JPH1185439A - User interface control device and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the recognition load and work load on a user, by showing the changes of plural information of different contents, degrees of importance and types in a way where the user can intuitively understand them and supporting the user's operations to refer to the those information. SOLUTION: A program execution control part 5, which executes and controls software program is connected to a display rule store part 8 and a display method decision part 9. The part 8 holds the rules against the notification of occurrence of a specific event given from the part 5 and the display method of a user interface. The part 9 reads the display rule and the current display state out of the part 8 and a display state storage part 12 respectively. Then, the part 9 decides the display method and procedure of the user interface against the notification of occurrence of the specific event stored in an event storage part 10 based on the rule read out of the part 8 and also transmits a display request of the user interface given from the part 5 to a screen display control part 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer system in which a user performs a task by referring to simultaneous real-time information output through a user interface. By presenting changes of multiple types of information in a way that users can understand intuitively, and supporting the user's operation for information reference,
The present invention relates to a user interface control device and a user interface control method that provide a unified and consistent user interface that is flexibly and appropriately adapted to a user and work content, and reduce a user's cognitive load and a work load.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In providing a user interface of a computer system in which a user makes a decision or operates a computer while referring to a large amount of information presented in real time via a user interface, It is desirable that the arrival or update of information be presented to the user in a manner that does not hinder the work of the user, or more preferably in a suitable manner that can support the work of the user. A graphical user interface (GUI) is excellent in that a user can simultaneously handle a plurality of pieces of information using a figure or an image, and can flexibly change a combination of display methods for presenting information to some extent.

A GU that presents a plurality of pieces of information to a user
In I, conventionally, in order to effectively use a limited display screen and enhance visibility and work efficiency of a user, display / non-display of windows and icons under a user's instruction and a certain condition,
There is a method of controlling a display mode such as a size, a display position, and enlargement of display contents. Further, there is a method of controlling a display mode such as moving a cursor, changing a menu, or enlarging an operation target under a user's instruction or under a certain condition in order to improve operation efficiency. Further, there is a method of controlling a display mode such as a display color or a decoration of a window or an icon according to the type or content of information in order to distinguish the type or content of information. In addition, in order to notify the user of the arrival of mail and the operation status of the remote device in real time to the user, a specific icon temporarily changes the display content when a predetermined event occurs,
Display modes such as displaying the operating status in a specific window in real time are also controlled.

[0004] However, these techniques are individually implemented for specific information handled in order to achieve individual purposes, and a plurality of pieces of information having different degrees of importance, contents and types are simultaneously and frequently generated. There is a problem that it cannot be applied as it is to a user interface that must be transmitted to the user in a timely manner. To explain this problem in more detail with a very simple example, for example, in a monitoring system where the user decides on countermeasures while monitoring information on the damage situation and recovery situation that changes every moment when a disaster occurs, When using a user interface that simply combines the above technologies, the method of changing the display differs depending on the type of event or information, resulting in a user interface that lacks unity and consistency from the viewpoint of supporting user work. In order to memorize or judge an inconsistent display method, the load on the user's thinking and memory is increased, and the work efficiency of the user is rather lowered.

[0005]

As described above, in the technique for changing the display mode of the user interface individually implemented for specific information, the content and the content are simply determined by combining several implementation methods. It is difficult to present multiple types of information simultaneously and frequently in real time to users, and to provide a unified and consistent user interface to reduce user workload flexibly and appropriately. is there.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a computer system in which a user performs a task by referring to real-time simultaneous multiple information output via a user interface. For example, it is an object of the present invention to provide a user interface control device and a user interface control method capable of presenting a change of a plurality of pieces of information having different contents, importance levels, and types in a manner that allows a user to intuitively understand the change.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention (claim 1) provides:
A user interface control device for controlling a presentation form of a plurality of data to be presented to a user, wherein the data is to be presented to a user (for example, data to be displayed on a screen, data to be output as an audio, image data with audio, etc.). Means for detecting the occurrence of any of a plurality of types of specific events previously specified as the arrival of an external input including, and, when the occurrence of any of the specific events is detected by the means, Means for mutually adjusting the presentation form of the data related to each specific event based on information for controlling the priority related to the presentation of the data related to the specific event predetermined for each event. It is characterized by having.

[0008] The present invention (claim 2) is a user interface control device for controlling screen display of a plurality of display areas, comprising data to be presented to a user (for example, data to be displayed on a screen, data to be output as a sound). Means for detecting the occurrence of any of a plurality of types of specific events that indicate the arrival of an external input including image data with sound, etc.). Means for performing control to change the presentation mode of the data based on information that defines a change over time in the presentation mode of the data related to the specific event that is predetermined for the specific event; In order to control the priority related to the presentation of data related to the specific event, which is predetermined for each of the specific events when changing the presentation form of Based on the information, characterized by comprising a means for adjusting the presentation form of the data associated with each specific case among themselves.

The present invention also provides a user interface control device for controlling screen display of a plurality of display areas,
Means for detecting the occurrence of any one of a plurality of predetermined events as a specific event indicating the arrival of an external input including data to be displayed on the screen, and the occurrence of any of the specific events being detected by this means In the case, based on the information for controlling the priority of the display of the display area related to the specific event predetermined for each specific event, the display form between the display areas related to the specific event, Adjusting means.

