JPH10312263A - Computer system and method for designating window of operation object - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To associate a window with a key input string inputted from a keyboard and to speedily move the focus of the window by using only the keyboard by instructing a mode for designating the window being an operation object by means of the keyboard. SOLUTION: A user instructs the mode for designating the window of the operation object by the keyboard 7. The instruction is executed by depressing a prescribed key on the keyboard 7. Characters which are uniquely allocated to the respective windows are displayed on a display screen in accordance with the respective windows in response to the designation of the mode. It is desirable to automatically allocate the characters to the respective windows. When the window on the screen is fixed, it can previously be decided. Then, the necessary window is selected and the characters can previously be allocated only to the window.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a graphical user interface (GUI), and more particularly to a method of specifying a window using only a keyboard.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A GUI using a window system
Is composed of a plurality of windows. A window generally refers to a rectangular area on the screen, and is a unit that can be pointed by a pointing device. This window allows the user to interact with the program. This window includes a desktop window which is a window corresponding to the entire display screen and which is an ancestor of all other windows, a frame window having a title, an input field, buttons, and the like. For example, in the case of the screen as shown in FIG.
Within 0, there are frame windows 100a and 100b with titles 140a and 140b. The control window is located inside the frame window 100a.
Menu box 240a, frame window 1
Buttons 260a and 260 for controlling the size of 00a
b, icons 120a to 120c, combo box 1
60a to 160c, buttons 180a to 180c, character input areas 200a to 200c, buttons 220a and 220
Scroll bar 220 including 20c and knob 220b
Exists. These are all windows. The frame window 100b includes a control menu box 240b and a frame window 100b.
Buttons 260c and 260d for controlling the size of b are included. The frame window 100b overlaps with the frame window 100a, and a part of the area is not visible to the user, but a window may exist in this part. Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 1,
The frame windows 100a and 100b may include a portion for clearly indicating a boundary.

[0003] On a screen on which such a window is displayed, operations on the GUI such as input of a character string, selection of an item, and depression of a push button are performed by first operating a window to be operated (hereinafter referred to as an operation target window or focus window).・ It is necessary to select a window.)
This operation will be referred to as “moving the focus”. For the movement of the focus, a method of directly designating a window by pointing an arbitrary point in the window using a pointing device such as a mouse is often used. In a standard window system, in addition to such a pointing device designation method,
The focus of the window can be moved using only the keyboard. Such focus movement using only the keyboard is effective in a notebook-type computer or the like in an environment where the mouse is difficult to use, or when a quicker operation than the mouse is required.

Conventionally, there are the following methods for moving the focus using only the keyboard. (1) A method in which an order for focus movement is previously set between windows, and focus is moved in that order by continuously depressing a tab key or the like.
This method is described in, for example, JP-A-2-188819 and JP-A-8-147107. (2) A method of specifying a window by moving a viewpoint in pixel units with a specific key of a keyboard, as in a pointing device. (3) A method in which a key input sequence called an accelerator is associated with a specific window in advance, and the focus is moved to the window by inputting the key input sequence of the accelerator. For the key input string, a combination of a front key and one alphanumeric character is often used. Such a focus moving method often includes not only a simple focus movement but also an operation such as pressing a button.

