JP3780976B2 - Electronic content browsing apparatus and electronic content browsing method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to browsing of electronic content, and more particularly to an electronic content browsing apparatus and a browsing method that can easily and efficiently present a plurality of contents that are in a reference relationship (link relationship) with each other.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As represented by HTML documents, electronic documents called hyperlinks that can describe individual information and reference relationships between pages (LINK relationships) have been developed, and various software (browser) for browsing these documents has been developed. Has been provided. Typical examples of the browser software include Netscape Navigator of Netscape and Internet Explorer of Microsoft.
[0003]
These browser softwares are generally designed on the assumption that only one document (content page) is displayed, and the user jumps to a reference destination (link point) set on the content. The page is switched by specifying an icon or pressing an icon button for moving between pages. Also, when displaying multiple documents and pages simultaneously, manage the document in units of screen display called windows, present multiple windows as necessary, and arrange them on the same plane in the display, A method of virtually overlapping up and down is taken.
[0004]
In addition to the above typical browser software, various devices and browsing methods for electronic content have been proposed.
[0005]
For example, in the personal electronic book system described in JP 2000-501214 A, a table of contents is displayed, and the user can jump directly to any page by touching options listed in the table of contents. Has been.
[0006]
In addition, document browsing software represented by Adobe Acrobat Reader, etc. has a function to display a reduced screen called thumbnails and a table of contents as a hierarchical list at the same time as the body of the content page. Have.
[0007]
There are several examples of the concept of superimposed display in map browsing devices and CAD devices. For example, there is an apparatus in which a whole image display layer and an enlarged image display layer are arranged in a stacked manner, and the size of the enlarged image display layer is controlled at the same time as the transparency of the enlarged image display layer of information is manipulated.
[0008]
In the “multi-window display method” disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-210700, it is possible to input characters, figures and the like considering the proportion of the entire screen while viewing the reduced display window.
[0009]
In “Web page multiple simultaneous display browsing method” of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-099232, the transparency of a plurality of Web pages that are arranged one above the other while smoothly scaling or rotating the Web page at a desired magnification. Is changed arbitrarily so that the hidden part can be seen overlapping.
[0010]
In “Electronic Information Display Method, Electronic Information Browsing Device” of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-172248, a document having a reference relationship in which an electronic document having a hypertext structure is arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space and overlapped vertically. On the other hand, display control such as enlargement / reduction and translucent display is performed.
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the above-described conventional electronic content browsing apparatus and browsing method have the following problems.
[0012]
The first problem is that only one content page can be browsed at the same time with the browsing function provided by a conventional general browser. Also, in the conventional method, since the content that has been displayed so far is replaced and the next (link destination) content is displayed, it is necessary to switch the display again when trying to view the previous page again.
[0013]
A second problem is that a large display area is required when a plurality of pages are displayed side by side in order to view a plurality of content pages at the same time. In order to solve this, it is necessary to use a large display, but in an environment where an essentially large display cannot be used like a portable terminal, in order to display a plurality of content pages in parallel, There is a problem that an image having a smaller number of pixels must be reduced and displayed, making it difficult to determine the content.
[0014]
The third problem is a typical user interface for browsing a plurality of content pages at the same time. The multi-window method or the method of displaying content pages in a graphically superimposed manner is realized with a two-dimensional display device. In this case, there is not enough space between the overlapping depths, so it is difficult to determine the virtual vertical relationship, and it is difficult to access the content on the back side that has been completely overlapped. There is a problem that when a large number of contents are displayed at once, the screen tends to be messy and the entire contents are difficult to read.
[0015]
The fourth problem is that, in the conventional method of displaying a plurality of contents in a superimposed manner, a display that gives an overview of the whole content and a detailed display are displayed in a superimposed manner. This is information in a single content. Was intended to improve accessibility. Therefore, in these methods, it is not possible to improve the operability when browsing the contents while displaying the documents in the reference relationship superimposed and tracing the link structure of the documents.
[0016]
The fifth problem is that, when browsing magazine content or Web content, there is a demand to see the overview of linked pages quickly in order, so it is necessary to display the overview of the page efficiently. There was nothing excellent in the operability of switching the displayed content.
[0017]
The sixth problem is that when content data is acquired and displayed from a server by communication, it takes time until the content data acquisition request is actually completed until the content data acquisition request is issued. There was no such thing that the information was displayed in association with the superimposition ratio of the superimposition display or the communication speed).
[0018]
The seventh problem is that when the data size of the content is large or the communication speed is slow, the time required for acquiring the reference destination content becomes long and the operability at the time of browsing decreases. In a case where the child content is searched one after another while acquiring the child content one after another, the operability is remarkably deteriorated when a method of sending all the contents of the child content is adopted.
[0019]
The invention described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-099232 intended to solve a problem similar to that of the present invention employs a display form similar to a multi-window, and cannot solve the third problem to be solved by the present invention. .
[0020]
Similarly, the “electronic information display method and electronic information browsing apparatus” described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-172248 is a method for representing a hierarchical relationship of documents in a virtual three-dimensional environment. This invention is also essentially a multi-window concept and cannot solve the third problem that the present invention is trying to solve. In addition, when using a three-dimensional expression as in the same invention, it is necessary to perform a three-dimensional operation on a sentence arranged in the virtual space, which makes the operation complicated and difficult. A large number of input devices are required.
[0021]
For example, as shown in FIG. 3 of the publication, it is necessary to provide a plurality of dedicated buttons for moving the visual field. Such a three-dimensional operation is close to a sense of walking through the virtual space, and becomes a factor of reducing interest in the content itself. Regarding document management and browsing methods assuming these three-dimensional virtual spaces, improvement in operability can be expected by using a three-dimensional display, but for example, binocular stereoscopic vision is widely known to be fatigued, It is not preferable to use a three-dimensional display using these methods for viewing documents because it increases the physical burden on the user. Therefore, it is desirable to present the document content using a normal two-dimensional display device.
[0022]
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic content browsing apparatus and a browsing method capable of browsing content having a link relationship efficiently and with a simple operation. In other words, it is possible to browse the contents one after another by a simple operation, and to reduce the trial and error to reach the target contents, and to quickly search and present desired information. Thus, an electronic content browsing apparatus and a browsing method that improve the overall operability are provided.
[0023]
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic content browsing apparatus and a browsing method capable of browsing and browsing content efficiently and with a simple operation even on a general flat display or a small screen. .
[0024]
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic content browsing apparatus and a browsing method for realizing a user interface and a content browsing environment that are easy to understand, easy to read, and operate even when content is superimposed and displayed. There is.
[0025]
Still another object of the present invention is to display an outline of contents efficiently and to enable quick and easy switching of contents, and when browsing magazine contents or web contents, an outline of information at a link destination. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic content browsing apparatus and a browsing method that meet the demand for quickly viewing the content.
[0026]
Still another object of the present invention is to enable easy access to content even when content data is acquired from a server via communication means, or when the content data size is large or the communication speed is slow. To provide an electronic content browsing apparatus and a browsing method.
[0027]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The present invention that achieves the above-described object is an electronic content browsing apparatus that displays and browses content, and is displayed by specifying the reference position in association with the reference source content and the reference position of the reference source content. When the reference destination content is superimposed and displayed with different transmittances or mixing rates, an overlay setting unit that sets the transmittance or the mixing rate between the reference source content and the reference destination content, and the set transmittance Alternatively, based on the mixing ratio, a superimposed display image generation / output unit that generates a superimposed display image of the reference source content and the reference destination content, and an image display device that displays an image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit, The superimposition setting unit further includes a transmittance / mixing ratio designating unit for designating the transmittance or the mixing ratio, and the transmittance / mixing ratio. The determination means is configured by a hardware button having a pressure sensing function or a software button capable of simulating the specification of the pressing intensity, and the reference source content and the reference are based on the operation of the hardware button or the software button. Specify by adjusting the transparency and mixing ratio of the overlay display of the previous contentThe superimposition setting unit automatically adjusts the transmissivity and mixing ratio of the superimposed display according to the operation stop time at a specific position on the content by the transmissivity / mixing ratio designating unit.It is characterized by doing.