The present invention also provides a user interface control device for controlling screen display of a plurality of display areas,
Means for detecting the occurrence of any one of a plurality of predetermined events as a specific event indicating the arrival of an external input including data to be displayed on the screen, and the occurrence of any of the specific events being detected by this means Means for performing control to change the display mode of the display area based on information defining a change over time in the display mode of the display area related to the specific event, the display area being related to the specific event; In changing the display mode, the display between the display areas related to the specific events is performed based on the priority information on the display of the display area related to the specific events predetermined for each of the specific events. Means for adjusting the form.

Preferably, the information defining the temporal change of the display mode includes an elapsed time from the occurrence of the corresponding specific event, information on a display area to be changed in the display mode and a display mode before the change, It may be constituted by a series of a group with the designation of the display form after the change.

[0012] Preferably, a display area other than the display area related to the corresponding specific event may be designated as the display area whose display mode is to be changed. Preferably, the means for performing the control for changing the display mode includes a spatial arrangement, a temporal arrangement, and a display of windows, icons, menus, and pointers (including contents and backgrounds) displayed on a user interface. The display attributes of the displayed display items may be changed over time.

[0013] Preferably, when a request to change the display mode of the designated display area to the designated one is input through the user interface, the request may be processed with the highest priority.

[0014] Preferably, the display mode is selected from a group including at least a mode in which a display area is displayed in a window and a mode in which the display area is displayed as an icon.

Preferably, the form in which the display area is displayed as a window further includes a window size, a window position, a display order in a case where a plurality of windows are overwritten,
The window may be subdivided by at least one of the presence and absence of blinking of the window.

[0016] Preferably, the mode of displaying the display area in a window is a display color, a display area (display magnification),
It may include at least one of the presence and absence of the display. Preferably, the form in which the display area is displayed in a window may be further subdivided by a difference in display contents in the window.

Preferably, the form in which the display area is displayed as an icon may further include at least a form in which the icon is normally displayed, a form in which the icon is blinked, and a form in which the icon is shaded.

[0018] Preferably, the external input may be a signal transmitted from a predetermined device. Preferably, the external input may be a sensor output.

The present invention (Claim 12) is a user interface control method for controlling a presentation form of a plurality of data to be presented to a user, wherein the data to be presented to the user (for example, data to be displayed on a screen, audio data) It monitors whether or not any of a plurality of types of specific events that indicate the arrival of an external input including data to be output and image data with sound) has occurred, and any of the specific events has occurred. In the case, the presentation mode of the data related to each specific event is mutually adjusted based on information for controlling the priority related to the presentation of the data related to the specific event, which is predetermined for each of the specific events. It is characterized by doing.

The present invention (Claim 13) is a user interface control method for controlling screen display of a plurality of display areas, and includes data to be presented to a user (for example, data to be displayed on a screen, data to be output as a sound). , Monitor whether or not any of a plurality of types of specific events indicating the arrival of an external input including image data accompanied by audio) has occurred. If any of the specific events has occurred, the identification is performed. Based on information that defines the change over time of the presentation form of data related to the specific event that is predetermined for the event,
While performing control to change the presentation form of the data,
In changing the presentation form of the data, based on the information for controlling the priority related to the presentation of the data related to the specific event predetermined for each of the specific events, the data related to the specific event Are characterized by mutually adjusting the presentation form.

The present invention also provides a user interface control method for controlling screen display of a plurality of display areas.
It monitors whether or not any of a plurality of types specified in advance as specific events indicating the arrival of external input including data to be displayed on the screen, and if any of the specific events occurs, each of the specific events Adjusting the display mode between the display areas related to the specific events based on information for controlling the priority related to the display of the display areas related to the specific events predetermined for each I do.

The present invention also provides a user interface control method for controlling screen display of a plurality of display areas,
Monitors whether any of a plurality of types specified in advance as a specific event indicating the arrival of external input including data to be displayed on the screen has occurred, and when the specific event has occurred,
Based on information that defines a change over time in the display mode of the display area related to the specific event, the control is performed to change the display mode of the display area, and the display mode of the display area is determined. In changing the display mode, the display mode between the display areas related to the specific events is adjusted based on the priority information related to the display of the display area related to the specific events that is predetermined for each of the specific events. It is characterized by doing.

The invention relating to each apparatus described above is also valid as an invention relating to a method. Further, the above-described invention is also realized as a machine-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a corresponding procedure or means.

According to the present invention, in a computer system or the like in which a user performs a task by referring to real-time simultaneous multiple information output via a user interface, the content, importance, and type Are presented in a way that allows users to understand intuitively the changes in multiple pieces of information,
Supporting user operations for information reference, providing a unified and consistent user interface that is flexible and appropriate to the user and work content, reducing the cognitive load and work load of the user can do.

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a screen display control device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The screen display control device of the present embodiment includes an input device, an operation input unit 3, a program storage unit 4, a program execution control unit 5, an external input / output unit 6, a clock 7, a display rule storage unit 8, a display method determination. Unit 9, event storage unit 10, screen display control unit 11, display state storage unit 12, cursor display control unit 13, window display control unit 14, icon display control unit 15, menu display control unit 16, display element storage unit 17,
The screen display drive unit 18 includes an output device. In this embodiment, the mouse 1 and the keyboard 2 are used as input devices, and the CRT 19 and the speaker 20 are used as output devices.

