JP7184508B2 - Server system, client device and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a client/server system, and more particularly to an interface-related technique in a client device.

Currently, users can use information processing devices such as personal computers and mobile terminals to communicate with servers via the Internet and use various services and contents. For example, a user can access a desired website on the Internet using a browser such as Internet Explorer running on a personal computer. Similarly, users can use various services via the Internet using browsers such as Google Chrome and Safari on tablets and smartphones and various applications.

Various approaches have been developed to allow users to utilize multiple applications and content simultaneously. For example, in the window format, each application and content are displayed in a window format on the display, and the user can browse and switch between multiple windows to execute processing on desired applications and content. In addition, in the gadget format, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of content screens are accommodated in one portal screen, and users can use desired contents and services on the portal screen.

JP-A-2002-373255 JP 2011-76305 A

When loading various content screens on one portal screen, the time required to load the content screens generally varies depending on the type of content. It is known that an unexpected error may occur when a user operates a content screen that has not been loaded yet. In order to avoid such an unexpected error, it is conceivable to make the entire portal screen inoperable until the acquisition of all content screens is completed.

However, in this case, the user cannot use the service until all content screens on the portal screen have been loaded, which is undesirable from the usability point of view.

In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for improving usability related to screen operability while eliminating user operations on screens on which unfinished content exists.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a screen information providing unit that provides a client device with a plurality of content screens on which processing results are output, and controls operations on the content screens displayed on the client device. and a control information providing unit for providing control information to the client device, wherein the control information prevents the client device from operating the content screen until at least transmission of the content to the client device is completed. It relates to a server system to display on.

Another aspect of the present invention includes a receiving unit that receives a plurality of contents from a server system, and a display unit that displays a content screen of the content according to control information, wherein the display unit receives at least the content from the server system. The present invention relates to a client device that displays a content screen in an inoperable state until content transmission is completed.

Still another aspect of the present invention is a step of starting acquisition of a plurality of pieces of content from a server system, displaying a content screen of the content in an inoperable state until transmission of the content is completed; The present invention relates to a program for causing a client device to execute a step of displaying the content screen in an operable state when transmission of the content is completed.

According to the present invention, a client device can improve usability related to screen operability while avoiding the occurrence of an error due to a user's operation on a screen on which unprocessed content exists.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example portal screen. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a client-server system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the client device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the client device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a content containing screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a content containing screen according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 shows the functional configuration of a server system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing for generating a content containing screen according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing processing for generating a content containing screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

A client-server system is disclosed in an embodiment to be described later. To summarize the present disclosure, when a client device accesses a website that provides a portal screen containing one or more content screens, the client device displays the content screen corresponding to the content in an inoperable state until the transmission of each content is completed. Display on the portal screen. When transmission of the content is completed, the client device switches the content screen to an operable state and displays it on the content accommodation screen. This makes it possible for the user to use the content for which content transmission has been completed on the portal screen while disabling the user from operating the content screen during content transmission.

First, a client-server system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a client-server system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the client-server system 10 has a client device 100 and a server system 200 . A user uses various services and contents provided by the server system 200 by operating the client device 100 .

The client device 100 is an information processing device having a communication function, such as a personal computer, tablet, or smart phone. For example, if the client device 100 is a personal computer, the user uses a browser running on the client device 100 to access the website provided by the server system 200 . Here, if the website requires user authentication, the user accesses the portal screen of the website by entering authentication information such as a user ID and password. Further, when the client device 100 is a tablet or a smartphone, the user accesses the server system 200 using a browser or various applications executed on the client device 100, and stores content provided via the server system 200. Use various services or contents on the screen.

The client device 100 typically includes a drive device 101, an auxiliary storage device 102, a memory device 103, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 104, and a communication device 105 interconnected via a bus B, as shown in FIG. , a display device 106 and an input device 107 .

A program that implements various functions and processes described later in the client device 100 may be downloaded via a network, or provided by a recording medium 108 such as a memory card or USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. When the recording medium 108 storing the program is set in the drive device 101 , the program is installed from the recording medium 108 to the auxiliary storage device 102 via the drive device 101 . The auxiliary storage device 102 stores installed programs, as well as necessary files and data.

The memory device 103 reads and stores programs and data from the auxiliary storage device 102 when a program activation instruction is received. The CPU 104 executes various functions and processes of the client device 100, which will be described later, according to various data such as programs stored in the memory device 103 and parameters required for executing the programs.

A communication device 105 is used as a communication interface for connecting to a network. The communication device 105 converts the data to be transmitted into an appropriate signal and transmits it to the network. Communication device 105 also converts signals received from the network into appropriate data and provides it to appropriate devices, such as memory device 103 .

