoustic wave method, an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, an image recognition method, and an optical sensor method. . Depending on the method, there are a method for detecting that there is a touch due to contact with the touch panel, and a method for detecting that there is a touch due to the approach of a finger or pen to the touch panel, but either method may be used.

  Next, the flow of the selection operation of FIG. 3 will be described using the display example of FIG. When the digital camera 100 is turned on and displayed on the display unit 28, the flow of the selection operation is started. This process is realized by developing a program recorded in the nonvolatile memory 56 in the system memory 52 and executing it by the system control unit 50.

  In S301, the system control unit 50 determines whether a selection screen is displayed. In the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not the display of the selection screen 413 shown in FIG. 4 is instructed by selecting a FUNC button (not shown) displayed in the live view display 429. As an example of the selection screen in the present embodiment, a selection screen for parameters related to photographing displayed on the display unit 28 will be described. The selection screen may be an image selection screen on a menu screen or a playback screen. If it is determined that the display of the selection screen 413 is instructed, the selection screen is displayed and the process proceeds to S302. If not, the process waits until an instruction to display the selection screen 413 is received.

  The selection screen will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, when the up / down keys 425 and 427 of the cross key 74 are pressed or the sub dial 73 is rotated, the selected item moves up or down. Further, when the left and right keys 426 and 428 of the cross key 74 are pressed or the main dial 71 is rotated, the selection item moves to either the left or right. In the selection screen 413 of FIG. 4A, the item groups 411a and 411b are portions that display a list of items whose setting values (setting items) can be changed. (Along two opposing sides). In addition, the item groups 411a and 411b are displayed on the edge of other display items (display items such as the live view display 429 and the guidance 430) displayed on the display unit 28. Items 401 to 405 are displayed in the item group 411a, and items 406 to 410 are displayed in the item group 411b. The items 401 to 410 are items in the same hierarchy, and any item can be selected. The lower selection layer 412 is a part that is displayed at the bottom of the display unit 28 and displays a list of setting values (setting items) for changing the settings of the selection items selected in the item groups 411a and 411b. An item 403 being selected on the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4A is a setting item related to the number of times of shooting, and any one shooting is selected from the five setting values of the lower selection items 414 to 418 displayed on the lower selection layer 412. It is possible to set a setting value for. In the lower selection layer 412 of FIG. 4A, the lower selection items 414 to 418 are items in the same hierarchy, and any item can be selected (set) as a set value. In addition, in the lower selection layer 412 in FIG. 4A, the lower selection item 414 is selected, and it can be seen that the single-shot shooting for shooting only once is selected when the shooting instruction is given. Further, the setting value selected in the lower selection layer 412 as in the guidance 430 may be displayed on the live view display 429 for a certain period such as 2 seconds or 4 seconds. Here, when the left and right keys 426 and 428 of the cross key 74 are pressed or the main dial 71 is rotated, another lower selection item can be selected. If it is desired to change the settings for other items in the upper layer, the up / down keys 425 and 427 of the cross key 74 may be pressed or the sub dial 73 may be rotated. In addition, in the selection screen 413 shown in FIG. 4, an item group 411a and an item group 411b are displayed in the right and left areas of the screen among a plurality of selection items. If the selection operation is performed downward from the lower end of the item group 411a, it moves to the upper end of the item group 411b, and if the selection operation is performed downward from the lower end of the item group 411b, it moves sequentially to the upper end of the item group 411a. The selected item moves.

  In S302, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the display time T. The display time is for measuring the time until the identification display of the movable item described later is stopped.

  In S303, the system control unit 50 highlights the item being selected on the currently displayed selection screen. The item 403 being selected on the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4A, the item 401 being selected on the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4B, and the item 401 being selected on the selection screen 413 in FIG. The item 405 is displayed in a display form such as highlighting 419 (cursor, focus). Further, as shown in the selection screen 413, the lower selection layer 412 is displayed. The highlight display 419 is thicker than a line (frame line) indicating another item in order to change the display color so that the currently selected item can be distinguished from other unselected items, or to emphasize the item. It is shown with lines and different colors. Specifically, the different color is a black display as shown in the highlight display 419 of the selection screen 413 in FIGS. 4A and 4B (the other items are white display in which the items are displayed in black on a white background). Etc.). Further, the currently selected item 405 may be displayed in a display form such as a thicker line than other items such as the highlight 419 on the selection screen 413 in FIG. Further, as shown in the lower selection layer 412 of FIG. 4A, a line like a highlight 421 indicating that the lower selection item 414 is selected from the lower selection items 414 selected in the lower selection layer 412. The items may be displayed in a display form that is enclosed by a line.

