JPH08314677A - Redisplay method for icon - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To automatically arraying a single or plural icons and prevent a necessary area from being hidden by simple setting by setting priority levels by display areas. CONSTITUTION: If there are, for example, three icons hidden after a program starts, the priority levels are judged, one by one, in the order of electronic mailing 18, word processing 19, and ordering 20 to perform a rearranging process. Namely, when an icon 'electronic mail' 18 is hidden behind a spread sheet application 21 and the icon 'electronic mail' 18 is lower in priority than the spread sheet application 21, the priority level of the icon 'electronic mail' 18 and the priority level of the background 16 are compared with each other. When it is judged from a priority level table that the icon 'electronic mail' 18 is higher in priority level than that background 16, it is judged whether or not there is an area where the icon 'electronic mail' 18 is displayed in an area other than the display area 21 of the spread sheet application of the program that is started last. Thus, the display area is redisplayed where the user can easily use.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plurality of areas (icons) displayed in multiple windows of a computer system.
Relates to a method of re-displaying an icon for efficiently rearranging the icon on a screen based on a predetermined priority order.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional computer system, like a multi-window system, the position of one or more window areas for instructing the operation of a computer is
It is arranged such that it is placed at a specified position with respect to the area (icon) displayed after the command is given, or at a position previously displayed or at a position designated by the user. As a conventional window control method of this type, there is, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-204997. In this window control method, when the invisible area of a window increases as a result of operating one of the multiple windows, the other window is automatically rearranged outside the display area of the one window. Is a method of reducing the invisible area of the window. But,
This method still does not eliminate the invisible area of the window, and there is no guarantee that the area of higher priority will be the visible area.

[0003]

As described above, when the area for instructing the operation of one or more computers is displayed on the computer, that is, the multi-window is displayed on the operation screen. When you are instructed, depending on the area displayed after the command, the area that commands the operation of one or more computers (hereinafter referred to as the icon) is hidden behind the other window area, and the next operation instruction is given. There were problems such as inability to execute efficiently and inability to refer to the specified content. When the invisible area of a window increased, there was a control method that automatically rearranges another window outside one window after the operation, but there is no guarantee that the window you want to reference next will be the visible area. It was Therefore, it is not possible with software to control the icon to be referred to next in the visible region, and it is performed manually while observing the coordinates. An object of the present invention is to solve such a conventional problem and provide an icon redisplay method capable of automatically rearranging a single icon or a plurality of icons and not obscuring a necessary area with a simple setting. Especially.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, in the icon redisplay method according to the present invention, an area for instructing the operation of a computer, an area to be displayed after instructed, and a background thereof are provided. An area for storing the display priority is provided in the area. Further, it is determined from the relative value of the coordinates on the screen of the display device whether the area for instructing the operation of the computer is located below the area displayed after the instruction. Also, the size of the area displayed after the designation is determined. As a result of the above determination, the region is moved when the area for instructing the operation of the computer can be sufficiently displayed on the background portion and the display priority of the background is lower than the area for instructing the operation of the computer. Further, according to the present invention, a screen for the user to set the display priority is provided.

[0005]

According to the present invention, by setting the display priority for each display area, the display area can be redisplayed at a position where the user can easily use it. Further, based on the display priority, it is possible to display a display area having a high display priority in front of or in parallel with a display area having a low display priority. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the window to be referred to next is hidden behind the other windows after the operation and cannot be referred to.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a computer device to which the present invention is applied. The computer device includes one or a plurality of windows, an input / output screen 11 on which an icon is displayed, a storage device 12 provided outside the CPU for storing window control data such as display priority, and an operator to operate. It includes a keyboard device 13, a mouse 14 for changing to the next screen, and a CPU 15 for controlling icons. FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the icon redisplay method according to the embodiment of the present invention. The display priority order of icons (hereinafter abbreviated as priority order) is stored in the storage device 12. In the present embodiment, the priorities 1 to 5 are used, with 1 having the highest priority and 5 having the lowest priority.

[First Embodiment] FIGS. 3 and 4 are screens showing a first embodiment of the present invention, which is applied to a multi-window of an OS. A first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. First, the user opens a multi-window environment (step 51). As a result, the screen A is displayed on the screen D based on the preset priority order. In addition,
The priority is the priority of the icon for each process and the priority of the application after the icon operates.
Each is registered on the table. For example, in the case of spreadsheet processing, the priority of an icon is 3, but in the application area, the priority is increased by 1 to 2. Similarly, the priority of the icon in the case of word processing is 1, but in the application area, the priority is lowered to 2. In the case of the background, there is no icon, so there is no priority, and the lowest priority is 5 in the application area. Screen A shows "Background" with priority 5
6, priority 3 icon "spreadsheet" 17, same priority 3 "email" 18, priority 1 "word processor"
19 and "ordering" 20 of priority 5.

In FIG. 2, the user designates the icon "spreadsheet" 17 when carrying out a spreadsheet (step 52). At this time, the spreadsheet application 21 starts up while securing as much area as possible on the screen, so that the icon “email” 18 and “word processor” 1
9, "Ordering" area 20 is a spreadsheet application 2
It is below 1 and is not displayed (see screen B). That is,
The priority 2 of the application area of the spreadsheet 17 is higher than the other email icons (priority 3) and order icons (priority 5), and only the word processor icon (priority 1) is the spreadsheet application. This is because the priority is higher than 21.