The screen display control device of this embodiment can be realized by using a computer and a program for causing the computer to execute a screen display control process. Further, the screen display control program can be installed in a computer as a part of the OS, for example. The target of the screen display control process is, for example, a screen display performed by a software program such as application software running on the computer (that is, a program stored in the program storage unit 4) for a corresponding window. As hardware such as an input device, an output device, a clock, a memory, and an input / output interface, general-purpose hardware provided in this computer can be used together.

Next, an outline of each of the above components will be described. The mouse 1 is an input device for a user to perform an input operation for specifying a position on a computer.

The keyboard 2 is an input device for the user to perform a character input operation on the computer. The operation input unit 3 inputs information from an input device, here, a mouse 1 and a keyboard 2.

Operation information from the mouse 1 or the keyboard 2 is input to the program execution control unit 5 and the cursor display control unit 13 via the operation input unit 3. The CRT 19 presents information to the user.

The speaker 20 outputs sound to the user. The program storage unit 4 is for storing a software program. Program storage unit 4
Are connected to the program execution control unit 5.

Here, it is assumed that the software program has a function of displaying various information such as characters, graphics, still images, and moving images in the corresponding windows. In a specific example described later, a software program for causing a computer to function as a “personnel guidance support system”
Has a function to display messages in a window, a function to display a map of an area and an image representing the flow of people on each road in the area in a window, and a subprogram function to display an image in a window Showing things.

The program execution control section 5 reads out the software program stored in the program storage section 4 and, based on the timing information sent from the clock 7, inputs the user input information sent from the operation input section 3 and the external input. The software program is executed and controlled using the external input information sent from the output unit 6. The program execution control unit 5 includes a display rule storage unit 8 and a display method determination unit 9
Connected to.

The external input / output unit 6 is an input / output interface for exchanging information with an external device. For example, a unit for exchanging information with another computer or a portable terminal via a network is conceivable. In addition, a device using wireless communication is also conceivable. In a specific example described later, information such as “message”, “map information”, and “site video” is collected using the external input / output unit 6 for the “personnel guidance support system”.

In this embodiment, an output device other than the display device such as the speaker 20 is connected to the external input / output unit 6. The clock 7 generates timing information such as year, month, day, hour, minute, and second.

The display rule storage unit 8 holds a correspondence rule between the notification of the occurrence of a specific event sent from the program execution control unit 5 and the display method of the user interface when the event occurs.

The display method determination unit 9 stores the notification of the occurrence of a specific event sent from the program execution control unit 5 in the event storage unit 10, and stores the display rules from the display rule storage unit 8 and the display rules from the display state storage unit 12. The current display state is read out, and the display method of the user interface and the display procedure are determined according to the rules of the display storage unit 8 in response to the notification of the occurrence of the specific event stored in the event storage unit 10. The information is transmitted to the display control unit 11. Further, the display request of the user interface transmitted from the program execution control unit 5 is transmitted to the screen display control unit 11.

The event storage unit 10 stores a specific event that has occurred, the time when the event occurred, and information indicating whether or not the display method is being changed. In the present embodiment, the identifier indicating that the change is being performed is represented by “Active”, and the identifier indicating that the change is not being performed (the change is completed) is represented by “Done”.

The screen display control unit 11, based on the timing information sent from the clock 7, according to the display request of the user interface sent from the display method determination unit 9, the cursor display control unit 13, the window display control unit 14, the icon An instruction to display the requested user interface is sent to the display control unit 15 and the menu display control unit 16, respectively. Further, the image screen display control unit 11 stores the current display content in the display state storage unit 12.

The display state storage unit 12 stores the current display contents for each window to be controlled. The cursor display control unit 13 uses the cursor display data stored in the display element storage unit 17 to reflect the input information from the input device such as the mouse 1 for performing the input operation for specifying the position, and to display the cursor on the user interface. Is displayed.

The window display control unit 14 uses the window display data stored in the display element storage unit 17 and the display request sent via the screen display control unit 11 to display a window on the user interface and a window therein. Performs control for displaying elements.

The icon display control unit 15 uses the icon display data stored in the display element storage unit 17 and the display request sent via the screen display control unit 11 to display an icon on the user interface. Control.

The menu display control unit 16 uses the menu display data stored in the display element storage unit 17 and the display request sent via the screen display control unit 11 to display a menu on the user interface. Control.

The display element storage section 17 stores display data such as windows, icons, menus, and display elements to be displayed in windows for displaying the user interface.

The screen display drive unit 18 receives a processing request from the cursor display control unit 13, window display control unit 14, icon display control unit 15, and menu display control unit 16, and displays a user interface on the CRT 19.

When an instruction to display an icon in a window or an instruction to convert a window into an icon is input by the mouse 1 or the like from the user, display control is performed without referring to display rules. Part 1
2 reflects the current display content. If information related to the corresponding window and the display method is being changed is stored in the event storage unit 10, the display method refers to the display rule and the current display method corresponds to the change completion. If you do, reflect this. Further, registration in the event storage unit 10 is not performed.