[0028]
By this superimposed display, the user can see the child content as the linked content at the same time as the parent content by pointing the link point on the parent content. Further, in the present invention, it is not necessary to display contents side by side as in the conventional multi-window, and it is effective for implementation on a small screen display. In addition, since the present invention does not require a three-dimensional display or a three-dimensional representation, in addition to being able to be implemented with a normal two-dimensional display, three-dimensional processing is not required, so implementation using a low-spec CPU is possible. It becomes possible.
[0029]
In addition, when the user wants to browse another link destination, it is only necessary to point to another link point displayed on the parent content, so that the user can search for desired child content as in the conventional browsing technology. Thus, it is not necessary to frequently switch the display of the parent content and the child content, or to switch the windows by displaying the parent content and the child content in a multi-window.
[0030]
  In the electronic content browsing apparatus of the present invention according to claim 2,An electronic content browsing apparatus that displays and browses content, wherein a reference source content and a reference destination content that is associated with a reference position of the reference source content and is displayed by designating the reference position are different from each other The superimposition setting unit that sets the transmissivity or the mixing rate between the reference source content and the reference destination content, and the reference based on the set transmissivity or the mixing rate when the superimposed display is performed by the transmissivity or the mixing rate A superimposed display image generation / output unit that generates a superimposed display image of the original content and the reference destination content; an image display device that displays the image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit;A content designation control unit for designating reference source content displayed on the screen and a reference destination content displayed on the screen, and obtaining the reference source content and reference destination content by the control of the content designation control unit And a content acquisition control unit having a function of monitoring the acquisition status of the content, a parent content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference source content, and a child content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference destination contentThe superimposition setting unit determines the transmissivity and mixing ratio of the superimposition display of the reference source content and the reference destination content according to the content acquisition status monitored by the content acquisition control unit, and the superimposition setting unit further includes: A transmittance / mixing ratio designating means for designating the transmittance or the mixing ratio is provided, and the transmittance / mixing ratio designating means can simulate the designation of a hardware button having a pressure sensing function or a pressing intensity. It is configured by a software button, and based on the operation of the hardware button or software button, the transparency and mixing ratio of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content are adjusted and specified..Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the burden of a user's operation.
[0031]
  In the electronic content browsing apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention,An electronic content browsing apparatus that displays and browses content, wherein a reference source content and a reference destination content that is associated with a reference position of the reference source content and is displayed by designating the reference position are different from each other The superimposition setting unit that sets the transmissivity or the mixing rate between the reference source content and the reference destination content, and the reference based on the set transmissivity or the mixing rate when the superimposed display is performed by the transmissivity or the mixing rate A superimposed display image generation / output unit that generates a superimposed display image of the original content and the reference destination content, an image display device that displays an image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit, and a reference source displayed on the screen A content designation control unit for designating content and designating reference destination content displayed on the screen, and the content designation control unit A content acquisition control unit having a function of acquiring the reference source content and the reference destination content and monitoring a content acquisition state, a parent content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference source content, and the acquired reference destination content Child content holding unit for storing and holding, wherein the superimposition setting unit sets the transparency and mixing rate of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content in accordance with the content acquisition status monitored by the content acquisition control unit. And the superimposition setting unit further includes a transmittance / mixing rate designating unit for designating the transmittance or the mixing rate,The transmittance / mixing ratio designating means is constituted by a touch panel device having a pressure sensing function,ThisOperation of the touch panel deviceBased on the reference source content and the reference destination contentIt is characterized in that it is specified by adjusting the transmittance and mixing ratio of the superimposed display.Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the burden of a user's operation.
[0032]
  In the electronic content browsing apparatus of the present invention according to claim 4,An electronic content browsing apparatus that displays and browses content, wherein a reference source content and a reference destination content that is associated with a reference position of the reference source content and is displayed by designating the reference position are different from each other The superimposition setting unit that sets the transmissivity or the mixing rate between the reference source content and the reference destination content, and the reference based on the set transmissivity or the mixing rate when the superimposed display is performed by the transmissivity or the mixing rate A superimposed display image generation / output unit that generates a superimposed display image of the original content and the reference destination content, an image display device that displays an image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit, and a reference source displayed on the screen A content designation control unit for designating content and designating reference destination content displayed on the screen, and the content designation control unit A content acquisition control unit having a function of acquiring the reference source content and the reference destination content and monitoring a content acquisition state, a parent content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference source content, and the acquired reference destination content Child content holding unit for storing and holding, wherein the superimposition setting unit sets the transparency and mixing rate of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content in accordance with the content acquisition status monitored by the content acquisition control unit. And the superimposition setting unit further includes a transmittance / mixing rate designating unit for designating the transmittance or the mixing rate,The transmittance / mixing ratio designating means is constituted by a gesture operation detecting means using a pointing device,ConcernedFor gesture operationBased on the reference source content and the reference destination content.It is characterized in that it is specified by adjusting the transmittance and mixing ratio of the superimposed display.Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the burden of a user's operation.
[0033]
  In the electronic content browsing apparatus of the present invention of claim 5,An electronic content browsing apparatus that displays and browses content, wherein a reference source content and a reference destination content that is associated with a reference position of the reference source content and is displayed by designating the reference position are different from each other The superimposition setting unit that sets the transmissivity or the mixing rate between the reference source content and the reference destination content, and the reference based on the set transmissivity or the mixing rate when the superimposed display is performed by the transmissivity or the mixing rate A superimposed display image generation / output unit that generates a superimposed display image of the original content and the reference destination content, an image display device that displays an image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit, and a reference source displayed on the screen A content designation control unit for designating content and designating reference destination content displayed on the screen, and the content designation control unit A content acquisition control unit having a function of acquiring the reference source content and the reference destination content and monitoring a content acquisition state, a parent content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference source content, and the acquired reference destination content Child content holding unit for storing and holding, wherein the superimposition setting unit sets the transparency and mixing rate of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content in accordance with the content acquisition status monitored by the content acquisition control unit. And the superimposition setting unit further includes a transmittance / mixing rate designating unit for designating a transmittance or a mixing rate, and the transmittance / mixing rate designating unit includes a hardware button having a pressure sensing function, Alternatively, it is composed of software buttons that can simulate the specification of the pressing intensity, and On the basis of the operation of the de hardware button or software button specified by adjusting the superimposed transmission and the mixing ratio of the reference destination content and the reference source content,The superimposition setting unit automatically adjusts the transmissivity and mixing ratio of superimposing display at a specific position on the content by the transmissivity / mixing ratio designating unit according to the operation stop time.Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the burden of a user's operation.
[0034]
  In the electronic content browsing apparatus of the present invention according to claim 6,It includes a content analysis unit that analyzes content information and generates content analysis information.The superimposition setting unit isContent analysis informationIn accordance with the above, the transmissivity and mixing ratio of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content are determined.Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the burden of a user's operation.
[0035]
  In the electronic content browsing apparatus of the present invention according to claim 7,The content information to be analyzed is the image characteristics of the content, the content content, or the content update timeIt is characterized by that.
[0036]
  In the electronic content browsing apparatus of the present invention according to claim 8,It has a function to change the reference destination content being displayed to the reference source content, and when the transparency or mixing ratio of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content exceeds a predetermined threshold, Change to referrer contentIt is characterized by that.As a result, when browsing information and documents that are in a reference relationship one after another, the child content can be automatically switched to the parent content without any discomfort, and the operability during browsing can be improved.
[0037]
  In the electronic content browsing apparatus of the present invention according to claim 9,The child content holding unit stores data representing a part of the reference destination content body or an outline of the reference destination content, and acquires the data of the reference destination content body when changing the reference destination content to the reference source content. Change to referrer contentIt is characterized by that.Thereby, the access time at the time of browsing can be shortened and the operativity at the time of browsing can be improved. In particular, in the case of an application in which child content is acquired one after another and the target child content is searched for as the subject of the present invention, first, outline data representing the content of the child content is sent and determined. Access time can be greatly shortened by the control of sending large body data.
