JPH07141514A - Graphic input/output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a closed area painting-out device that all children of lower age can handle extremely easily as to a device which paints out a closed area. CONSTITUTION:This device has a color array storage means 10 which stores an array of closed-area painting-out colors, a closed area specifying means 12 which specifies the closed area to be painted out through user's input operation, a current painting-out color acquiring means 14 which acquires a color used to paint out the closed area when the object closed area is specified, a painting-out color selecting means 16 which selects the color next to the acquired color in the order of the array, and a painting-out processing execution means 18 which paints out the specified closed area by using the selected color.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for selecting various commands set on a display screen and performing input / output operations according to the selected commands.

A system for coloring on a computer display is used for education of young children and rehabilitation of persons with physical disabilities. In this system, when a closed area is set on the display screen, The closed area selected by the user's input operation is filled with an arbitrary color.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art A user operates a pointing device such as a mouse, a tablet, a touch panel, and a trackball to give an instruction to a computer, and the computer provides a closed area (prepared as a sketch) set on the screen of the display by the user. Fill in any color according to the given instructions.

At the time of filling, the user operates the pointing device to preselect any color from a menu of colors that can be used for filling, and designates any closed area to be filled.

The fill color menu is displayed only when it is necessary to change the fill color, and the display screen is effectively used. Alternatively, a fill color menu is constantly displayed in a part of the display screen during coloring, and one of the colors is selected from this menu before the closed area to be filled is designated.

A general command instruction for a computer is to select any item from the displayed menu to open a window and operate the window.
It is done by.

[0007]

However, the behavior pattern of young children is intuitive and requires an operation to display a menu for the fill color when changing the fill color, and the closing target for display fill is closed. It is not good at logical thinking that requires an operating procedure to select a color to be used for filling an area before designating it.

Further, even if the menu is displayed, the function of each item cannot be understood, the selection is often erroneous, and it cannot be determined whether the correct window is opened.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a graphic input / output device which is extremely easy to handle for all young children.

[0010]

FIG. 1 illustrates the configuration of an apparatus according to the first invention. In the apparatus of the figure, a color array storage means 10 for storing an array of closed area filling colors and a filling area A closed area specifying unit 12 that specifies a target closed area in accordance with an input operation, and a current fill color acquisition unit that acquires a color used to fill the area when the closed area to be filled is specified. 14, a fill color selecting unit 16 for selecting a color next to the acquired color in the order of the array, and a fill executing unit 18 for filling the specified closed region with the selected color. have.

FIG. 2 illustrates the configuration of the device according to the second invention. In the device shown in FIG. 2, menu display means 20 for displaying a menu in which a graphic pattern is attached to each item, and the displayed menu are displayed. Menu selection means 22 for selecting one of the items according to the input operation, and window display means 24 for opening a window similar to the graphic pattern attached to the item when any of the menu items is selected, have.

[0012]

According to the first aspect of the invention, every time the user designates a closed area to be filled, the same area is filled with a different color, and the closed area filling color is selected in order from an array prepared in advance.

In the second aspect of the invention, a picture such as an apple, a mandarin orange, a thigh, or a note that can be understood very easily by young children is attached to each item of the menu, and any one of the menu items is attached. When is selected, a window having a shape similar to the pattern attached to the item is displayed.

[0014]

FIG. 3 illustrates the configuration of the first embodiment, in which a user (younger child) operates an input device 30 (pointing device such as mouse, tablet, touch panel, trackball) to process the device. Give instructions to 32.

The processing device 32 displays a sketch (closed area) on the screen of the display device 34 (color display), and the display uses VRAM data stored in the sketch storage unit 36.
This is done by writing in 38.

Further, the paint coordinate correction unit 40 of the processing device 32.
Performs the processing of FIG. 4, and in this case, the paint coordinate storage unit 4
The paintable coordinates stored in No. 2 (for example, each coordinate serving as an intersection of the regular grid = set A: see FIG. 5) are referred to.

In FIG. 4, the coordinate correction section 40 accepts the coordinates input by the user operating the input device 30 (step 400), and the closest paintable coordinates to the coordinates input by the user (step 402). The input coordinates are used as the start coordinates of the closed area filling (step 404), and finally, the end judgment of the closed area filling is performed (step 40).
6).

Since the paintable coordinates are not located on the boundary of the coloring book (the outline of the closed region) at the intersections of the regular grid (see FIG. 5), the user (education of the younger children and the physical education of Even if the person who has the obstacle cannot input the coordinates accurately or if the input accuracy is low due to the use of a touch panel or the like in the input device 30, the filling is not started from the border line of the coloring book, and therefore, the user desires. It is possible to fill the closed region on the side more easily.

Whether or not the coordinates input by the user are located on the boundary line of the coloring book is checked by referring to the VRAM 38 and checking whether or not the color at that position is the color of the boundary line (color of the lower painting). , You may judge.

In FIG. 3, the output of the painting coordinate correction unit 40 is given to the coloring control unit 44. The coloring control unit 44 performs the processing of FIG. 6, and the painting color set storage unit 46 and the painting color storage unit 48. To access.

