JP4670500B2 - Program, information processing method, information processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a program, an information processing method, and an information processing apparatus that display information including a processing target area such as a link setting portion, for example, a function as a browser.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-200086

Today, with the spread of the Internet, software (browser) for browsing information on the Internet is used in various environments. When browsing information using a personal computer, it is often performed using a mouse to perform page turning and link processing to other information.
Furthermore, recently, various electronic devices other than personal computers, such as television receivers, AV system devices, mobile phones, and the like that can browse website information on the Internet, have become widespread. As a user operation means, information is often browsed in an environment without a mouse. For example, in the case of a television receiver having a browser function, a remote commander is used for operations when browsing Internet information.

  In an environment without a mouse, it is necessary to devise an operation for a link to other information embedded in information displayed by a browser. That is, another appropriate operation is required in place of the click operation of the link setting portion by the mouse.

  The most commonly used link operation in an environment that does not use a mouse is to place the cursor on the link setting part, move the cursor to the link you want to click using the cursor button provided by the remote commander, and press the enter key This is an operation method of pressing.

For example, FIG. 26 shows a state in which information such as Internet information is displayed on the screen by the browser function. In the displayed text, a link setting part 101 (hereinafter, a display range as a link setting part is referred to as “link 101”) in which a link is set is provided in various places. The portion designated as the link 101 is indicated by the underline, a different display color, or the like as a link setting portion.
Further, at this time, it is assumed that the cursor 100 is positioned with respect to the link 101 set to the characters “view”.

When performing a link operation with the remote commander, the cursor 100 is moved to a desired link 101 with an arrow button (arrow key) for moving the cursor.
For example, when the down arrow button is pressed once from the state of FIG. 26, the cursor 100 is moved to the link 101 of the characters “HDD”. If the enter key is pressed in this state, it becomes the same operation as a click on the mouse, and processing corresponding to the link setting of “HDD” is performed. For example, linked data is displayed.

As described above, for example, when the cursor position with respect to the link 101 is moved with an arrow button or the like, if each link 101 is displayed on the screen, there is no sense of incongruity in operation for the user. For example, in the display state of FIG. 26, there is no problem in moving the cursor 100 on each link 101 of “VTR”, “recording”, “viewing”, “HDD”, “DVR”, and “reservation registration” with an arrow button or the like. For example, when the user presses the up arrow button while the cursor 100 is in the “viewing” portion, the user does not feel uncomfortable that the cursor moves to the “recording” position.
Here, it is assumed that the screen is scrolled as shown in FIG. The link 101 “VTR” “recording” is hidden in the upper part of the screen.
In the state of FIG. 27, if the user presses the up arrow button, the screen is scrolled up to display the line including the “record” link 101 in order to move the cursor to the “record” position. After displaying, move the cursor there. However, when the user performs an operation with the expectation that the cursor will move, such a scrolling of the screen makes the user feel uncomfortable.
In particular, when the data being displayed is on a large number of pages on the screen and the position of the link 101 is far away, the display content changes suddenly and greatly changes on the screen. The user feels a sense of discomfort and is inconvenient for browsing information.
On the other hand, if the cursor is moved to the “recording” position outside the screen without such scrolling, the cursor disappears, which is also very uncomfortable for the user.

Further, such a situation occurs not only in the movement of the cursor 100 with respect to the link 101 but also in the selection determination operation of the link 101.
In order to simplify the link operation in the operation environment that does not use the mouse as described above, it is conceivable to provide an operation button for directly selecting and determining the link 101.
For example, a certain operation button is used as the link operation button of the link 101 “VTR” in FIG. 26, and when the button is operated, the link processing for “VTR” is performed regardless of the cursor position.
However, if the “VTR” link operation button is not displayed as shown in FIG. 27 and the “VTR” link operation button is operated, the link processing for “VTR” is performed. The discomfort is great. Since the user does not recognize the link portion on the screen, for example, the display screen content may be switched by link processing that is not intended by the user.

The above is the operation for the link 101 as the processing target area. As the processing target area for performing the processing with the cursor 100 positioned on the screen, various icons, operator images, and text boxes that are set to be clickable are used. , Pull-down list boxes, etc., and these also have the same problem in an environment that does not use a mouse.
In view of this, the present invention provides the above when the user performs an operation related to a specific processing target area, such as an operation of moving the cursor to the processing target area such as the link 101 or an operation of selecting and determining the processing target area such as the link 101. It is an object of the present invention to provide a more comfortable operating environment without causing such a sense of incongruity and inconvenience.

The program of the present invention is a program for operating an information processing apparatus that displays information including a processing target area, which is a link setting portion in which a link to other information is set, on a display screen.
In the operation input device, an allocation processing step for performing processing for allocating a processing target area included in the information for an arrow operator that indicates a direction of cursor movement on the display screen, and operation detection for detecting an operation input When an operation input of the arrow operator is detected in the step and the operation detection step, whether or not a specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator, and a specific processing target When an area is allocated, a determination step for determining whether or not the specific processing target area is displayed on the display screen, and an arrow operator operated in the determination step If it is determined that a specific processing target area is allocated and the specific processing target area is displayed on the display screen, the arrow In response to the operation input of the gesture, the cursor display is moved to the specific processing target area on the display screen, and the specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator in the determination step. If it is determined that the specific processing target area is assigned but the specific processing target area is not displayed on the display screen, an operation input of the arrow operator is used. Then, the information processing apparatus is caused to execute an operation corresponding processing step for performing a process of scrolling the information displayed on the display screen .
Further, in the allocation processing step, every time the cursor display is positioned in a certain processing target area, the cursor display position is changed according to the positional relationship between the cursor display position on the display screen and another processing target area. Causes the information processing apparatus to execute processing for assigning the other processing target area to an assignment operator other than the arrow operator in the operation input device. When the operation detection step detects an operation input of the allocation operator assigned with the processing target area in the allocation processing step, the processing target area assigned to the operated allocation operator is displayed. In the second determination step for determining whether or not the current state is displayed on the screen, and the processing target area assigned to the assigned assignment operator operated in the second determination step is displayed on the display screen. If it is determined that the state is determined, the link processing of the processing target area allocated to the allocation operator is executed according to the operation input of the allocation operator, and the operation is performed in the second determination step. A second operation corresponding process for invalidating the operation input of the assignment operator when it is determined that the processing target area assigned to the assigned assignment operator is not displayed on the display screen. A step is further performed in the information processing apparatus.
Whether or not the processing target area set as the cursor display position is displayed on the display screen when the operation input of the determination operator in the operation input device is detected in the operation detection step. If it is determined in the third determination step for determining the processing area and the third determination step that the processing target area at the cursor display position is displayed on the display screen, the determination operator In response to the operation input, link processing of the processing target area set as the cursor display position is executed, and the processing target area set as the cursor display position is displayed on the display screen in the third determination step. When it is determined that there is no state, the information processing apparatus is further caused to execute a third operation corresponding processing step that invalidates the operation input of the determination operator.

An information processing method of the present invention, an information processing method for an information processing apparatus for displaying information including the processing target area link is configured link portion of the other information on the display screen, the operation input device, the for arrow operator for instructing the direction of cursor movement on the display screen, the assignment processing step of performing processing for allocating a processing target region included in the information, an operation detection step of detecting an operation input, the operation detection step When an operation input of the arrow operator is detected , whether or not a specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator, and a specific processing target area is assigned the specific processing region thereof, a determining step of determining whether or not the state is displayed on the display screen, in the determination step, is operated Specific processing region to mark operator has assigned and, if a specific processing target area that is determined to a state that is displayed on the display screen, according to the operation input of the arrow operator The cursor display is moved to the specific processing target area on the display screen, and a specific processing target area is not assigned to the operated arrow operator in the determining step , or a specific processing target area is assigned. If it is determined that the processing target area is assigned but the specific processing target area is not displayed on the display screen, the display is displayed on the display screen in response to the operation input of the arrow operator. The operation corresponding process step which performs the process which scrolls the information currently stored is provided.

The information processing apparatus of the present invention is an information processing apparatus that displays information including a processing target area, which is a link setting portion in which a link to other information is set, on a display screen. Then, the operation input device, the arrow operator for instructing the direction of cursor movement on the display screen, detects an assignment processing means for performing processing for allocating a processing target region included in the information, the operation input operation When an operation input of the arrow operator is detected by the detection means and the operation detection means, whether or not a specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator, and a specific process When a target area is assigned, a determination means for determining whether or not the specific processing target area is displayed on the display screen, and an arrow operator operated by the determination means specific processing region is assigned, and, when a specific processing target area that is determined to a state that is displayed on the display screen, response to the operation input of the arrow operator to Te, the cursor performs processing of moving to the specific processing region on the display screen, in the discrimination unit, whether a particular processing target area to the operated arrow operator is not assigned, or particular If it is determined that the processing target area is assigned but the specific processing target area is not displayed on the display screen, the display is displayed on the display screen in response to the operation input of the arrow operator. Operation corresponding processing means for performing processing for scrolling the stored information .