  In S304, the system control unit 50 identifies and displays a movable item that can be selected (movable) by the next operation from the currently selected item. In the selection screen 413 of FIG. 4A, the item 402 is shown as an identification display 420a, in the selection screen 413 of FIG. 4B, the item 410 is shown in the selection screen 413 of FIG. In a different display form. In the selection screen 413 of FIG. 4A, the item 404 is indicated as an identification display 420b, in the selection screen 413 of FIG. 4B, the item 402 is indicated, and in the selection screen 413 of FIG. In a different display form. The identification display indicates to which position the selection item is moved (can be moved) by the next one selection operation for changing the selection item. The movable items may be displayed in a display form in which the surroundings of the items are displayed with a bold line as in the identification displays 420a and 420b shown in the items 402 and 404 on the selection screen 413 in FIG. Further, items 410 and 402 that are movable in a display form such as identification displays 420a and 420b that are lighter than the highlight display 419 that is the display form of the item 401 on the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4B are displayed. May be. Further, like the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4C, identification displays 420a and 420b that are displayed in light colors that are different from the highlighted display 419 that is indicated by the bold line that is the display form of the item 405 being selected. Items 404 and 406 that can be moved in a display form may be displayed. In any case, in the items of the same hierarchy, the item being selected (selected item), the movable item, and the other items are displayed in different forms.

  As shown in the item 401 on the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4B and the item 405 on the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4C, the item being selected is at the end of the item group, and the movable items are continuously ( If they are not displayed (next to each other), it is difficult to determine which item the user will move to in the next selection operation. The item 401 is arranged in the upper direction of the item 402 and moved by operating the up key 425, but the item 401 is not displayed in the upper direction. When the item 401 is selected, an operation on the up key 425 selects the item 410 that is not in the upward direction (lower right direction) of the item 401. Therefore, the item 410 on the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4B is displayed in the identification display 420a, and the item 406 in the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4C is displayed in the display form of the identification display 420b. It is possible to recognize movable items even if they are not displayed. When all or some of the movable items are not displayed continuously with the selected item, the movable items can be moved by the next selection operation by showing the movable items in the display form of the identification display. Can be recognized. Moreover, even if the movable items are not shown in the identification display form in all cases, for example, only the movable items at positions that are difficult for the user to understand may be shown in the identification display form.

  Further, the items 402, 410, 404 shown in the display form of the identification display 420a on each selection screen 413 can be moved from the item 403, 401, 405 being selected on each selection screen 413 by pressing the up key 425 once. It is an item. Alternatively, the sub dial 73 can also be moved by a counterclockwise rotation operation for one click. Items 404, 402, and 406 shown in the display form of the identification display 420 b on each selection screen 413 are items that can be moved by pressing the down key 427 once from the items 403, 401, and 405 being selected on each selection screen 413. is there. Alternatively, the sub dial 73 can be moved by a clockwise rotation operation for one click.

  Furthermore, in order to show the operation direction to move to discontinuous movable items, the upward arrow 423 displayed on the item 410 of the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4B or the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4C. A downward arrow 424 displayed in the item 406 may be further displayed. When the operation direction is indicated for the item as indicated by the arrow 423, the upper key 425 is pressed or the sub dial 73 is rotated counterclockwise, which is a selection operation for moving upward to the item 410 on which the arrow 423 is displayed. You can see that Further, when the operation direction is indicated for an item as indicated by an arrow 424, the selection of the downward key 427 or the clockwise rotation of the sub dial 73, which is a selection operation for moving downward to the item 406 where the arrow 424 is displayed. It can be seen that the rotation operation should be performed. Thus, by displaying the arrows 423 and 424 (symbols indicating the operation direction), it is possible to indicate which movable item can be moved to which member of the operation unit 70 is operated.

  Further, the lower selection item 415 that is a movable item in the next selection operation from the lower selection item 414 being selected in the lower selection layer 412 of FIG. May be shown. When there are few items as in the lower selection layer 412, and the user loses sight of the item being selected when the items to be selected are moved continuously, from one end of the item row to the other end May not be moved directly. The lower selection item 414 is displayed at the left end in the lower selection layer 412, and when not moving from one end to the other as described above, one movable lower selection item 415 is identified as a lower movable item. A display form such as display 422 may be used. The movement to the lower selection item 415 can be performed by pressing the cross key 74 once to the right key 426 or rotating the main dial 71 clockwise. If there is no lower selection item at the end, the left and right movable items are identified and displayed as lower moveable items, so if the selected item is at the end, the user can only move one of the items. I can recognize that. In the lower selection layer 412, the selection does not move to items that are not adjacent to each other. Therefore, the user may be regarded as not wondering about the next movement destination and may not perform identification display.

