JPH02239314A - Command input system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To input multiple instructions more than the number of displayed icons by displaying the icon designated by means of cursor as the cursor, designating further an icon by said icon and deciding the instructions by means of the combination of both icons. CONSTITUTION:Columns 1 and 2 setting the identification numbers of the cursor and icons are installed. Columns 3, 4, 5 and 6 setting respective identification numbers of a processor, a conversion device, the cursor to replace and the cursor to display are installed. Then, a decoding table used for an instruction input system is retrieved by setting the cursor identification number and the icon identification number which are set in the columns 1 and 2 as retrieval keys. The displayed icon is selected by the cursor, and the cursor of the selected icon is moved, and the icon furthermore selects the icon, whereby the instruction being the combination of both icons is decided. Thus, the number of instructions more than the displayed can be generated.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a command input method in which a command is input by a combination of an icon displayed on a screen and a cursor.
More specifically, it relates to a command input method in which an icon displayed on a screen is turned into a cursor, another icon is specified using the cursorized icon, and a command determined by a combination of both icons is input.

<Prior Art> Conventionally, methods for inputting commands include, for example, inputting a command as a character string from a keyboard and starting a program corresponding to the input command, or There are methods such as specifying a command with the mouse and starting the specified command.

The user must memorize all the commands in advance. The latter eliminates the disadvantage of having to remember all the commands as in the former, since it can be selected from the displayed list, but the icon used to specify the mouse is associated with one command. Therefore, the commands that can be displayed are limited to the number of icons that can be displayed. Therefore, depending on the size of the display area, there are problems such as not being able to display all commands or searching for icons taking a long time. In the method of hindsight,
The problem of limiting the number of displays is solved by layering commands by selecting subcommands within the command that activated the icon. However, in this method, it is necessary to search while tracing the hierarchy of one NAB command, so it takes time to search for a command. Furthermore, when configuring a new command by combining subcommands, each subcommand belongs to a different program, so it is necessary to develop a new program that combines subcommands, which takes time to develop the program.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As mentioned above, with the conventional command input method, it is difficult for users to memorize all the commands, the number of icons that can be displayed is limited, and the size of the display area is limited. Therefore, there are problems such as not being able to display all commands, it takes time to search for icons, it takes time to search for hierarchical commands, and it takes time to develop new programs that combine subcommands.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and its purpose is to provide a command input method that allows commands to be input simply and efficiently using a combination of one or more icons.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the command input method of the present invention inputs commands using a combination of a cursor and an icon including characters and images displayed on the screen. It is a command input method for inputting commands, and includes a coordinate input means for reading arbitrary coordinates on a screen, a screen index means for storing an identification number of an image located at the coordinates read by the coordinate input means, and a usage name. cursor display means for displaying a fixed cursor; icon display means for displaying an icon on the screen; and coordinate input means for reading the coordinates of the icon on the screen displayed by the icon display means; icon identification number reading means for reading out the identification number of the icon located on the screen by the screen indexing means; processing determined by the identification number of the cursor displayed by the cursor display means and the identification number of the icon displayed by the icon display means; a storage means that stores an identification number of the means; and an icon cursor that displays the designated icon as a cursor by specifying an on-screen icon displayed by the icon display means with a cursor displayed by the cursor display means. display means;
A cursor storage means that stores an identification number of a cursor displayed by the icon cursor display means or the cursor display means, and a cursor identification signal stored in the cursor storage means and a cursor with the identification number. The present invention further comprises processing determining means for reading out from the storage means the identification number of the processing means determined by the identification number of the designated icon, and determining the processing means corresponding to the read identification number.

(Operation) In the command input method of the present invention, by specifying an icon displayed on the screen with a cursor, the specified icon is displayed as a cursor, and further icons are specified using the icon that is not displayed as the cursor. Commands are determined by the combination of both icons.

"Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a decoding table used in a command input method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This decoding table consists of column 1 for setting the cursor identification number, column 2 for setting the icon identification number, column 3 for setting the processing means identification number, and column 4 for setting the conversion means identification number. , a column 5 for setting the identification number of the cursor to be replaced, and a column 6 for setting the identification number of the cursor to be displayed. This decoding table is stored in record units (not shown) corresponding to various cursor identification numbers and icon identification numbers set in columns 1 and 2, and the cursor identification numbers in columns 1 and 2 are stored in record units. and the icon identification number as the search key, and if a corresponding record is found, the identification number of the processing means and conversion means should be activated from the power rams 3 and 4 of the record. ′? Then, the processing means and conversion means corresponding to the identification number are activated.

Column 5 is an identification number for replacing the current cursor identification number, and column 6 is a display cursor number corresponding to the replaced cursor identification number.

An overview of the functions of this command input method will be explained with reference to the display screen shown in FIG. Although a car 11 is shown in the center of the display screen (not shown in the figure), a plurality of headlights 21 are shown in the upper right of the screen in Figure (a).
~25 is displayed as an icon, and a question mark (
? ) 13 is shown next to this icon.