Next, the operation of the screen display device according to this embodiment will be described using a specific example. FIG. 2 shows an example of the procedure of the screen display control process of the present embodiment. Here, a software program used as a specific example in the present embodiment (that is, step S
The processing performed at 201 will be described. In the present embodiment, as an example of a software program, FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 show examples of software programs in order to more easily explain support for presenting simultaneous multiple real-time information to a user intuitively, easily, and efficiently. The following describes an example of a “personnel guidance support system” having a user interface screen output as shown in FIG.

The "personnel guidance support system" is a system that supports monitoring for efficiently guiding a large number of moving personnel, and is realized in the form of a single or a plurality of software programs. When the computer is to function as a "personnel guidance support system", the computer (personnel guidance support system / screen display control device) is installed, for example, on the central command center side, and the external input / output unit 6 is used to set the computer on the road at the site. It is connected to an external device such as a portable terminal possessed by a placed security guard, and collects information transmitted from the external device simultaneously and frequently in real time. Then, a screen of the user interface is output for the purpose of presenting the collected information to the user.

This "personnel guidance support system" includes a map information window (31) as shown in FIG. 3, a message window (32) as shown in FIG. 4, and a site video window (33) as shown in FIG. Displays three windows.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, these windows are temporarily saved from the window display state to the icon display state so that the display screen can be used efficiently. . In the present embodiment,
When the icon display state is changed to the window display state, the icons are deleted.However, various display methods such as a method of shading display, a method of keeping the display as it is, and a method of retreating to the task bar are adopted. Is possible.

Although not shown, the windows and icons shown in the present embodiment can (1) be moved to any position on the display screen, (2) can be changed in size to any size, 3) When a plurality of items are displayed at the same time, they are superimposed and displayed according to the display order. (4) The display attributes of display elements such as display colors and character fonts can be set independently.

Also, the map information window provides a screen for displaying the movement status of the moving personnel as a flow rate on a map based on information such as position data and flow rate data from the guard (in FIG. 3, the moving direction of the personnel). And the flow rate are represented by the direction and thickness of the arrow), and the display content can be enlarged / reduced by changing the display magnification of the map display area, which is a display element, as needed. Further, the map information window displays a predetermined image at a corresponding position on the map based on position data from a security guard (for example, a cross mark is displayed at a notified position as in a specific example described later). Shall also have.

The message window provides a screen for displaying a message from a security guard as time-series character text, and the display contents of a message display area, which is a display element, can be scrolled as necessary. further,
In the message window, menu items can be added / deleted / changed to a menu which is a display element ("search", "display", and "guidance" are displayed as menu items in FIG. 4). Note that a circle in FIG. 4 indicates that the message is a general message described later, and a star indicates that the message is a critical message arrival described later.

The on-site video window provides a screen for displaying a moving image of the site taken by a security officer using a portable terminal. In addition, a sound taken locally is output from the speaker 20 as needed.

In the following, the operation of the screen display device according to the present embodiment will be described using the “personnel guidance support system” as an example of a software program. In the following description, it is assumed that there is no instruction from the user to display an icon in a window or an instruction to convert a window into an icon during the operation.

First, the display rule is stored in the display rule storage unit 8 in advance by some means, or the operation of the software program stored in the program storage unit 4 executed by the program execution control unit 5 is performed. Is stored in advance. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, as the display rules, the event, the priority (order) of the event, the object to be changed in the user interface when the event occurs, the contents of the change, the change when there are a plurality of changes, and the next change Is stored. The type of event to be defined is arbitrary (four in FIG. 6), and the number of changes for each event is arbitrary (three in FIG. 6). The first change for each event (for example, the message icon flashes slowly when a general message arrives in FIG. 6) is to be made immediately when the event occurs.

First, a process from the execution of the “personnel guidance support system” to the display of the initial screen will be described. The program execution control unit 5 reads and executes a software program of the “personnel guidance support system” stored in the program storage unit 4 (Step S201). The "personnel guidance support system" uses an operation from a user when necessary in executing the system. A user operation input from an input device such as the mouse 1 and the keyboard 2 is input to the program execution control unit 5 and the cursor display control unit 13 via the operation input unit 3, and the program execution control unit 5 Operation of "personnel guidance support system"
It is used in the processing of the program. Further, the cursor display control unit 13 reads out the cursor display data stored in the display element storage unit 17 and displays the cursor on the CRT 19 via the screen display drive unit 18.

Next, the program execution control unit 5 determines whether the software program has been completed (step S202). At the present stage, "personnel guidance support system"
Is in operation, it is determined that the process has not been completed, and the process proceeds to step S203.

Next, the program execution control unit 5 determines whether there is a screen display request from the software program (step S203). Here, assuming that the “personnel guidance support system” is programmed to display an initial screen as shown in FIG. 7 at the time of startup, a display request of the initial screen as shown in FIG.
Is sent to the display method determining unit 9 via the. The display method determination unit 9 determines that there is a screen display request, and determines in step S20
Proceed to 4.

