JPH06202840A - Dynamic icon preparing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To save labor for dynamic icon preparation by storing the data of the respective patterns of dynamic icons and setting the functions of the dynamic icons. CONSTITUTION:When a user designates video fetch, a video fetching means 104 transfers the output signal of a video storage means 102 to a data storage means 105 as it is or while converting data. This purpose is to extract only the video utilized for the dynamic icon and to preserve it in the data storage means 105 among the video stored in the video storage means 102. When the user instructs function setting, a function setting means 106 preserves the function designated by the user in a function storage means 107. In this case, the set function is a function to be executed when the user selects the dynamic icon in the case of utilizing the prepared dynamic icon while integrating it into the other system.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating a dynamic icon which creates a dynamic icon composed of a plurality of symbols displayed in time series.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a graphic designer or the like has designed an icon when creating it.

For this creation, there is a method of using a graphics editor on a computer or a method of taking in what is designed on paper in advance with a scanner.

These methods are the same in the case of creating a dynamic icon composed of a plurality of symbols displayed in time series, and in that case, the design must be performed by the number of the symbols constituting one dynamic icon. I have to.

Regarding the experiment of dynamic icons,
Ronald Baecker, Ian Small, and Richard Mande
r) "Bringing Icons To Life"(CHI'91 Proceeding
s, pp.1-6), and "Study of dynamic icons from the perspective of affordance" by Uematsu, Morimoto, and Nishimura (7th Symp
osium of Human Interface (Institute of Instrument and Control Engineers), pp.3
1-36) etc.

According to the experiments of Uematsu, Morimoto, and Nishimura, it is pointed out that the dynamic icon enhances the friendliness and usability as compared with the normal icon consisting of only one pattern. On the other hand, there is a problem that it takes a lot of time and effort to create each design.
It is pointed out on page 6 of the document by ecker et al.

[0007]

As described above, there is a problem that designing an icon is a work that requires a design sense, and that creating it is very time-consuming.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a dynamic icon creating apparatus which can remarkably reduce the time and effort required for creating a dynamic icon.

[0009]

A dynamic icon creating apparatus of the present invention is a video storing means for storing videos for use as material data of each symbol of a dynamic icon, and the video storing means stored in the video storing means. Video control means for controlling video reproduction, stop, frame advance, rewind, fast forward, etc., display means for displaying the video stored in the video storage means, and data for each symbol of the dynamic icon. Data accumulating means for accumulating, image capturing means for transferring a part or all of the content of the image accumulating means to the data accumulating means as it is or data conversion, and function setting means for setting the function of the dynamic icon, A function storage means for storing the function information,
It is configured to include control means for controlling the video control means, the video capturing means, and the function setting means in accordance with a user's instruction.

[0010]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the dynamic icon creating apparatus of the present invention.

The dynamic icon creating apparatus of this embodiment includes a video control means 101, a video storage means 102, a display means 103, a video capture means 104, a data storage means 105, a function setting means 106, and a function storage. It is configured to include a means 107 and a control means 108.

The image storage means 102 stores images used to obtain material data for each symbol of the dynamic icon, such as a video tape, a laser disk, and a CD.
-ROM, magnetic disk, etc. can be used.

The image control means 101 is an image storage means 10.
Playback, stop, frame advance, rewind,
The video storage means 1 is used for controlling fast-forwarding and the like.
If the video storage means 102 is a video tape, the video control means 101 is a video tape reproducing device, and if the video storage means 102 is a laser disk, the video control means 101 is a laser disk player. When the image storage means 102 is a CD-ROM, the image control means 101 is a CD-ROM player, and when the image storage means 102 is a magnetic disk, the image control means 101 is a disk drive or the like.

The display means 103 displays the image stored in the image storage means, and a display such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display or a plasma display can be used.

The display means 103 is the image storage means 1.
It may have a function of displaying both the contents of 02 and the contents of the control means 108. In this case, the display means 103
Is connected to both the video storage means 102 and the control means 108.

The video capturing means 104 converts the video signal received from the video storing means 102 into a signal for storing in the data storing means 105 and sends it to the data storing means 105. For example, the output of the video storing means 102 is N
When the format of the data stored in the data storage means 105 by the TSC signal is the RGB format, the NTSC signal is converted to the RG.
Convert to B signal. The image capturing means 104 includes
For example, NEC video information processing device VP-150 or the like can be used.

The data storage means 105 stores data of each symbol of the dynamic icon, and a magnetic disk, a semiconductor memory or the like can be used.

The function setting means 106 sets the function of the dynamic icon, and can use a microprocessor or the like.

The function storage means 107 stores the function information of the dynamic icon, and can use a magnetic disk, a semiconductor memory or the like.

The control means 108 controls the video control means 101, the video capturing means 104 and the function setting means 106 according to the user's instruction, and includes a microprocessor, buttons and keyboards for the user to input, and a display device. A persol computer equipped with and can be used.