  In S305, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the display time T has reached a predetermined time α. If it is determined that the display time T = α, the process proceeds to S306, and if not, the process proceeds to S307.

  In S306, the system control unit 50 stops the identification display of the movable item. The display state of the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4A is changed to the display state of the selection screen 413 in FIG. That is, the display form of the items shown in the display forms of the identification displays 420a and 420b is set to the same display form as the items that are not movable items. The selection operation for changing the item to be selected from the item 403 selected in FIG. 4A (item 401 in FIG. 4B and item 405 in FIG. 4C) was not accepted until the predetermined time α passed. Therefore, it is highly likely that the user is not trying to change the item to be selected. Further, the display of the selection screen 413 may be stopped when the display time T has passed the predetermined time α.

  In step S <b> 307, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation has been performed on the cross key 74, the main dial 71, and the sub dial 73. If it is determined that an operation has been performed on these operation members, the process proceeds to S308, and if not, the process returns to S303.

  In S308, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the left and right keys 426 and 428 or the up and down keys 425 and 427 of the cross key 74 are pressed. If it is determined that the cross key 74 has been operated, the process proceeds to S313, and if not, the process proceeds to S309.

  In step S <b> 309, the system control unit 50 determines whether a rotation operation has been performed on the sub dial 73. If it is determined that there has been a rotation operation, the process proceeds to S310, and if not, the process proceeds to S313.

  In S310, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the sub dial 73 has been rotated clockwise. If it is determined that it has been rotated clockwise, the process proceeds to S312; otherwise, the process proceeds to S311.

  In S311, the system control unit 50 moves the selection to an item above the currently selected item. In the selection screen 413 of FIG. 4A, the item to be selected moves to the item 402 which is a movable item. Also, as shown in the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4B, when the item 401 being selected is at the uppermost position of the item group 411a, the item 410, 402 shown in the identification displays 420a and 420b (the item 401 The item 410 is selected by an upward selection operation (not on the upper side). On the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4C, the item to be selected moves to the item 404 which is a movable item. At this time, in FIG. 4B, the item to be sequentially selected is one of the upper and lower items. Therefore, if there is an item 402 that is a movable item below the item 401 being selected, the item is moved to the item 410 that is not the item 402 in the upward selection operation among the items indicated by the identification displays 420a and 420b. I can feel it. Further, in FIG. 4B, the item (moving destination) to be moved by the upward selection operation is also indicated by indicating the upward arrow 423 which is the auxiliary display described in S304 in the item 410 which is the movable item. It becomes easier to understand.

  In S312, the system control unit 50 moves the selection to an item below the currently selected item. In the selection screen 413 of FIG. 4A, the item to be selected moves to the item 404 which is a movable item. In the selection screen 413 of FIG. 4B, the item to be selected moves to the item 402 that is a movable item. As shown in the selection screen 413 in FIG. 4C, when the currently selected item 405 is at the lowermost side of the item group 411b, among the items 404 and 406 displayed in the identification display 420a and 420b (item 405 The item 406 is selected by a downward selection operation (not on the lower side). At this time, in FIG. 4C, the items to be sequentially selected are either the top or the bottom. Therefore, if there is an item 404 that is a movable item above the item 405 being selected, the item 404 that is not the item 404 is moved in the selection operation in the downward direction among the items with the identification indications 420a and 420b. Is sensuously understood. Further, in FIG. 4C, the item (movement destination) to be moved by the downward selection operation is also indicated by indicating the downward arrow 424 that is the auxiliary display described in S304 in the item 406 that is the movable item. It becomes easier to understand.

  In step S <b> 313, the system control unit 50 determines whether the operation of either pressing the cross key 74 on the left / right keys 426, 428 or rotating the main dial 71 has been performed. If it is determined that there is an operation, the process proceeds to S317, and if not, the process proceeds to S314.

  In S314, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the upper key 425 of the cross key 74 has been pressed. If it is determined that the up key 425 has been pressed, the process proceeds to S315, and if not, the process proceeds to S316.

  In S315, the system control unit 50 moves the selection item to the item above the currently selected item, similar to S312.

  In S316, the system control unit 50 moves the selected item to the item below the currently selected item, similar to S311.