In step S204, a screen display process is performed. First, since the transmitted data is a display request, the display method determining unit 9 sends the display request to the screen display control unit 11.
To send to. The screen display control unit 11 includes a display method determination unit 9
The display state of the requested screen is stored in the display state storage unit 12 in accordance with the display request from the user, and an instruction for displaying a required screen is sent to the window display control unit 14, the icon display control unit 15, the menu display control unit 16 Respectively.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the display state of the screen stored in the display state storage unit 12 at this time. As shown in FIG. 8, the display state storage unit 12 stores all information relating to the display state of the currently displayed window and icon. N / A indicates that the corresponding function or the like is not valid for the window.

The window display control unit 14, the icon display control unit 15, and the menu display control unit 16 read the display data of the display elements stored in the display element storage unit 17 in accordance with an instruction from the screen display control unit 11, respectively. The screen display data that satisfies the display request is sent to the screen display drive unit 18, and the screen display drive unit 18 outputs a display screen of the user interface to the CRT 19.

As described above, the “personnel guidance support system”
As a result, the initial screen of the user interface as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the CRT 19. Next, the display method determining unit 9 searches whether or not a new event has occurred based on whether or not the event has been notified from the program execution control unit 5 and searches the contents stored in the event storage unit 10. It is determined whether or not there is a target whose display method is being changed (step S205). At this stage, since there is no notification of the occurrence of a new event from the program execution control unit 5 and nothing has been stored in the event storage unit 10, it is determined that there is no new event, and the process returns to step 202.

In the following description of the operation of the present embodiment, it is assumed that the following event has occurred due to the execution of the “personnel guidance support system”. [E1] Time 8:15:00: arrival of general message (content of message is "passage Y traffic jam") [e2] Time 8:15:30: Arrival of serious message (content of message is "intersection X [E3] Time: 8:16:00: Arrival of map information (contents of map information is position data indicating “injured person discovery position”) [e4] Time: 8:16:00: On-site video arrival (the content of the on-site video is “the on-site video of intersection X”) Due to the occurrence of the above series of events, the screen display control device according to the present embodiment displays the user interface as shown in FIG. The display method is changed. This will be described in detail below.

(1) Operation when Event e1 Occurs at 8:15:00 In step S202, the program execution control unit 5 determines whether the software program has been completed.
At this stage, since the “personnel guidance support system” is in operation, it is determined that the process has not been completed, and the process proceeds to step S203.

In step S203, the program execution control section 5 determines whether there is a screen display request from the software program. At this time, in the processing of the "personnel guidance support system", a general message arrival event "passage Y traffic jam" has occurred, and the "personnel guidance support system" has a general message arrival and serious message arrival event. Is programmed to display the arriving message in characters in the message display area of the message window.
Determines that there is a display request from the "personnel guidance support system", and proceeds to step S204.

In step S204, the program execution control section 5 sends a message "passage Y traffic congestion" and an instruction to display the occurrence time of this event in a message window to the display method determination section 9. The display method determination unit 9
Since the notification sent from the program execution control unit 5 is a display request, the display request is directly sent to the screen display control unit 11.
To send to. The screen display control unit 11 includes a display method determination unit 9
Receives the display instruction of the message sent from the storage unit, stores the display state of the screen requested in accordance with the display request from the display method determination unit 9 in the display state storage unit 12, and instructs the window display control unit 14 to display the message in the message window. An instruction is sent to the area to display a message "passage Y traffic jam" and the time of occurrence of this event in characters. The window display control unit 14 uses the character display data stored in the display element storage unit 17 to output a CR
At T19, display data for displaying the character in the message window is transmitted.

In step S205, the display method determining section 9
Indicates whether a new event has occurred based on whether or not the event execution has been notified from the program execution control unit 5.
Further, by searching the contents stored in the event storage unit 10, it is determined whether or not there is an object whose display method is being changed. The display method determination unit 9 receives the general message arrival event from the program execution control unit 5, determines that a new event has occurred, and determines in step S20.
Proceed to 6.

In step S206, the display method determining section 9
Reads the display rules from the display rule storage unit 8, determines the contents of the change in the display method in order from the event with the lowest priority, and sets the determination order as the procedure for changing the display method. In response to the general message arrival event received from the program execution control unit 5, it is determined that the display method should be changed so that the message icon is displayed with slow blinking.

In step S207, the display method determining section 9
Determines that the display method is to be changed in step S206, determines that there is a change in the display method, and determines in step S208
Proceed to.

In step S208, the display method determining section 9
First reads the current display state of the message icon from the display state storage unit 12, here, "display as an icon", and compares it with the previously determined display method, here, "blinks the message icon (slow)". However, since they do not match, the change in the display method determined in step S206 is adopted as it is. Then, the display method determination unit 9 stores the name of the event, the occurrence time, and the fact that the display method is being changed in the event storage unit 10. Here, the event “general message arrival”, the arrival time “96/10/12 08:15:00” and the change “Ac
“Tive” is stored in association with it.