[0038]
  The invention of claim 10Is an electronic content browsing method for displaying and browsing content, which includes a reference source content and a reference destination content associated with a reference position of the reference source content and displayed by designating the reference position. The reference source content is set based on the set transmittance or mixing rate by setting the transmittance or mixing rate between the reference source content and the reference destination content when superimposed and displayed with different transmittances or mixing rates. And a superimposed display image of the reference destination content, and the generated superimposed display image is displayed on the image display device, and at the specific position on the content by the pointing device, Adjust the mixing ratio automaticallyIt is characterized by that.
[0039]
  Claim 11 of the present inventionThe electronic content browsing method has a function of monitoring the acquisition status of the content, and determines the transparency and mixing rate of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content according to the content acquisition status monitored by the content acquisition control unit. decideIt is characterized by that.
[0040]
  Claim 12 of the present inventionIn the electronic content browsing method, content analysis information is generated by analyzing content information, and in accordance with the content analysis information, the transmittance and mixing ratio of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content are determined.It is characterized by that.
[0041]
  Claim 13 of the present inventionIn the electronic content browsing method, the content information to be analyzed is the image characteristics of the content, the content content, or the content update time.It is characterized by that.
[0042]
  In the electronic content browsing method of this invention of Claim 14, reference destination contentWhen a certain amount of time has passed sinceReference contentReferrer contentIt is characterized by changing.
[0043]
  In the electronic content browsing method of the present invention according to claim 15,Change the reference destination content to the reference source content after a certain period of time has elapsed since the reference destination content was displayed.It is characterized by that.
[0044]
  In the electronic content browsing method of the present invention according to claim 16,Store the data representing a part of the reference content body or the outline of the reference content in the child content holding unit, and acquire and refer to the data of the reference content body when changing the reference content to the reference content Change to original contentIt is characterized by that.
[0052]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0053]
In the following explanation, a still image such as a Web content, an electronic document, or an electronic book or planar data will be described as an example, but content that can form a link relationship and can be superimposed on the screen. Then, the present invention can be applied regardless of the type. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a moving image with a link or a three-dimensional CG. Further, even if a plurality of types of media such as text, still images, and moving images are combined, they can be similarly applied as long as a link is formed and superimposed display is possible.
[0054]
FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of an electronic content browsing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The electronic content browsing apparatus according to the present embodiment superimposes and displays two or more types of content associated as reference source content (hereinafter referred to as parent content) and reference destination content (hereinafter referred to as child content) with different transmittances and mixing rates. And a browsing device that enables browsing of electronic contents while selecting or switching display of child contents to be superimposed and displayed by a user specifying a reference position (link point) on the parent content. The content designation control unit 10 that designates the parent content displayed above and the child content displayed on the screen, and the content designation control unit 10 controls the network destination or the content storage unit 19 in the apparatus. A computer that acquires the content and sends it to the parent content holding unit 12 or the child content holding unit 13 Content acquisition control unit 11, parent content holding unit 12 that stores and holds the acquired parent content, child content holding unit 13 that stores and holds the acquired child content, and superimposition that generates a superimposed display image of the parent content and the child content The display image generation / output unit 14, the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15 that determines the transmittance and the mixing rate between the contents when the superimposed display image is generated in the superimposed display image generation / output unit 14, and the superimposed display image composition output unit 14 And an image display device 18 for displaying the image output by the. FIG. 1 shows only the characteristic configuration of the present embodiment, and the description of other general configurations is omitted.
[0055]
Further, the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15 receives the input to the transmittance / mixing rate designating unit 16 for the user to specify the transmittance and the mixing rate, and the input to the transmittance / mixing rate designating unit 16 in a superimposed display. The transmittance / mixing rate determining unit 17 determines the transmittance and the mixing rate.
[0056]
An example of the display state of electronic content using the electronic content browsing apparatus of the present invention will be described. In the electronic content browsing apparatus, two or more types of electronic content are superimposed and displayed to the user. That is, another content layer in which at least one of the transmittance and the mixing rate is set is superimposed on the layer displaying one content.
[0057]
4 and 5 and FIGS. 6 to 8 are diagrams for explaining the state of superimposed display. 4 and 5 show examples in which the parent content and the child content are respectively displayed in a normal state. Here, FIG. 6 shows an example in which the child content of FIG. 5 is superimposed and displayed on the parent content of FIG. 4 at a transmittance of 25%, and FIG. 5 shows the child content of FIG. FIG. 7 shows an example of superimposed display, and FIG. 8 shows an example of superimposed display of the child content of FIG. 5 at a transmittance of 75% with respect to the parent content of FIG.
[0058]
As described above, the electronic content browsing apparatus is configured to superimpose and display the parent content and the child content in accordance with a certain transmittance and mixing ratio in response to a user's specification.
[0059]
When blending (superimposing display composition) images of parent content and child content, the child content is virtually placed on the lower surface (lower layer), and the parent content is placed on the upper surface (upper layer). The present invention can be implemented by a configuration in which an image is blended by changing the content transmittance to obtain a superimposed display. In addition, there is a method of changing only the transmittance of an image virtually arranged on the uppermost surface.
[0060]
Further, in order to obtain the same effect, the transmittance of the images on both the uppermost surface and the lower surface side may be changed and combined. By changing both transmittances, more various superimposed displays can be realized, which is advantageous when performing a display suitable for the characteristics of the content and the surrounding environment for browsing. For example, if the contrast of one image is high and the superimposed display of the other image becomes unclear, the contrast is lowered by increasing the transmittance of the content on the high contrast side, and the other image is You can make adjustments to make it easier to see.
[0061]
Further, instead of the transmittance, a method of managing and controlling the composition of a plurality of contents as a mixing rate may be used. The mixing ratio in this case represents the degree of contribution of each content to the newly synthesized image. An example of using a mixing rate is a method of blending each content image multiplied by the mixing rate by an operation such as addition, multiplication, or logical operation.
[0062]
Next, the electronic content browsing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.
[0063]
In order for the user to designate a reference position (link point) on the parent content, it is necessary to provide some designation means. The content designation control unit 10 includes designation means for instructing the link point of the parent content. Link points can be specified by pressing a character key or entering a command using a keyboard, moving the focus on the screen to the link point in sequence using the cursor keys attached to the keyboard or operation tablet, or a mouse. A pointing device such as a pen device or the like can be used to move the cursor on the screen and perform a selection operation such as clicking or tapping.
[0064]
Further, the content designation control unit 10 has a function of associating a link point designation unit with an actual link point on the parent content. For example, from the selection operation by the user's pointing device, the correspondence between the coordinate value of the device at the time of pointing and the position on the parent content is calculated, and what is the specified link point (such as link destination address information, Link information) and sending the link information to the content acquisition control unit 11. As another method of associating the link point designating means with the actual link point on the parent content, a method of exchanging link point list information, symbol information representing the link point, etc., instead of coordinate values, may be used.
[0065]
In FIG. 1, the parent content holding unit 12 is configured to send parent content or information about the parent content (information about the link point) so that the link point can be specified.
[0066]
FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the pointing device 20 for specifying the link point and performing an operation on the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15. By operating the pointing device 20, the user can specify the link point of the content and simultaneously perform input to the transmittance / mixing rate designating unit 16 of the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15. As described above, in addition to the case where the pointing device 20 is shared by the content designation control unit 10 and the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15, the content designation control unit 10 and the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15 are individually provided as the pointing device. A configuration including input means such as the above is also possible.
[0067]
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a dedicated pointing device 20b for inputting the transmittance to the transmittance / mixing rate designating unit 16 is prepared separately from the pointing device 20a for designating the content. . Further, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the transmittance / mixing ratio designating unit 16 itself includes a pointing device, and the output is distributed and sent to the content designation control unit 15.