A display device 106 is used to display processing results by the CPU 104, and is realized by various displays such as a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tube display (CRT), and a plasma display. The input device 107 is used by the user to input commands and data to the client device 100, and is realized by, for example, a touch panel, keyboard, stylus, microphone, camera, scanner, and the like.

However, the client device 100 is not limited to the hardware configuration described above, and may be implemented by any other appropriate hardware configuration.

Server system 200 is composed of one or more servers and is connected to a network such as the Internet. The server system 200 provides various data to the requesting client device 100 in response to a processing request from the client device 100 . Typically, multiple servers cooperate to provide various services to the client device 100 . As shown in FIG. 4, each server of the server system 200 includes a drive device 201, an auxiliary storage device 202, a memory device 203, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 204, an interface device 205 and a communication device interconnected via a bus B. It has a device 206 .

Various computer programs including programs for realizing various functions and processes described later in the server system 200 are provided by a recording medium 207 such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or a flash memory. may be When the recording medium 207 storing the program is set in the drive device 201 , the program is installed from the recording medium 207 to the auxiliary storage device 202 via the drive device 201 . However, the program does not necessarily need to be installed from the recording medium 207, and may be downloaded from any external device via a network or the like. The auxiliary storage device 202 stores installed programs, as well as necessary files and data.

The memory device 203 reads and stores programs and data from the auxiliary storage device 202 when a program activation instruction is received. The CPU 204 executes various functions and processes of the server device 200, which will be described later, according to various data such as programs stored in the memory device 203 and parameters required for executing the programs. The interface device 205 is used as a communication interface for connecting to a network or external device. A communication device 206 executes various communication processes for communicating with a network such as the Internet.

However, each server of the server system 200 is not limited to the hardware configuration described above, and may be realized by any other appropriate hardware configuration.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the configuration of the client device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the client device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the client device 100 has a receiver 110 and a display 120 .

The receiving unit 110 receives multiple contents from the server system 200 . Specifically, the receiving unit 110 receives from the server system 200 a plurality of contents to be used by the user. Such content may be set by default or may be selected by the user.

In one embodiment, the receiver 110 may acquire a content containing screen containing a plurality of content screens from the server system 200 . Here, the content containing screen may be a portal screen that is displayed by a browser or an application and contains various services and contents that can be used. For example, a content containing screen is composed of a framework part and a content screen contained in the framework part. A user can use the corresponding service by viewing a single content containing screen and operating various contained content screens. The content screen contained in the content containing screen may be set by default or may be selected by the user.

The display unit 120 displays the content screen according to the control information, and displays the content screen in an inoperable state at least until the transmission of the content from the server system 200 is completed. Specifically, according to the control information received from the server system 200, the display unit 120 displays the content screen of the content that has been transmitted from the server system 200 and/or the content screen of the content that has not been transmitted. display the content screen of the incomplete content in an inoperable state. On the other hand, the display unit 120 displays the content screen of the content whose transmission has been completed in an operable state. Here, the control information includes, for example, (flag) information indicating whether or not a program has been executed, information indicating a program that has finished executing, information indicating an area for displaying the processing results of the program, It may also include information for dynamic control.

For example, when a user uses a browser to access a website that provides various services and contents through a portal screen, the server system 200 provides the client device 100 with the top screen of the website. Here, the top screen may be a portal screen for accessing various services available on the website. Alternatively, when various services provided on the portal screen can be used only by authenticated users, the top screen may be a screen for prompting the user to enter authentication information. , you may transition to the portal screen. Next, the receiving unit 110 acquires predetermined content contained in the portal screen or content selected by the user from the server system 200, and the display unit 120 arranges the content screen corresponding to the acquired content on the portal screen. do. Here, while the content is being acquired, the display unit 120 displays the corresponding content screen on the portal screen in an inoperable state until the transmission of the content from the server system 200 is completed according to the control information. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the display unit 120 displays the content screen A in an inoperable state so that the user cannot operate while the transmission of the content from the server system 200 is not completed. For example, the display unit 120 puts the content screen being loaded into an operation-disabled state and superimposes a translucent image (shutter) on the content screen A, thereby displaying the content screen A in the operation-disabled state on the portal screen. You may For example, the translucent image may be generated by code or a program such as that shown in FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to translucent images, and any other suitable display scheme for disabling the content screen may be utilized. As a result, the user can easily check the content screen A in the inoperable state on the portal screen. On the other hand, when the transmission of the content is completed, the display unit 120 switches the content screen A to an operable state and removes the superimposed translucent image.

