JPH04369026A - Icon display control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify menu display, to easily recognize an icon specified by a cursor and to improve operability by displaying character information corresponding to an icon stored in a storage means on a display means. CONSTITUTION:The icon display control device is provided with a central processing unit (CPU) 1 for executing the control of the device, the processing of data, etc., a ROM 2 for storing a program instruction or the like, a RAM 3 for storing data, an input means 4 such as a mouse, and a display device 5 such as a CRT. An area 3-1 in the RAM 3 is a mouse event storing area and stores event information and the coordinates of a mouse cursor on the CRT in accordance with the generation of an event by the mouse 4. An area 3-2 in the RAM 3 is an icon management information storing area and stores the identification (ID) number of an icon in a selecting state and the ID number of an icon displaying a character string. An area 3-3 in the RAM 3 is an icon information storing area and stores the icon information of each icon displayed on the CRT 5.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an icon display control device that allows a desired function to be selected by specifying an icon displayed on a display device such as a CRT using an input means such as a mouse. .

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent years, icon display control devices have been proposed that display only a picture or, as in the icon display example shown in FIG. 10, display a character string near a picture to display the contents of an operation or process. ing.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional configuration described above, when displaying only pictures, the menu display part is simple and easy to see, but the content of the processing is difficult to understand, and the pictures are accompanied by character strings. If you want to display
Although the contents of the process are easier to understand, there is a problem in that the menu display part is complicated and difficult to see.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the icon display control device of the present invention is an icon control device that controls icons displayed on a display screen, and includes display means for displaying the icons. , storage means for storing character information corresponding to the icon displayed on the display means, instruction means for specifying the icon, and information on the icon stored in the storage means in response to the instruction of the icon by the instruction means. and means for displaying corresponding character information on the display means.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems by simplifying the menu display using icons, making it easier to recognize the icon indicated by the cursor,
The object of the present invention is to provide an icon display control device with significantly improved operability.

[0006]

[Operation] With this configuration, character information corresponding to the icon designated by the designation means can be displayed on the display screen.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an icon display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure in the mouse event storage area, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure in the icon management information storage area. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a data structure, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a data structure of icon information. In FIG. 1, 1 is a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) that controls the device and processes data, and 2 is a read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as CPU) that stores program instructions, etc.
3 is a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM) for storing data, etc., 4 is an input means such as a mouse (hereinafter referred to as mouse), and 5 is a display device such as CRT (hereinafter referred to as CRT). .

Area 3-1 of the RAM 3 is a mouse event storage area, which stores event information and the coordinates of the mouse cursor on the CRT 5 in response to occurrence of an event by the mouse 4, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, event information "1" is stored when the mouse is moved, and event information "2" is stored when the left button of the mouse is clicked. Further, as the cursor coordinates, in the case of mouse movement, the coordinates of the destination are stored, and in the case of button click, the clicked position coordinates are stored.

Area 3-2 in the RAM 3 is an icon management information storage area, and as shown in FIG. 3, the identification number of the icon in the selected state (selected icon number) and the identification number ( string display icon number)
is memorized. If there is no selected icon or icon displaying a character string, "0" is stored for each.

Area 3-3 of the RAM 3 is an icon information storage area, which stores icon information for each icon displayed on the CRT 5, as shown in FIG. Each icon information includes an identification number of the icon (hereinafter referred to as an icon number), position information where the icon is displayed, a pattern of the icon, coordinates where a character string is displayed, a character string, and a status of the icon. The status of an icon is "1" if the icon is selected, "2" if the icon is selectable, and "3" if the icon is not selectable.

The operation of the icon display control device of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below as shown in FIG. 9(a).
Taking as an example the case where the cursor is moved from case (f) to case (f), a description will be given using flowcharts showing the operation of an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 5 to 8.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), the CRT 5 currently has three functions: ``File'' (icon number ``1''), ``Text'' (icon number ``2''), and ``Print'' (icon number ``3''). Assume that icons are displayed, the "File" icon is selected, and the character string is highlighted. It is also assumed that the selected icon number in the icon management information storage area 3-2 is "1" and the character string display icon number is "0". It is also assumed that the status of the "file" icon is "1" and the status of the "text" and "print" icons is "2".

(1) From the state of FIG. 9(a) to (b)
When the cursor is moved to the state. When the cursor is moved from the state shown in FIG. 9(a) to the state shown in FIG. 9(b) using the mouse 4, event information "1" and the cursor position coordinates are written in the mouse event storage area 3-1 (s21).
. The CPU 1 looks at the cursor coordinates in the mouse event storage area 3-1, checks the icon information storage area 3-3, and (
s22) Since there is no corresponding icon, the character string display icon number "0" in the icon management information storage area 3-2 is checked (s23), and the process waits for the occurrence of a mouse event in s21.

(2) From the state of FIG. 9(b) to (c)
When the cursor is moved to the state. When the cursor is moved using the mouse 4, the mouse event storage area 3-
Event information "1" and the position coordinates of the cursor are written in 1 (s21). The CPU 1 looks at the cursor coordinates in the mouse event storage area 3-1, searches for icon information in the icon information storage area 3-3 (s22), and obtains the icon number "2" where the cursor is located (s26). Furthermore, since the CPU 1 checks the event information in the mouse event storage area 3-1 and finds that it is "1" (s31), it checks the character string display icon number in the icon management information storage area 3-2. Since the character string display number is "0" (s41), the status of the icon number "2" in the icon information storage area 3-3 is then checked (s43). Here, the status is “2”
” Therefore, the CPU 1 reads out the character string "text" of the icon number in the icon information storage area 3-3, displays the character string on the CRT 5 based on the character string display coordinates (s45), and displays the icon management information. The character string display icon number in the storage area 3-2 is set to "2" (s47).