[0068]
The content acquisition control unit 11 acquires the content from the network destination or the content storage unit 19 in the apparatus under the control of the content designation control unit 10, and sends it to the parent content holding unit 12 or the child content holding unit 13. The content storage unit 19 can be implemented in any case where the content storage unit 19 exists in a remote place via a network or communication means, and the case where the content storage unit 19 exists on a local disk around the device or inside the device. In specific implementation, the content acquisition control unit 11 includes a communication control unit and an interface unit for communication, or an interface unit with a peripheral device and a data input / output control unit. Also, a control unit that analyzes and discriminates the control from the content designation control unit 10, an interface unit that exchanges data with the parent content holding unit and the child content holding unit, and a control unit that exchanges content It is configured with.
[0069]
In addition, content can be exchanged between a plurality of browsing devices by adding to the content acquisition control unit 11 a function of outputting content information stored in the child content storage unit 13 and the parent content storage unit 12 to the outside. Will be able to.
[0070]
The parent content holding unit 12 has a function of storing and holding the parent content acquired by the content acquisition control unit 11. Further, it has a function of transmitting the stored parent content or information obtained by imaging the parent content by rendering processing or the like to the superimposed display image generation / output unit 14.
[0071]
The child content holding unit 13 has a function of storing and holding the child content acquired by the content acquisition control unit 11. Further, it has a function of transmitting the stored child content or information obtained by imaging the child content by rendering processing to the superimposed display image generation output unit 14.
[0072]
The parent content holding unit 12 and the child content holding unit 13 will be described in more detail. The parent content holding unit 12 and the child content holding unit 13 are composed of means for exchanging content information and control information with the content acquisition control unit 11 and the superimposed display image generation output unit 14, and means for storing and holding the content. Is done. The means for storing and holding the content can be implemented by a medium or device that can be used as a storage medium in an information processing apparatus, such as a semiconductor memory, a dielectric memory, a magnetic storage medium, or a magneto-optical storage medium. The parent content holding unit 12 and the child content holding unit 13 can be implemented as individual media and devices, respectively, and can also be implemented by managing and controlling each memory area for a storage medium having a continuous address space. Specifically, a method in which the parent content and the child content are stored in different areas on one memory space so as not to overlap, and each pointer (data start address) and data length are stored and managed. Can be realized.
[0073]
The superimposed display image generation output unit 14 that generates a superimposed display image of the parent content and the child content displays the superimposed display image of the parent content and the child content according to the information sent from the parent content holding unit 12 and the child content holding unit 13. Generate and output to the image display device 18.
[0074]
Information sent from the parent content holding unit 12 and the child content holding unit 13 is image information and content information of content. When content information is sent, the superimposed display image generation / output unit 14 interprets the content information and performs rendering processing to generate an image of the content. In the generation of the superimposed display, the parent content and the child content are managed by layers, and the pixels of both layers are synthesized by operations such as addition, multiplication, logical sum, logical product, and exclusive logical sum. In the calculation, blending is controlled by reflecting the transmittance and the mixing rate set by the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15.
[0075]
In the configuration of the present invention, the parent content and the child content are stored in the parent content holding unit 12 and the child content holding unit 13, respectively, and these play the role of image layer management. If the method of generating at every timing when the transmittance changes, it is not necessary to manage the image memory as a plurality of layers in the superimposed display image generation output unit 14, and the video memory necessary for image generation is saved. be able to.
[0076]
In the configuration in which the images of the parent content and the child content are managed and held as layers in the superimposed display image generation unit 14, it is not necessary to render an image every time the transmittance or the mixing rate changes. It is possible to shorten the time. In that case, only the composition operation between layers considering the change in transmittance is sequentially performed.
[0077]
The transmissivity / mixing rate setting unit 15 determines the transmissivity and mixing rate between contents when the superimposed display image is generated in the superimposed display image generation / output unit 14. Further, the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15 receives the input to the transmittance / mixing rate designating unit 16 for the user to specify the transmittance and the mixing rate, and the input to the transmittance / mixing rate designating unit 16 for superimposing display. The transmission / mixing ratio determining unit 17 determines the transmittance and the mixing ratio. The transmittance / mixing ratio designating means 16 can be implemented by means for directly inputting the transmittance numerically, such as a numeric key. It can also be implemented by a device or software button that designates a binary value such as ON or OFF. Furthermore, it can be implemented by a device or software button that can specify a continuous or discrete amount. The information generated by the transmittance / mixing rate designating unit 16 is analyzed or converted by the transmittance / mixing rate determining unit 17 and sent to the superimposed display image generation / output unit 14 as the transmittance or the mixing rate.
[0078]
The image display device 18 displays the image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit 14. A device associated with the pointing device such as a touch panel device or a light pen can also be provided. As the display device, a device that can display raster image data, such as a CRT, a liquid crystal panel, a plasma display, an EL device, an LED device, a projector, or electronic paper, or a device that draws as vector data can be used.
[0079]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0080]
In this embodiment, the superimposed content generation / output unit 14 sets the child content held in the child content holding unit 13 and the parent content held in the parent content holding unit 12 by the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15. The superimposed composite image is displayed according to the transmittance, and the superimposed composite image is displayed on the image display device 18.
[0081]
In the present embodiment, this superimposing process is triggered when the user points to a link point on the parent content (step 904 in FIG. 9) and when the user inputs a transmittance (step 909 in FIG. 9). Done.
[0082]
First, the content designation control unit 10 determines the parent content by designation from the user (step 901), and issues a content acquisition instruction to the content acquisition control unit 11. Upon receiving the instruction, the content acquisition control unit 11 acquires the parent content from the network destination or the content storage unit 19 of the local disk, and sends it to the parent content holding unit 12 (step 902). Then, the parent content held in the parent content holding unit 12 is displayed on the image display device 18 (step 903).
[0083]
Therefore, when the user points a link point on the parent content with the pointing device 20 (pen pointing device 61 in the embodiment of FIG. 6) (step 904 in FIG. 9), the content designation control unit 10 The child content that is the link destination is determined from the information of the link point (step 905), and a content acquisition instruction is issued to the content acquisition control unit 11.
[0084]
Receiving the instruction, the content acquisition control unit 11 acquires the child content from the network destination or the content storage unit 19 of the local disk, sends it to the child content holding unit 13 and holds it (step 906).
[0085]
Next, the superimposed image generation / output unit 14 converts the child content stored in the child content holding unit 13 and the parent content stored in the parent content holding unit 12 into the transmittance specified by the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15 or A superimposed image is synthesized according to the mixing ratio (step 907), and the obtained superimposed synthesized image is displayed on the image display device 18 (step 908).
[0086]
On the other hand, when the user controls the transmittance with the transmittance / mixing ratio designating means 16 (the transmittance control button 62 in the embodiment of FIG. 6) (step 909), the transmittance / mixing ratio determining unit 17 / Transmittance is calculated according to the input from the mixture ratio designating unit 16 and the value is output to the superimposed image generation / output unit 14 (step 910).
[0087]
Then, the superimposed image generation / output unit 14 transmits the child content stored in the child content holding unit 12 and the parent content stored in the parent content holding unit 13 at that time by the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15. The superimposed image is synthesized (step 907), and the superimposed synthesized image is sent to the image display device 18 for display (step 908).
[0088]
Next, examples of the electronic content browsing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 10.
[0089]
FIG. 10 shows an embodiment in which the electronic content browsing apparatus of the present invention is realized as a terminal device. In FIG. 10, 60 is a terminal housing, 61 is a pen pointing device 61 which is an example of realization of the pointing device 20 of FIG. 2, and in this example, the display 63 is equipped with a touch panel, and these are combined. A pointing function is realized. Reference numeral 62 denotes a transmittance control button 62 that embodies the transmittance / mixing rate designating means 16. The transmittance increases when the upward button is pressed, and the transmittance decreases when the downward button is pressed. The display 63 also corresponds to the image display device 18 of FIG.