  When the selection is moved in S311, S312, S315, and S316, the process proceeds to S302, where the display time T is measured, the selected item is highlighted according to the item of the movement destination, and the movable item is identified and displayed.

  In S <b> 317, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not either the pressing of the cross key 74 to the left key 428 or the counterclockwise rotation operation of the main dial 71 has been performed. If it is determined that there is an operation, the process proceeds to S318, and if not, the process proceeds to S319.

  In S318, the system control unit 50 moves from the item currently selected in the lower selection layer 412 of the selection screen 413 to the left item. As in the lower selection layer 412 in FIG. 4A, the leftmost item is selected before the movement so that the items are not displayed continuously (adjacent) on the left side of the selected lower selection item 414. If yes, move the selection to the opposite item. At this time, as described in S304, when the selection item is not moved from one end to the other end, the left side is not moved. Further, a display (selection display) indicating that the item of the lower selection layer 412 selected in S318 is selected.

  In S319, the system control unit 50 moves from the item currently selected in the lower selection layer 412 to the right item. In the lower selection layer 412 in FIG. 4A, the process moves to the lower selection item 415 on the right side of the lower selection item 414 being selected. In addition, a display (selection display) indicating that an item in the lower selection layer 412 selected in S319 has been selected is performed.

  According to the embodiment described above, the item being selected is arranged in a specific direction from the item selected immediately before, but the selectable item is displayed in the specific direction from the currently selected item. If not, the item selected by the next selection operation is known. When items selected in sequence by a given selection operation are arranged in a specific direction, if the selected item is not arranged in a specific direction from the item being selected, which item will be selected next do not know. Therefore, as described in the present embodiment, the user can recognize the item selected by the next predetermined selection operation by performing auxiliary display of the item to be selected next. In addition, a plurality of items are displayed divided into a plurality of areas, and it can be seen which item is moved when the selected item is moved to an item row in another area. Further, when a plurality of items are sequentially selected by a predetermined selection operation, if an item at the end of the item string displayed together is selected, the next selected item may be in a different item string. Therefore, by displaying the identification as in the present embodiment, it is possible to move to which item even if the item selected when the predetermined selection operation is performed next is in a position that is difficult to understand. I understand. In addition, by indicating the items that can be selected by the next selection operation by the identification display, it is possible to reduce the possibility of moving to an unintended item and performing an unnecessary operation.

Second Embodiment
In the second embodiment, the configuration of the digital camera 100 is the same as that in FIGS. 1 and 2 described in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, unlike FIG. 4, the lower layer and the upper layer are not displayed at the same time, but an example in which items in the same hierarchy are displayed on the entire display unit 28 will be described. In the selection screen of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to move items to be selected in four directions in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

  In the selection screen of FIG. 6, there are rows in which items are continuously arranged in the horizontal direction, and columns in which items are continuously arranged in the vertical direction, where the row on the lower side is the next row and the column on the right side is the column. The positional relationship will be described as the next column. In FIG. 6A to FIG. 6D, how the selected item moves from the selection item at the end of the row or column by the selection operation will be described. In the selection screen shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D, items 601 to 604 are displayed on the same line (first line), and items 605 to 607 are displayed on the next line (second line). Yes. Items 604 and 607 to 609 are displayed in the same column (rightmost column).

  FIG. 6A shows an example of the display unit 28 when the item to be selected is moved in the left-right direction. If the item at the left end of each line is selected, instructing to move leftward moves to the item at the right end of the previous line. If an item at the right end of each line is selected, if an instruction to move in the right direction is given, the process moves to the item at the left end of the next line. FIG. 6A is a display example when the item 604 at the right end of the first row is selected.

  FIG. 6B shows an example of the display unit 28 when the item to be selected is moved in the vertical direction. When the item at the upper end of each row is selected, if an instruction to move upward is given, the operation moves to the item at the lower end of the previous row. In addition, when the item at the lower end of each column is selected, if an instruction to move downward is given, the item moves to the item at the upper end of the next column. FIG. 6B is a display example when the uppermost item 604 of the rightmost column is selected.

  FIG. 6C shows a display example different from FIG. 6B of the display unit 28 when the item to be selected is moved in the vertical direction, as in FIG. 6B. When the item at the upper end of each row is selected, if an instruction to move upward is given, the operation moves to the item at the lower end of the previous row. In addition, when the item at the lower end of each column is selected, if an instruction to move downward is given, the item moves to the item at the upper end of the next column. If the item at the left end of each line is selected, if an instruction to move leftward is given, the process moves to the item at the right end of the previous line. If an item at the right end of each line is selected, if an instruction to move in the right direction is given, the process moves to the item at the left end of the next line. FIG. 6C shows a display example when the item 604 at the right end of the first row and at the top end of the right end column is selected.

