JPH05313847A - Virtual desk top display method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a virtual desk top display method which can reduce the operating burden on a user by displaying and operating plural windows in a single group. CONSTITUTION:An optional window shown on a display screen is converted into a subwindow in a multiwindow system of the display screen. The subwindow is shown within a specific window (virtual desk top window), and this subwindow shown on the virtual desk top window is adversely converted into a window and displayed. Meanwhile, the changes of the window states caused by the mutual conversion between the window and the subwindow are controlled.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention conventionally operates independently on a multi-window system that displays a plurality of information in a plurality of rectangular areas called windows that can be overlapped in the display.
/ It relates to a virtual desktop display method that makes it possible to handle these windows in a group by displaying each displayed window as a subwindow inside another window,
For example, when trying to hold an electronic communication conference using a window system, the windows necessary for the conference are organized into one virtual desktop window, and the windows used for other purposes are stored in another virtual desktop window. By carrying out the processing of (1), it is effective in organizing a plurality of works performed on a single display and making it easy to handle. In the present invention, the term “virtual desktop” refers to a spatial spread in which a plurality of windows can be put together as one set, and here, an example in which windows can be put together is taken as an example. Similarly, the term "virtual desktop window" embodies the above-mentioned virtual desktop as a window. It should be noted that by placing subwindows inside this window, the subwindows can be put together.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a multi-window system, a single computer display is used as a plurality of rectangular pseudo displays called windows, so that a plurality of display outputs, which conventionally required a plurality of devices, are combined into a single display output. It is a display method that can be performed on a display. The windows described above can take any position and size on the display and can also be stacked on top of each other, like a piece of paper on a desk. If windows are stacked on top of each other, the covered part of the underlying window will not be displayed. FIG. 2 shows a general display state of the above-mentioned multi-window system. In the figure, 100 is a computer display, and the inside thereof is a display area for displaying a window. Here, 110,120,130,140,15
Five windows of 0 are displayed on the display 100.

Of the above windows, window 1
20 is the true size of the window, including the area shown by the broken line in the figure. However, since it is in a position that protrudes from the display, the protruding part is
Naturally, it is not displayed outside the frame around the display 100 and is in a clipped state. Suppose that this window 120 is in a position where the entire window is visible (for example, the center of the display).
When you move to, the clipped area becomes visible.
Note that this also applies to other windows.
The above-mentioned windows are individually operated.
For example, even if the position of one window is changed, the positions of other windows are not changed in conjunction with this.

Each of the windows described above is drawn as a rectangle on the display and is taken by the user as such, but in reality there are several subwindows above this window. , Apparently "1
It is established as one "window". Figure 3
Then, as an example thereof, the existence of the above-mentioned sub-window is described for the window 130 in FIG. The window 130 exists on the display 100. 131,132,13 on this window 130
There are three sub-windows of three. The sub-window 131 is a portion where the title character is drawn in the window 130, the sub-window 132 is a portion where an "X" type symbol is displayed, and the sub-window 133.
Is the part where the text was drawn.

The user generally recognizes these subwindows and all of the underlying windows as "one window". These sub-windows are interlocked with the windows below them, and when operations such as moving windows and changing the order of overlapping are performed, the sub-windows are moved in exactly the same manner. However, in general, resizing is not included in this. The relationship between subwindows and windows is the same as the relationship between windows and displays. That is, when the sub-window is placed at a position outside the window, the sub-window is clipped as shown in FIG. 2, and the sub-windows can be freely overlapped within the same window. Regarding this, for example, Jones Oliver, “Introducti
on to the XWindow System ”Prentice-Hall, 1989
, Nye Adrian, "Xlib Programm-ing Manual"
O'Reili & Associates, 1990, Chernicoff Stephe
n, "Mac-intosh Revealed" Hyden Brook Company, 1
The description such as 985 is helpful.

[0006]

The conventional window display method described above has the following drawbacks. (1) Each window can be operated individually. This means that even if the user wants to handle multiple windows collectively, they must intentionally operate on each individually. For example, in FIG.
When the user wants to move the windows 110 and 120 together, they must move them individually. This also applies to operations such as iconizing windows and changing the order of overlapping windows. In order to solve this, it is necessary to take measures that allow the windows to be handled collectively in operation.