[0090]
The user uses the pen pointing device 61 to select a child content to be displayed by pointing a link point of the parent content displayed on the display. Further, by operating the transmittance control button 62, the transmittance of the superimposed display displayed on the display unit 63 is instructed.
[0091]
In the example of FIG. 10, the pen pointing device 61 is used as the pointing device 20. However, the input device is not limited to the pen input device as long as it can indicate a point on the display. A cursor movement instruction method using cursor keys can also be used.
[0092]
Further, the transmittance control button 62 is not limited to the button as long as the numerical value of the transmittance can be directly instructed or a numerical value increase / decrease instruction can be made. For example, by using a touch panel with a pressure sensing function to change the transmittance according to the pressure, the user controls the transmittance of the superimposed display by pressing the touch panel strongly or weakly. Also good. Further, the button itself can be provided with a pressure sensing function, and the pressure change caused by pressing the button can be associated with the change in transmittance. In addition, the transmittance can be specified using a device capable of inputting not only the pressure but also an analog amount using a potentiometer or the like. By using these devices capable of inputting analog quantities, the transmittance can be specified intuitively, continuously and easily, and the operability is improved.
[0093]
As another method, the transmittance of the superimposed display may be controlled by gesture input (double click operation, specific symbol gesture input, or the like) using a pointing device. For example, by associating triple transmittance to increase the transmittance and double clicking to decrease the transmittance, or drawing a clockwise circle with a pen pointing device to increase the transmittance and drawing a counterclockwise circle It is also possible to specify the transmittance by associating the number of times the circle is drawn and the number of times the circle is drawn with the increase / decrease amount of the transmittance.
[0094]
Alternatively, write an arrow to specify the method of increasing or decreasing the transmittance in the direction and specify the amount of increase or decrease with the length of the arrow, or hand-write a command, sign, or numerical value that indicates the increase or decrease of the transmittance, such as plus or minus Specify the transmissivity by specifying the transmissivity by typing in and recognizing characters, or by specifying a symbol or symbol that expresses the increase or decrease of the transmissivity and associating the size of the symbol with the increase or decrease It is also possible to do.
[0095]
Next, a further embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the case where the pointing device 20 can control the change in the transmittance in addition to the instruction of the child content, the transmittance can be controlled by, for example, measuring the stop time of the pointing device 20.
[0096]
More specifically, when the link point on the parent content is pointed by the pointing device 20, the child content to be superimposed is switched to the reference destination content and continues to be pointed as it is, or the pointer is pointed to the link point For example, the transmissivity of the superimposed display is changed after a predetermined time elapses.
[0097]
FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the pointing stop time and the transmittance. When a pointer is pointed at a link point (when the stop time is t = 0), the transmittance α which is the initial transmittance (minimum transmittance)_baseThe parent content and the child content are superimposed and displayed with the value of. If the pointer is kept stopped at the same link point as it is, the transmittance starts to change when t = T1. Furthermore, if it stops as it is, the maximum transmittance α when t = T2._maxThe transmittance continues to change until. Furthermore, the transmittance is α_maxRemains. If another link point is newly pointed on the way, it is reset to t = 0 and the transmittance α_baseThe new child content is superimposed and displayed with the value of.
[0098]
In FIG. 11, the change in transmittance is linear, but it may be non-linear. In the above-described embodiment, when a link point different from the previous one is pointed, the transmittance is α._base, In other words, the transparency does not return until you point to another link point, but as another method, for example, if you move the pointer away from the link point that you continued or stopped until then, , The transmittance is continuously α_baseNext, the second embodiment and example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the transmittance / mixing ratio setting unit 15 automatically determines the transmittance according to the content acquisition status.
[0099]
FIG. 12 shows a configuration diagram as a second embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the electronic content browsing apparatus according to the present invention monitors the situation in which the content acquisition control unit 11 acquires content, generates content access information 80, and transmits it. The transmission rate / mixing rate determination unit 17 sends the transmission rate / mixing rate determination unit 17 to the transmission rate / mixing rate determination unit 17 in accordance with the content access information 80, and determines the transmission rate and mixing rate of the superimposed display of the parent content and the child content. It is constructed by adding features to be determined. In FIG. 12, only the characteristic configuration of the present embodiment is shown, and the description of other general configurations is omitted.
[0100]
FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the operation in the second embodiment. The difference from FIG. 9 is that the content acquisition control unit 11 acquires content access information (step 921) and the content access information 80. Thus, the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15 automatically determines the transmittance (step 922). Other operations are the same as those in FIG.
[0101]
The content acquisition status refers to, for example, information indicating the progress of downloading content on the network destination, the network congestion, the data transfer speed, the concentration of access to the server, and the like. In the following, an example of changing the transmittance of the superimposed display while monitoring the data transfer status of the child content will be described.
[0102]
As a method of reducing the user's psychological waiting time when transferring image data over a network, there is a transmission method using resolution progressive. Resolution progressive is a method in which data with low resolution of the entire image is first sent, and then the image is increased in resolution and gradually displayed in detail. In the normal method of transferring all the data at once, the image is not displayed until all the data is transferred, but in the resolution progressive, the low resolution image is displayed first and gradually becomes higher resolution, The user's psychological burden due to waiting time can be reduced. Examples of image formats that support this resolution progressive include MPEG, JPEG, and JPEG2000.
[0103]
In the present embodiment, when displaying child content, this resolution progressive can be used in combination with the superimposed display shown in the previous examples. Superimposed display is performed with a correlation between the communication status of image data (the ratio of already communicated data) or the displayable resolution and the transmittance of superimposed display. Thereby, the user can grasp the communication status more intuitively.
[0104]
As a method for correlating the communication status (the ratio of already communicated data) and the transmittance of the superimposed display, for example, a function for determining the transmittance by the equation of the correlation between the data communication amount and the transmittance as shown in FIG. The transmittance / mixing rate determination unit 17 determines the transmittance according to the communication status (data transfer rate) indicated by the content access information 80.
[0105]
The content access information 80 in this case represents a data transfer rate. More specifically, when the data communication status is 30%, the association may be performed such that the transmittance is also set to 30%. FIG. 14 shows an example of the relationship between the communication status and the transmittance. However, in addition to the linear correspondence as shown in this figure, a non-linear correspondence can be implemented. For example, it is known that human visual characteristics are logarithmic, and when a change in transmittance is matched to human visual characteristics, a non-linear correspondence is obtained.
[0106]
In addition, when content is acquired at different resolutions in stages as resolution progressive, the acquired resolution and transmittance may be associated with each other. FIG. 15 shows this correspondence relationship as a table, and the transmittance / mixing rate determination unit 17 stores such a table, and determines the transmittance according to the content access information 80. The content access information in this case is the acquired resolution.
[0107]
The third embodiment and examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The third embodiment is characterized in that the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15 automatically determines the transmittance according to the analysis result of the content.
[0108]
FIG. 16 shows a configuration diagram of an electronic content browsing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the electronic content browsing apparatus according to the third embodiment further generates content analysis information 111 by analyzing the content to be acquired or the content that has been acquired. A content analysis unit 110 is provided. The content analysis information 111 is sent to the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15, and the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15 determines the transparency and mixing rate of the superimposed display of the parent content and the child content according to the content analysis information 111. It is characterized by doing. In FIG. 16, only the characteristic configuration of the present embodiment is shown, and the description of other general configurations is omitted.
[0109]
FIG. 17 is a flowchart for explaining the operation in the third embodiment. The difference from FIG. 9 is that the content analysis unit 110 analyzes the content (step 931) and the transmittance according to the content analysis information 111. / The mixing rate setting unit 15 automatically determines the transmittance (step 932). Other operations are the same as those in FIG.
[0110]
An embodiment in which the transmittance is automatically controlled according to the content analysis information 111 will be described. Examples of content information to be analyzed by the content analysis unit 110 include content type and image characteristics, content details, content capacity, access frequency to the content, and popularity.