In FIG. 6, the coloring control section 44 first accepts the input coordinates (closed area painting start coordinates) output by the painting coordinate correction section 40 (step 600), and then determines which closed area the input coordinates are. It is checked whether they belong (step 602).

Then, the color and pattern currently used for filling the closed area to which the input coordinates belong are acquired (step 604). When the closed area to which the input coordinates belong is filled with a single color (when pattern painting is not done)
First, the data is read from the corresponding address of the VRAM 38 and the color is acquired.

When the closed area to which the input coordinates belong is filled with a plurality of colors (when pattern painting is performed), the color and pattern of the closed area are painted color storage unit 48.
To get from. Note that the coloring control section 44 writes the color and the pattern used for filling in the painting color storage section 48 every time the closed area is filled, in association with the same area.

When the colors and patterns currently used for filling are acquired in this way, the coloring control unit 44 accesses the painting color set storage unit 46, and the colors to be used for filling the closed area to which the input coordinates belong, A pattern is selected (step 606).

Colors that can be used for filling the closed area are stored in the paint color set storage unit 46 (for example, white, red, blue,
Green, yellow: White is used as a background color), and an array of patterns (for example, hatching, dots, shades) is stored in advance, and on this array, the colors and patterns currently used for filling are stored. The next color or pattern is selected as the color or pattern to be used for filling the closed area.

Further, the coloring control section 44 fills the closed area to which the input coordinates belong with the selected color and pattern (step 6).
08). For example, when the array formed by only the colors that can be used to fill the closed area is stored in the fill color set storage unit 46 and the fill colors are five colors of white, red, blue, green and yellow, Each time the input coordinates output by the coordinate correction unit 40 are received, red, blue, green, yellow, white, red, blue, green, yellow ...
In the order of, the closed area to which the input coordinates belong is filled as shown in FIG.

It should be noted that the cursor such as the mouse is moved to another closed area, and the color used to fill the closed area
Since the cursor is changed to a pattern, the user can confirm from this cursor which color and pattern the closed region of the moving destination is filled with.

As described above, according to this embodiment, every time the closed area to be filled is designated, the closed area is sequentially filled with a color and pattern different from the current one. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to understand the operation procedure of selecting the fill color from the menu and then selecting the closed area,
For this reason, even a younger child can very easily fill the closed region (coloring).

FIG. 8 illustrates the configuration of the second embodiment. The processing device 32 of FIG. 8 is provided with a VRAM 38, a window processing unit 80, a button information storage unit 82, and a window information storage unit 84.

The window processing section 80 reads out the button information stored in the button information storage section 82 and outputs it to the VRAM.
38, and a menu of button rows is displayed on the screen of the display device 34.

In FIG. 9, the procedure of the window processing performed by the window processing unit 80 is described with reference to a flowchart. The window processing unit 80 receives a user input from the input device 30 and selects any button (menu item). ) Is selected and it is confirmed from the contents (button information) of the button information storage section 82 that the window display should be performed (steps 900, 902, 904, 906), the window information stored in the window information storage section 84 ( (Corresponding to user input) is read (step 9)
08), the window information is written in the VRAM 38, and the central part of the screen of the display device 34 (the lower side of the button menu).
To display a window (often a submenu) at step 910.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the screen display of the display device 34. Buttons with pictures (apples, mandarins, thighs, etc.) that are easy to accept for younger children are attached to each item of the menu. There is.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the child can correctly select the item only by instructing "Please select an apple button". Also, when any button (menu item) is selected, a window with the same shape as the pattern of the button is displayed, so if an incorrect button is selected, "Momoe (Window)" It is also possible to point out the error, such as "I am wrong if it appears."

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, every time a closed area to be filled is specified, the closed area is sequentially filled with a color (pattern) different from the current one, so that the closed area filling is performed. It becomes unnecessary to understand the operation procedure of.

Further, each item of the menu is provided with a picture familiar to young children, and when any one of them is selected, a window having the same shape as the picture is displayed. Can be done correctly, and mistakes in item selection can be immediately recognized.

Therefore, all younger children can handle the device very easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the first invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the second invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a correction process of input coordinates.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of coordinate correction.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of filling.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a color selection operation.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure regarding a window.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a window display screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

 30 input device 32 processing device 34 display device 36 rough image storage unit 38 VRAM 40 painting coordinate correction unit 42 painting coordinate storage unit 44 painting color control unit 46 painting color set storage unit 48 painting color storage unit 80 window processing unit 82 button information storage unit 84 Window information storage

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location G06T 11/80

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A color array storage means (10) for storing an array of closed area filling colors, a closed area specifying means (12) for specifying a closed area to be filled according to an input operation, and a filling object. When a closed area is specified, a current fill color acquisition means (14) for acquiring a color used for filling the area, and a color next to the acquired color in the order of the array are selected. A graphic input / output device, comprising: a fill color selecting unit (16) for performing the fill, and a fill executing unit (18) for filling the specified closed region with the selected color. 2. A menu display means (20) for displaying a menu with a graphic pattern attached to each item, and a menu selection means (22) for selecting one of the displayed menu items according to an input operation. A graphic input / output device comprising: a window display means (24) for opening a window similar to the graphic pattern attached to the menu item when the menu item is selected.