  FIG. 6D shows an example of the display unit 28 when the item to be selected is moved in the vertical direction. When the item at the top of each column is selected, instructing the upward movement moves to the item at the bottom of the same column. In addition, when the item at the lower end of each column is selected, if an instruction to move downward is given, the item moves to the item at the upper end of the same column. In addition, when the item at the left end of each row is selected, if the instruction to move to the left is instructed, it moves to the item at the right end of the same row, and when the item at the right end of each row is selected, the item moves to the right. When moving is instructed, it moves to the leftmost item on the same line. FIG. 6D is a display example when the item 604 at the right end of the first row and at the top end of the right end column is selected.

  Next, the flow of the selection operation of FIG. 5 will be described using the display example of FIG. When the digital camera 100 is turned on and displayed on the display unit 28, the flow of the selection operation is started. This process is realized by developing a program recorded in the nonvolatile memory 56 in the system memory 52 and executing it by the system control unit 50. In the present embodiment, the flow of the selection operation will be described using the selection screen shown in FIG.

  S501 to S502 are the same processes as S301 to S302 in FIG.

  In step S503, the system control unit 50 highlights the selected item being selected on the currently displayed selection screen. In FIGS. 6A to 6D, the display form of the item 604 being selected is indicated by a bold line as a highlighted display 610 (cursor, focus). By displaying in this way, it can be seen that the item is being selected, unlike other items.

  In S504, the system control unit 50 identifies and displays an item that is a movable item that is an item that can be selected next from the currently selected item. In FIG. 6A, the item 603 which is a movable item is shown in the display form of the identification display 611a, and the item 605 is shown in the display form of the identification display 611b. In FIG. 6B, the item 609 which is a movable item is shown in the display form of the identification display 612a, and the item 606 is shown in the display form of the identification display 612b. In FIG. 6C, items 606 and 609 that are movable items are shown in the form of identification displays 612a and 612b as in FIG. 6B. In FIG. 6D, the item 609 which is a movable item is shown in the display form of the identification display 612a, and the item 607 is shown in the display form of the identification display 612b.

  For the user who performs the item selection operation, when the item at the end of the row or column in which the item is displayed is selected as shown in FIG. Confusing. In this way, by identifying and displaying items in both the left and right or up and down movement directions, it becomes easier to understand the flow of selection in which the items before and after the selection item are grasped and sequentially moved as the selection item. Further, it is difficult to know whether the item 604 being selected is moved to the item 606 or the item 607 when the selection operation is performed in the downward direction only by the display form of the highlighting 610. To know where to go. In addition, when the destination is not adjacent and there are multiple candidates from the user's point of view, there is no need to perform the instruction operation while considering the laws and flow of the destination, and an extra operation occurs. Nor. Of the items 604, the lower side (one side) of the four sides surrounding the item 604 is displayed so that the two items of the item 606 and the item 607 are in contact (adjacent to each other). It is difficult to tell which item is moved by changing the selected item. By displaying the identification display 612b, it can be understood which item is selected in the next selection operation among a plurality of items downward from the item 604.

  S505 to S510 are the same processes as S305 to S310 in FIG.

  In S511, the system control unit 50 moves the selected item to an item that is above the currently selected item. In FIG. 6A to FIG. 6D, the process moves to the item 609.

  In S512, the system control unit 50 moves the selected item to an item below the currently selected item. In FIGS. 6A to 6C, the process moves to the item 606. In the case of the movement rule in FIG.

  In S513, the system control unit 50 records in the system memory 52 that there has been a vertical movement.

  S514 to S515 are the same processes as S313 to S314 in FIG.

  S516 to S518 are the same processes as S511 to S513.

  In S <b> 519, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not there has been any operation of pressing the cross key 74 to the left key 428 or rotating the main dial 71 counterclockwise. If it is determined that there has been an operation, the process proceeds to S520, and if not, the process proceeds to S521.

  In S520, the system control unit 50 moves from the currently selected item 604 to the left item. 6A to 6D, the process moves to the item 603.

  In S521, the system control unit 50 moves from the currently selected item 604 to the right item. In FIGS. 6A to 6C, the process moves to an item 605 that is a movable item. In the case of the movement rule of FIG. 6D, the item 604 being selected moves to the item 601 that is a movable item.