In step S209, the display method determining section 9
Sends an instruction to the screen display control unit 11 to blink the message icon at a slow cycle. Screen display control unit 11
Receives the instruction sent from the display method determining unit 9,
The display state of the screen requested in accordance with the display request from the display method determining unit 9 is stored in the display state storage unit 12, and based on the time from the clock 7, the icon display data stored in the icon display element storage unit 17 is used. The display data for blinking the display of the message icon is transmitted to the CRT 19 via the screen display drive unit 18. FIG. 10 shows an example of the display screen at this time (the message icon is assumed to be blinking). The processing step returns to step S202.

(2) After occurrence of event e1, 8:15:30
Operation when Event e2 Occurs in Seconds In step S202, the program execution control unit 5 determines whether the software program has ended.
At this stage, since the “personnel guidance support system” is in operation, it is determined that the process has not been completed, and the process proceeds to step S203.

In step S203, the program execution control unit 5 determines whether there is a screen display request from the software program. At this time, in the processing of the “personnel guidance support system”, an event of a critical message arrival of “injured person at intersection X” has occurred, and the “personnel guidance support system” has an event of a general message arrival or an event of a critical message arrival. Occurs, the program is controlled to display the arriving message in characters in the message display area of the message window, so the program execution control unit 5 determines that there is a display request from the "personnel guidance support system", Proceed to step S204.

In step S 204, the program execution control unit 5 sends a message “Injured person at intersection X” and an instruction to display the occurrence time of this event in the message window to the display method determination unit 9. Since the notification sent from the program execution control unit 5 is a display request, the display method determining unit 9 sends the display request to the screen display control unit 11 as it is. The screen display control unit 11 receives the display instruction of the message transmitted from the display method determination unit 9, stores the display state of the screen requested in accordance with the display request from the display method determination unit 9 in the display state storage unit 12, The window display control unit 14 is instructed to display a message “Injured person at intersection X” and the time of occurrence of this event in the message display area of the message window. The window display control unit 14 includes a display element storage unit 17
Screen display drive unit 1 using the character display data stored in
The display data for displaying the character in the message window is transmitted to the CRT 19 via the CRT 8.

In step S205, the display method determining section 9
Indicates whether a new event has occurred based on whether or not the event execution has been notified from the program execution control unit 5.
Further, by searching the contents stored in the event storage unit 10, it is determined whether or not there is an object whose display method is being changed. The display method determination unit 9 receives the event of the arrival of the critical message from the program execution control unit 5, determines that a new event has occurred, and, based on the contents stored in the event storage unit 10, It is determined that the display method is being changed in response to the general message arrival event, and the process proceeds to step S206.

In step S206, the display method determining section 9
Reads the display rules from the display rule storage unit 8, determines the contents of the change in the display method in order from the event with the lowest priority, and sets the determination order as the procedure for changing the display method. First, the display method determination unit 9 determines the display method for the arrival of the general message that has arrived earlier and is currently changing the display method from the display rule storage unit 8 at the present time 30 seconds after the occurrence of the event. Since there is no corresponding change in the display method in the rule, it is determined that the display method is not to be changed. Next, it is determined that a display method of opening a message icon as a window is used for the event of a critical message arrival received from the program execution control unit 5.

In step S207, the display method determining section 9
Determines that the display method is to be changed in step S206, determines that there is a change in the display method, and determines in step S208
Proceed to.

In step S208, the display method determining section 9
First reads out the current display state of the message icon from the display state storage unit 12, here “icon is blinking (slow)”, and compares it with the previously determined display method, here “open message icon”. However, since they do not match, the change in the display method determined in step S206 is adopted as it is. Then, the display method determination unit 9 stores the event “significant message arrival” and the occurrence time “96/10/120” of the event in the event storage unit 10.
8:15:30 "and an identifier" Active "indicating that the display method is being changed.

Further, the display method determining unit 9 changes the display method of “opening a message icon” determined here from the contents of the display rule stored in the display rule storage unit 8 and arrives at the first display method. Is changed, and it is determined that the final goal is achieved by a series of changes in the display method due to the general message arrival event.
Is changed to an identifier indicating that the display method is not being changed, and is stored in the event storage unit 10.

In step S209, the display method determining section 9
Sends an instruction to open the message icon to the screen display control unit 11. The screen display control unit 11 receives the instruction sent from the display method determination unit 9, stores the requested display state of the screen in the display state storage unit 12 in accordance with the display request from the display method determination unit 9, An instruction to display a message window is sent to 14, and an instruction to delete the icon is sent to the icon display control unit 15. The window display control unit 14 reads out the window display data stored in the display element storage unit 17 and sends out data for displaying a message window on the CRT 19 via the screen display driving unit 18,
On the other hand, the icon display control unit 15
The display data for deleting the message icon is sent to the CRT 19 via the. FIG. 11 shows a screen of the user interface displayed on the CRT 19 at this time.
The processing step returns to step S202.

(3) 8:16 after occurrence of events e1 and e2
Operation when Events e3 and e4 Occur in Minute 00 Second In step S202, the program execution control unit 5 determines whether the software program has ended. At this stage, since the “personnel guidance support system” is in operation, it is determined that the process has not been completed, and the process proceeds to step S203.