(2) The window can be placed at an appropriate position on the display. This increases the degree of freedom regarding the arrangement of windows, but on the other hand, it is not possible to display windows that are related to each other as one unit. This can be a hindrance factor in work including a problem of labor for arranging for easy viewing in addition to a problem of visibility. In order to solve this, it is necessary to take measures to display the windows in a visually organized format.

(3) The subwindow is attached to the window. By changing the relative position of the subwindow with the window or changing the property of the window as a subwindow to make it a window,
There is no provision for getting out of the window outside the constraints of the clip. So you can make one window a subwindow of another window,
Subwindows cannot be windows. This prevents you from using windows like folders to organize subwindows. To solve this, it is necessary to take measures to freely change windows and subwindows.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art and to display and operate a plurality of windows as a group. , It is to provide a virtual desktop display method that reduces the operation load on the user.

[0010]

The above object of the present invention is to convert an arbitrary window displayed on the display screen into a subwindow on a multi-window system on the display screen, and convert the subwindow into a specific window (virtual window). (A desktop window), and manages a process of converting a subwindow displayed on the virtual desktop window into a window by inverse conversion and a change in window state due to mutual conversion between the window and the subwindow. And a virtual desktop display method.

[0011]

In the desktop display method according to the present invention, by displaying a plurality of windows as subwindows within the virtual desktop window, it is possible to handle the operation / display of the windows collectively for each virtual desktop window. Thus, the operation efficiency and the visibility are improved.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 shows a system configuration diagram including a virtual desktop mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. The virtual desktop mechanism 300 according to this embodiment comprises a window management mechanism 310, a desktop registration / deletion mechanism 330, and a virtual desktop window generation mechanism 340. The window system 400 performs functions such as window drawing and user interface. The virtual desktop mechanism 300 is an overall image of a system for establishing the virtual desktop display method of this embodiment. The virtual desktop window generation mechanism 340 generates a virtual desktop window for displaying the subwindowed window.

The desktop registration / deletion mechanism 330 makes a designated window a subwindow or makes a designated subwindow a window. At this time, the target window / subwindow is specified as
Any means may be used as long as it can uniquely instruct a window, such as pointing by a user's hand, instructing from another program, and invoking from the program creating the window itself. It should be noted that the window management mechanism 310, which stores information about windows, inquires what kind of windows can be operated. The window management mechanism 310 provides an appropriate window as a subwindow, or information necessary for windowing the subwindow. This window management mechanism 310
Comprises a window selection mechanism 311, a window information table 312, and an event monitoring mechanism 313.

The window information table 312 stores information on all windows to be windowed / subwindowed. This information includes
At least, information such as a window identifier, a display state, and a state change due to conversion of windows and subwindows is included. The window selection mechanism 311 uses these pieces of information to determine whether the specified window can be made into a subwindow, or whether the subwindow can be made into a window. The above-mentioned discrimination is necessary in order not to operate a window that does not exist or a window that is invisible (but exists) to the user. The enable / disable determination is performed based on the prohibition condition shown in FIG.
The desktop registration / deletion mechanism 330 sends the specified window identifier to the window management mechanism 310. If it is determined that the window specified by the identifier can be made into a subwindow, or the subwindow specified by the identifier can be made into a window, the window management mechanism 310 provides "possible" information, and otherwise " The information “impossible” is sent to the desktop registration / deletion mechanism 330.

The window information table 31 described above is used.
The window selection mechanism 311 writes the information in 2. The window selection mechanism 311 requests the window system 400 for information about the window, selects the necessary information from this information, and writes it in the window information table 312. The window selection mechanism 311 also checks whether or not the window can be an operation target, and stores the result in the window information table 312.
The event monitoring mechanism 313 detects that there is any change in the window in order to keep the above-mentioned window information table 312 in the latest state, and if necessary, the window selection mechanism 311 is notified to the window information table 31.
Request the update of 2. It should be noted that any change in the window described above is detected using a notification (event) from the window system 400.