In the present invention, after starting the program, it is judged whether or not there is an icon hidden by the starting of the program (step 53). In the first embodiment,
Because there are 3 hidden icons, email 18,
The word processor 19 and the order 20 are judged one by one in order of priority, and the rearrangement process is executed. First, the icon “email” 18 is displayed under the spreadsheet application 21.
Is hidden, so in the branch of (step 53),
Transition to the branch of (step 54). (Step 54)
In the branch of, it is determined whether the priority of the hidden icon is higher than the priority of the activated program (that is, the application). The determination can be made by calling the priority order from the storage device 12 that stores the priority order in the table format like the screen D. Since the icon “e-mail” 18 has a lower priority than the spreadsheet application 21, the process transitions to the branch of (step 56). At the branch (step 56), the priority of the hidden icon "e-mail" 18 and the priority of the background 16 are compared. From the priority table on screen D, select the icon "Email"
Since 18 has a higher priority than the background 16, the process transitions to the branch of (step 57). In the branch of (step 57), the program is hidden in an area other than the display area 21 of the spreadsheet application of the last activated program (hereinafter, abbreviated as non-program area) (the same area as the background in the first embodiment). It is determined whether or not there is an area in which the icon "e-mail" 18 is displayed. That is, the area where the icon "e-mail" 18 has a lower priority than its own is searched and moved and displayed (step 58) (see screen C).

Then, in the branch (step 53),
The icon "word processor" 19 hidden under the spreadsheet program is recognized, and the process proceeds to the branch (step 54).
At the branch of (step 54), the icon "word processor" 19 has a higher priority than that of the spreadsheet application 21 than that of the priority table of the screen D (step 5).
5) Transition to the operation, and the icon “word processor” 19 is displayed on the spreadsheet application 21. Subsequently, in the branch (step 53), the icon "ordering" 20 hidden at the bottom of the spreadsheet program is recognized, and the process proceeds to the branch (step 54). The icon "ordering" 20 has a lower priority than the priority of the spreadsheet application 21 in the priority table of the screen D at the branch (step 54), and therefore the process proceeds to the branch (step 56). In the branch (step 56), the priority of the hidden icon "order" 20 and the priority of the background 16 are compared. From the priority table on screen D, the hidden icon "order" 20 is displayed in the background 16
Since the priority order is the same, nothing is done to the icon "ordering" 20, and the display remains hidden in the spreadsheet application 21 (see screen C). As described above, according to the user's convenience, the related high-priority items of the spreadsheet application 21 are displayed in the area or moved to the outside of the area, and the unnecessary ones are not moved and displayed on the screen. It is possible to utilize such as not displaying by setting the screen priority (see screen D).

[Second Embodiment] Next, an example in which the present invention is applied to a specific application program will be described. 5 and 6 are screen diagrams showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, an order quantity input screen (see screen E) of the order application program is displayed. The ordering application program displays a product information graph by selecting the product name column 31. This ordering application program is provided with the priorities as shown on the screen H. In this case as well, similar to the first embodiment, the priority order is registered in the table of the storage device 12 in advance. here,
For the five items of the product name column, the delivery name column, the order quantity column, the graph, and the background, the standard time priority order that has not been activated and the startup priority order are set. First, by selecting the product name column 31, the product information graph 32 is displayed (see screen F), but here, the selected product name column 31,
In other words, the product name of bell pepper is hidden. Therefore, by applying the present invention, the selected product name column 31 is displayed.

The manner of display in this case will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, (step 52)
If the icon in is replaced with the product name column 31 and the selected program is replaced with the product information graph 32, in the branch (step 53), the product name column 31 is replaced with the product information graph 32.
Since it is hidden in the lower order of, the flow transits to a branch (step 54). At (step 54), the priority order (2) of the hidden product name column 31 and the priority order (2) of the activated product information graph 32 are equal to each other due to the priority order set on the screen H, so that the process branches. Transition to (step 56). In the branch (step 56), the activated product name column 31 is higher than the background priority (5) by the priority set on the screen H, so the branch (step 57).
Transition to. At the branch (step 57), since the hidden product name column 31 can be displayed by sliding it to the left, it is moved and displayed at (step 58) (screen G).
It is possible to realize an application in which the selected item does not disappear.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since one or a plurality of icons can be automatically rearranged on the computer device, a necessary area is not hidden and the next operation instruction can be efficiently executed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a computer to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of an icon redisplay method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a screen transition diagram showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a remaining screen transition diagram showing the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a screen transition diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a remaining screen transition diagram showing the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Input / output screen, 12 ... Storage device, 13 ... Keyboard, 14 ... Mouse, 15 ... CPU, 16 ... Background, 17 ...
Spreadsheet icon, 18 ... E-mail icon, 19 ... Word processing icon, 20 ... Ordering icon, 21 ... Spreadsheet application, 30 ... Ordering application program, 31 ... Product name column, 32 ... Product information graph.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A display priority order is stored in each of an area for instructing the operation of a computer, an area displayed after instructed, and an area serving as a background thereof for instructing the operation of the computer. A single or a plurality of areas is displayed on the screen, and the positional relationship between one area displayed after the command and the background area of the area is determined, and the determination result of the positional relationship and each area are determined. A method of redisplaying an icon, wherein the respective areas are rearranged based on the display priority set in the above. 2. The icon redisplay method according to claim 1, wherein whether or not the area for instructing the operation of the computer is located below the area displayed after the instruction is given,
Judging from the relative value of the coordinates on the screen, the size of the area displayed after the specified is judged, and by the above judgment, the area for instructing the operation of the computer can be sufficiently displayed in the background part, and A method for re-displaying an icon, wherein when the display priority of the background is lower than the area for instructing the operation of the computer, the area is moved. 3. The icon redisplay method according to claim 1, wherein the area for instructing the operation of the computer is replaced with a product name column, a delivery date column, and an order quantity column, and the command is issued. Replace the area that is displayed later with the product information graph, and give priority to each of the product name column, delivery date column, order number column, the region after the product information graph, and their background regions. A method of re-displaying a screen area, characterized in that the order is stored and the areas are rearranged based on the display priority.