JPH08314637A - Video display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide such cursor movement that a cursor is drawn in a selected item so that an item choice is easily made when the item is selected by moving the cursor. CONSTITUTION: Drawing-in areas are set previously in a component table 4 and a drawing-in vector calculating means 3 judges whether or not the current cursor position is included in one of the drawing-in areas. When so, the concrete value of a drawing-in vector is calculated and reflected on the operation of a next cursor position. The said operation is carried out synchronously or asynchronously with the movement by an input device. Consequently, the user can easily make a fast and accurate item choice without performing delicate operation nearby the selected item.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video display device for controlling the display and movement of a cursor for operating a graphic user interface (GUI).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a method has been proposed in which an item is moved to a region near when a cursor is moved for the purpose of facilitating access to a predetermined region prepared by a system. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-51892 discloses a configuration in which a virtual pull-in area is set outside the area prepared by the system, and when the cursor enters the area, the area is moved to the target area. .

For menu operation with a pointing device, a method of adjusting the moving speed of the cursor has been proposed as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-33840. By setting the cursor movement speed low in the area forming the menu on the screen, a rough operation outside the menu area can perform a quick operation, and a detailed operation within the menu area can be performed.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, the GU is used for operating household equipment such as a television receiver.
When trying to use I, the above measures are not sufficient. Problems such as a time delay caused by transmission / reception of a remote controller and a decrease in pointing accuracy due to the use of a pointing device mounted on a remote controller in hand will become a problem. In addition, since the user base is wider than the users of the computer, a major issue is how to operate the computer without feeling discomfort rather than aiming at the efficiency of the operation.

Further, in a window system on a computer, it is general to use a pointing device as a keyboard and a keyboard as an efficient use, but in a household device, it is used as a pointing device for specifying a position. It is difficult to separately provide a key for moving the cursor, and it is sometimes necessary to use one device for both. In addition, since the mouse, which is generally used as a pointing device at present in ordinary computers, requires a movement area on the desk, the relative movement amount of a cursor such as a joystick or a trackball is specified as a device to be operated at hand. The device is valid. Compared to a mouse in which the absolute positions of the device and the cursor correspond to each other, these devices have a degree of freedom in the movement of the cursor, and by not taking the one-to-one movement, the ease of operation is improved. The challenge is to seek.

The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems. The item selection (menu) and the free pointing on the screen are performed by the same operation device, and the shift of the operation feeling due to the transition between the respective operations is caused. The goal is to minimize. For this reason, the cursor is basically moved by the pointing device, and when the cursor is moved to the selection item, the movement to pull in the selection item is added to make the item selection more efficient, and the item selection by moving the cursor can be done without burdening the beginner. To be able to. This aims to efficiently perform both item selection and free pointing with a single operating device.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention uses the following configuration. In addition to the conventional cursor position control means, a pull-in vector calculation means is provided, and the cursor position control means refers to the pull-in vector to determine the cursor position. The pull-in vector determination means refers to the part table of the GUI management means, determines whether the current cursor position is in one of the predetermined pull-in areas, and calculates the pull-in vector. The cursor position control means adds the three values of the current cursor position, the displacement amount given from the input means, and the pull-in vector to determine the next cursor control position.

This pull-in operation can be performed in synchronization with the movement of the cursor by the input device, or at a different timing from the movement by the input device.

[0009]

With this configuration, the pull-in area is set in accordance with the area of the item or button to be selected on the screen on which the cursor moves. The pull-in vector calculation means, when the cursor position is in one of the predetermined pull-in areas,
The vector toward the center of attraction of the area of attraction is calculated. The center of attraction is set close to the center of the item to be selected on the screen, and the attraction vector is a vector having a direction in which the cursor approaches the center of attraction.

When moving the cursor, not only the displacement amount by the cursor displacement input means is added to the current display position of the cursor, but also the pull-in vector shown above is added to move the next cursor display position. Ask. This makes it possible for the movement of the cursor not only to move by the input means, but also to move toward the center of the selected item.