In one embodiment, the display unit 120 may control the display state of the content screen corresponding to each piece of content on the content containing screen according to the acquisition status of each piece of content. In the portal screen shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of content screens are provided, and at the timing shown, the content screen A is being loaded, and the content screen A is displayed in an inoperable state. On the other hand, other content screens have been loaded and are displayed in an operable state. Here, the present invention is not limited to displaying the entire content screen being loaded in an inoperable state. may be displayed by This is because, in general, an error may occur when the user operates the link portion of the content screen that is being loaded. As a result, even if there is a content screen being loaded on the same portal screen, the user can use the content screen for which the loading process has been completed.

In one embodiment, the control information may include display specification information that defines the display position of the content screen on the content containing screen and the timing of displaying the content screen in the disabled state or enabled state. At this time, the display unit 120 may further display a content screen corresponding to the content on the content accommodation screen according to the acquired display specification information. For example, the display specification information may define the display position and display size of the content screen corresponding to the content on the portal screen, and the timing of displaying the content screen in the inoperable state or in the operable state. Specifically, first, before acquiring the content provided on the portal screen, the receiving unit 110 determines the position to display the content screen on the portal screen and/or the timing to activate the shutter for the content screen. Control information including defined display specification information is acquired from the server system 200 . While acquiring the content from the server system 200, the display unit 120 may display the content screen according to the acquired display specification information. For example, the display unit 120 may activate the shutter function at the timing of transmitting the content acquisition request to the server system 200 and release the shutter function at the timing of receiving the content transmission completion notification from the server system 200 . Also, the display specification information may specify a shutter target area on the content screen. For example, when the entire content screen is set as the shutter target area, the display specification information may specify the entire content screen as the shutter target area. Further, when a portion of the content screen such as a link portion is set as the shutter target region, the display specification information may designate that portion of the content screen as the shutter target region. This makes it possible to flexibly specify the shutter target area.

Also, in the above-described embodiments, the shutter target area has been described as being a content screen or a partial area thereof contained in a portal screen configured by an application such as a browser. However, the present invention is not limited to this. may be the area of For example, in FIG. 7, programs A, B, C, and D are started in the client device 100, and programs A and C have completed predetermined processing such as loading processing that enables user operations, and are in an operable state. , Programs B and D are in an inoperable state because predetermined processing has not been completed. At this time, as shown in the figure, when the programs A, B, C, and D are displayed together on the screen, the client device 100 puts the programs A and C in the operable state and the programs B and D in the operable state. may be displayed by In other words, the content containing screen of the present invention is not limited to a portal screen configured by a browser, and may be a single screen containing screens configured by a plurality of programs. In addition, the area that is rendered inoperable is not the entire screen as shown in program B, but a portion of the screen where an error occurs due to a user operation during execution of a predetermined process, such as a link portion or button as shown in program D. may be the area of

Next, referring to FIG. 8, the configuration of a server system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 shows the functional configuration of a server system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 8, the server system 200 has a screen information provider 210 and a control information provider 220 .

The screen information providing unit 210 provides the client device 100 with a plurality of content screens on which processing results are output. Specifically, the screen information providing unit 210 provides the content screen of the requested content to the client device 100 . In one embodiment, the screen information providing unit 210 provides the client device 100 with a content containing screen containing a plurality of content screens. In one embodiment, the content containing screen may be a portal screen displayed by a browser, and the content screen may be a gadget-type screen contained in the portal screen. Alternatively, the content containing screen may be any single screen containing screens composed of multiple programs. Typically, the screen information providing unit 210 may first provide the screen information of the content containing screen to the client device 100 and then provide the client device 100 with the screen information of each content screen to be contained. As a result, the client device 100 can display the previously acquired content containing screen, and display the content screen to be contained on the subsequently displayed content containing screen.

The control information providing unit 220 provides the client device 100 with control information for controlling operations on the content screen displayed on the client device 100. The client device 100 is caused to display an operation on the content screen in a disabled state. As described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the client device 100, according to the control information received from the control information providing unit 220, prevents the user from operating the content while transmission of the content has not been completed. Screen A is displayed in an inoperable state. For example, according to the received control information, the client device 100 disables the operation of the content screen being loaded or a partial area thereof, and superimposes a translucent image (shutter) on the content screen A to The content screen A in the inoperable state may be displayed on the portal screen. However, the control information according to the present invention is not limited to this, and any other appropriate display method for disabling the content screen may be used. On the other hand, when the acquisition of the content is completed, the client device 100 switches the content screen A to an operable state and removes the superimposed translucent image.