The method (1) is generally based on a tree-structured one-dimensional moving operation of a window group constituting an application, and the number of key operations required to reach a target window increases. In such a case, it is inconvenient. In addition, the method (2) is extremely inconvenient compared to mice. On the other hand, the method (3) does not have the problems as in the cases (1) and (2), but has a point that only a variation of about one alphanumeric character is a practical application range.
In principle, any number of characters can be defined, but there is no way to effectively associate the definition with the user. In particular, when the number of windows increases and the number of characters used increases, it is inconvenient that the user must store the character string. Another problem is that the key input character string is a predetermined character string. This may be useful because learning can be meaningful, but the number of windows changes when the system runs, and if the number is indefinite, a unique character string is assigned to each window. Need to be. Currently widely used application programs do not cope with such cases, and no attempt is made to make input character strings unique among a plurality of applications.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art as described above,
It is an object of the present invention to associate a window with a key input sequence input from a keyboard so that the focus of the window can be quickly moved using only the keyboard.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for associating a key input sequence of an arbitrary length with a window and effectively associating a key input sequence defined at the time of inputting the key input sequence. is there.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the following processing is performed in the present invention. First, the user designates a mode for designating an operation target window using a keyboard. This instruction is made by pressing a predetermined key on the keyboard or the like. Then, in response to the instruction of the mode, the characters uniquely assigned to each window at that time are displayed on the display screen corresponding to each window. Although it is preferable to automatically assign characters to each window, it may be determined in advance when windows on the screen are fixed. Alternatively, a required window can be selected and assigned to only that window in advance. The display manner is arbitrary, but a form in which the window and the character can be directly associated with each other, such as overlapping the window or displaying near the window, is preferable. Character,! , #, ＄,
Also includes characters (symbols) such as% and & which can be input using a keyboard. Then, the user inputs the assigned character from the keyboard. In response to this input, the corresponding window is designated as the operation target window. In this way, it is possible to move directly to an arbitrary window on the screen without using a mouse. Further, the user can input while looking at the characters assigned to the window, which is convenient. By automatically assigning characters, it is possible to cope with a case where the screen configuration is frequently changed.

In the above-mentioned step of designating a window corresponding to a character input by the user, it is determined whether or not the input character matches each of the assigned character portions. The display may further include a step of changing the display of the assigned characters including the character matching the input character to a different form from the display of the assigned characters not including the character matching the input character. In this way, the window to be selected is narrowed down, so that the window selection becomes clearer. In addition,
For the display in a different mode, a method of changing the color, blinking, increasing the brightness, or erasing a character that does not match, etc., can be considered.

[0010] When the user inputs characters, it is possible to instruct the end of character input. In response to this, an “assigned character” that matches the character input by the end of the character input is detected, and a window corresponding to the assigned character is specified. In this way, the point in time to return to the normal mode becomes clear.

It is conceivable that the input characters can be corrected until the end of the character input is instructed. For example, input characters can be changed by a back space.
When performing the window narrowing described above,
When corrected, the display returns to the state before the refinement.

[0012] Further, when the input character and the portion of each assigned character do not completely match, if the user is notified that the input is inappropriate, the user can easily recognize the error. . This matter is effective even when the window narrowing described above is not performed.

[0013] Also. The operation associated with the operation target window may be executed in response to the designation of the operation target window. This is a matter corresponding to the prior art accelerator.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method of designating an operation target window by character input using a keyboard when a plurality of frame windows including a plurality of windows exist inside. Here, the user instructs the mode for specifying the operation target window by using the keyboard, and in response, the character assigned to each visible window is displayed on the display screen corresponding to each visible window. indicate. Next, the user enters the characters (including symbols) assigned to the frame window, and in response, places the frame window on top. This is to select a frame window first. However, when the frame window to be selected from the beginning is at the forefront, the specification of this frame window may be omitted. If the character assigned to the frame window is not entered, it is assumed that the foreground frame window is selected first. Thereafter, the user inputs the character assigned to the desired window, and in response, designates the window corresponding to the assigned character as the operation target window. With this, the frame
Even if there are a plurality of windows, the purpose can be effectively achieved.

The process of arranging the selected frame window in the foreground is performed by the frame in the foreground.
It is also conceivable to include, in the window, a step of displaying characters assigned to the window that has been made visible by being placed in the foreground in correspondence with the window that has become visible. This is because the desired frame window does not always exist in the foreground from the beginning.

In another aspect of the present invention, the matters described in the first aspect may be implemented together.

The present invention described above can be implemented in any form of an apparatus and a computer program.

[0018]

FIG. 2 shows an example of a computer system for implementing the present invention. The computer system 1 includes a display device 6 for displaying the window shown in FIG.
It includes a processor 5 including a processor and a disk device, a keyboard 7, a mouse 8, and the like. In the present invention, since the operation target window is specified only by the keyboard, a pointing device such as the mouse 8 may not be included, but the mouse 8 may be included as shown in FIG. In the processor 5, an operating system is executed. The operating system is, for example, Windows 95 (a trademark of Microsoft Corporation). Such an operating system is a GUI
, And manages windows used in the GUI by the window system.