That is, according to the present invention, when the user performs an operation related to the processing target area such as the link setting portion included in the information displayed on the screen, the specific processing target area targeted by the operation input is displayed on the screen at that time. It is determined whether it is displayed. If it is displayed, processing corresponding to the operation, for example, cursor movement to the processing target area, processing of the processing target area (for example, processing corresponding to link processing or selection of an icon for determining selection of a link setting portion) Etc.), but if the processing target area is not displayed, those processes are not performed. That is, the user operation in such a case is not handled as an operation input related to the processing target area. For example, the operation is invalid.
The cursor is used as a display indicating a specific processing target position on the screen, and there are various display forms. For example, in any display form such as frame display, underline display, reverse display, highlight display, and the like, the display indicating the processing target position on the screen is included in the cursor in the present invention.
The processing target area is not limited to the link setting part, but is an area where the cursor is placed and performs some processing. Various icons, operation image, text box, pull-down list box, Applicable to check input boxes.

  According to the present invention, even if an operation is performed on a processing target area such as a link setting portion on information, if the processing target area is not displayed on the screen, processing related to the processing target area is performed according to the operation For example, the cursor movement to the link setting portion as the processing target area and the selection determination processing (link processing or the like) for the link setting portion or the like are not performed. As a result, processing operations related to the processing target area that the user does not recognize on the screen will not be performed, and the user will not feel uncomfortable or inconvenience when browsing information, realizing comfortable information browsing it can.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order.
[1. Screen display example of embodiment]
[2. System configuration]
[3. Structure for assignment processing]
[4. Browser processing]

[1. Screen display example of embodiment]

The embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to an example in which the present invention is implemented in a television system having a browser function for information obtained from a network such as the Internet. In the embodiment, a link setting portion is given as an example of the processing target area on the display screen.
Prior to the description of the system configuration, an example of a screen displayed by the browser function will be described. In this embodiment, an operation for sequentially moving the cursor and an operation for directly selecting and determining the link setting portion can be performed on the link setting portion on the screen.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a screen displayed by the browser M function in the system of the present embodiment. In this case, a part of the text is displayed as information on the Internet website or the like, but in the text, a link setting portion 101 in which a link to other information, for example, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is set. (Hereinafter, the link setting portion 101 is simply expressed as “link 101”). The portion designated as the link 101 is indicated by the underline, a different display color, or the like as a link setting portion.
Further, at this time, it is assumed that the cursor 100 is positioned with respect to the link 101 set to the characters “view”.

When an operation is performed with the remote commander 3 described later in FIG. 4, the arrow button 32 is used to move the cursor 100. By using the up arrow button, the down arrow button, the right arrow button, and the left arrow button as the arrow buttons 32, the cursor 100 and each link 101 can be sequentially selected according to the direction.
Further, when the determination button 33 in FIG. 4 is pressed while the cursor 100 is positioned on a certain link 101, the link function of the link 101 designated by the cursor 100 is activated, and link processing is performed.

  Further, in the case of this example, in addition to the operation using the arrow button 32 and the determination button 33, the number button 31 is used as an example so that a simpler link operation can be executed.

The remote commander 3 shown in FIG. 4 is a remote commander for a television system (a tuner device 2 to be described later), and includes, for example, numeric buttons 31 from “1” to “12” as operation buttons for channel selection operation. ing.
In this example, as shown in FIG. 1, the positional relationship between the position of the cursor 100 and the position of the other link 101 is correlated with the positional relationship centered on the number button 31, for example, the “5” button. Make an assignment. On the screen, a button icon 102 indicating the assigned operation element (numeric button 31) is displayed on each link 101.
For example, in FIG. 1, when the cursor 100 is positioned on the link 101 “view”, the “1” button in the number buttons 31 is assigned to the link 101 “VTR”. Then, a button icon 102 indicating “1” is superimposed and displayed near “VTR”.
Similarly, “record”, “HDD”, “DVR”, “reservation registration”, etc. as other links 101 are assigned with “3” button, “7” button, “9” button, “8” button, respectively. A button icon 102 is displayed in a superimposed manner.

For such a display, the user can directly perform a link operation. For example, in the state of FIG. 1, the cursor 100 is positioned on the link 101 “viewing”, and if the determination button 33 (or “5” button may be used) is operated from this state, the link processing related to “viewing” is performed. However, the other links 101 can also be operated directly. For example, if the “1” button is pressed, the link operation of the “VTR” link 101 is directly performed, and the processing by the “VTR” link setting is performed. Similarly, if the “8” button is pressed, the “reservation” is directly performed. The link operation of the “Register” link 101 is performed, and the processing by the link setting of “Reservation registration” is performed. That is, the link operation can be executed as an operation of the number button 31 once for the link 101 shown on the screen without performing the determination operation after sequentially moving the cursor 100.
As described above, in the system example that realizes the cursor movement with respect to the link 101 and the direct link operation with respect to the link 101, the configuration and processing example of the present embodiment will be described below.

[2. System configuration]

FIG. 2 shows a television system according to the embodiment. The system is formed by connecting a monitor device 1 and a tuner device. A remote commander 3 is used for user operations. The remote commander 3 outputs an infrared command signal in response to various button operations, and the infrared command signal is received by the light receiving unit 19 of the tuner device 2.
The tuner device 2 includes, for example, a terrestrial broadcast or satellite broadcast tuner, and receives and demodulates a stream video signal of a broadcast program. Then, the video signal is supplied to and displayed on a monitor device 1 having a screen such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), a liquid crystal panel, or a plasma display panel. Further, the tuner device 2 has a network communication function such as the Internet and a browser function, and can display data such as a website on the monitor device 1.
In FIG. 2, the tuner device 2 and the monitor device 1 are separate devices. However, a case where these devices are integrated to form a television receiver is also conceivable as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration showing the tuner device 2 in detail.
The tuner device 2 is provided with a tuner 11 corresponding to terrestrial broadcast or satellite broadcast as a broadcast reception function, and performs reception demodulation processing on, for example, a digital broadcast wave received by the antenna 6.
Note that the reception function is not necessarily a mode of demodulating the broadcast wave received by the antenna 6, but a tuner or decoder corresponding to so-called cable TV broadcast or streaming broadcast supplied via a network such as the Internet is provided. Also good.
The broadcast signal received by the tuner 11 is supplied to the demultiplexer 13 after being decoded by the descrambler 12 to cancel the scramble process.
The demultiplexer 13 separates the encoded video signal and audio signal from the transport stream of the received multiplexed digital broadcast signal.

The video signal separated by the demultiplexer 13 is supplied to the video processing circuit 15 via the video switching unit 14, and the video of a predetermined system such as a decoding process of encoded data or the NTSC (National TV Standards Committee) system, for example. It is converted into a signal and output to the monitor device 1. Of course, a PAL (Phase Alternation by Line) method, a SECAM (Sequential Color And Memory) method, or the like may be used. Furthermore, there are various output signal forms such as composite video signals, Y / C signals, and RGB signals in the signal forms in each system.
The audio signal separated by the demultiplexer 13 is supplied to the audio processing circuit 17 via the audio switching unit 16, and the decoded data is decoded and A / D converted, and is supplied to the monitor device 1. The
The monitor device 1 displays and outputs the video signal thus supplied, and outputs an audio signal from the speaker.

An OSD (On Screen Display) addition circuit 18 generates image data for display based on the control of the CPU 20. When image data such as various characters, icons, cursors, menu images, etc. is generated by the OSD addition circuit 18, these image data are superimposed on the video signal by the video processing circuit 15, or switched to the video signal, and then monitored. The image data is supplied to the apparatus 1 and displayed.
The image data generated by the OSD addition circuit 18 includes, for example, GUI images such as various operation menus and icons, messages, channel and volume display, and images based on browser functions.

The interface 22 communicates with the network 5 such as the Internet and external devices. The interface 22 can be an interface corresponding to a standard such as IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 1394, USB (Universal Serial Bus), and the like. It can also be constructed.
Although the interface method, communication form, network structure, and the like are not limited, in FIG. 3, the interface 22 is used as a part for realizing an Internet communication function and a communication function with an external device such as the digital recording / reproducing apparatus 4. It is shown generally.
Video data and audio data supplied from the network 5 or an external device such as the digital recording / reproducing apparatus 4 are supplied to the video processing circuit 15 and the audio processing circuit 17 via the video switching unit 14 and the audio switching unit 16. Through the predetermined processing, the monitor apparatus 1 can output the broadcast video / sound received by the tuner 11.

A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 20 functions as a controller that performs overall control of the tuner device 2. That is, the CPU 20 selects a tuning operation at the tuner 11, instructs the descrambler 12 and the demultiplexer 13 to process, controls the switching of the video switching unit 14 and the audio switching unit 16, and instructs the processing of the video processing circuit 15 and the audio processing circuit 17. Then, an OSD image generation instruction or the like in the OSD addition circuit 18 is performed according to a user operation or an operation program.
Furthermore, the CPU 20 also functions as a data browser for Internet sites and the like. That is, it is possible to access a website or the like via the interface 22 and execute display of an image obtained on the website or the like or link processing.