This question mark (?) shaped cursor 13 can be freely moved on the screen using a mouse or the like (not shown).
If you move the question mark (?) cursor 13 over the headlight 25 and click the mouse there, this headlight 25 will be selected, and this headlight 25 will be selected.
is replaced as a cursor, and a cursor 130 in the shape of a headlight 25 is formed, as shown in FIG. This headlight-shaped cursor 130 can also be moved freely on the screen using the mouse, so move the headlight cursor 130 near the headlights of the car 11 as shown in FIG. , and if you click the mouse here, the headlights of car 11 will be replaced with the headlights that were rewritten in the cursor, that is, the headlights 25 selected with the cursor in Figure (b) will be replaced.
As a result, a car equipped with a headlight 25 is completed as shown in FIG. 2(d).

In this way, with this command input method, by selecting an undisplayed icon with the cursor, you can turn the selected icon into a cursor, move the cursor of the selected icon, and use the icon to By selecting an icon, it is possible to form a command that is a combination of both icons.

Therefore, more commands than the number of icons displayed on the screen can be displayed on one screen. For example, if a command is determined by a combination of two icons, the square of the number of icons can be displayed on one screen.

Next, the operation will be explained with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

First, the identification numbers of the cursor and icon are set for the first time immediately at the start (steps 110 and 120). Next, as explained in FIG. 2, the cursor is moved with the mouse to select a desired icon, and the selected icon is turned into a cursor. Then, use this cursorized icon as a cursor to select another icon. When an icon is selected in this manner, the decoding table shown in FIG. 1 is searched using the cursor that selected the icon and the identification number of the icon as search keys, without reading out the corresponding record (step 130). The identification number of the processing means stored in the record of the searched decoding table is checked, and it is determined whether the processing is to be completed or continued based on the identification number of the processing means. ends the process (steps 140, 150). In the case of an identification number other than the end ffi number, the process continues, calls the conversion means corresponding to column 4 of the record to perform parameter conversion (step 160), and starts the processing means corresponding to the identification number of column 3 (step 160). Step 170》, the conversion parameters are passed.Then, the current cursor identification number is replaced with the cursor identification number in column 5 of the record (step 180), and the display cursor number in column 6 corresponding to the cursor identification number is (step 190).Next, when the coordinates are obtained by the coordinate input means, the identification number of the icon at the coordinate position is taken (steps 200, 210), and the process proceeds to the record search procedure of step 130. return.

[Effect of "R. Light"] As explained above, according to the present invention, by specifying an icon displayed on the screen with a cursor, the specified icon is displayed as a cursor, and the specified icon is displayed as the cursor. The icon specified by the icon further specifies the icon, and the command is determined by the combination of both icons.
A large number of commands, more than the number of icons displayed on the screen,
For example, in the case of a combination of two icons, commands as many as the square of the number of icons can be input simply and efficiently using only a cursor instruction.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a decoding table used in a command input method according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an example of a display screen for explaining the functional outline of the command input method, and FIG. The figure is a flowchart showing the operation of the book:1 cloak input method. 1... Cursor identification number column 2... Icon identification number column 3... Processing means identification number column 4... Conversion means identification number column 5... Column identification number column 6...・Display car sonoré? Column 3 11... Car 13... Car sonorés 21-25... Headlight icon 130...
Cursor replaced by headlights WC1 figure Agent Patent attorney Hidekazu Miyoshi 2nd figure WC3 figure

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A command input method in which a command is input by a combination of a cursor and an icon including characters and images displayed on the screen, and includes a coordinate input means for reading arbitrary coordinates on the screen, and a coordinate input means for reading arbitrary coordinates on the screen. A screen indexing means for storing an identification number of an image at the read coordinates, a cursor displaying means for displaying a cursor defined by a user, an icon displaying means for displaying an icon on the screen, and the icon displaying means. icon identification number reading means for reading the coordinates of the icon on the screen displayed by the coordinate input means and reading the identification number of the icon located at the read coordinates by the screen index means; storage means storing an identification number of a processing means determined by an identification number of a cursor and an identification number of an icon displayed by the icon display means; Icon cursor display means that displays a designated icon as a cursor by specifying it with a cursor displayed on the display means, and identification of the cursor displayed by the icon cursor display means or the cursor display means. Identification of a processing means determined by a cursor storage means storing a number, a cursor identification signal stored in the cursor storage means, and an identification number of an icon specified by the cursor with the identification number. A command input method characterized by comprising processing determining means for reading a number from the storage means and determining a processing means for the read identification number. (2) When coordinates are specified from the coordinate input means,
A claim characterized in that the method further comprises means for replacing the identification number of the cursor with an identification number of an icon at the coordinate position or a cursor identification number preset in the storage means corresponding to the processing means before specifying the next coordinate. Command input method described in 1.