The window system has the states described in FIG. 3 and implements transitions. That is, GU
The normal mode 500 in which the event input of I is accepted, the focus movement mode 600 in which the key input sequence for the focus movement is being input, and the input of the key input sequence are completed, and the focus corresponds to the key input sequence. Focus movement completed state 70, which is a state where the window has been moved
Contains 0. The focus movement completion state 700 may include an operation performed on the focus window on the key input sequence, for example, executing a button window pressing operation or the like.

Next, the transition between the states will be described. In the normal mode state 500, a window as shown in FIG. 1 is displayed.
An operation for a normal GUI such as inputting a character in a character input area using a keyboard is performed. This normal mode 5
At 00, when a specific key operation that is not used in the normal mode 500 is performed, a transition is made to the focus movement mode 600 (transition 510). For example, an operation such as a combination of a front key and a space key, a quick depression and release of the front key can be assigned to the specific key operation. Any specific key operation not used in the normal mode 500 can be used.
Key operation without using the front keys may be used.

FIG. 4 shows a display screen in the initial state of the focus movement mode 600. In FIG. 4, alphabets or numbers are assigned to predetermined windows.
It is displayed in italics near each window. Icon 12
1 for 0a, 2 for combo box 160a, button 1
3 for 80a, 4 for character input area 200a, icon 1
5 for 20b, 6 for combo box 160b, 7 for button 180b, 8 for character input area 200b, 9 for icon 120c, 10 for combo box 160c, 11 for button 180c, 11 for character input area 200c Is 12,
13 is assigned to the button 220a of the scroll bar 220, and 14 is assigned to the button 220c. In addition,
The alphabetic character A is assigned to the frame window 100a and the alphabetical character B is assigned to the frame window 100b. Since this will be described in detail later, only the numeral assigned to the frame window 100a will be described here. Think.

The assignment of alphanumeric characters as shown in FIG.
Method performed by application program, (b)
A method in which the window system dynamically and automatically assigns a unique character string to each window, and a method in which both (c), (a), and (b) are mixed are conceivable. Since the assignment of the key input sequence must be unique for each window, the method (a) is effective when only one of the frame windows is handled. However, as shown in FIG. 4, when a plurality of frame windows are handled, a problem of assignment of a key input sequence between frame windows occurs. In such a case, the method (b) is effective. . It is also possible to implement the method of (b) for the frame window and the method of (a) for the windows within the frame window.

There is also a problem of allocating a key input sequence to which window. The method of assigning to all windows is the simplest, but there are some that are not generally the target of focus movement. Therefore, the user can designate a window that does not require the assignment of the key input string, and can prevent alphanumeric characters from being assigned to that window as shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, key input columns are not assigned to the control menu box 240, the title 140, and the button 260 for controlling the size of the frame window.

The method of displaying the key input string assigned to each window is arranged near the assigned window so that the correspondence with the window can be easily associated. Since it is only necessary to specify the focus window, it is possible to arrange the windows in an overlapping manner. It is also effective to associate a window with a key input string by changing the color, font, brightness, and the like of a character so that the window can be easily distinguished from other displays.

A method of assigning a key input sequence is as follows.
Various methods are conceivable as long as they are uniquely assigned to each window. For example, a method as shown in FIG. 5 is conceivable. First, i is initialized to 0 (step 101).
0), the focus movement target window is detected (step 1020). If it can be detected, a number i is assigned to the window (step 10).
30). Then, i is incremented by 1 (step 1040). This processing is performed until the target window of the focus movement cannot be detected, and when the target window cannot be detected, the processing ends (step 1050). The initial value of i may be any value, and the increment does not have to be one. Also, it is not necessary to use numbers, and if the assigned numbers are converted into 26-digit numbers and the representation of each digit of the 26-hex digits corresponds to a to z, English characters can be assigned. It is also possible to assign a character string different from that of the window in the frame window only for the frame window. In addition, you can input by keyboard! , #, $,%, &, *, +, =, Etc.

The key input sequence may be automatically assigned or may be assigned in advance by a user or the like. This method of assigning in advance by a user or the like is effective when the window on the screen is fixed.