[0111]
Here, the content type includes, for example, whether it is text, an image, or graphics. In general, images and graphics data can understand the outline of the image even if the image is not clearly visible, but since the text cannot be understood unless the characters can be read, the content side of the text display is clearly displayed To adjust the transmittance automatically. Examples of image characteristics of content include the number of pixels, resolution, color tone, brightness, contrast, and histogram. These image characteristics are displayed in a superimposed manner when adjusting the transmittance so that necessary information is not lost, or when giving priority to the display of either the parent content or the child content. In the case of adjustment, it can be used as basic information for determining the transmittance and mixing rate when performing superimposed display composition. For example, if the brightness or contrast on the secondary display side is higher than the content on the side that you want to preferentially display, make adjustments such as lowering the transmittance on the secondary display side or increasing the transmittance on the priority display side. It is effective to do.
[0112]
As an example of controlling the transmittance in accordance with the content content, there is a control in which some weighting or priority is set in advance for the content content, and the transmittance is changed according to the priority. For example, the transmittance may be adjusted so that the content that is more interesting to the user is clearly visible, and the content that is less interesting is seen to be thin. In addition to those related to the context, the contents include layout information. Specifically, the content type such as whether it is a form, letter, or book, and where the heading or figure is located And the like, and layout information as object attributes. In addition, when adjusting the transmittance according to the amount of content data, the user can intuitively understand the download time and content volume before downloading all the data, improving operability. To do.
[0113]
When analyzing the access frequency and popularity of content, the server side embeds data related to access frequency and popularity into the content, or a mechanism that adds data in parallel with access to the content, Alternatively, a mechanism that can immediately refer to information on the access frequency and popularity from the content is also provided. By controlling the transparency of the superimposed display according to the access and popularity of these contents, it becomes possible to browse information with social filtering elements such as popularity and importance to the contents, and the information that users need Helps you access quickly.
[0114]
Another example of automatically controlling the transmittance according to the content analysis information is a case where the content information analyzed by the content analysis unit 110 is information such as content creation date / time, update date / time, and access date / time. The transmittance is automatically changed according to this information. For example, the old content is displayed lightly and the new content is displayed more clearly, the previously viewed content is displayed lightly, and the content that has never been viewed is displayed clearly. By such display control, the user can intuitively make a determination that the content displayed lightly is old and does not need to be seen, and can quickly determine the freshness of the content.
[0115]
The fourth embodiment and examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The fourth embodiment is characterized in that switching between parent content and child content is performed.
[0116]
FIG. 18 shows a configuration diagram of an electronic content browsing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the electronic content browsing apparatus according to the present embodiment, when the parent content is changed, the user inputs an instruction to change the parent content from the parent content change instruction unit 120.
[0117]
In FIG. 18, the parent content change instruction unit 120 is connected to the content instruction control unit 10, but a configuration of connecting to the content acquisition control unit 11 and the holding unit control unit 121 is also possible.
[0118]
In FIG. 18, the content designation control unit 10 sends control information for switching the parent content to the holding unit control unit 121 according to the change instruction sent from the parent content change instruction unit 120. In this case, in FIG. 16, control information is directly sent from the content designation control unit 10 to the holding unit control unit 121, but from the content instruction control unit 10 to the holding unit control unit 121 via the content acquisition control unit 11. A configuration for sending control information is also possible. A configuration in which the content acquisition control unit 11 includes the function of the holding unit control unit 121 is also possible.
[0119]
The holding unit control unit 121 sends new parent content to the parent content holding unit 12 according to the control information sent from the content designation control unit 10 and changes the parent content. At this time, it is also possible to control the child content holding unit 13 at the same time to delete the child content or send new child content.
[0120]
As shown in FIG. 18, when having the function of caching content, the holding unit control unit 121 exchanges data between the parent content holding unit 12 or the child content holding unit 13 and the cache 125, Content can be exchanged between each data holding unit. When the change of the parent content and the transparency of the superimposed display are linked, information is exchanged between the parent content change instruction unit 120 and the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15, or the holding unit control unit 121 and the transmission This can be realized by exchanging information with the rate / mixing rate setting unit 15 and performing synchronization control.
[0121]
The parent content can be changed by direct designation by the user or automatically when a preset parent content change condition is satisfied. The parent content change instruction means 120 is stored inside the parent content change instruction means 120, and the parent content change instruction means 120 also has a function of comparing whether the condition is satisfied or monitoring the situation. To do. In addition, the parent content change condition can be stored and implemented in any of the content designation control unit 10, the content acquisition control unit 11, and the transmittance / mixing rate setting unit 15, in which case the monitoring function or comparison What is necessary is just to add a function to those storage places.
[0122]
When the parent content change condition is satisfied, the parent content change instruction unit 120 starts control for changing the parent content. In the example of FIG. 16, change instruction information is output to the content designation control unit 10.
[0123]
The parent content change instruction unit 120 can also be implemented by an input device that accepts user input and a parent content change determination unit that determines whether to change the parent content according to the input information. A specific example of this configuration is to equip a “parent content change button”, for example. This may be a hardware button or displayed on the screen in terms of software. The user can explicitly instruct the change of the parent content by pressing the parent content change button.
[0124]
The change of the parent content will be described more specifically. The change of the parent content includes a method of setting content different from the child content as the parent content and a method of upgrading the child content to the parent content.
[0125]
When setting a content different from the child content as the parent content, when reversing the link, or when setting a completely new content with no reference relationship as the parent content, some content is initially set as the parent content. There are cases. In such cases, the content list is maintained and the parent content is selected from the content list, or the parent content is cached when the parent content is changed and discarded. There is a method of returning to the content holding unit 12. The cache 125 can also be configured inside the parent content holding unit.
[0126]
Next, a method for upgrading the currently displayed child content to the parent content will be described. The parent content change instruction unit 120 issues a parent content change instruction to the content designation control unit 10 when an instruction from the user or a parent content change condition is satisfied. Upon receiving this instruction, the content designation control unit 10 discards the content held by the parent content holding unit 12 and the content data held by the child content holding unit 13 as a new parent. Send it to the parent content as content. In this example, it is assumed that data is transferred between memories. However, as an alternative method, data is not actually transferred between memories, and pointers and addresses on the memory indicating parent contents and child contents are set. It is possible to replace it.
[0127]
When the transfer from the child content holding unit 13 to the parent content holding unit 12 is completed, the content that has been displayed as the child content is replaced with the parent content, and the user issues a pointing instruction to the new parent content. Is possible. Thereby, new content data linked to the new parent content can be displayed as new child content. If this content replacement control is repeated, the user can sequentially browse new content by following the content link.
[0128]
An example of the parent content change condition will be described. As a change condition of the parent content, for example, when the transparency of the superimposing synthesis of the child content with respect to the parent content exceeds 90% (that is, when the child content is displayed sufficiently darker than the parent content). Suppose you want to change to Here, the numerical value of the transmittance is not limited to 90%.
[0129]
When this parent content change condition is used, when the user changes the transmittance with the transmittance / mixing ratio designating unit 16 and displays the child content with a certain density or higher, the content that has been the child content until then is displayed. Is replaced with the parent content, and the link operation on the link point on the new parent content becomes possible. This makes it possible to follow links sequentially.
[0130]
Another embodiment of another parent content change condition will be described. A method of replacing the child content with the next parent content after a certain time has elapsed after the child content is displayed is also effective in improving the operability when browsing the content.
[0131]
Such automatic switching eliminates the need for explicit change control from the child content to the parent content, so that the user's operation cost can be reduced and the operability can be improved, and the child content can be changed to the parent content. The operation interface for switching can be omitted, which is useful for reducing operation buttons on a small terminal, reducing icons, command menus, soft buttons, etc. on the operation screen.
[0132]
Another embodiment relating to the change of the parent content will be described. In this invention, what is stored in the child content holding unit 13 is data representing a part of the child content main body or an outline of the child content. When the child content is changed to the parent content, the data of the child content main body is acquired. Thus, it is possible to shorten the access time during browsing and improve the operability during browsing. In particular, in the case of an application in which child content is acquired one after another and the target child content is searched for as the subject of the present invention, first, outline data representing the content of the child content is sent and determined. Access time can be greatly shortened by the control of sending large body data.