In one embodiment, the control information is a program that is executed on the client device 100 and creates a state in which operations on the content screen using the client device 100 are disabled until the reception of the content by the client device 100 is completed. may include. That is, the server system 200 transmits an HTML document containing a script program to the client device 100 and displays the requested screen on the screen of the client device 100 . The script program transmitted to the client device 100 is executed together with the display of the HTML document, and until the processing result is displayed on the client device 100, the script program disables the content operation of the client device 100. do. When the server system 200 transmits a processing end notification and the client device 100 receives the processing end notification, the control disabling the operation by the script program is released.

In one embodiment, the control information may control the display state of the content screen corresponding to each piece of content on the content containing screen according to the acquisition status of each piece of content. As shown in FIG. 6, the control information may display the content screen A being loaded in an inoperable state, while displaying the content screen for which the loading process has been completed in an operable state. Further, the control information may display only a partial area (link portion, etc.) of the content screen being loaded in an inoperable state.

In one embodiment, the control information may include display specification information that defines the display position of the content screen on the content containing screen and the timing at which the content screen is displayed in the operable state or the operable state. Also, the display specification information may specify a shutter target area on the content screen. For example, when the entire content screen is set as the shutter target area, the display specification information may specify the entire content screen as the shutter target area. Further, when a portion of the content screen such as a link portion is set as the shutter target region, the display specification information may designate that portion of the content screen as the shutter target region. This makes it possible to flexibly specify the shutter target area.

Next, with reference to FIG. 9, content containing screen generation processing by the client device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing content containing screen generation processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the content containing screen generation processing may be realized by a program or code executed by the processor of the client device 100. FIG. Also, the program or code may be provided by the server system 200 .

As shown in FIG. 9, the client device 100 starts acquiring a plurality of contents from the server system 200 in step S101. For example, the acquisition process may be started in response to client device 100 accessing a portal screen of a website provided by server system 200 . However, the start timing of the acquisition process according to the present invention is not limited to this, and may be any other appropriate timing such as update timing of the content screen. The content to be acquired may be content set by default or may be content selected by the user.

In step S102, the client device 100 displays an operation-disabled state for the content until transmission of the content is completed. For example, the client device 100 puts the content screen in the loading process into a state in which the user cannot operate, and superimposes a semi-transparent image (shutter) on the content screen, thereby turning the content screen in the inoperable state into a content containing screen. may be displayed in

In step S103, when the transmission of the content is completed, the client device 100 displays the content screen on the content storage screen in an operable state. When a shutter is superimposed on a content screen in an inoperable state, the client device 100 makes the content containing screen in an operable state and removes the superimposed shutter.

Next, with reference to FIG. 10, content screen generation processing in the client-server system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing content containing screen generation processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. The content containing screen generation process may be started, for example, in response to a user accessing a website that provides a portal screen using a browser.

As shown in FIG. 10, in step S201, the client device 100 accesses the portal screen of the website via the browser. Here, the framework of the portal screen, that is, the portal screen that does not contain the contained content may be first provided by the server system 200, and each content contained in the portal screen may be provided by the same or different server system 200. may be

In step S202, the client device 100 activates the portal screen and acquires control information including detailed display information of the content screen contained in the portal screen. For example, the detailed display information includes the display position of the content screen and/or the activation timing of the shutter.

In step S203, the client device 100 activates the shutter function according to the acquired detailed display information.

In step S<b>204 , the client device 100 transmits an acquisition request for content to be accommodated to the server system 200 and receives each content from the server system 200 . While receiving content, the client device 100 displays the corresponding content screen on the portal screen in an inoperable state.

In step S205, after completing the transmission of each content, the server system 200 notifies the client device 100 that the transmission of the content has been completed.

In step S206, upon receiving the content transmission completion notification, the client device 100 cancels the shutter function for the content and puts the corresponding content screen into an operable state.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.・Changes are possible.

10 Client/server system 100 Client device 110 Receiving unit 120 Display unit 200 Server system 210 Screen information providing unit 220 Control information providing unit

Claims (4)

The client device has a transmission unit that, when loading a plurality of content screens that are included in the content storage screen and that can be operated by the user, transmits the content screen and transmission completion notification of the content screen to the client device. ,
The server system, wherein the notification enables operation of the content screen that was displayed in an inoperable state when the content screen was loaded on the client device. 2. The server system of claim 1, wherein the content screen is selected by a user. 3. The server system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission unit transmits control information for displaying said content screen on said client device in a state in which said content screen cannot be operated. A step of, in a client device, transmitting a plurality of content screens included in a content storage screen and capable of being operated by a user, from the server system to the client device, the content screens and transmission completion notification of the content screens. have
The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification enables operation of the content screen that was displayed in an inoperable state when the content screen was loaded on the client device.

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