Returning to FIG. 3, the description will be continued. After the transition to the focus movement mode 600, when an operation of inputting a key input sequence is performed, a transition 610 occurs. If there are a plurality of characters assigned to the window, a plurality of key press operations are consecutive, and the transition 61
0 occurs. Then, every time the transition 610 occurs, the display of the screen is changed. For example, when "1" is input on the screen of FIG. 4 (letters A and B not be displayed), the display is as shown in FIG. That is, the display is left for the character whose first character in the assigned key input string is "1", and the other characters are deleted. This is only an example. For example, in the case of FIG. 4, when “1” is input, the display color of the key input string that initially includes “1” is changed, blinks, or the brightness is changed. Change it,
It is also possible to make it bold. As described above, when the input character and a part of the assigned key input string match, if the display form is different from other key input strings, the user can specify a more desired window. It will be easier.

On the other hand, the user may erroneously input a character that does not exist in the key input sequence. For example, in the state of FIG. 6, the character "a" is input next.
In such a case, the input of "a" can be ignored, and an error display or a warning sound is issued to inform the user of an error. As a result, the user can immediately recognize his / her own error, and can perform a correction operation. When an incorrect character is input or when the user wants to redo the input, the input character can be canceled by a backspace key or the like. At this time, the screen display is also returned to the original state. For example, FIG.
When the input “1” is canceled from the state of, the display returns to the display screen of FIG.

Although the mode has shifted to the focus movement mode 600, the window designation according to the present invention may be canceled and the mode may return to the normal mode. In such a case, the normal mode 50 is executed by performing a key operation for stopping the operation.
Transition to 0 (transition 520). For the key operation for canceling the operation, some key operation not allocated to the key input column is allocated. When the window system detects this key operation, it returns to the normal mode.

Next, when the input of the key input sequence is completed, the focus movement mode 600 is changed to the focus movement completed state 7.
Transition to 00 (transition 620). This transition occurs when a unique window is specified by the input characters, or when a key input indicating a predetermined completion is detected. The key input for instructing the completion in advance may be, for example, a line feed key. It should be noted that since only the key input for instructing completion is detected, the only focus window may not be specified in some cases, it must be after the only window is specified by the input character. When a key input for instructing completion is detected in violation of this requirement, an error display or a warning sound notifies the user that an erroneous key operation has been performed.

In the example of FIG. 6, if "2" is input next, the character input area 200c is specified, and at this point, the state shifts to the focus movement completion state 700, or a key for designating completion such as a line feed key. By inputting, the state transits to the focus movement completion state 700.

In the focus movement completion state 700,
If specified, perform the operation on the focus window. For example, if the focus window is a button, it is considered that the designation of the focus window naturally means to depress the button, which is the focus window. You may make it implement. As a matter of course, the push-down may be separately instructed. In this case, normal mode 5
00. When "12" is input in the example of FIG. 4, since the character input area 200c is the focus window, it is impossible to perform operations on the focus window simultaneously with the transition. Therefore, no processing is performed in the focus movement completed state 700,
Transition to normal mode.

After completion of the focus movement or after performing a necessary operation on the focus window, the mode immediately transits to the normal mode 500 (transition 710). In the normal mode 500, the focus movement mode 600
When a key operation other than the key operation for transitioning to is performed, a transition 530, which is normal key input event processing, occurs. The processing at this time is the same as the conventional one, and thus the description is omitted here.

The above description has been made on the assumption that one frame window or the operation target window exists on the foreground frame window. However, there is a case where frame windows are arranged so as to overlap each other, which is called an overlap arrangement. Also in FIG. 1, two frame windows are arranged in an overlapping manner. This overlapped window may be partially or entirely hidden by another frame window except for the window at the forefront. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is extended so as to cope with such a case.