The memory 21 generally indicates a memory area accessed by the CPU 20 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a flash memory.
A ROM in the memory 21 stores a platform software module for operating the CPU 20, a startup module, and the like.
The RAM in the memory 21 temporarily stores a start-up module, a platform software program such as an OS, an application program, or parameters that change as appropriate during execution. Further, it is used as a work area for various arithmetic processes of the CPU 20.
The flash memory in the memory 21 is used for storing information that is not lost even when the power is turned off, such as various processing coefficients and history information.

A remote commander 3 is assumed as an operation input means for user operation.
When the user operates the remote commander 3, for example, an operation signal is output as an infrared signal. The infrared operation signal is received by the light receiving unit 19, converted into an electric signal, and transmitted to the CPU 20. That is, the user can perform various instructions and inputs by operating the operation unit of the remote commander 3. The CPU 20 detects operation input information from the remote commander 3, performs predetermined control, and causes the tuner device 2 to execute an operation instructed by the user.
Of course, the remote commander 3 is not limited to the infrared system, but may be one using radio waves, for example.
Although not shown in the figure, the same operation can be performed by an operation key, an operation dial, or the like as a panel operation unit provided on the main body housing of the tuner device 2.
Examples of user operations performed by the remote commander 3 and a panel operation unit (not shown) include channel selection, volume adjustment, mode switching, cursor operation, determination operation, browser operation, and the like.

The operation of such a tuner device 2 will be described.
First, the operation during normal broadcast viewing will be described. When a user selects a broadcast station (channel) by operating the remote commander 3, the operation information is transmitted to the CPU 20, and the CPU 20 controls the tuner 11 according to the channel selection operation. The tuner 11 selects a broadcast station according to the channel selection information instructed by the CPU 20, and receives and demodulates the broadcast content that is modulated and sent in the transport stream format. Next, if it is a pay broadcast or the like and is encrypted, the descrambler 12 unscrambles and the demultiplexer 13 unmultiplexes the transport stream under the control of the CPU 20. Since the separated video signal and audio signal are encoded, the video signal is decoded by the video processing circuit 15 and the audio signal is decoded by the audio processing circuit 175.

  At the time of data broadcast reception, the data broadcast signal separated by the demultiplexer 13 is transmitted to the OSD addition circuit 18 as a data broadcast screen display signal via the CPU 20, and a GUI (Graphical User Interface) under the drawing command of the CPU 20. A video signal is created, added to the video signal decoded by the video processing circuit 15, and output to the display of the monitor device 1. The decoded audio signal is output from the speaker of the monitor device 1.

  The user can also activate an application such as a browser by operating the remote commander 3. For example, when the user performs an operation for instructing activation / termination of the browser with the remote commander 3, the CPU 20 reads and activates the application from the memory 21. When the browser is activated, the CPU 20 uses the browser function to obtain information on the Internet via the interface 22 and display the information for viewing by the user.

In order to record the broadcast content, the user may perform a recording operation with the remote commander 3. Then, the video / audio signal of the received broadcast content is transferred to the digital recording / reproducing apparatus 4 connected via the interface 22 under the control of the CPU 20. In response to a request from the CPU 20, content video / audio recording is performed on the digital recording / reproducing apparatus side.
When the user performs a playback operation with the remote commander 3, the CPU 20 instructs the digital recording / playback apparatus 4 to perform a playback operation, and causes the recorded content video / audio to be played back. The reproduced content video / audio data is input via the interface 22, processed by the video processing circuit 15 and the audio processing circuit 17, and output by the display and the speaker of the monitor device 1.

  Note that the tuner device 2 shown in FIG. 3 is an example of an information processing device according to the present invention, and is shown as an example of a device that performs an operation on a browser screen in the absence of a mouse.

FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of the operation buttons of the remote commander 3. The remote commander 3 is provided with various operation buttons necessary for operation of the tuner device 2 and connected external devices as operation elements. As shown in FIG. 4, as operation buttons related to the operation of this example described later. A numeric button 31, an arrow button 32, an enter button 33, and a browser button 34 are provided.
As the numeric buttons 31, “1” to “12” buttons are provided, which function as channel selection buttons when receiving a normal television broadcast. When the browser operation is performed, in this example, all or part of the “1” button to “12” buttons are assigned to the link 101 shown in FIG. The
As the arrow button 32, an upper button, a lower button, a right button, and a left button are provided. These arrow buttons 32 are used for moving the cursor 100 in that direction, moving a selected portion on the menu screen, and the like. During the browser operation, the cursor 100 can be sequentially moved with respect to the link 101 by the arrow button 32.
The determination button 33 is a determination operation button. For example, when the determination button 33 is pressed when the cursor 100 is positioned on a certain link 101, link processing can be executed as the determination operation. It also serves as operation buttons for various determination operations on the menu screen and other user interface screens.
The browser button 34 is an operation button for instructing on / off of the browser function.

Next, FIG. 5 shows a software configuration for the browser function in the CPU 20.
As shown in FIG. 5, the software configuration includes a window system / graphics processing unit 41, an input processing unit 42, a Javascript engine 43, an image decoder 44, an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) 45, a network unit 46, a renderer 47, a layouter. 48 and parser 49 are configured.
When the tuner device 2 is connected to the network 5 through the interface 22 in FIG. 3, the protocol processing is performed by the HTTP 45 on the data obtained by the network unit 46 in FIG. The layout of the link 101 and the like is determined by the layout 48 based on the analysis result, and the renderer 47 performs display control via the window system / graphics processing unit 41.
User operations are processed via the input processing unit 42. Processing related to the link operation of this example, which will be described later, is realized by the input processing unit 42 in cooperation with the renderer 47 and the layouter 48.
In the following description, it is assumed that the link is stored as a polygon surrounding the link in the layouter 48.

[3. Structure for assignment processing]

As described with reference to FIG. 1, in this example, the numeric buttons 31 are dynamically assigned to the links 101 included in the data displayed on the screen. When the assigned numeric button 31 is operated, link processing is performed according to the operation.
Note that the button assigned to the link 101 is not limited to the numeric button 31 in the remote commander 3 and may be determined according to the system.

First, FIG. 6 schematically shows a pointer structure of the “1” button to the “12” button in the numeric buttons 31. This is an internal data structure representing the button arrangement, and is used in the algorithm processing described later.
Each of the twelve structures in FIG. 6A shows “1” button to “12” button, and the number of the number button 31 is shown in the center divided into nine.
As each structure, a pointer to another button arranged around is shown. That is, the eight surrounding squares as viewed from the center of the nine divisions are pointers to the eight buttons around the square. FIG. 6B shows pointer names used in processing to be described later. As shown in the figure, the up, down, left, and right pointers are set for the up / down / left / right buttons, and as the pointers for the buttons located in the diagonal direction, the P1 pointer is set to the upper right and the upper left is set to the upper left. The P2 pointer, the lower left diagonal will be called the P3 pointer, and the lower right diagonal will be called the P4 pointer.

  FIG. 6A shows a button indicated by each pointer from the “5” button. When viewed from the “5” button, the upper pointer indicates the “2” button, the lower pointer indicates the “8” button, the left pointer indicates the “4” button, and the right pointer indicates the “6” button. The P1 pointer indicates the “3” button, the P2 pointer indicates the “1” button, the P3 pointer indicates the “7” button, and the P4 pointer indicates the “9” button.

The portion with “x” indicates that in the button layout of the remote commander 3 in this example, there is no button for assigning the link 101 in the direction of the pointer. That is, there is no pointer in the “x” part. For example, for the “1” button, only the right pointer, the P4 pointer, and the lower pointer exist, and the P1 pointer, the upper pointer, the P2 pointer, the left pointer, and the P3 pointer do not exist.
However, for example, when the link 101 other than the number button 31 is to be assigned, for example, when the button directly above the “1” button in FIG. Point to the top pointer of the button.

In addition, an assignment start button pointer 80 is set for the process of assigning the numeric button 31 to the link 101. When the assignment start button pointer 80 is set to the “5” button, the assignment process is performed based on the “5” button.
The display on / off button pointer 81 is a pointer for determining an operation button (display on / off button) for turning on / off the display of the button icon 102 shown in FIG. For example, when the “5” button is set as the display on / off button pointer 81, the “5” button functions as the display on / off button.
Note that the numeric button 31 other than the “5” button or a button other than the numeric button 31 may be designated by the display on / off button pointer 81. Furthermore, an operation button independent of the numeric buttons 31 and the like may be provided on the remote commander 3 and the like as a display on / off button.

FIG. 7 shows axes serving as a reference for determining the coordinate system used in the algorithm of this example. A bounding box that surrounds the link 101 where the cursor 100 is located is used as a reference axis by using an X-axis box 211 extended in the X-axis direction and a Y-axis box 210 extended in the Y-axis direction, respectively.
FIG. 8 shows a coordinate system used when assigning links to buttons.
As shown in the figure, the coordinate range with respect to the position of the cursor 100 is represented by a right box 205, an upper box 206, a left box 207, a lower box 208, a first quadrant 201, a second quadrant 202, a third quadrant 203, and a fourth quadrant 204. And
D1, d2, d3, d4, dd, du, dr, and dl in the figure are defined as the distance between the link 101 and the position of the cursor 100 located in each box in the coordinate system. For example, the distance between the link 101 in the first quadrant and the cursor 100 is defined as d1.