[0011]

【Example】

(Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a video display device of this embodiment. The cursor displacement input means 1 in the figure acquires the displacement amount designated by a pointing device represented by a joystick, a mouse, or the like. The display device 6 displays a cursor and constitutes a display unit of a graphic user interface (GUI). The user operates the pointing device to operate the target device by operating the cursor displayed on the screen via the input means 1 while looking at the screen displayed on the display device 6. The contents of this GUI will not be described in detail here. The current display position (coordinates) of the cursor on the screen is stored in the cursor position storage means 5 and updated with the operation of the cursor. The pull-in vector calculation means 3 receives the current position of the cursor as an input,
If the current position is included in any of the pull-in areas, and if it is included, the pull-in vector is calculated as described later. At the time of this calculation, the data stored in the parts table 4 is referred to. The parts table stores the IDs of the selection items displayed on the screen, the coordinates of the corresponding pull-in area on the screen, and the coordinates of the pull-in center, and is updated with the operation of the GUI. The cursor display position calculation means 2 is
The display position of the cursor is determined based on the information acquired from the cursor position storage unit 5, the pull-in vector calculation unit 3, and the cursor displacement input unit 1, and the position is transmitted to the display device 6.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a pull-in area and a pull-in center. The figure shows the positions of a certain selection item and the associated pull-in area on the display screen in two-dimensional coordinates. A solid line frame IA indicates a certain selection item. The selection item is a menu item, a button, a check box, or the like, which causes some operation by selecting it.

The area indicated by the broken line is a lead-in area associated with the selection item IA. The pull-in area GA is the coordinates (ox, oy) of the starting point and the coordinates (ex,
ey). Also, the center of attraction C is the selection item I.
It is set near the center of A and is defined by coordinates (cx, cy).

With respect to the pull-in area and pull-in center set as described above, the pull-in vector G becomes a vector (gx, gy) from the current position (for example, P) of the cursor to the pull-in center C as shown in the figure. .

The information on the selection items and the pull-in area as described above is managed in a parts table as shown in FIG. In the parts table, when a new selection item appears on the screen displaying the GUI, information about the selection item is registered, and when the selection item disappears from the screen, the information about the selection item is deleted. This part table management is G
It is performed by means (not shown) for managing the operation of the UI. The information about each selection item is composed of the coordinates of the start and end points of the pull-in area and the coordinates of the pull-in center, using the ID of the selection item as a key.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the outline of the operation of the image display device of this embodiment. The start of the cursor movement control in S101 is generated by an interrupt or the like when a new displacement input is given to the cursor displacement input means. S102
Then, the displacement input (d
x, dy) is read. In S103, it is determined whether or not the current cursor position (x, y) is included in any of the predetermined pull-in areas by referring to the parts table 4. In the operation of this step, the parts table is sequentially scanned, and it is determined whether or not the current coordinates (x, y) are included in the rectangular area surrounded by (ox, oy) and (ex, ey). That is, it suffices to see whether or not the two relationships of ox ≦ x ≦ ex oy ≦ y ≦ ey are established.
In S104, it is determined whether a pull-in area including the current coordinates has been found, and the process branches. If there is no pull-in area, the process proceeds to S107, and the current cursor display position (x, y) and the displacement amount (dx, dy) are added to add the next cursor position, as in the conventional cursor control device. Then, a new value is written in the cursor position storage means 5 and the display device is requested to display the cursor at the new cursor position. The operation in this case is basically the same as the operation of the conventional video display device.

If a pull-in area including the current display position is found in S104, the process proceeds to S105. S
In 105, the pull-in vector (gx, gy) is set to the current cursor position (x, y) and the pull-in area coordinates (cx, gy).
cy). (Gx, gy) is k (0 <k <
It is obtained as the constant of 1) by the following equation.