  In S <b> 522, the system control unit 50 records in the system memory 52 that there has been a left / right movement.

  In S523, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the display time T as in S502.

  In S524, the system control unit 50 highlights the item being selected.

  In S525, the system control unit 50 performs identification display based on the immediately preceding movement direction. Specifically, among the movable selection items, only the items in either the left or right or up and down movement directions recorded in the system memory 52 in S513, S518, and S522 are identified and displayed. When the previous moving direction is up and down, it is a movable item that is above and below the currently selected item 604 as shown in FIGS. 6B to 6D (moves by a selection operation in the up and down direction). A certain item is shown in a display form of identification displays 612a and 612b. In FIGS. 6B and 6C, the item 609 which is a movable item by the selection operation of moving upward from the currently selected item 604 is displayed in the display form of the identification display 612a, and the movable item on the lower side. An item 606 is shown in a display form of an identification display 612b. An item 609 is an item displayed at the lower end of the line next to the line where the currently selected item 604 is displayed. On the other hand, in FIG. 4D, the item 607 below the currently selected item 604 is an item that can be moved by a selection operation of moving downward from the currently selected item 604 in the display form of the identification display 612b. An item 609 is shown in a display form of an identification display 612a. An item 609 is an item displayed at the lower end of the same row as the row where the currently selected item 605 is displayed.

  If the previous movement direction is left or right, the item is a movable item that is on the left or right of the currently selected item 604 as shown in FIG. 6A (moves by a selection operation in the left-right direction). Is shown in the display form of identification displays 611a and 611b. In FIG. 6A, an item 605 that is a movable item by a selection operation that moves rightward from the currently selected item 604 is displayed as an identification display 611b, and an item 603 that is a movable item on the left side. Is shown in the display form of the identification display 611a. An item 605 is an item displayed at the left end of the column next to the column in which the currently selected item 604 is displayed.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, although the item is movable from the currently selected item 604, an item on another axis (different direction) from the immediately preceding movement direction is an auxiliary identification display 613a, You may show by the display form different from the above-mentioned identification display like 613b (so that it can identify). Auxiliary identification display is displayed with a thinner line or a different color than the identification display, so that it is less noticeable than the identification display, or different from the identification display item, but the user recognizes it as a movable item Can do. In FIG. 6 (c), items 603 and 605 that are movable items but can be selected by a selection operation that moves in the left-right direction instead of a selection operation that moves in the up-down direction, which is the immediately preceding movement direction, are displayed as auxiliary identification displays. 613a and 613b are displayed. In addition, in FIG. 6D, items 603 and 601 are similarly shown in a display form of auxiliary identification displays 613a and 613b. In this way, identification is displayed for a movable item based on the previous movement direction, and auxiliary identification is displayed for other movable items, so that the same direction as the previous movement direction (or the opposite direction) is displayed. The user can recognize which item is moved by the selection operation. In addition, the user can also recognize which item is moved by the selection operation of the immediately preceding moving direction or the immediately preceding moving direction or the vertical direction. As shown in the selection screen of FIG. 6, three or more items are displayed adjacent to the item 604 being selected, and the direction of the selection operation and the positional relationship of the items selected by the selection operation from the item being selected. If they do not match, the operability is improved by displaying the auxiliary identification. In addition, in the case where movement is possible in many directions, it is not necessary to repeat the selection operation in order to move to a desired item without knowing the movement destination corresponding to the selection operation. In addition, when the identification display is displayed with a darker color or a thicker line than the auxiliary identification display, the user can recognize which item can be moved by the selection operation of moving the selection item in the same direction as before. it can.

  S526 to S528 are the same processes as S505 to 507.

  According to the embodiment described above, the item being selected is arranged in a specific direction from the item selected immediately before, but the selectable item is displayed in the specific direction from the currently selected item. If not, the item selected by the next selection operation is known. In addition, even in a case where movement is possible in a plurality of directions, an item based on the previous movement direction and an item other than the movement direction can be recognized, so that the operation direction is selected. Can be associatively grasped. In the case where movement in four directions is possible as shown in the present embodiment, the operation direction and selectable items may be difficult to understand. In particular, when an item that can be selected by the next selection operation is not displayed next to the currently selected item, it is not possible to know where to move by the selection operation in each direction. May also have to repeat the selection operation. However, by displaying separately the items that can be moved by the selection operation in the previous movement direction and the movement direction that is not so, the candidates that can be moved by the same operation as the previous operation instruction are not displayed at adjacent positions. However, the item can be recognized by the display form.