(3) From the state of FIG. 9(c) to (d)
When the cursor is moved to the state. When the cursor is moved using the mouse 4, the mouse event storage area 3-
Event information "1" and the position coordinates of the cursor are written in 1 (s21). The CPU 1 looks at the cursor coordinates in the mouse event storage area 3-1, checks the icon information storage area 3-3 (s22), and since there is no corresponding icon, displays the character string in the icon management information storage area 3-2. Look at the icon number "2" (s23), delete the displayed character string "sentence" (s24), and move to the icon management information storage area 3.
Set the character string display icon number in -2 to “0” (s2
5).

(4) From the state of FIG. 9(d) to (e)
When the cursor is moved to the state. When the cursor is moved using the mouse 4, the mouse event storage area 3-
Event information "1" and the position coordinates of the cursor are written in 1 (s21). The CPU 1 looks at the cursor coordinates in the mouse event storage area 3-1, searches for icon information in the icon information storage area 3-3 (s22), and obtains the icon number "3" where the cursor is located (s26). Furthermore, since the CPU 1 checks the event information in the mouse event storage area 3-1 and finds that it is "1" (s31), it checks the character string display icon number in the icon management information storage area 3-2. Since the character string display icon number is “0” (s41)
, then the icon number in the icon information storage area 3-3 "
3" status (s43). Here, since the status is "2", the CPU 1 reads the character string "Print" of the icon number in the icon information storage area 3-3 and prints the character string based on the character string display coordinates. and display the string on the CRT5.
(s45), and the icon management information storage area 3-
Set the character string display icon number “3” in 2 (s47)
.

(5) When the left button of the mouse is clicked in the state shown in FIG. 9(e) to move to the state shown in FIG. 9(f).

When the left button of the mouse 4 is clicked, event information "2" and cursor coordinates are written in the mouse event storage area 3-1 (s21). The CPU 1 looks at the cursor coordinates in the mouse event storage area 3-1, searches for icon information in the icon information storage area 3-3 (
s22), and obtains the icon number "3" where the cursor is located (s26). Furthermore, the CPU 1 looks at the event information in the mouse event storage area 3-1, and since it is "2" (s
31) When looking at the status of the icon number "3" in the icon information storage area 3-3 (s51), it is "2" (s52), so the selected icon number in the icon management information storage area 3-2 is checked. It is checked (s53), and since it is "1", the highlighted character string "File" is deleted from the CRT 5 (s54). Next, the CPU 1 checks the character string display icon number in the icon management information storage area 3-2 (s55) and finds that it is "3", so it deletes the character string "Print" from the CRT 5 (s56) and displays the character string. After setting the column display icon number to "0" (s57), read out the character string "Print" from the icon information of icon number "3" in the icon information storage area 3-3, and read out the character string "Print" based on the character string display coordinates. , to display the character string in reverse video on the CRT5 (s
58). After displaying the character string, the CPU 1 sets the selected icon number in the icon management information storage area 3-2 to "3" and (
s59), the status of the icon number "3" in the icon management information storage area 3-2 is set to "1" (s60), and the process ends.

In this embodiment, the icons displayed on the CRT are separated from each other, but even if the icons are in contact, moving the cursor between the icons will cause the flowchart shown in this embodiment to change. If you follow the steps,
Character strings are displayed and deleted in the same way.

As described above, in this embodiment, the character string corresponding to the icon indicated by the cursor is displayed, so that it is possible to simplify the menu display using the icon, and also to display the character string corresponding to the icon indicated by the cursor. It becomes easier to recognize the function of the icon. Furthermore, by displaying the character string, it is possible to accurately grasp which icon the cursor is pointing to.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the character string is displayed in reverse video for the selected icon, and when the cursor is moved over an unselected icon, the normal character string is displayed for the icon. Therefore, it is possible to select an icon while accurately distinguishing between the currently selected icon and other icons.

[0023]

As described above, the present invention comprises a display means for displaying an icon, a storage means for storing character information corresponding to the icon displayed on the display means, an instruction means for indicating the icon, Since the apparatus includes means for displaying text information corresponding to the icon stored in the storage means on the display means in response to an instruction of the icon by the instruction means, it is possible to simplify the menu display using the icons, and An object of the present invention is to provide an excellent icon display control device that makes it easy to recognize icons indicated by a cursor and significantly improves operability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1: Block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 2] Schematic diagram showing the data structure in the mouse event storage area

[Figure 3] Schematic diagram showing the data structure in the icon management information storage area

[Figure 4] Schematic diagram showing the data structure of icon information

[Figure 5
] Flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 6
] Flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 7
] Flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 8
] Flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 9
] Example of display on display screen in one embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 10: Example of icon display by a conventional icon display control device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An icon display control device for controlling icons displayed on a display screen, comprising: display means for displaying the icons; storage means for storing character information corresponding to the icons displayed on the display means; , comprising an instruction means for indicating the icon, and means for causing the display means to display character information corresponding to the icon stored in the storage means in response to the instruction of the icon by the instruction means. icon display control device.