Gx = k × (cx−x) gy = k × (cy−y) As a result, (gx, gy) is the center (c) of the pulling region.
x, cy) can be calculated as a vector in the direction of approaching.

At S106, the current cursor position (x,
y), the displacement amount (dx, dy), and the pull-in vector (gx, gy) calculated in S105, the next cursor position (x ′, y ′) is obtained. The calculation formula is as follows.

X '= x + dx + gx y' = y + dy + gy Finally, in S108, the next cursor position display position (x ', y') obtained in S106 or S107 is displayed on the display device.

Although one cursor movement process is completed as described above, the cursor movement control is actually performed by repeating this processing every time there is a cursor movement request from the input device. According to the configuration shown in the present embodiment, when the cursor is moved to the pull-in area of a certain selection item and a small displacement input is given, the action of the pull-in vector is superior to the displacement input, and the cursor is pulled to the center of the pull-in area. It works as it is. Also, when a large pull-in vector is given, the displacement input cancels the action of the pull-in vector, so that it is possible to move out of the region. According to this configuration, if the user moves the cursor into the pull-in area, the cursor is drawn to the selected item without fine adjustment, so that the selected item can be selected accurately and at high speed. . Further, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the cursor does not move when there is no request for moving the cursor by the input means, so that the user can have a feeling that the cursor is moving according to his or her will.

(Embodiment 2) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a video display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Since some of the constituent elements in the figure are common to the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted. The part different from the first embodiment is the cursor control timer 7.
And the operation of the cursor display position calculation means 2. The cursor control timer 7 functions to issue processing requests to the cursor display position calculation means 2 and the pull-in vector calculation means 3 at substantially constant time intervals. The operation of the cursor display position calculation means 2 is different from that shown in the first embodiment, and will be described later in detail.

The operation of the image display apparatus of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the outline of the operation of the video display device of this embodiment. The start of the cursor movement control in S201 is started when a new displacement input is given to the cursor displacement input means or when a movement request by the cursor control timer is generated. In S202, it is determined whether the request for moving the cursor is made by the displacement input means or the cursor control timer, and the process is branched.

If it is a processing request by the cursor displacement input means, the process branches to S203, and the current cursor display position (x, y) and displacement input (dx, dy) are used as in the conventional image display device. Next cursor position (x ',
y ') is calculated. This calculation is performed by the following formula.

X '= x + dx y' = y + dy If the request to the cursor display position calculating means 2 is made by the cursor control timer 7 in S202, the process proceeds to S204. In S204, similarly to S103 of FIG. 4 shown in the first embodiment, it is determined by referring to the parts table 5 whether the current cursor display position (x, y) is included in any of the predetermined pull-in areas. To do. In step S205, it is determined whether a pull-in area including the current coordinates has been found, and the process branches. If there is no lead-in area, there is no need for processing, and therefore the processing is passed directly to S208. When the pull-in area including the current display position is found, the processing from S206 is performed. First in S206
The pull-in vector (gx, gy) is obtained in the same manner as S105 in the embodiment. Then, in S207, the current cursor display position (x, y) and the pull-in vector (g
The next cursor position (x ', y') is calculated from (x, gy). This calculation is performed by the following formula.

X '= x + gx y' = y + gy Finally, in S208, the next cursor position display position (x ', y') obtained is displayed on the display device.

Although one cursor movement process is completed as described above, the cursor movement is actually performed by repeating this operation every time a cursor movement request is made by the input device or a processing request is made by the cursor control timer. Control is performed. According to the configuration shown in the present embodiment, in addition to the operation of the cursor which is the same as that of the conventional cursor control device caused by the displacement input from the input device, the process of pulling in by the cursor control timer at a constant time interval is performed. Occurs. From the user's point of view, gravity appears to act on the cursor. Therefore, if you move the cursor to the pull-in area of a selected item and leave it there,
The cursor naturally moves to the center of the pull-in area. Even if the cursor is in the pull-in area, it is possible to escape from the area by giving a displacement input that cancels the action of the pull-in vector. According to this configuration, if the user moves the cursor into the pull-in area, the cursor is automatically drawn to the selected item, so that the selection item can be selected accurately and at high speed by rough operation. .