  In the present embodiment, it is determined whether the up / down or left / right movement direction is the previous movement direction, and the identification display is performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the identification is performed based on only one direction moved immediately before. It may be displayed. That is, the movement in the left direction is recorded as the previous movement direction, and the item on the left side is identified and displayed, and the item on the right side is not identified or displayed, or the item on the right side is supplementarily identified and displayed. .

  In the present embodiment, it has been described that the item to be selected is moved by operating the cross key 74, the main dial 71, and the sub dial 73, but the present invention is also effective in a touch panel. On the touch panel, an item to be selected may be selected by a direct touch operation, but items that can be selected by successive operations are displayed separately, and this is particularly effective when an item is not selected by a direct touch operation. It is also effective when the operation screen and the display screen are different screens. For example, the up / down / left / right arrow (selection direction) is displayed on the operation touch panel, and when the selection operation is performed by touching each arrow or when the selection operation is performed in the direction of the swipe operation, the operation direction When the destination of the item to be selected is known, operability is improved.

  Alternatively, whether or not to perform identification display may be determined according to the member on which the selection operation is performed. That is, when a selection operation is performed by operating the cross key 74, the main dial 71, or the sub dial 73, the display such as the identification display and the auxiliary identification display is performed as described in the present embodiment. However, the display such as the identification display or the auxiliary identification display may be stopped in response to the selection operation of the item on the touch panel. When a selection operation is performed on the touch panel, the items are not touched directly and the items are not sequentially selected, so that it is not necessary to perform identification display or the like.

  It has been described that the dial rotates clockwise or downward when it rotates clockwise, and moves upward or left when it rotates counterclockwise. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the case of turning around, it may be moved downward or to the right.

  Note that the display control apparatus may be controlled by a single piece of hardware, or the entire apparatus may be controlled by a plurality of pieces of hardware sharing the processing.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail based on the preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. included. Furthermore, each embodiment mentioned above shows only one embodiment of this invention, and it is also possible to combine each embodiment suitably.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the digital camera 100 has been described as an example. However, this is not limited to this example, and an operation of sequentially selecting items from a plurality of items can be performed. Such a display control device can be applied. That is, the present invention can be applied to a mobile phone terminal, a portable image viewer, a tablet terminal, a digital photo frame, a music player, a game machine, an electronic book reader, and the like.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is also realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various recording media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, or the like) of the system or apparatus reads the program code. It is a process to be executed. In this case, the program and the recording medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

In order to achieve the above object, the display control device of the present invention replaces a currently selected item among a plurality of selectable items displayed on the display unit in response to a predetermined selection operation. Selecting means for selecting other items,
Selected item is an item selected in response from the item that was selected immediately prior to the predetermined selection operation, and, in items that are arranged in a specific direction from the item that was selected the last minute There, if it is displayed is selectable items in the following the predetermined selection operation in a direction different from the said specific direction from the item in said selected selectable in the next said predetermined selection operation item Are identified and displayed in a first form that is different from an item that is not selected in the next selection operation, and items that can be selected by the next predetermined selection operation in the specific direction from the currently selected item are displayed. The display control means for controlling the items selectable in the next predetermined selection operation so as not to be identified and displayed in the first form .

In S525, the system control unit 50 performs identification display based on the immediately preceding movement direction. Specifically, among the movable selection items, only the items in either the left or right or up and down movement directions recorded in the system memory 52 in S513, S518, and S522 are identified and displayed. When the previous moving direction is up and down, it is a movable item that is above and below the currently selected item 604 as shown in FIGS. 6B to 6D (moves by a selection operation in the vertical direction). A certain item is shown in a display form of identification displays 612a and 612b. In FIGS. 6B and 6C, the item 609 which is a movable item by the selection operation of moving upward from the currently selected item 604 is displayed in the display form of the identification display 612a, and the movable item on the lower side. An item 606 is shown in a display form of an identification display 612b. An item 609 is an item displayed at the lower end of the line next to the line where the currently selected item 604 is displayed. On the other hand, in FIG. 6 (d), the display form of identification 612b item 607 on the underside of the item 604 being selected, in a movable item selection operation to move the item 604 under selection downward An item 609 is shown in a display form of an identification display 612a. An item 609 is an item displayed at the lower end of the same row as the row where the currently selected item 605 is displayed.