The key point of this extension is that a frame window to be arranged at the top is selected first, and a window included in the frame window at the top is selected next. That is, in FIG. 3, the transition from the normal mode 500 to the focus movement mode 600 occurs by a predetermined key operation as described above. At this time, a key input sequence is assigned to each window. The window to be assigned is limited to a window visible to the user. This is because, when there are a plurality of frame windows, if the key input columns are assigned to all the windows in each frame window and displayed, the display screen becomes complicated, and the correspondence between the windows and the key input columns is reduced. This is because there is a risk of becoming unclear. Also,
In the existing window system, an operation of displaying a list of all frame windows on the desktop window and selecting a frame window to be brought to the foreground from the list can be performed only with the keyboard. . Therefore, the frame which cannot be seen at all
When a window exists and an operation target window exists in such a frame window, the frame window is brought to the foreground using such an operation of the existing window system, and then the present invention is implemented. Then, a similar effect can be obtained. Regardless of whether the frame is visible or invisible, if the desired frame window is brought to the foreground by a method using such a list, and then the present invention described above is carried out, the frame to be placed on the foreground described below The embodiment of the present invention using the matter of selecting a window first becomes unnecessary.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which a key input sequence is assigned to a window visible to the user. Frame window 100
“A” is assigned to “a” and “B” is assigned to the frame window 100b, and the windows in the frame window 100a, which is the foreground, are as described above. On the other hand, among the windows in the frame window 100b, the window to which the key input sequence is assigned is invisible to the user. Therefore, the key input column is not displayed in the window within the frame window 100b. It should be noted that a key input sequence may be allocated to an invisible window and only display is not performed, or a method of not performing both allocation and display may be used. However, since key input columns must be uniquely assigned,
A method in which the assignment is performed and not displayed is effective.

Further, when a key input sequence of a different system is allocated to the frame window and the other windows as shown in FIG. 4, the operation becomes easier for the user. This is because, as described above, the frame window to be brought to the foreground is selected first, so that it is easy to distinguish whether the frame window is the frame window or not. Therefore, the key input column assignment algorithm in FIG. 5 is set as shown in FIG. 7, for example.
First, i and j are initialized to 0 (step 1110), and a window to be moved is detected (step 1120). Next, it is determined whether the detected window is the focus window (step 113).
0). If this is the focus window,
The English character corresponding to j is assigned to the frame window (step 1140). This method of assigning English characters may use the method of converting j into a 26-ary number described above with reference to FIG. Then, j is incremented by 1 (step 1150). The detected window is focused
If it is not a window, as in FIG. 5, the same number as i is assigned to the window (step 1160).
Is incremented by 1 (step 1170). Such a process is repeated until no window satisfying the conditions listed in step 1120 is detected.

Thus, the assignment and display of the key input sequence as shown in FIG. 4 are performed. Then, a key input sequence corresponding to the frame window to be made the front row is input.
In response to the key input sequence, the corresponding frame window is arranged at the forefront column. For example, in FIG.
Is input as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, areas that have been invisible until now are displayed, so new windows 270 and 280 are displayed. The key input strings assigned to these windows are displayed. 21 is assigned to the window 270 and 22 is assigned to the window 280 and displayed. Subsequent steps are the same as the processing described in FIG. That is, in the example of FIG.
Enter In the state shown in FIG. 8, when an instruction to cancel the input of the back space or the like is issued, the frame window which was initially the frontmost is returned to the front, and the display of the key input column is also returned to the original.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the key input column is displayed only in the window within the frame window arranged at the foreground. However, this is an example, and the frame input is not displayed at the top. The key input sequence may be displayed in a window that is visible to the user and is a window within the window. For example, in FIG.
a to 120c, combo boxes 160a to 160
c, character input strings 200a to 200c, button 220c
In addition, it is also possible to display the previously assigned key input column.

The matters described above are summarized in FIG. (1) A focus movement mode using a keyboard is detected (step 1210). (2) Display the assigned key input sequence in the visible window that is the target of the focus movement (step 12)
20). Various algorithms are conceivable for assigning the key input sequence as described above. (3) One character input from the keyboard is read (step 1230). (4) It is determined whether a frame window has been designated (step 1240). If there is only one frame window, or if a frame window already exists in the foreground, there is no need to specify the frame window. (5) When a frame window is specified, the specified frame window is moved to the foreground,
The assigned key input sequence is displayed in the window that has become visible (step 1250). (6) Whether the frame window is specified or not, a window in which the keyboard input matches the assigned key input sequence is detected (step 12).
60). Changing the display mode during keyboard input results in a more user-friendly window system. (7) The finally detected window is set as the focus window (step 1270). If necessary, perform processing related to the focus window.

In order to display the key input sequence, a focus movement mode window is created which has the same size as the screen and hides all other windows, is arranged at the forefront, and the focus movement mode window is displayed. It is also possible to do this by pasting the image of the screen hidden below. If the background of the focus movement mode window can be made transparent, the focus movement mode window may be overlapped with another window. As a result, a new key input sequence is displayed to the user in a newly added form. Also, by superimposing the result of the color conversion and the change of the luminance on the image of the screen to be hidden, it is possible to make the key input sequence easy to see.