In the two embodiments described above, the method of calculating the pull-in vector is a vector proportional to the distance from the center for the sake of simplicity. However, in the pull-in area, a vector having a constant size regardless of the position is used. Can also be In this case, there is an advantage that the calculation of the pull-in vector is simplified. Alternatively, if you set the pull-in vector that is inversely proportional to the square of the distance,
Its action is similar to that of gravity, and you can get a natural sense of operation. Besides this, various types of calculation methods can be used.

Regarding the setting of the pull-in area, various settings such as an elliptical area and a free shape can be made in addition to the rectangular area.

[0030]

The effects obtained by the above-described image display device are as follows.

First, since the basic movement of the cursor corresponds to the movement of the input device, the operations are continuously performed when the free pointing is performed and when the item is selected from the menu or the like. Therefore, the user can switch between pointing and item selection in a free space without being aware of the mode change. In addition, regarding the item selection, the action of the pull-in vector provides an action such that the cursor is pulled to the item near the item to be selected. Therefore, it becomes easy to select a fast and accurate item without performing a delicate and careful operation.

This merit is effective when the operation is performed by a device such as a hand-held pointing device on the remote controller that does not provide sufficient input accuracy. Items can be selected simply by moving the cursor to the approximate position, so accurate operations can be performed even on devices where it is difficult to perform delicate operations. By pointing around the selected item,
It is possible to avoid a situation in which the cursor moves out of the selected item before the pointing key is operated after pointing and causes an erroneous operation. Furthermore, the cursor moves continuously, and it is not displayed at a suddenly distant position on the screen, so the burden of visual recognition is small.

Although the present invention can be carried out for general computer operations, it is particularly effective for equipment-incorporated systems. In the device-embedded system, the application part and the device level can be designed comprehensively, and the requirement for ensuring compatibility is relatively small, so that the configuration according to the present invention is easy. Further, all the processes can be executed by software and can be easily added to the existing system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a positional relationship on a screen of symbols used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a parts table used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cursor displacement input means 2 Cursor display position calculation means 3 Entrainment vector calculation means 4 Parts table 5 Cursor position storage means 6 Display device 7 Cursor control timer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An input means for receiving an input from a pointing device, a parts table for storing a collection of labels, positions and pull-in areas of selection items displayed on a screen, a current display position of a cursor and the parts table. And a pull-in vector calculating means for calculating the pull-in vector of the cursor, and a cursor display position calculating means for calculating the next cursor display position from the current display position of the cursor, the pull-in vector, and the input by the input means. When a pointing device movement input is given to the input means, it is determined whether or not the current cursor display position is included in one of the predetermined pull-in areas, and if it is included, pull-in of the pull-in area is performed. Calculate the pull-in vector from the center position and the current cursor display position, and An image display device for calculating a next cursor position by adding three values of a current cursor position, a pull-in vector and a cursor movement amount by the input means. 2. An input means for receiving an input from a pointing device, a parts table for storing a collection of labels, positions and pull-in areas of selection items displayed on a screen, a current display position of a cursor and the parts table. A pull-in vector calculating means for calculating the pull-in vector of the cursor with reference, a cursor control timer for measuring a time period similar to the input cycle of the input means, a current display position of the cursor and the pull-in vector, the input means Cursor input position calculation means for calculating the next cursor display position from the input, and when a movement input of the pointing device is given to the input means, the current cursor and the cursor movement amount by the input means are added. By calculating the next cursor display position by In the time period defined by the timer, it is determined whether the current cursor display position is included in one of the predetermined pull-in areas,
If it is included, the pull-in vector is calculated from the pull-in center position of the pull-in area and the current cursor display position, and the next cursor position is calculated by adding the current cursor position and pull-in vector. Video display device.