[0133]
For example, the content main body and thumbnail display data indicating the outline are prepared on the content storage side, and thumbnail display data with a small data size is downloaded as child content, and the content main body data is downloaded when switching to the parent content You can do this. In addition, when a data format that enables progressive data transmission such as JPEG2000 is used, the content storage side has a content body that is multiplex-structured for progressive transmission. When reading as content, it is possible to control to read less data such as low resolution and to read higher resolution data when switching to the parent content. In JPEG2000, in addition to resolution progressive, various progressive transmissions such as stepwise improvement of image quality and stepwise transmission of screen parts by tiles can be performed, and the present invention can be implemented for any of them.
[0134]
The function realized in the fourth embodiment is further combined with the second embodiment shown in FIG. 12 or the third embodiment shown in FIG. 16 to perform progressive data transmission of child content. While downloading, control the transparency so that it can be clearly seen, and when switching to the parent content, read up to the final target data, or automatically download the child content when downloading to a certain threshold data amount It can be expanded so that control such as switching to parent content can be performed.
[0135]
Further specific examples in the present embodiment will be described. It is also effective to explicitly indicate to the user which of the two contents is the parent content (content that accepts user input). A method of displaying content in color and displaying child content in gray is effective.
[0136]
Furthermore, the parent content display instruction unit 120 may be provided by a hardware button or a software button, and when the parent content is unknown, the parent content display instruction unit 120 may be configured to display only the parent content by pressing the button. A specific pen gesture or the like can be assigned as the parent content display instruction unit 120.
[0137]
The parent content display instruction unit 120 can cause the transmittance / mixing ratio setting unit 15 to realize the function, and is connected to the superimposed display image generation output unit 14 so that only the parent content is displayed when the superimposed display image is blended. You may control directly so that it may be output. The pointing device 20 can also be used as the parent content display instruction unit 120, which is realized by distributing or separating the information and signals of the pointing device 20 and connecting to the same location as the parent content display instruction unit 120 described above. it can.
[0138]
In the above description, the display of content having a link relationship has been described, but FIG. 19 is a screen of the electronic content browsing apparatus for the electronic book 130. Here, the table of contents page of the book is displayed as the parent content of the superimposed display. A table of contents item is a link point, and each item of the table of contents is linked to a page as a child content. When the user points to each table item while browsing the table of contents item, the associated page 132 is displayed in a superimposed manner. In this way, by displaying the table of contents and the page contents at the same time by the superimposed display, it is possible to browse the electronic book more efficiently. At this time, when browsing each page (child content), the operability is improved by providing the table of contents display instruction means 131 as the parent content change instruction means so that the user can return to the table of contents (parent content) at any time. In the example of FIG. 17, the table of contents display instruction means 131 is displayed as a button by software, but this can also be assigned as a gesture input using a hardware button or pointing device.
[0139]
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments and examples, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea. Can be implemented.
[0140]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects can be obtained.
[0141]
The first effect is that it is possible to simultaneously browse a plurality of contents having a link relationship, which cannot be realized by a browsing function provided by a conventional general browser. As a result, while viewing the currently browsed content, you can see the content that is the reference destination, so I tried to display the next content when following links, which was a problem with conventional browsers However, it is possible to reduce trial and error such that the content is not the intended one, and the previous content is returned once and another link is followed. According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently browse content with a sense of peeking at a link destination, and it is possible to efficiently browse content having a link relationship.
[0142]
The second effect is that, in the present invention, since a plurality of contents are displayed in a superimposed manner, it is not necessary to display the contents side by side or to display the contents in a reduced scale, so that a sufficient number of display pixels can be secured even in a small screen display. Therefore, it is easy to determine the content, and effective content browsing becomes possible.
[0143]
The third effect is a virtual user interface that is a typical user interface for browsing a plurality of content pages at the same time, such as the multi-window method and the method of displaying content pages in a graphically superimposed manner. It is difficult to determine the relationship, or it is difficult to access the content behind it that is completely overlapped, or if a lot of content is displayed at once, the screen will be messy and the entire content will be difficult to read. It is possible to avoid such problems. Moreover, since it can implement using a general two-dimensional display device instead of a three-dimensional display, it can implement | achieve at low cost.
[0144]
The fourth effect is to improve the operability when browsing the contents while following the link structure of the documents by displaying the documents in a reference relationship superimposed, which has been difficult with the conventional method of displaying a plurality of contents in a superimposed manner. be able to. The user can efficiently browse the content having the hyperlink structure by explicitly controlling the transmittance or switching the child content up to that time to the parent content.
[0145]
The fifth effect is that the outline of the page can be efficiently displayed, and the content switching of the superimposed display can be quickly and easily performed. This makes it possible to meet the demand for viewing.
[0146]
A sixth effect is that, when content data is acquired from a server by communication and displayed, superimposed display is performed by associating the communication status (percent communication is completed, communication speed, etc.) and the superimposed display overlay rate. It is possible to reduce the psychological burden and stress on waiting for the user to transfer data from when the content data acquisition request is issued until the content data is actually acquired.
[0147]
The seventh effect is that it is necessary to acquire the reference destination content even when the target child content is searched while acquiring the child content one after another when the content data size is large or the communication speed is low. Time can be shortened and operability during browsing can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic content browsing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a pointing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of the pointing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of parent content.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of child content.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of superimposed display of parent content and child content according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of superimposed display of parent content and child content according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of superimposed display of parent content and child content according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the electronic content browsing apparatus according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the electronic content browsing apparatus of the present invention is applied to a terminal device.
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a correlation example between a pointer stop time and a transmittance.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic content browsing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the electronic content browsing apparatus according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence relationship between communication status and transmittance.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table indicating a correspondence relationship between child content acquisition resolution and transmittance.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic content browsing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the electronic content browsing apparatus according to the third embodiment.
FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic content browsing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a specific example in which a table of contents of a book and a content page are displayed in a superimposed manner.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Content designation control unit
11 Content acquisition control unit
12 Parent content holding unit
13 Child content holding unit
14 Superimposition display image generation output unit
15 Transmittance / mixing ratio setting section
16 Transmission / mixing rate designation means
17 Transmittance / mixing ratio determining section
18 Image display device
19 Content storage
20 pointing device
60 Terminal housing
61 Pen pointing device
62 Transmittance control button
63 display
80 Content access information
110 Content Analysis Department
111 Content analysis information
120 Parent content change instruction means
121 Holding unit control unit
125 cache
130 e-book
131 Contents display instruction means

Claims (16)

An electronic content browsing device for displaying and browsing content,
The reference source when the reference source content and the reference destination content that is displayed by specifying the reference location are displayed in a superimposed manner with different transmittances or mixing ratios, which are associated with the reference position of the reference source content A superimposition setting unit for setting the transmissivity or mixing ratio between the content and the reference destination content;
A superimposed display image generation output unit configured to generate a superimposed display image of the reference source content and the reference destination content based on the set transmittance or mixing rate;
An image display device for displaying the image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit,
Further, the superimposition setting unit includes a transmittance / mixing ratio designating unit for designating the transmittance or the mixing ratio,
The transmittance / mixing ratio designating means is constituted by a hardware button having a pressure sensing function or a software button capable of simulating the designation of pressing intensity, and based on the operation of the hardware button or software button, Specify by adjusting the transparency and mixing ratio of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content ,
The electronic content browsing , wherein the superimposition setting unit automatically adjusts the transmissivity and the mixing ratio of the superimposition display at a specific position on the content by the transmissivity / mixing ratio designating unit according to the stop time of the operation apparatus. An electronic content browsing device for displaying and browsing content,
The reference source when the reference source content and the reference destination content that is displayed by specifying the reference location are displayed in a superimposed manner with different transmittances or mixing ratios, which are associated with the reference position of the reference source content A superimposition setting unit for setting the transmissivity or mixing ratio between the content and the reference destination content;
A superimposed display image generation output unit configured to generate a superimposed display image of the reference source content and the reference destination content based on the set transmittance or mixing rate;
An image display device for displaying an image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit ;
A content specification control unit for specifying the reference source content displayed on the screen and the reference destination content displayed on the screen;
A content acquisition control unit having a function of acquiring the reference source content and the reference destination content under the control of the content designation control unit and monitoring the acquisition status of the content;
A parent content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference source content;
A child content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference destination content,
The superimposition setting unit determines the transmissivity and mixing ratio of the superimposition display of the reference source content and the reference destination content according to the content acquisition status monitored by the content acquisition control unit,
Further, the superimposition setting unit includes a transmittance / mixing ratio designating unit for designating the transmittance or the mixing ratio,
The transmittance / mixing ratio designating means is constituted by a hardware button having a pressure sensing function or a software button capable of simulating the designation of pressing intensity, and based on the operation of the hardware button or software button, An electronic content browsing apparatus characterized by adjusting and specifying a transmittance and a mixing ratio of superimposed display of a reference source content and the reference destination content. An electronic content browsing device for displaying and browsing content,
The reference source when the reference source content and the reference destination content that is displayed by specifying the reference location are displayed in a superimposed manner with different transmittances or mixing ratios, which are associated with the reference position of the reference source content A superimposition setting unit for setting the transmissivity or mixing ratio between the content and the reference destination content;
A superimposed display image generation output unit configured to generate a superimposed display image of the reference source content and the reference destination content based on the set transmittance or mixing rate;
An image display device for displaying an image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit ;
A content specification control unit for specifying the reference source content displayed on the screen and the reference destination content displayed on the screen;
A content acquisition control unit having a function of acquiring the reference source content and the reference destination content under the control of the content designation control unit and monitoring the acquisition status of the content;
A parent content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference source content;
A child content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference destination content,
The superimposition setting unit determines the transmissivity and mixing ratio of the superimposition display of the reference source content and the reference destination content according to the content acquisition status monitored by the content acquisition control unit,
Further, the superimposition setting unit includes a transmittance / mixing ratio designating unit for designating the transmittance or the mixing ratio,
The transmissivity / mixing rate designating unit is constituted by a touch panel device having a pressure sensing function, and adjusts the transmissivity and mixing rate of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content based on an operation of the touch panel device. The electronic content browsing apparatus characterized by specifying as follows. An electronic content browsing device for displaying and browsing content,
The reference source when the reference source content and the reference destination content that is displayed by specifying the reference location are displayed in a superimposed manner with different transmittances or mixing ratios, which are associated with the reference position of the reference source content A superimposition setting unit for setting the transmissivity or mixing ratio between the content and the reference destination content;
A superimposed display image generation output unit configured to generate a superimposed display image of the reference source content and the reference destination content based on the set transmittance or mixing rate;
An image display device for displaying an image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit ;
A content specification control unit for specifying the reference source content displayed on the screen and the reference destination content displayed on the screen;
A content acquisition control unit having a function of acquiring the reference source content and the reference destination content under the control of the content designation control unit and monitoring the acquisition status of the content;
A parent content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference source content;
A child content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference destination content,
The superimposition setting unit determines the transmissivity and mixing ratio of the superimposition display of the reference source content and the reference destination content according to the content acquisition status monitored by the content acquisition control unit,
Further, the superimposition setting unit includes a transmittance / mixing ratio designating unit for designating the transmittance or the mixing ratio,
The transmissivity / mixing ratio designating means is constituted by a gesture operation detecting means using a pointing device, and based on the gesture operation , the transmissivity display and mixing ratio of the reference source content and the reference destination content are displayed. An electronic content browsing apparatus characterized by adjusting and specifying. An electronic content browsing device for displaying and browsing content,
The reference source when the reference source content and the reference destination content that is displayed by specifying the reference location are displayed in a superimposed manner with different transmittances or mixing ratios, which are associated with the reference position of the reference source content A superimposition setting unit for setting the transmissivity or mixing ratio between the content and the reference destination content;
A superimposed display image generation output unit configured to generate a superimposed display image of the reference source content and the reference destination content based on the set transmittance or mixing rate;
An image display device for displaying an image output by the superimposed display image composition output unit ;
A content specification control unit for specifying the reference source content displayed on the screen and the reference destination content displayed on the screen;
A content acquisition control unit having a function of acquiring the reference source content and the reference destination content under the control of the content designation control unit and monitoring the acquisition status of the content;
A parent content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference source content;
A child content holding unit that stores and holds the acquired reference destination content,
The superimposition setting unit determines the transmissivity and mixing ratio of the superimposition display of the reference source content and the reference destination content according to the content acquisition status monitored by the content acquisition control unit,
Further, the superimposition setting unit includes a transmittance / mixing ratio designating unit for designating the transmittance or the mixing ratio,
The transmittance / mixing ratio designating means is constituted by a hardware button having a pressure sensing function or a software button capable of simulating the designation of pressing intensity, and based on the operation of the hardware button or software button, Specify by adjusting the transparency and mixing ratio of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content ,
The electronic content browsing , wherein the superimposition setting unit automatically adjusts the transmissivity and the mixing ratio of the superimposition display at a specific position on the content by the transmissivity / mixing ratio designating unit according to the stop time of the operation apparatus. It includes a content analysis unit that analyzes content information and generates content analysis information.
The superimposed setting unit, wherein according to the content analysis information, wherein determining a superimposed transmission and the mixing ratio of the reference source content and the reference destination content from claim 1, wherein in any one of claims 5 Electronic content browsing device. 7. The electronic content browsing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the content information to be analyzed is an image characteristic of the content, content details, or content update time. Possess the ability to change the reference based on content the referenced content being displayed,
When the superimposed display of the transmittance and the mixing ratio of the reference destination content and the reference source content exceeds a threshold value specified in advance, according to claim reference destination content from claim 1, characterized in that changing to the next reference source content 8. The electronic content browsing device according to any one of items 7 . The child content holding unit stores data representing a part of the reference destination content body or an outline of the reference destination content, and acquires the data of the reference destination content body when changing the reference destination content to the reference source content. The electronic content browsing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the electronic content browsing device is changed to reference source content. An electronic content browsing method for displaying and browsing content,
The reference source when the reference source content and the reference destination content that is displayed by specifying the reference location are displayed in a superimposed manner with different transmittances or mixing ratios, which are associated with the reference position of the reference source content Set the transparency or mixing ratio between the content and the referenced content,
Based on the set transmittance or mixing rate, generate a superimposed display image of the reference source content and the reference destination content,
While displaying the generated superimposed display image on the image display device,
An electronic content browsing method characterized by automatically adjusting the transmissivity and mixing ratio of superimposed display in accordance with the operation stop time at a specific position on the content by a pointing device. It has a function of monitoring the content acquisition status, and determines the transmissivity and mixing rate of the superimposed display of the reference source content and the reference destination content according to the content acquisition status monitored by the content acquisition control unit. The electronic content browsing method according to claim 10 . Analyzing content information to generate content analysis information,
12. The electronic content browsing method according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein a transmission rate and a mixing rate of superimposed display of reference source content and reference destination content are determined according to the content analysis information. 13. The electronic content browsing method according to claim 12 , wherein the content information to be analyzed is image characteristics of the content, content details, or content update time. When the superimposed display of the transmittance and the mixing ratio of the reference destination content and the reference source content exceeds a threshold value specified in advance, according to claim reference destination content from claim 10, characterized in that changing to the next reference source content 14. The electronic content browsing method according to any one of items 13 . The electronic content browsing method according to claim 10 or 14 , wherein the reference destination content is changed to the reference source content when a predetermined time has elapsed since the reference destination content was displayed. Store the data representing a part of the reference content body or the outline of the reference content in the child content holding unit, and acquire and reference the data of the reference destination content when changing the reference content to the reference content 16. The electronic content browsing method according to claim 14 or 15 , wherein the original content is changed.

Images