JPH0619612A - Pen input/menu display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a pen input/menu display device which can always display the menu to impart the instructions to a computer by input of a pen at an easy-to-see position for a user on a tablet. CONSTITUTION:A pen input/menu display device makes the pen point of a pen input device 8 approximate to or touch a tablet device 2 which is unified with a display device 3 displaying an operation instruction menu and then input the operation instructions. Then a pen position detector means 4 is added to the display device to detect the pen position on the device 2 of the device 8 together with the tilting direction detector means 5 which detects the tilting direction of the pen of the device 8, a menu display position deciding means 6 which decides the display position of the operation instruction menu in the device 3 based on the pen position detected by the means 4 as well as the pen tilting direction detected by the means 5, and a menu display means which displays the operation instruction menu at the display position decided by the means 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pen input / menu display device which displays an operation instruction menu and prompts an instruction to a computer by pen input.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as a method of giving an operation instruction to a computer, a method of giving an instruction command from a keyboard to a method of giving an instruction using a mouse and an icon or a menu has become common, and further, it is integrated with a display device. Tablet device and pen input device
Methods such as pointing the displayed operation instruction menu and buttons and giving instructions to the computer by the operation of the pen are also emerging.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a pen input / menu display device, 13 is a character / graphic display device having a display screen for displaying characters and graphics, and 14 is a pen described later. An electromagnetic induction type tablet device provided for detecting the pen input position of the input device, 15 is a screen display control device for performing control for displaying characters and graphics on the screen of the character / graphic display device 13, 16
Is a pen position detecting device that detects and identifies the pen input position of the pen input device based on the input information from the electromagnetic induction type tablet device 14, 17 is a computer that performs a process for receiving instructions and performing calculation and display, and 18 is It is a pen input device with a built-in coil.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining an operation example of the pen input / menu display device shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 8 is a pen input device having a built-in coil, 19 is a character / graphic display device 13 and an electromagnetic induction type tablet device 1 shown in FIG.
4 is an integrated display device, 20 is a menu / button statically displayed on the display device 19 (however, here,
Two response buttons, a Yes button and a No button, are shown as an example, and 21 is a menu dynamically displayed on the display device 19 as well (however, here, the operation instruction contents are classified into four items 1 to 4). 22 is an individual selection item in the menu 21.

The operation of this pen input / menu display device is as follows. When the pen input device 18 is brought close to the display device 19 shown in FIG. 4, the pen position detection device 1 shown in FIG.
6 detects the pen input position of the pen input device 18, and passes the position information to the computer 17. To give an instruction to the computer 17, the pen input device 18 is brought close to the position of the menu / button 20 previously displayed on the display device 19, or
Alternatively, a display device 19 displaying a pop-up menu
When the pen input device 18 is brought closer to the designated place, the menu 21 is dynamically displayed as shown in the figure, and the selection item 22 in the menu 21 is selected.

[0006]

However, in the above pen input / menu display device, the menu 21 dynamically displayed on the screen like a pop-up menu is provided separately from the screen like a mouse. Unlike the indicated pointing device, the menu 21 displayed by the user's hand or the pen input device 18 itself may be hidden. In such a case, it is necessary to change the position of the user's hand or the position of the pen input device 18 to check the contents of the menu 21, which puts a burden on the user.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and it is possible to always display a menu for giving instructions to a computer by pen input at a position on the tablet where the user can easily see. An object is to provide a pen input / menu display device.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a tablet device integrated with a display device for displaying an operation instruction menu so that the pen tip of a pen input device is brought close to or in contact with the tablet device. In a pen input / menu display device for inputting an operation instruction, a pen position detecting means for detecting a pen position of the pen input device on a tablet device, and an inclination direction detection for detecting a pen inclination direction of the pen input device Means, a tilt direction of the pen detected by the tilt direction detecting means, and a pen position detected by the pen position detecting means, and a menu display position determining means for determining the display position of the operation instruction menu on the display device. And a menu display hand for displaying the operation instruction menu at the display position determined by the menu display position determining means. It is characterized by comprising and.

[0009]

According to the above structure, the operation instruction menu is displayed on the display device of the pen input / menu display device, and the pen tip of the pen input device is moved closer to any position of the displayed operation instruction menu. Alternatively, the operation instruction is input to the computer by bringing them into contact with each other.