When the control means 108 is also connected to the display means 103, the display device of the control means 108 can use the display means 103. Further, the function setting means 106 may be built in the control means 108.

An operation example of creating a dynamic icon using the dynamic icon creating apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the user instructs the control means 108 to
The processing to be performed is designated (step 201).

As the type of processing, the image control means 101
Video control by the video capturing means, video capturing by the video capturing means 104, and function setting by the function setting means 106. The operation of the apparatus of this embodiment differs depending on the type of processing specified by the user.

When the user designates the video control, the video control means 101 further controls the video storage means 102 according to the type of control designated by the user (step 20).
2). Control types include video playback, fast forward, rewind, and frame advance. The types of control that can be performed are generally described in the manual of the video control means 101.

When the user specifies the video capture,
The video capturing means 104 transfers the output signal of the video storing means 102 as it is or after converting the data to the data storing means 105 (step 203). The purpose is to take out only the image used for the dynamic icon from the images accumulated in the image accumulating unit 102 and store it in the data accumulating unit 105.

There are various modes of data conversion. For example, when the output of the video storage means 102 is an NTSC signal, it is converted into an RGB signal and sent to the data storage means 105. Not only the conversion of the data format but also the contents of the video may be converted and stored. For example, the image capturing means 10
When an NEC video board (model number PC-98GS-02) is used as 4, the output image of the image storage means 102 is horizontally inverted, vertically inverted, partially inverted, mosaic processing, spherical effect, grid removal, rotation, Processing such as contour extraction and contour enhancement can be performed and transferred to the data storage means 105. Regarding the contents of processing that can be performed here, specifically, for example, NE
C Personal computer PC-9800 series Software l
ibrary, N88-Japanese BASIC (86) (MS-DOS version) 6.1 Multimedia Extension Function See page 73 of the manual.

When the user instructs the function setting, the function setting means 106 stores the function designated by the user in the function storage means 107 (step 204). The format to be saved may be a function name, a program format, or an execution format. The function set here is a function executed when the user selects the dynamic icon when the created dynamic icon is incorporated into another system and used.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a process selection, control selection, and function information input screen displayed on the display device of the control means 108. On the screen, a series of buttons 301 for controlling the video control means 101, a series of buttons 302 for controlling the video capturing means 104, and a function input for setting the function of the dynamic icon using the function setting means 106. Area 303 and the like are displayed. On the screen of FIG. 3, the user can perform button operations and inputs using an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse. The screen display does not necessarily have to be a button or the like, and for example, the user may perform control by typing a command from the keyboard. When the control unit 108 has a dedicated input device, control may be performed by pushing a button on the device.

When the display means 103 has a function of displaying not only the content of the video storage means 102 but also the content of the control means 108, the display of the display means 103 is as shown in FIG. 4, for example. In this case, in addition to the contents of the control unit 108 as shown in FIG. 3, the image 401 of the contents of the image storage unit 102 is displayed. Here, an example in which the image of the printer is displayed is shown.

Most of the conventional icons consist of only one symbol, but these icons can be handled as special dynamic icons consisting of only one symbol, so they are created using the apparatus of this embodiment. That is self-evident.

By using the apparatus of the present embodiment, when creating an icon or a dynamic icon, it is necessary to obtain a necessary image from an image taken by a video camera in advance or an image commercially available in the form of a video tape or a laser disc. It is possible to take in a design, use it as the data of a plurality of designs that are displayed in time series, and set the function to it, and it is possible to greatly reduce the time and effort for creating a dynamic icon.

[0034]

As described above, in the dynamic icon creating apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to remarkably reduce the time and effort required to create a dynamic icon by using a video image taken in advance or a commercially available video image. Have an effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a dynamic icon creating device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of an embodiment of the dynamic icon creating device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a display screen diagram showing a first example of display of an embodiment of the dynamic icon creating device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a display screen diagram showing a second example of display of an embodiment of the dynamic icon creating device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 video control means 102 video storage means 103 display means 104 video capture means 105 data storage means 106 function setting means 107 function storage means 108 control means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A video storage means for storing video for use as material data for each symbol of a dynamic icon,
Playing or stopping the video stored in the video storage means,
Video control means for controlling frame advance, rewind, fast forward, etc., display means for displaying the video stored in the video storage means, and data storage means for storing data of each symbol of the dynamic icon A video capturing means for transferring a part or all of the content of the video storing means as it is or converting the data to the data storing means, a function setting means for setting a function of the dynamic icon, and storing the function information. A dynamic icon creating apparatus comprising: a function storage means; and a control means for controlling the video control means, the video capturing means, and the function setting means according to a user's instruction. 2. The dynamic icon creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display means also displays a screen for processing selection, control selection, and function information input by the control means.