In step S203, the program execution control unit 5 determines whether there is a screen display request from the software program. At this time, in the processing of the “personnel guidance support system”, an event of arrival of map information called “injured person discovery position” and an event of arrival of a site video called “site image of intersection X” occur at the same time. system"
When the event of map information arrival occurs, the arrived map information is displayed as a graphic in the map display area of the map information window. Are respectively programmed so as to display a graphic in the image display area of, the program execution control unit 5 determines that there is a display request from the “personnel guidance support system”, and determines in step S2
Go to 04.

In step S204, the program execution control unit 5 displays an instruction for displaying the map information “injured person discovery position” in the map information window and a site image “intersection X site image” in the site image window. An instruction to display is sent to the display method determining unit 9. Since the notification sent from the program execution control unit 5 is a display request, the display method determining unit 9 sends the display request to the screen display control unit 11 as it is. The screen display control unit 11 receives the display instruction of the message transmitted from the display method determination unit 9, stores the display state of the screen requested in accordance with the display request from the display method determination unit 9 in the display state storage unit 12, Instruct the window display control unit 14 to graphically display the “injured person discovery position” in the map display area of the map information window, and display the “site image of the crossing X” in the image display area of the site video window. Instruct each. The window display control unit 14 displays the display contents on the map information window and the site video window on the CRT 19 via the screen display driving unit 18 using the map information display data and the video display data stored in the display element storage unit 17. Display data to be transmitted.

In step S205, the display method determining section 9
Indicates whether a new event has occurred based on whether or not the event execution has been notified from the program execution control unit 5.
Further, by searching the contents stored in the event storage unit 10, it is determined whether or not there is an object whose display method is being changed. The display method determining unit 9 receives from the program execution control unit 5 the arrival of map information and the arrival of a site image.
In response to the transmission of the two events, it is determined that a new event has occurred, and it is determined from the contents stored in the event storage unit 10 that the display method is being changed for the event of the earlier occurrence of the critical message. Then, the process proceeds to step S206.

In step S206, the display method determining section 9
Reads the display rules from the display rule storage unit 8, determines the contents of the change in the display method in order from the event with the lowest priority, and sets the determination order as the procedure for changing the display method. First, the display method determining unit 9 determines a display method for opening a map information icon as a window based on the display rule read from the display rule storage unit 8 with respect to the event of arrival of map information having the lowest priority. Next, the display method determination unit 9 responds to the event of arrival of a critical message having the next priority by
Based on the display rule read from the display storage unit 8, since 30 seconds have elapsed since the occurrence of the event, a display method for scrolling the window including the last line is determined. Then, the display method determination unit 9 opens the site video icon as a window based on the display rule read from the display rule storage unit 8 for the event of arrival of the site video having the next priority, and then sets the window to the end. A display method and a procedure of displaying the window at the top and then moving the window to the center of the screen are determined.

In step S207, the display method determining section 9
Determines that the display method is to be changed in step S206, determines that there is a change in the display method, and determines in step S208
Proceed to.

In step S208, the display method determining section 9
First reads the current display state of the map information window from the display state storage unit 12, here, "window is being displayed", and compares it with the previously determined display method, here, "open map information icon". Since the determined display method is the same as the current display method, the change in the display method of the map information window determined in step S206 is excluded from the change in the current display method. Then, the display method determining unit 9 stores the event of the arrival of the map information, the occurrence time of the event, and the fact that the display method is being changed in the event storage unit 10.

Next, the display method determining section 9 reads out the current display state of the message window from the display state storage section 12, in this case, "all lines are displayed by scrolling", and determines the display method previously determined, here " Scroll the window to include the last line ", and the message display area of the message window is displayed with the contents including the last line. Since the determined display method is the same as the current display method, in step S206 The determined change in the display method of “scroll the window to include the last line” is excluded from the change in the current display method. Since the display method is still being changed, no operation is performed on the event storage unit 10.

Further, the display method determining section 9 reads the current display state of the site video window, here the “icon display state”, from the display state storage section 12 and reads the previously determined display method, here the “site video” Open the icon and move it to the top and move to the center ". Since the two do not match, the change in the display method for the site video window determined in step S206 is adopted as it is.
The display method determining unit 9 determines from the contents of the display rules stored in the display rule storage unit 8 that a series of changes in the display method due to the event of arriving at the on-site video by changing the display method for the on-site video window determined here. It is determined that the final goal is achieved, and the event storage unit 1 associates the event of the arrival of the on-site image with the time of occurrence of the event and an identifier indicating that the display method is not being changed.
Store to 0.

Here, the contents of the notification of the occurrence of a specific event at this time stored in the event storage unit 10 are shown in FIG.
Shown in In step S209, the display method determination unit 9
First, an instruction to open the site video icon, an instruction to display the site video window at the top level, and an instruction to move the site video window to the center are sequentially sent to the screen display control unit 11. I do. The screen display control unit 11 sequentially receives the instructions sent from the display method determination unit 9, stores the display state of the screen requested in accordance with the display request from the display method determination unit 9 in the display state storage unit 12, and displays the window. An instruction to display the on-site video window is sent to the control unit 14, and the icon display control unit 1
5 to send an instruction to delete the site video icon, and then send an instruction to the window display control unit 14 to set the display order of the site video window to the highest order.
An instruction is sent to the window display control unit 14 to move the site video window to the center of the screen. The window display control unit 14 reads out the window display data stored in the display element storage unit 17 and sends data for performing the display to the CRT 19 via the screen display driving unit 18, while the icon display control unit Reference numeral 15 sends display data for deleting the message icon to the CRT 19 via the screen display drive unit 18. FIG. 13 shows a screen of the user interface displayed on the CRT 19 at this time. The processing step returns to step S202.