[4. Browser processing]

Hereinafter, a characteristic process of the present embodiment, that is, a process for performing the link direct operation described with reference to FIG. 1 in the operation of the browser function will be described.
First, the main process of the CPU 20 as a browser function will be described with reference to FIG.

The process of FIG. 9 is a process executed after the browser is activated by the CPU 20 in response to the user pressing the browser button 34.
First, in step F101, the CPU 20 reads the button icon display mode saved when the previous browser is ended. That is, it is confirmed whether the button icon display mode is on or off.
If the button icon display mode is not set, the display mode is turned on as a default. Next, in step F102, data relating to the designated URL is read by communication via the network 5 and displayed on the monitor device 1. In step F103, the display waits for the display of the data of the URL.
When the display is completed, the process proceeds to step F104, and the cursor 100 is set to the link 101 at the upper left of the links 101 displayed on the screen of the monitor device 1.
Note that the data acquired by accessing the URL cannot always be displayed entirely on the screen, and a part of the data is often displayed due to the data size or the screen size. In step F104, the process of assigning the cursor 100 to the link 101 at the upper left as the link 101 on the screen display to the last. If the link 101 does not exist in the data, or if the link 101 exists but is not displayed (out of the screen), the cursor 100 is not displayed at that time. In such a case, the cursor may be displayed in a portion other than the link 101 at the upper left position on the screen.

Thereafter, the process proceeds to step F105, and button processing shown in FIG. As a result of the button process, another URL by the link process or a browser end command is returned.
If a URL is returned in the button process in step F105, the process returns from step F106 to F102, and processing for reading and displaying the data of the URL is executed.
On the other hand, if a browser end command is returned in the button processing in step F105, the process proceeds to step F107, where the button icon display mode at that time is saved and the browser is ended.

  The button processing in step F105 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 shows in detail the button processing in step F105, and is a flowchart mainly including button allocation processing and processing for button input from the user.

The CPU 20 checks whether there is a link to which the cursor 100 is assigned in the data displayed on the screen in step F200. That is, it is a check as to whether or not the cursor 100 is positioned at a certain link 101 in the actual display screen.
In step F104 of FIG. 9, the cursor 100 is placed on the upper left link 101 in the screen. However, if the link 101 does not exist or the link 101 is off the screen, the cursor 100 is linked at the time of step F200. 101 is not located.
When the cursor 100 is not positioned on the link 101 as described above, a negative result is obtained in the check in step F200, the process proceeds to step F204, and the CPU 20 waits for a user operation input.

  If the cursor 100 is positioned on a certain link 101 in the display screen, the process proceeds from step F200 to F201. In step F201, using the link 101 on which the cursor 100 is currently applied, a process of assigning another link to a button (numerical button 31 in this example) used by the user for operation is performed. In step F201, each link on the screen is assigned to one of the numeric buttons 31. For example, as described with reference to FIG. 1, when the cursor 100 is positioned on the link 101 “viewing”, “VTR”, “recording”, “HDD”, “DVR”, and “reservation registration” displayed as the link 101 are displayed. , “1” button, “3” button, “7” button, “9” button, and “8” button are assigned respectively.

The link and button assignment process in step F201 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 11 shows link allocation processing to buttons in step F201.
First, in step F301, the button indicated by the assignment start button pointer 80 described in FIG. 6 is set as the current button, and the link where the cursor 100 is currently located is assigned to this current button. For example, when the allocation start button pointer 80 indicates the “5” button and the cursor 100 is on the “view” link 101 as shown in FIG. 1, the “5” button is assigned to the “view” link 101. .
Thereafter, the process proceeds to step F302, and button assignment processing shown in FIG. 12 is performed. For example, each link 101 on the screen is assigned to buttons around the “5” button.

When the button assignment process ends, the process branches in step F303 depending on whether or not the button indicated by the display on / off button pointer 81 and the button indicated by the assignment start button pointer 80 shown in FIG. If they are different, the process of FIG. 11, that is, the process of step F201 of FIG. 10 is completed. For example, in FIG. 6, the display on / off button pointer 81 and the allocation start button pointer 80 both indicate “5” buttons, but in this case, the link allocation of the “5” button is canceled. For this reason, the “5” button functions as a display on / off button.
If the display on / off button pointer 81 designates a button other than the numeric button 31, it is not necessary to cancel the link assignment of the “5” button 31. If the display on / off button pointer 81 is not particularly used and the display on / off button is provided as a dedicated button, the processing of steps F303 and F304 is not necessary.

The button assignment process in step F302 is shown in FIG.
In the button assignment process of FIG. 12, it is checked in step F401 whether the link 101 is assigned to the current button. If the link 101 is not assigned, the process is finished as it is.
When a certain link 101 is assigned, the process proceeds to step F402, and using that link 101, the X-axis box 211 and the Y-axis box 210, the first quadrant 201, the second quadrant 202, the third quadrant 203, the fourth An allocation priority list for the link 101 that intersects the quadrant 204 is created.

The link priority list creation process in step F402 is shown in FIG.
The priority list is created for each of the lower box 208, the right box 205, the upper box 206, the left box 207, the first quadrant 201, the second quadrant 202, the third quadrant 203, and the fourth quadrant 204.

In step F501, the links 101 intersecting with the lower box 208 are arranged in the order closer to the cursor 100 using the distance dd defined in FIG. That is, one or a plurality of links 101 positioned in the lower box 208 relative to the position of the cursor 100 are arranged in the order of the distance dd to form a lower list.
If there are links 101 having the same distance dd as the links 101 located in the lower box 208, the priority is determined in “Process 1 of links of the same distance” described later in step F502, and the links are connected to the list.

In step F503, the links 101 intersecting with the right box 205 are arranged in the order closer to the cursor 100 using the distance dr defined in FIG.
If there is a link 101 having the same distance dr, the priority order is determined in “processing 1 of links having the same distance” in step F504.
In step F505, the links 101 intersecting with the left box 207 are arranged in the order closer to the cursor 100 using the distance dl defined in FIG.
If there are links 101 having the same distance dl, the priority order is determined in “Process 1 of links having the same distance” in step F506.
In step F507, the links 101 intersecting the upper box 206 are arranged in the order closer to the cursor 100 using the distance du defined in FIG.
If there is a link 101 having the same distance du, the priority order is determined by “processing 1 of links having the same distance” in step F508.

“Process 1 of links of the same distance” in steps F502, F504, F506, and F508 is the process shown in FIG.
In step F551, it is determined whether or not there is a link 101 having the same distance (distance dd in the case of the lower box 208) in the target box currently being processed (for example, the lower box 208 in the case of step F502).
If there is a link 101 having the same distance, the process proceeds to step F552, and the areas where each link 101 intersects the target box are compared. As described above, each link 101 is stored as a polygon surrounding the link portion in the layout 48 of FIG. 5. In this case, the overlapping area between the polygon as each link 101 and the target box is calculated. And this is the process of comparing them.
If there is no link having the same area intersecting the target box, the process proceeds to step F553, and the links 101 are connected to the list in order of the occupied area with respect to the target box.
If the crossing areas of the plurality of links 101 intersecting in step F552 are the same, the process proceeds to step F554, and the process branches according to the target box.
That is, in the case of the process in step F502, since the target box is the lower box 208, the process proceeds to step F556, and priority is given to the link located on the right side for the plurality of links 101 having the same distance dd and the occupied area in the lower box 208. Connect to the list below.
In the case of the processing in step F504, since the target box is the right box 205, the process proceeds to step F555, and priority is given to the link located on the lower side of the plurality of links 101 having the same distance dr and the occupied area in the right box 205. Let's connect to the right list.
In the case of the processing in step F506, since the target box is the left box 207, the process proceeds to step F555, and the lower link is prioritized for the plurality of links 101 having the same distance dl and the occupied area in the left box 207. Connect to the left list.
In the case of the processing in step F508, since the target box is the upper box 206, the process proceeds to step F556, and priority is given to the link located on the right side for the plurality of links 101 having the same distance du and the occupied area in the upper box 206. Connect to the above list.

As described above, the lower list, the right list, the left list, and the upper list are created depending on the processing of steps F501 to F508 in FIG.
In each list, the links 101 in the target box are given priorities in the order from the shortest distance to the cursor 100.
The links 101 having the same distance are given priority in the order of the occupied area in the target box.
If the distance and occupied area are the same, the lower link 101 is given priority in the case of the right box 205 and the left box 207, and the right link 101 is given priority in the case of the lower box 208 and the upper box 206. Is done.

  Then, it progresses to step F509 of FIG. After step F509, the priority list of the link 101 is created for the first quadrant 201, the second quadrant 202, the third quadrant 203, and the fourth quadrant 204.