In this case, the pen position detecting means detects the pen position on the tablet device of the pen input device.
Further, the tilt direction detecting means also detects the tilt direction of the pen of the pen input device. Then, the menu display position determining means determines the display position of the operation instruction menu on the display device based on the information on the pen position and the information on the tilt direction obtained as a result of these detections. Therefore, the menu display means displays the operation instruction menu at the determined display position.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a pen input / menu display device according to the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pen input / menu display device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a character / graphic display device having a display screen for displaying characters and graphics, 2 is an electromagnetic induction type tablet device provided for detecting a pen input position of a pen input device described later, and 3 Is a screen display control device for performing control for displaying characters or graphics on the screen of the character / graphics display device 1, and 4 is a device for detecting and specifying a pen input position of the pen input device based on information from the electromagnetic induction tablet device 2. A pen position detecting device, 5 is a tilt direction detecting device for detecting a tilt direction of the pen input device with respect to the tablet surface, and 6 is a menu for giving an instruction to a computer by information from the pen position detecting device 4 and the tilt direction detecting device 5. To determine the position to display, and to instruct the computer to display the menu at the determined position on the character / graphics display device 1. Display indicating device, 7 computer to perform processing for calculating and displaying in response to an instruction, 8 is a pen input device with a built-in coil.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an operation example of the pen input / menu display device shown in FIG.
In FIG. 2, 8 is a pen input device with a built-in coil, 9
Is a display device integrated with an electromagnetic induction tablet device,
Reference numeral 10 denotes a menu dynamically displayed by bringing the pen input device close to the reference numeral 11, and reference numeral 11 denotes a selection item in the menu 10. 2A shows the menu display 1 when the pen input device 10 is brought closer to the display device 9 from the right direction.
2 shows the menu display 11 when the pen input device 10 is brought closer to the display device 9 from the left side.

An operation example of the pen input / menu display device will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In this pen input / menu display device, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the pen input device 10 is tilted to the right and brought closer to the display device 9, the tilt direction detection device 5 causes the tilt direction of the pen to be tilted. Is to the right. As a method of detecting the tilt direction of the pen, the pen input device 8 has a plurality of short-circuit coils built therein, and the high frequency generated from the electromagnetic induction tablet device 2 is received by the pen input device 8.
The method of detecting the tilt direction by comparing the signal strength when the signal is transmitted to the electromagnetic induction type tablet device 2 again, or receiving from the pen input device 8 having one built-in short-circuit coil in the same manner as above There is a method in which the strength of the signal is compared with respect to each coil on the electromagnetic induction tablet device 2 side to detect the tilt direction.

Next, the menu position determination / display instruction device 6
Is obtained from the tilt direction detection device 5 and information on the tilt direction of the pen input device 8 (rightward in the case of FIG. 2A), and information on the pen input position of the pen input device 8 from the pen position detection device 4. Then, the position where the instruction menu is displayed is determined for the computer 7 (that is, in the case of FIG. 2A, the lower left position of the screen of the display device 9 in the direction opposite to the tilt direction of the pen). Then, an instruction is issued to display the menu 10 at the determined position. Then, the computer 7 follows the instruction,
The screen display control device 3 is driven, and the instruction menu 10 is displayed on the screen of the character / graphics display device 1.

Further, as shown in FIG.
Menu 10 displayed on the screen by the pen input device 8
When any one of the selection items 11 in the menu 10 is selected, the above-mentioned pen position detection device 4 detects the position of the pen input device 8 and the detected position of the pen is compared with the display position of the selection item 11 in the menu 10. Thus, the computer 7 is instructed to correspond to the selected menu item.

On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the tilt direction of the pen of the pen input device 8 is the left direction, the tilt detection device 5 also detects this and the obtained tilt direction is obtained. 2 and the information on the pen input position obtained from the pen position detection device 4, the menu position determination / display instruction device 6 determines the position where the menu 10 is to be displayed (in this case, as shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the lower right position of the screen of the display device 9 is displayed), and the computer 7 is instructed to display the menu 10 at the determined position. Then, the computer 7 drives the screen display control device 3 according to the instruction, and the menu 10 is displayed on the screen of the character / graphic display device 1.

In the above embodiment, the screen display device 3,
Although the pen position detection device 4, the tilt direction detection device 5, the menu position determination / display instruction device 6, and the computer 7 have been described as separate devices, respectively, the functions may be shared by one computer. I don't care.

[0018]

According to the present invention described above, when an instruction is given to a computer using a pop-up menu dynamically displayed on a tablet and a pen input device, it is displayed by the pen itself or a hand holding the pen. It is possible to prevent problems such as hidden menus from being hidden, and the menus can always be displayed in a state that is easy for the user to see.

Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the operational burden on the user such as changing the input position of the pen or the position of the hand holding the pen after the menu is displayed, and the usability is greatly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pen input / menu display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an operation example of the pen input / menu display device shown in FIG. And (a) shows the menu display position when the pen input device is tilted rightward, and (b) shows the menu display position when the pen input device is tilted leftward.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a pen input / menu display device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining an operation example of the pen input / menu display device shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Character / figure display device 2 Electromagnetic induction type tablet device 3 Screen display control device 4 Pen position detection device 5 Tilt direction detection device 6 Menu position determination / display instruction device 7 Computer 8 Pen input device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pen input / menu display device for inputting an operation instruction by bringing a pen tip of a pen input device close to or in contact with a tablet device integrated with a display device displaying an operation instruction menu, Pen position detecting means for detecting the pen position on the tablet device of the pen input device, inclination direction detecting means for detecting the inclination direction of the pen of the pen input device, and inclination of the pen detected by the inclination direction detecting means. From the direction and the pen position detected by the pen position detection means, a menu display position determination means for determining the display position of the operation instruction menu on the display device, and a display position determined by the menu display position determination means And a pen input / menu table including a menu display unit for displaying an operation instruction menu. Apparatus.