When the display mode of the key input string is changed during input or when the key input string is displayed for a window which has become newly visible by changing the frame window, the focus movement mode window Can be changed.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that the above-described embodiment of the present invention is implemented by a computer program executable by a computer system as shown in FIG. Storing such a computer program in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, or an MO is also a common practice.
Further, it is also possible to create a device for performing the processing required for the present invention and incorporate it into a part of a computer system as shown in FIG. In this case, it can be divided into a part for monitoring keyboard input and a part for operating a window such as displaying a key input sequence.

[0044]

[Effect] A window and a key input string input from a keyboard are associated with each other, and the focus of the window can be quickly moved using only the keyboard.

It is also possible to provide a method of associating a key input sequence of an arbitrary length with a window and effectively associating a key input sequence defined at the time of inputting the key input sequence.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a computer system related to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a state transition diagram of the window system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a key input column assignment algorithm.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a key input column assignment algorithm.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram summarizing the processing flow of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Computer system 5 Processor 6 Display device 7 Keyboard 8 Mouse

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] November 4, 1997

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0013

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

Further, an operation associated with the operation target window may be executed in response to the designation of the operation target window. This is a matter corresponding to the prior art accelerator.

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0019

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

The window system has the states described in FIG. 3 and implements transitions. That is, GU
The normal mode 500 in which the event input of I is accepted, the focus movement mode 600 in which the key input sequence for the focus movement is being input, and the input of the key input sequence are completed, and the focus corresponds to the key input sequence. Focus movement completed state 70, which is a state where the window has been moved
Contains 0. The focus movement completion state 700 indicates an operation performed on the focus window, for example, a button
Executing a window pressing operation or the like may be included.

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0037

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

Further, when a key input sequence of a different system is allocated to the frame window and the other windows as shown in FIG. 4, the operation becomes easier for the user. This is because, as described above, the frame window to be brought to the foreground is selected first, so that it is easy to distinguish whether the frame window is the frame window or not. Therefore, the key input column assignment algorithm in FIG. 5 is set as shown in FIG. 7, for example.
First, i and j are initialized to 0 (step 1110), and a window to be moved is detected (step 1120). Next, it is determined whether the detected window is a frame window (step 113).
0). If this is a frame window, an English character corresponding to j is assigned to the frame window (step 1140). This method of assigning English characters may use the method of converting j into a 26-ary number described above with reference to FIG. Then, j is incremented by 1 (step 1150). If the detected window is not a frame window, the same number as i is assigned to the window as in FIG. 5 (step 1160), and i is set to 1
Increment (step 1170). Such a process is repeated until no window satisfying the conditions listed in step 1120 is detected.

Claims (20)