First, in step F509, the links 101 intersecting the fourth quadrant 204 are arranged in the order from the cursor 100 using the distance d4 defined in FIG.
If there is a link 101 having the same distance d4, the priority order is determined in "Process 2 of links having the same distance" in step F510.
Next, in step F511, the links 101 intersecting with the third quadrant 203 are arranged in the order closer to the cursor 100 using the distance d3 defined in FIG.
If there is a link 101 having the same distance d3, the priority order is determined in "Process 2 of links having the same distance" in step F512.
In step F513, the links 101 intersecting the second quadrant 202 are arranged in the order closer to the cursor 100 using the distance d2 defined in FIG.
If there is a link 101 having the same distance d2, the priority order is determined in “Process 2 of links having the same distance” in step F514.
In step F515, the links 101 intersecting the first quadrant 201 are arranged in the order closer to the cursor 100 using the distance d1 defined in FIG.
If there is a link 101 having the same distance d1, the priority order is determined in “Process 2 of links having the same distance” in step F516.

“Process 2 of links of the same distance” in steps F510, F512, F514, and F516 is the process shown in FIG.
In step F571, it is determined whether or not there is a link 101 having the same distance (distance d4 in the case of the fourth quadrant 204) in the target box currently being processed (for example, the fourth quadrant 204 in the case of step F510).
If there is a link 101 having the same distance, the process proceeds to step F572, and the process branches according to the target box.
That is, in the case of the processing in step F510, since the target box is the fourth quadrant 204, the process proceeds to step F574, and for the plurality of links 101 having the same distance d4, the link located on the upper side is prioritized and connected to the fourth quadrant list. .
In the case of the processing in step F512, since the target box is in the third quadrant 203, the process proceeds to step F574, and for the plurality of links 101 having the same distance d3, the link located on the upper side is prioritized and connected to the third quadrant list. .
In the case of the processing in step F514, since the target box is in the second quadrant 202, the process proceeds to step F573, and for the plurality of links 101 having the same distance d2, the lower link is prioritized and connected to the second quadrant list. .
In the case of the processing in step F516, since the target box is in the first quadrant 201, the process proceeds to step F573, and for the plurality of links 101 having the same distance d1, priority is given to the link located on the lower side to connect to the first quadrant list. .

The first quadrant list, the second quadrant list, the third quadrant list, and the fourth quadrant list are created according to the processes of steps F509 to F516 in FIG.
In each list, the links 101 in the target box (quadrant) are given priorities in the order of the closest distance to the cursor 100.
For the links 101 having the same distance, the upper link 101 is given priority in the third quadrant 203 and the fourth quadrant 204, and the lower link 101 in the first quadrant 201 and the second quadrant 202. Takes precedence.

  As the process of step F402 in FIG. 12, the processes of FIGS. 13, 14, and 15 are performed, and the lower list, the right list, the left list, the upper list, the first quadrant list, the second quadrant list, and the third quadrant. After the eight priority lists as the list and the fourth quadrant list are created, the process proceeds to step F403 in FIG. Since this is the first call that is not a restart call, the process proceeds to step F404 to assign a link to the arrow button 32 shown in FIG.

The link assignment process for the arrow button 32 in step F404 is shown in FIG.
In step F601, the first link 101 in the lower list is assigned to the down arrow button. When nothing is assigned, that is, when the link 101 does not exist in the lower list, from the third quadrant list and the fourth quadrant list, in the order closer to the lower box 208 and closer to the cursor 100. Assign the down arrow button. If there is a link 101 of the same distance, the link in the third quadrant 203 is given priority.
In step F602, the first link in the right list is assigned to the right arrow button. If nothing is assigned, right arrow buttons are assigned from the fourth quadrant list and the first quadrant list in the order closer to the right box 205 and closer to the cursor 100. If there is a link 101 of the same distance, the link in the fourth quadrant 204 is prioritized.
In step F603, the top link 101 in the upper list is assigned to the up arrow button. If nothing is assigned, the up arrow button is assigned from the second quadrant list and the first quadrant list in the order closer to the upper box 206 and closer to the cursor 100. If there is a link 101 of the same distance, the link in the first quadrant 201 is given priority.
In step F604, the first link in the left list is assigned to the left arrow button. If nothing is assigned, left arrow buttons are assigned in the order close to the left box 207 from the third quadrant list and the second quadrant list and in the order close to the cursor 100. If there is a link 101 of the same distance, the link in the third quadrant 203 is given priority.

  In step F404 of FIG. 12, when the link assignment to the arrow button 32 is completed in the processing of FIG. 16 described above, the process proceeds to step F405, and using the priority list calculated in step F402, the current button above, below, right, Assign a link to the button beyond the left pointer.

The processing in step F405 is shown in FIG.
In step F701, it is checked whether or not the current button has a lower pointer. If the current button has a lower pointer, the process advances to step F702 to assign a link from the top of the lower list to the button pointed to by the lower pointer. At this time, links other than the arrow buttons 32 to which buttons are already assigned are excluded. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step F703.
Initially, in step F301 in FIG. 11, for example, the “5” button as the button indicated by the assignment start button pointer 80 is the current button, and therefore, it is checked whether or not the “5” button has a lower pointer. As can be seen from FIG. 6, since the “8” button is pointed to by the lower pointer of the “5” button, the first link 101 in the lower list is assigned to the “8” button.

In step F703, it is checked whether the current button has a right pointer. If the current pointer has a right pointer, the process proceeds to step F704, and a link is assigned from the head of the right list to the button indicated by the right pointer. At this time, links other than the arrow buttons 32 to which buttons are already assigned are excluded. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step F705.
When the current button is the “5” button, the right pointer exists as shown in FIG. 6, and the “6” button is indicated by the right pointer of the “5” button. The first link 101 in the list is assigned.

In step F705, it is checked whether the current button has a left pointer. If the current button has a left pointer, the process advances to step F706 to assign a link from the top of the left list to the button pointed to by the left pointer. At this time, links other than the arrow buttons 32 to which buttons are already assigned are excluded. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step F707.
When the current button is the “5” button, the left pointer exists as shown in FIG. 6, and the “4” button is pointed to by the left pointer of the “5” button. The first link 101 in the list is assigned.

In step F707, it is checked whether the current button has an up pointer. If the current pointer has an upper pointer, the process advances to step F708 to assign a link from the top of the upper list to the button pointed to by the upper pointer. At this time, links other than the arrow buttons 32 to which buttons are already assigned are excluded.
When the current button is the “5” button, as can be seen from FIG. 6, the up pointer exists, and the up pointer of the “5” button indicates the “2” button. The first link 101 in the list is assigned.

In the processing of FIG. 17, first, links are assigned to the “8” button, the “6” button, the “4” button, and the “2” button for the “5” button that is the current button.
When step F405 in FIG. 12 is completed as the processing in FIG. 17, the process proceeds to step F406, and similarly, the priority list is used to assign the link 101 to the buttons ahead of the P1, P2, P3, and P4 pointers of the current button. Do.

The processing in step F406 is shown in FIG.
In step F801, it is checked whether or not the current button has a P4 pointer. If the current button has a P4 pointer, the process advances to step F802 to assign a link from the top of the fourth quadrant list to the button pointed to by the P4 pointer. At this time, links other than the arrow buttons 32 to which buttons are already assigned are excluded. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step F803.
Also in this case, first, for example, since the “5” button is the current button, it is checked whether or not the “5” button has a P4 pointer. As can be seen from FIG. 6, since the “9” button is pointed by the P4 pointer of the “5” button, the first link 101 in the fourth quadrant list is assigned to the “9” button.

In step F803, it is checked whether the current button has a P3 pointer. If the current button has a P3 pointer, the process advances to step F804 to assign a link from the top of the third quadrant list to the button indicated by the P3 pointer. At this time, links other than the arrow buttons 32 to which buttons are already assigned are excluded. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step F805.
When the current button is the “5” button, the P3 pointer exists as shown in FIG. 6, and the “7” button is indicated by the P3 pointer of the “5” button. The first link 101 in the three-quadrant list is assigned.

In step F805, it is checked whether the current button has a P1 pointer. If the current button has a P1 pointer, the process proceeds to step F806, and a link is assigned to the button indicated by the P1 pointer from the top of the first quadrant list. At this time, links other than the arrow buttons 32 to which buttons are already assigned are excluded. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step F807.
When the current button is the “5” button, the P1 pointer exists as shown in FIG. The first link 101 in the one-quadrant list is assigned.

In step F807, it is checked whether the current button has a P2 pointer. If the current button has a P2 pointer, the process proceeds to step F808, and a link is assigned to the button pointed to by the P2 pointer from the top of the second quadrant list. At this time, links other than the arrow buttons 32 to which buttons are already assigned are excluded.
When the current button is the “5” button, the P2 pointer exists as shown in FIG. 6, and the “1” button is indicated by the P2 pointer of the “5” button. The first link 101 in the two-quadrant list is assigned.

  In the processing of FIG. 18, the links are assigned to the “9” button, the “7” button, the “3” button, and the “1” button with respect to the “5” button that is the current button.