Claims (20)

A selection means for selecting another item instead of the currently selected item from the plurality of selectable items displayed on the display unit in response to a predetermined selection operation;
The item being selected is an item selected according to the predetermined selection operation from the item selected immediately before, and is arranged in a specific direction from the item selected immediately before, When an item that can be selected by the next predetermined selection operation is displayed in a direction different from the specific direction from the item being selected, the item that can be selected by the next predetermined selection operation is A display control device, comprising: a display control unit that performs control so as to perform identification display in a form different from an item that is not selected by a selection operation.   When a selectable item is arranged in the specific direction from the currently selected item, the item arranged in the specific direction is selected in response to the next predetermined selection operation. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control means further displays the identification item selected immediately before. A selection means for selecting another item instead of the currently selected item from the plurality of selectable items displayed on the display unit in response to a predetermined selection operation;
When there are a plurality of items that are in a specific direction as viewed from the item being selected and are adjacent to the item being selected, an item that can be selected in the next predetermined selection operation is selected by the selection means by the next selection operation. A display control device, comprising: a display control unit that performs control so as to perform identification display in a form different from an item that is not selected.   When the display control means is arranged so that a plurality of items are adjacent to the selected item on one side in the specific direction from the selected item among the sides surrounding the selected item The display control according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein control is performed so that an item that can be selected in the next predetermined selection operation among the plurality of items is identified and displayed. apparatus.   When the plurality of selectable items are displayed side by side and the item being selected is displayed at an end of the list of the plurality of selectable items, the display control means The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control device controls the items that can be selected by a selection operation so as to perform the identification display.   The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of selectable items are displayed along two opposing sides of the display unit. When the item being selected is in the specific direction from the item selected immediately before and selected according to the predetermined selection operation, the first item selected according to the next predetermined selection operation is selected. The item is identified and displayed,
The selected item is in a direction different from both the specific direction and the direction opposite to the specific direction from the item selected immediately before, and is selected according to a selection operation different from the predetermined selection operation The display according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, when it is performed, control is performed so that the second item selected in accordance with the next different selection operation is identified and displayed. Control device.   The display control means selects the second item when the first item is identified and displayed, and displays the first item when the second item is identified and displayed. The display control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the display control device controls the display so that the items that are not selected in the screen and the identification display can be identified in a different form.   When the plurality of selectable items are displayed side by side in a plurality of rows or columns, and the item being selected is displayed at the end of the row or column, the selection means performs the predetermined selection operation. The item displayed on the end of a row or column different from the row or column in which the item being selected is displayed is selected instead of the item being selected in response to the operation being performed. The display control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.   11. The display control unit according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit controls the item being selected to be displayed in a form different from a plurality of other selectable items. Display control device.   12. The selection means according to claim 1, wherein the selection means can select an item in a direction corresponding to a pressed key as viewed from the item being selected, instead of the item being selected. The display control apparatus according to 1.   13. The predetermined operation according to claim 1, wherein an item in a direction corresponding to a rotation direction of a dial as viewed from an item being selected can be selected instead of the item being selected. The display control device according to item. In response to elapse of a predetermined time after the item being selected is selected by the selection means,
The display control means controls to change and display the identification displayed item from the identification display form to the same form as an item not selected by the selection means by the selection means. The display control apparatus of any one of Claims 1 thru | or 13. It further has touch detection means for detecting a touch operation,
In response to detecting a touch operation on the display unit by the touch detection unit,
The display control means controls to change and display the identification displayed item from the identification display form to the same form as an item not selected by the selection means by the selection means. The display control apparatus of any one of Claims 1 thru | or 14.   The display control unit performs control so that a symbol indicating an operation direction corresponding to the predetermined selection operation is displayed on an item selected by the selection unit according to the next predetermined selection operation. The display control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15. A selection step of selecting another item instead of the item being selected from among a plurality of selectable items displayed on the display unit in response to a predetermined selection operation,
The item being selected is an item selected according to the predetermined selection operation from the item selected immediately before, and is arranged in a specific direction from the item selected immediately before, When an item that can be selected by the next predetermined selection operation is displayed in a direction different from the specific direction from the item being selected, the item that can be selected by the next predetermined selection operation is And a display control step of controlling the display so as to be identified and displayed in a form different from an item not selected by the selection operation. A selection step of selecting another item instead of the item being selected from among a plurality of selectable items displayed on the display unit in response to a predetermined selection operation,
When there are a plurality of items adjacent in a specific direction as viewed from the item being selected, the items that can be selected in the next predetermined selection operation are different from the items that are not selected in the next selection operation by the selection means. And a display control step for controlling to display the identification.   The program for functioning a computer as each means of the display control apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 16.   A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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