[Claims] In a graphical user interface using a plurality of windows which are units which can be designated by a pointing device and have a predetermined area on a display screen, a method of designating a window to be operated by character input using a keyboard. In response to the instruction of the mode for designating the operation target window by a keyboard, characters including symbols, which are uniquely assigned to the respective windows at that time, are displayed on the display screen corresponding to the respective windows. An operation target window including the following steps: a designation step of designating a window corresponding to the assigned character as an operation target window in response to the assigned character being input from the keyboard. Specification method. 2. A graphical user interface using a plurality of windows which are units which can be designated by a pointing device and have a predetermined area on a display screen, wherein a plurality of frame windows including a plurality of windows are overlapped. If present,
A method of designating an operation target window by character input using a keyboard, including a symbol assigned to each window that is visible in response to an instruction of a mode for designating the operation target window by a keyboard. Displaying a character on the display screen corresponding to each visible window; and arranging the frame window on top in response to input of a character assigned to the frame window. An operation target window specifying method, comprising: an arrangement step; and, in response to input of the allocated character, a specifying step of specifying a window corresponding to the allocated character as an operation target window. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specifying step includes determining whether the input character matches each of the assigned character portions, and if so, includes a character that matches the input character. Changing the display of the assigned character to a different form from the display of the assigned character that does not include a character that matches the input character. Method. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specifying step detects, in response to an instruction to end the character input, the assigned character that matches the character input up to the end of the character input, and Specifying a window corresponding to the character that has been changed.
How to specify the operation target window described. 5. The operation target window designating method according to claim 4, wherein the input character can be corrected until the end of the character input is instructed. 6. The method according to claim 3, wherein said designating step further comprises the step of notifying a user that the input is inappropriate if the input character and the portion of each of the assigned characters do not match at all. How to specify the operation target window. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specifying step further includes a step of notifying a user that the input is inappropriate when the input character does not match each of the assigned characters. How to specify the operation target window. 8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of executing an operation associated with the operation target window in response to the specifying step. 9. The method according to claim 9, wherein, in the arranging step, the character assigned to the window that has been made visible by being placed on the foreground is added to the window that has become visible. 3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of displaying correspondingly. 10. A computer system having a graphical user interface using a plurality of windows, each of which is a unit which can be pointed by a pointing device and has a predetermined area on a display screen, comprising: a keyboard; A display device having, in response to an instruction of a mode for designating a window to be operated by the keyboard, a character including a symbol uniquely assigned to each window at that time corresponding to each of the windows. Means for displaying on the display screen, and in response to input of the assigned character from the keyboard, operation window designation means for designating a window corresponding to the assigned character as an operation window And a computer system comprising: 11. A computer system having a graphical user interface using a plurality of windows, each of which is a unit instructable by a pointing device and has a predetermined area on a display screen, comprising: a keyboard; A display device having a plurality of frame windows including a plurality of windows therein, each of the windows being visible in response to a mode instructing the operation target window being designated by the keyboard. Display means for displaying, on the display screen, the characters including the symbols assigned to the corresponding windows, and responding to the input of the characters assigned to the frame window, Place the frame window on top and select the assigned statement Designating means for designating a window corresponding to the assigned character as an operation target window in response to the input of the character. 12. The designating means for judging whether or not the input character matches each of the assigned character portions, and if so, includes a character which matches the input character. Means for instructing the display means to change the display of the assigned characters to a different form from the display of the assigned characters that do not include a character that matches the input character. 13. The computer system according to claim 12. 13. In response to an instruction to terminate the character input, the designation means detects the assigned character that matches the character input by the end of the character input, and detects the assigned character. 13. The computer system according to claim 11, further comprising means for specifying a window corresponding to the character. 14. The computer system according to claim 13, wherein the input characters can be modified until the end of the character input is instructed. 15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said designating means further comprises means for notifying a user that the input is inappropriate when the input character and the portion of each of the assigned characters are completely different. Computer system. 16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said designation means further comprises means for notifying a user that the input is inappropriate when the input character and each of said assigned characters do not match. Computer system. 17. The computer system according to claim 10, further comprising means for instructing execution of an operation associated with said operation target window in response to said specifying means. 18. The display device according to claim 18, wherein the display means displays, in the frame window arranged on the foreground, a character assigned to a window which has been made visible by being arranged on the foreground. 12. The computer system according to claim 11, further comprising means for instructing a display corresponding to the window that has become. 19. A graphical user interface using a plurality of windows, each of which is a unit instructable by a pointing device and has a predetermined area on a display screen, executes a program for designating an operation target window by character input using a keyboard. In a storage medium storing the program, in response to a mode instructing the window to be operated being instructed by a keyboard, a character including a symbol uniquely assigned to each window at that time is written, Displaying on the display screen corresponding to each of the windows; and responding to the input of the assigned characters from the keyboard, designating a window corresponding to the assigned characters as an operation target window. A storage medium including a designation step. 20. In a graphical user interface using a plurality of windows which are units which can be designated by a pointing device and have a predetermined area on a display screen, a plurality of frame windows including a plurality of windows therein overlap. A storage medium storing a program for designating an operation target window by character input using a keyboard when the program exists, wherein the program responds to an instruction to designate a mode for specifying the operation target window by a keyboard. Displaying a character including a symbol assigned to each visible window on a display screen corresponding to each visible window; and inputting the character assigned to the frame window. In response, the frame window A placement step of placing in the foreground, in response to the character assigned is input, and a designation step of designating a window corresponding to the allocated characters as the operation target window, the storage medium.