That is, in the processing of Step F405 (FIG. 17) and Step F406 (FIG. 18) in FIG. 12, the link assignment processing is completed for the button one step ahead indicated by the eight pointers from the current button.
As described above, when the current button is the “5” button, all the eight pointers exist and the surrounding “8” button, “6” button, “4” button, “2” button, “9” The assignment of the link 101 to the button, “7” button, “3” button, and “1” button is completed.
Of course, if there is no link in the list, no assignment is made. For example, if no link 101 exists in the upper list, the link 101 is not assigned to the “2” button.

Then, it progresses to step F407 of FIG. Thereafter, the process of assigning the link 101 to the buttons around the current button is sequentially performed while switching the current button.
First, in step F407, the button indicated by the lower pointer of the initial current button is set as the current button. The initial current button is the current button determined in step F301 in FIG. 11, and is the button indicated by the allocation start button pointer 80, that is, the “5” button in the above case.
In step F407, the “8” button indicated by the lower pointer of the “5” button is set as the current button.
In step F408, the button assignment process is executed as a recall call in a state where the current button is the “8” button. In this case, as a process of step F408, steps F401, F402, F403, F405, and F406 are performed for the new current button (“8” button) (step F404 is not performed at the time of re-calling).
That is, the priority list is created by the process of step F402 using the “8” button as the current button, and the upper pointer, the lower pointer, the right pointer, and the left of the “8” button are processed by the processes of steps F405 and F406 using the priority list. The link 101 is assigned to the buttons indicated by the pointer, the P1 pointer, the P2 pointer, the P3 pointer, and the P4 pointer, that is, the buttons around the “8” button.
However, since the buttons around the “5” button have already been assigned, the “10” button, “11” button, and “12” button are substantially assigned to link assignment.
In addition, when the link 101 is not assigned to the “8” button in the process of setting the first “5” button as the current button (that is, when the link 101 does not exist in the lower list at that time), the restart is performed. At the time of calling, a negative result is obtained in step F401, and step F408 ends. In this case, link assignment using the “8” button as the current button is not performed.

Next, in step F409, the “6” button indicated by the right pointer of the “5” button which is the initial current button is set as the current button. In step F410, the button assignment process is recalled, and steps F401, F402, F403, F405, and F406 are performed with the “6” button as the current button.
In the case of the button arrangement in FIG. 6, it is determined that the “6” button does not have the P1 pointer, the right pointer, and the P4 pointer. That is, a negative result is obtained at steps F703 in FIG. 17 and steps F801 and F805 in FIG.

Thereafter, steps F411 to F422 in FIG. 12 are similarly performed while switching the current buttons.
The reason why links are assigned to the surrounding buttons while switching the current button in this way is because the button arrangement varies depending on the system. For example, the button arrangement shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 is an example of the remote commander 3 of this example, but in all systems, the numeric buttons 31 of the operation means are not arranged in 4 rows × 3 columns. Further, buttons other than the numeric buttons 31 may be assigned to the link 101.
In other words, the button assignment process is performed while switching the current button in order to cope with various operation button arrangements.

As the processing described above with reference to FIGS. 11 to 18, the processing in step F201 in FIG. 10 is executed.
When the assignment process in step F201 is completed, the button icon display mode is checked for on / off in step F202.
If the button icon display mode is off, the process proceeds directly to step F204. In this case, the button icon 102 is not displayed, and the display state on the screen is, for example, as shown in FIG.
On the other hand, if the button icon display mode is on, the button icon 102 is displayed in step F203, and the process proceeds to step F204. The display state on the screen in this case is as shown in FIG. 1, and the button icon 102 is displayed adjacent to the link 101. Of course, the button icon 102 indicates the operation button assigned to each link 101 in the process of step F201. For example, the link 101 "VTR" indicates the assigned "1" button. A button icon 102 indicating the assigned “3” button is displayed for the button 101 and the link 101 “recording”.

The display processing of the button icon 102 in step F203 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 19 shows processing for determining the display position of the button icon 102. For each link 101 displayed on the screen, the button icon 102 is displayed by performing the processing of FIG.
First, in step F901, the top box 206, the bottom box 208, the right box 205, the left box 207, the first quadrant 201, the second quadrant 202, the third quadrant 203, the top in the fourth quadrant 204, or the top of the link 101. Of the intersections of the lower, right, and left boxes with the link 101, a point having the closest distance from the cursor 100 is set as a base point candidate.
In step F902, it is determined whether there is one or more base point candidates. If there is one base point candidate, the process proceeds to step F904, and the base point candidate is used as it is as a base point. 102 is displayed.

If it is determined in step F902 that there are a plurality of base point candidates, the process proceeds to step F903, and a base point is determined from among the plurality of base point candidates.
In this case, it is determined as follows depending on which box the link 101 is.
In the case of the right box 205 and the left box 207, the highest base point candidate among the plurality of base point candidates is set as the base point.
In the case of the upper box 206, the lower box 208, the first quadrant 201, and the fourth quadrant 204, the leftmost base point candidate among the plurality of base point candidates is used as the base point.
In the case of the second quadrant 202 and the third quadrant 203, the rightmost base point candidate among the plurality of base point candidates is set as the base point.
When the base point is determined in this way, the process proceeds to step F904 to display the button icon 102 around the base point.

  An example of the base point determination and the display position of the button icon 102 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 20, the position of the cursor 100 and the surrounding links 101 (101a to 101j) are illustrated. Each link 101 is represented by a polygon as its link setting area.

The link 101a has four intersections with the upper box 206, but the intersection indicated by a triangle closest to the cursor 100 is a base point, and a button icon 102a is displayed centering on this base point.
The link 101b has four vertices in the upper box 206, but two vertices indicated by ▲ near the cursor 100 are set as base point candidates. And since it is in the upper box 206, the left base point candidate is set as the base point, and the button icon 102b is displayed around it.
The link 101c has four vertices in the first quadrant 201, and two vertices indicated by ▲ near the cursor 100 are set as base point candidates. In the figure, dotted circles are added to indicate that the two ▲ vertices have the same distance from the cursor 100. Since it is in the first quadrant 201, the left base point candidate is set as the base point, and the button icon 102c is displayed around this base point.
The link 101d has four vertices in the first quadrant 201, and the vertex indicated by ▲ closest to the cursor 100 is set as a base point, and a button icon 102c is displayed centering on the vertex.
The link 101e has two intersections with the right box 205, but the intersection indicated by ▲ closest to the cursor 100 is the base point, and the button icon 102e is displayed centering on this base point.
The link 101f has four vertices in the right box 205, but two vertices indicated by ▲ near the cursor 100 are set as base point candidates. Since it is in the right box 205, the upper base point candidate is set as the base point, and the button icon 102f is displayed centering on the base point candidate.
The link 101g has four vertices in the fourth quadrant 204. A vertex indicated by a ▲ near the cursor 100 is a base point, and a button icon 102g is displayed around the base point.
The link 101h has four vertices in the lower box 208, but two vertices indicated by ▲ near the cursor 100 are set as base point candidates. And since it is in the lower box 208, the left base point candidate is set as the base point, and the button icon 102h is displayed around it.
The link 101i has four intersections with the lower box 208, but two intersections indicated by ▲ near the cursor 100 are set as base point candidates. Since it is the lower box 208, the left base point candidate is set as the base point, and the button icon 102i is displayed around this base point.
The link 101j has four intersections with the lower box 208, but two intersections indicated by ▲ near the cursor 100 are set as base point candidates. Since it is the lower box 208, the left base point candidate is set as the base point, and the button icon 102j is displayed around this base point.

  As in the above example, the display position of the button icon 102 is determined by the processing of FIG. 19, and the button icon 102 is displayed for each link 101.

  After proceeding to step F204 in FIG. 10, the CPU 20 waits for the user's button operation. Here, the operations of the enter button 33, the arrow button 32, the browser button 34, the display on / off button, and the assignment button are monitored. The display on / off button is a button designated by the display on / off button pointer 81 in FIG. 6, and for example, a “5” button is designated. The assignment button is a button that is a target of the link assignment processing in step F201, and is, for example, each button as the number button 31. As described above, in step F201, all or part of the numeric buttons 31 are assigned according to the number and position of the links 101.

When the operation of the determination button 33 is detected, the process proceeds from step F204 to F205, where it is confirmed whether or not the link 101 being selected with the cursor 100 is displayed on the screen.
For example, it is assumed that the data to be displayed is data as shown in FIG. In this data, it is assumed that a link 101 is set in three character portions “VTR”, “recording”, and “viewing”.
It is assumed that all of this data is not displayed on the screen, and a range 300 indicated by a broken line is a display range displayed on the screen. That is, the image on the screen is as shown in FIG. The cursor 100 indicates a link 101 “view”. In this state, a “1” button is assigned to the link 101 of “VTR” and a “3” button is assigned to the link 101 of “record”. It is going to be.