FIG. 6 shows the changes that have occurred and the contents of the entries in the window information table 312 that must be changed in response to the changes. FIG. 7 shows an example of the display state of the virtual desktop in this embodiment. Reference numeral 200 in FIG. 7 denotes a virtual desktop window generated by the virtual desktop window generation mechanism 340. The nature of a window is no different than any other normal window. FIG. 8 is an example showing a state in which the window 130 in the window group in the state shown in FIG. 7 is made into a subwindow of the virtual desktop window and is displayed in the virtual desktop window 200. Since the window 130 that has been made into a sub-window belongs to the virtual desktop window 200, the portion protruding from the virtual desktop window 200 is clipped and displayed, like the window 120 in FIG. That is, when viewed from the window 130,
The virtual desktop window 200 is the display 1
It is supposed to be equivalent to 00.

FIG. 9 schematically shows the above-mentioned window-to-subwindow conversion. Windows 130, 140, and virtual desktop window 2
00 is displayed directly on the display 100.
The window 130 has its background changed from the display 100 to the virtual desktop window 200, as indicated by the arrow A in FIG. In order to return the sub-window on the virtual desktop window 200 to the original window state, the display object may be changed in the above description. The operation of the virtual desktop mechanism 300 described above can be summarized as shown in FIG. That is, when the virtual desktop mechanism 300 is activated, information about the window currently on the display is collected and the window information table 312 is created.

Next, the virtual desktop window generation mechanism 340 generates a virtual desktop window and enters the event waiting state. Here, when the window in the display is instructed by the user to be a sub-window, (1) it is judged whether or not the designated window is appropriate by comparing with the above window information table 312, and (2) the designated window. Register the virtual desktop window by changing the subwindow to (3)
The window information table 312 is rewritten and the state returns to (4) event waiting state.

When the subwindow in the virtual desktop window is windowed (cancelled by the subwindow) by the user, (1) it is determined whether or not the designated subwindow is appropriate as described above in the window information table 3
Judgment is made by comparison with 12, and (2) the designated subwindow is made into a window to delete it from the virtual desktop window, (3) the window information table 312 is rewritten, and (4) the event waiting state is returned. Also, when a window is (1) newly created or deleted,
(2) When mapped, when unmapped,
(3) Rewrite the window information table 312, and (4) return to the event waiting state.

When the user gives a termination instruction, the virtual desktop window is deleted and the processing is terminated. With the configuration described above, a virtual desktop window can be generated and the designated window can be displayed as a subwindow of the virtual desktop window, or the subwindow can be deleted from the virtual desktop window and returned to the original window. Further, it becomes possible to hold the information of the window necessary for the above-mentioned work and provide the information as needed. Note that the present invention supports window / subwindow relationships,
It can be configured on any window system that can somehow generate events for windows.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the number of virtual desktop windows is only one has been shown as an example, but any number of virtual desktop windows can be used as long as it is within the range that the window system can handle. You can put this virtual desktop window on the same display. Further, if necessary, it is possible to make the generated virtual desktop window belong to another virtual desktop window to have a double structure.

[0022]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, there is provided a virtual desktop display method capable of displaying and operating a plurality of windows as a group to reduce the operation load on the user. It has a remarkable effect that it can be realized.

[0023]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an operation flow diagram of a multi-window system showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a general display state of a conventional multi-window system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of subwindows in a window of a conventional multi-window system.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a system for configuring a virtual desktop according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram exemplifying contents of a window information table 312 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram exemplifying a change that has occurred and the contents of an entry of the window information table 312 that must be changed in accordance with the change in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display state of a virtual desktop in the embodiment.

8 is a view showing a virtual desktop window 2 in which the window 130 in the window group in the state shown in FIG. 7 is changed to a subwindow of the virtual desktop window.
It is a figure which illustrates the state displayed in 00.

FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing conversion from a window to a subwindow in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

200: Virtual Desktop Window, 300: Virtual Desktop Mechanism, 310: Window Management Mechanism, 31
1: Window selection mechanism, 312: Window information table, 313: Event monitoring mechanism, 330: Desktop registration / deletion mechanism, 340: Virtual desktop window generation mechanism, 400: Window system.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Hideya Ichihara 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nihon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. On a multi-window system on a display screen, an arbitrary window displayed on the display screen is converted into a subwindow, the subwindow is displayed in a specific window (virtual desktop window), and the subwindow is displayed. A virtual desktop including a process of converting a subwindow displayed on a virtual desktop window into a window and displaying the converted subwindow, and a process of managing a change in a window state due to mutual conversion between the window and the subwindow. Display method.