In the case of this example, a link 101 “view” selected with the cursor 100 is displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. For example, when the determination button 33 is operated when the link 101 selected by the cursor 100 is displayed on the screen in this way, it is determined that the link selected by the cursor is displayed in step F205, and the step Proceed to F217. Then, processing is performed according to the type of link, and the processing of FIG.
For example, if the link 101 set to “view” is a URL, the URL is returned, and the process of step F105 in FIG. 9 ends. In this case, the process proceeds from step F106 to F102 in FIG. 9, and the data of the URL is acquired and displayed via the network 5.
Alternatively, if the link 101 is a link to video data, the corresponding application is activated and processing such as displaying video is performed.

  On the other hand, it is assumed that the range 300 in FIG. 23 is displayed for the data to be displayed and the image on the screen is as shown in FIG. For example, it is a state after data is scrolled downward from the state of FIG. In this case, the link 101 “view” selected with the cursor 100 is hidden at the top of the screen and is not displayed on the screen. When the enter button 33 is operated in such a case, in step F205, it is assumed that the link 101 “viewing” selected by the cursor 100 is not displayed on the screen, and no processing is performed, and the process proceeds to step F204. Will return.

When the operation of the arrow button 32 is detected in step F204, the process proceeds to step F206, and it is confirmed whether or not a link is assigned to the arrow button 32. As described above, the link 101 is assigned to the arrow button 32 in step F404 of FIG.
If there is no link assignment for the operated arrow button 32, the process proceeds to step F208, and the direction of the arrow button 32, that is, the direction of the operated button of the four up, down, left, and right arrow buttons 32 is set on the screen. In step F209, a predetermined amount is scrolled in the operation direction by the arrow button 32, and the process returns to step F204.
For example, as shown in FIG. 22, when scrolling in the operation direction cannot be performed, such as when the up arrow button of the arrow button 32 is pressed while the top of the data is displayed, the process returns to step F204 without any processing.

If the link 101 is assigned to the operated arrow button 32 in step F206, the process proceeds to step F207 to determine whether the link 101 is displayed on the screen. For example, assume that the link 101 “recording” in FIG. 22 is assigned to the up arrow button. Even if the up arrow button is operated when the screen is in the state of FIG. 24, the link 101 “recording” is not displayed on the screen. In such a case, the process proceeds from step F207 to F208, and the current operation of the arrow button 32 is processed as a scroll operation. If scrolling is possible, the screen is scrolled in step F209 and the process returns to step F204. If scrolling is not possible, nothing is done and the process returns to step F204.
On the other hand, for example, in the display state shown in FIG. Thus, when the link 101 assigned to the operated arrow button 32 is displayed, the process proceeds from step F207 to F210, and the cursor 100 is moved to the assigned link 101. In this case, the cursor 100 is moved to the “recording” portion.

When the cursor 100 is moved in step F210, the display of the button icon 102 displayed so far is once ended in step F216. Then, the process returns to step F201, and the above-described link assignment process to the button is executed.
That is, in this case, in response to the movement of the cursor 100, the assignment of the link 101 to the button (numeric button 31) is performed again.
In this case, in the process of step F301 in FIG. 11, the button (for example, “5” button) indicated by the allocation start button pointer 80 for the link 101 “record” with the cursor 100 is set as the current button. Is done.
That is, the allocation is performed again based on the link 101 “recording” and the “5” button. When the button icon 102 is displayed in step F203 after this processing is performed, a screen as shown in FIG. 25 is displayed. That is, the cursor 100 is positioned on the “record” link 101, and if the “4” button is assigned to the “VTR” link 101, the button icon 102 indicating the “4” button is displayed. If a “7” button is assigned to the link 101 “view”, a button icon 102 indicating the “7” button is displayed.

When the operation of the display on / off button is detected in step F204 in FIG. 10, the process proceeds to step F212, and the button icon display mode is switched on / off. If the button icon display mode is switched from on to off in this process, the display of the button icon 102 on the display screen is turned off in step F213. For example, if the display state shown in FIG. 1 has been used, the display shown in FIG. 26 is obtained.
If the button icon display mode is switched from off to on in step F212, the button icon 102 is turned on on the display screen in step F213. For example, if the display state shown in FIG. 26 has been used, the display shown in FIG. 1 is obtained.
When the process of step F213 is completed, the process returns to step F204.

When the operation of the assignment button, for example, the operation of the numeric button 31 is detected in step F204, the process proceeds to step F214, and it is confirmed whether or not a certain link 101 is assigned to the operated button.
If a button to which no link is assigned has been operated, no processing is performed and the process returns to step F204.
If the operated button is a button to which a link is assigned, the process proceeds to step F215 to determine whether or not the link 101 is displayed on the screen. If the link 101 corresponding to the operated button is displayed, the process proceeds to step F217. On the other hand, if not displayed, the process returns to step F204.

For example, assume that the “1” button is operated in the display state as shown in FIG. In this case, since the link 101 “VTR” is assigned to the “1” button, the process proceeds from step F214 to F215, and since the link “VTR” is displayed, the process proceeds to step F217.
Then, processing is performed according to the type of link, and the processing of FIG.
For example, if the link 101 set to “VTR” is a URL, the URL is returned, and the process of step F105 in FIG. In this case, the process proceeds from step F106 to F102 in FIG. 9, and the data of the URL is acquired and displayed via the network 5.

  On the other hand, assume that the “1” button is operated in the display state as shown in FIG. In this case, since the link 101 “VTR” is assigned to the “1” button, the process proceeds from step F214 to F215, but at this point, the link “VTR” is not displayed on the screen. For this reason, the operation of the “1” button is invalidated and the process returns to step F204 without performing the process.

  If the operation of the browser button 34 is detected in step F204, the process proceeds to step F211 and an end command is returned to end the browser, and the process of FIG. 10, that is, step F105 of FIG. In that case, the CPU 20 saves the button icon display mode in step F107 of FIG.

In the present embodiment, browser processing is performed as described above. In particular, in the browser display in which the cursor 100 is movable on the link 101, the other buttons 101 existing around the cursor 100 are automatically and dynamically assigned to the numeric buttons 31 and the like. In addition, a button icon 102 indicating the assigned button is displayed. When a button to which a link is assigned is operated, link processing is performed directly as a determination operation for the assigned link 101.
In other words, the user can directly select a link by operating a button corresponding to the button icon 102 displayed on the link 101, and the link can be performed with a very simple operation even in an environment where a mouse is not used. Operation can be realized.
In addition, since the assignment of each link 101 and each button is performed according to the positional relationship between the cursor 100 and the link 101 on the screen, the assignment is easy to understand intuitively for the user, and a comfortable operability can also be realized in this respect. .

  In addition, the button allocation process for the link 101 is performed in accordance with the positional relationship between the display position of the cursor 100 and another link 101 in step F216 in FIG. 10 every time the cursor 100 is positioned on a certain link 101. Done accordingly. Therefore, even when the cursor is moved, button allocation is always performed in a state suitable for operation, which is also suitable for simplification of operation.

As described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20, since the display position of the button icon 102 is dynamically calculated and displayed according to the cursor position, the button icon 102 is displayed at an appropriate place according to the position of the cursor 100. Accordingly, the button corresponding to the desired link 101 can be easily recognized by the user.
Further, when the user feels unnecessary by turning on / off the button icon display mode, the display of the button icon 102 can be turned off, so that the user's preference and idea can be adjusted.
Further, by performing the allocation process as shown in FIG. 12, appropriate allocation according to the system environment is possible.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the link 101 where the cursor 100 is located is not displayed in step F205 of FIG. 10, the operation of the determination button 33 is invalidated.
In step F215, when the assignment button is operated and the link 101 to which the button is assigned is not displayed, the operation of the button is invalidated.
When the operation of the enter button 33 or the operation of the allocation button is detected in step F204, the CPU 20 can process those operations as an operation input of an instruction to select a specific link 101 and perform link processing. When the link 101 indicated by the cursor 100 is not displayed on the screen, the user often does not recognize the link and operate the decision button 33, and considering this point, It is considered that the operation of the decision button 33 is often an operation error. Furthermore, from the user's perspective, it is very uncomfortable that the link processing by the link 101 not appearing on the screen is performed.
Therefore, by performing the determination in steps F205 and F215 and invalidating the operation on the link 101 that does not appear on the screen, it is possible to eliminate the user's uncomfortable feeling and inconvenience, and to realize a comfortable operation feeling and appropriate browser processing.

When the operation of the arrow button 32 is detected in step F204 , the CPU 20 can process the operation as an operation input for moving the cursor to a specific link setting portion. If the allocated link is not displayed by the process of step F207, the browser is appropriate for the user by not moving the cursor to the link. This is because the display is not such that the cursor 100 is suddenly moved to a link that is not visible at that time.
In particular, when the link 101 is separated on the data, moving the cursor 100 may be accompanied by a large scroll or page feed, and the user is easily confused. However, the processing in step F207 causes such inconvenience. It will be resolved.
In this example, if it is determined in step F207 that the link 101 is not displayed, it can be processed as a scroll operation in step F208. Therefore, the operation of the arrow button 32 is not treated as an operation related to the link, but the operation itself Is not invalidated and is more appropriate for the user.

Note that the tuner device 2 (television system) having the browser function described above is an embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention. Further, the processing shown in FIGS. 9 to 19 is an embodiment of the information processing method and program of the present invention.
The program in the tuner device 2 according to the embodiment can be stored in advance in the memory 21, for example. Alternatively, a form that is stored in an external recording medium and loaded into the memory 21 is also conceivable.

Although the embodiments have been described above, various modifications can be considered as the present invention.
In the embodiment, the example of the tuner device 2 and the monitor device 1 has been described. However, other AV (Audio-Visual) devices such as a television receiver and a recording / playback device, a personal computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone The present invention can be applied to devices such as telephones.

In the embodiment, the number button 31 is assigned to the link 101 in accordance with the positional relationship with the cursor 100, and the assigned number button 31 is used as the direct operator for the link operation. The present invention can also be applied to a system having no special function.
For example, even in a system in which only an operation method of selecting the link 101 with the arrow button 32 and pressing the enter button 33 is set for the link operation without setting an operator for performing a direct link operation on the link 101. If the link 101 to which the cursor 100 is to be moved is not displayed when the button 32 is operated, the present invention can be implemented as an operation that is invalidated or other operations such as scrolling.
Conversely, the present invention can also be applied to a system in which the link 101 is selected and determined only by a direct link operator by assignment processing.
Furthermore, in the case of a system provided with a dedicated operator for selecting a link regardless of the allocation process, if a link is not displayed, the selection determination process for the link is invalidated. The present invention can be applied.
In addition, the present invention is effective in an operating environment that does not use a mouse. However, even in an operating environment in which a mouse can be used, a method for performing an operation related to a link other than the mouse, such as the arrow button 32 and the determination button 33, is provided. The present invention can be applied to a system.

Further, the link setting part (link 101) has been described as the processing target area. However, the present invention is not limited to the link setting part, and an area in which a cursor is arranged to perform some processing is described as the processing target area in the present embodiment. The processing of the present invention as described above can be applied.
For example, the various areas on the screen where the cursor is positioned to perform some action, such as various icons that can be clicked, operation image, text box, pull-down list box, check input box, etc. The present invention can be applied.
That is, when an icon, an operator image, or a pull-down list box is applied as a processing target area, when an instruction to move the cursor to the icon or the like, or an operation for selecting or selecting an icon or the like, the icon or the like Is not displayed on the screen, the operation may be processed as invalid or other operation.

The program of the present invention can be recorded in advance in an HDD as a recording medium built in a personal computer, AV equipment, PDA, mobile phone, or the like, or in a ROM in a microcomputer having a CPU.
Alternatively, it may be temporarily stored on a removable recording medium such as a flexible disk, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), MO (Magnet optical) disk, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), Blu-ray disk, magnetic disk, semiconductor memory, memory card, etc. Can be stored (recorded) or permanently. Such a removable recording medium can be provided as so-called package software.
The program of the present invention can be downloaded from a removable recording medium to a device that uses the program, or can be downloaded from a download site via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

It is explanatory drawing of the example of a screen display of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the television system of embodiment. It is a block diagram of a tuner device of an embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the remote commander of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the software block of the browser function of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the pointer structure of the button of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the X-axis box used for the allocation process of embodiment, and a Y-axis box. It is explanatory drawing of the coordinate system used for the allocation process of embodiment. It is a flowchart of the main process of the browser function of an embodiment. It is a flowchart of button processing of an embodiment. It is a flowchart of the link allocation process to the button of embodiment. It is a flowchart of the button allocation process of embodiment. It is a flowchart of the preparation process of the priority list of the link of embodiment. It is a flowchart of the link process 1 of the same distance of embodiment. It is a flowchart of the link process 2 of the same distance of embodiment. It is a flowchart of the link allocation process to the arrow button of embodiment. It is a flowchart of the allocation process of the button ahead of the up / down / left / right pointer of the embodiment. It is a flowchart of the allocation process of the button ahead of the P1, P2, P3, and P4 pointers of the embodiment. It is a flowchart of the button icon display process of an embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the display position of the button icon of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the example of the display range of the data of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the example of a display of the data of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the example of the display range of the data of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the example of a data display of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the example of a data display after the reallocation process of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of a browser display screen. It is explanatory drawing of a browser display screen.

Explanation of symbols

  1 monitor device, 2 tuner device, 3 remote commander, 4 remote commander, 20 CPU, 21 memory, 22 interface, 31 numeric buttons, 32 arrow buttons, 33 enter button, 34 browser button, 80 assignment start button pointer, 81 display on / Off button pointer, 201 1st quadrant, 202 2nd quadrant, 203 3rd quadrant, 204 4th quadrant, 205 right box, 206 top box, 207 left box, 208 bottom box, 210 Y axis box, 211 X axis box, 100 cursor, 101 link, 102 button icon

Claims (5)

A program for operating an information processing apparatus that displays information including a processing target area, which is a link setting part in which a link to other information is set, on a display screen,
An allocation processing step for performing processing for allocating a processing target area included in the information for an arrow operator that indicates a direction of cursor movement on the display screen in the operation input device;
And the operation detection step for detecting an operation input,
When an operation input of the arrow operator is detected in the operation detection step, whether or not a specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator, and a specific processing target area is assigned A determination step for determining whether or not the specific processing target area is displayed on the display screen;
If it is determined in the determination step that a specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator and the specific processing target area is displayed on the display screen, In response to the operation input of the arrow operator, the cursor display is moved to the specific processing target area on the display screen, and the specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow control element in the determination step. If it is determined that the specific processing target area has not been displayed , or the specific processing target area is not displayed on the display screen, the operation input of the arrow operator is used. An operation corresponding processing step for performing a process of scrolling the information displayed on the display screen ,
Program for executing the information processing apparatus. In the allocation processing step, each time the cursor display is positioned in a certain processing target area, the operation input is performed according to the positional relationship between the cursor display position on the display screen and another processing target area. While causing the information processing apparatus to execute processing for assigning the other processing target area to an assignment operator other than the arrow operator in the device,
When the operation detection step detects an operation input of the assignment operator assigned with the processing target area in the assignment processing step, the processing target area assigned to the operated assignment operator is displayed on the display screen. A second determination step of determining whether or not the displayed state;
In the second determination step, when it is determined that the processing target area allocated to the operated allocation operator is displayed on the display screen, according to the operation input of the allocation operator, A process of linking the processing target area allocated to the allocation operator is executed, and the processing target area allocated to the operated allocation operator is not displayed on the display screen in the second determination step. If determined, a second operation corresponding processing step for invalidating the operation input of the assignment operator;
The program according to claim 1, further causing the information processing apparatus to execute . Whether or not the processing target area set as the cursor display position is displayed on the display screen when the operation input of the determination operator in the operation input device is detected in the operation detection step. A third determining step for determining;
When it is determined in the third determination step that the processing target area set as the cursor display position is displayed on the display screen, the cursor display position is determined according to the operation input of the determination operator. In the third determination step, it is determined that the processing target area that is the cursor display position is not displayed on the display screen. A third operation corresponding processing step of invalidating the operation input of the determination operator;
The program according to claim 2, further causing the information processing apparatus to execute . As an information processing method of an information processing apparatus that displays information including a processing target area that is a link setting part in which a link to other information is set on a display screen,
An allocation processing step for performing processing for allocating a processing target area included in the information for an arrow operator that indicates a direction of cursor movement on the display screen in the operation input device;
And the operation detection step for detecting an operation input,
When an operation input of the arrow operator is detected in the operation detection step, whether or not a specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator, and a specific processing target area is assigned A determination step for determining whether or not the specific processing target area is displayed on the display screen;
If it is determined in the determination step that a specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator and the specific processing target area is displayed on the display screen, In response to the operation input of the arrow operator, the cursor display is moved to the specific processing target area on the display screen, and the specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow control element in the determination step. If it is determined that the specific processing target area has not been displayed , or the specific processing target area is not displayed on the display screen, the operation input of the arrow operator is used. An operation corresponding processing step for performing a process of scrolling the information displayed on the display screen ,
Information processing method with. In an information processing apparatus that displays information including a processing target area that is a link setting part in which links to other information are set on a display screen,
An allocation processing means for performing processing for allocating a processing target area included in the information for an arrow operator indicating a direction of cursor movement on the display screen in the operation input device;
And the operation detection means for detecting the operation input,
When an operation input of the arrow operator is detected by the operation detection means, whether or not a specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator, and a specific processing target area is assigned. A determination means for determining whether or not the specific processing target area is displayed on the display screen;
When it is determined by the determination means that a specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator and the specific processing target area is displayed on the display screen, In response to the operation input of the arrow operator, the cursor display is moved to the specific processing target area on the display screen, and the specific processing target area is assigned to the operated arrow operator by the determining means. If it is determined that the specific processing target area has not been displayed , or the specific processing target area is not displayed on the display screen, the operation input of the arrow operator is used. Operation handling processing means for performing processing for scrolling information displayed on the display screen ,
Information processing apparatus equipped with.

Images