(4) Operation when 30 seconds have elapsed after the occurrence of events e3 and e4 and 8:16:30 has been reached In step S202, the program execution control unit 5 determines whether the software program has ended. I do.
At this stage, since the “personnel guidance support system” is in operation, it is determined that the process has not been completed, and the process proceeds to step S203.

In step S203, the program execution control unit 5 determines whether there is a screen display request from the software program. At this time, there is no display request from the processing of the "personnel guidance support system", and the program execution control unit 5 determines that there is no display request from the "personnel guidance support system", and proceeds to step S205.

In step S205, the display method determining section 9
Indicates whether a new event has occurred based on whether or not the event execution has been notified from the program execution control unit 5.
Further, by searching the contents stored in the event storage unit 10, it is determined whether or not there is an object whose display method is being changed. At this time, no event is sent from the program execution control unit 5 and it is determined that no new event has occurred. On the other hand, two events of map information arrival and important message arrival are displayed from the stored contents of the event storage unit 10. Is being changed, and the process proceeds to step S206.

In step S206, the display method determining section 9
Reads the display rules from the display rule storage unit 8, determines the contents of the change in the display method in order from the event with the lowest priority, and sets the determination order as the procedure for changing the display method. First, the display method determination unit 9 determines that the map information arrival event having the lowest priority has occurred 30 seconds after the occurrence of the event based on the display rule read out from the display rule storage unit 8. A display method in which windows other than the information window are iconified and the map information window is zoomed by a factor of 2 is determined. Next, the display method determining unit 9 responds to the event of the arrival of the critical message having the next priority by the display storage unit 8.
6 based on the display rule read from
Since 0 seconds have elapsed, a display method for adding an item of latest information to the menu is determined.

In step S207, the display method determining section 9
Determines that the display method is to be changed in step S206, determines that there is a change in the display method, and determines in step S208
Proceed to.

In step S208, the display method determining section 9
First reads the current display state of the map information window from the display state storage unit 12, in this case, "window is being displayed (magnification 1)", and determines the display method determined earlier, in this case, "the window other than the map information window". To an icon and zoom the map information window at 2x magnification ".
Since the two do not match, the change in the display method for the site video window determined in step S206 is adopted as it is. Next, the display method determination unit 9 reads out the current display state of the message window, here “menu initial state”, from the display state storage unit 12, and determines the previously determined display method, here “the menu contains the latest information. Add items ", and they do not match.
The change of the display method for the message window determined in step S206 is adopted as it is. The display method determining unit 9 determines from the contents of the display rules stored in the display rule storage unit 8 that a series of changes in the display method due to the event of map information arrival due to a change in the display method for the determined map information window is finalized. Judge that the goal is achieved,
Further, it is determined that a series of changes in the display method due to the event of arrival of the critical message by the change in the display method for the determined message window achieves the final goal, and the above-described map information arrival and the critical message stored in the event storage unit 10 are stored. The “identifier indicating that the display method is being changed” corresponding to each event of arrival is changed to the “identifier indicating that the display method is not being changed” and stored in the event storage unit 10.

In step S209, the display method determining section 9
First, an instruction to convert windows other than the map information window into an icon, an instruction to change the display magnification of the map information area of the map information window to twice, and a menu item called latest information in the message window are displayed. Instructions to be added are sent to the screen display control unit 11 in order. The screen display control unit 11 stores the display state of the screen requested according to the display request from the display method determination unit 9 in the display state storage unit 12, and then deletes the message window and the site video window in the window display control unit 14. And sends an instruction to the icon display control unit 15 to display a message icon and a site video icon. Then, the screen display control unit 11 sends an instruction to the window display control unit 14 to double the display magnification of the map display area of the map information window, and then sends to the menu display control unit 16 a message window that contains the latest information in the message window. Sends an instruction to add an item. The window display control unit 14 controls the CR through the screen display drive unit 18
At T19, display data for displaying the message icon and the site video icon is transmitted. Then, the window display control unit 14 reads the map display data stored in the display element storage unit 17, and changes the display magnification of the map display area to 2 times on the CRT 19 via the screen display drive unit 18. Is sent out to display. Further, the menu display control section 16 reads out the menu display data of the message window from the display element storage section 17 and adds an item of the latest information, and displays the menu so that the menu of the message window can be displayed on the CRT 19 via the screen display drive section 18. Send data. At this time, the screen of the user interface displayed on the CRT 19 is shown in FIG. The processing step is step S202
Return to

In the screen display control device according to the present embodiment,
The above operation is continuously performed until the execution of the “personnel guidance support system” is completed. Thus, according to the screen display control device according to the present embodiment, in a computer system in which a user performs a task by referring to real-time simultaneous multiple information output via a user interface, The user and the content of work by presenting changes in multiple types of information with different intensities, importances, and types in an intuitive way, and assisting the user in operating the information for reference. It is possible to provide a unified and consistent user interface according to, and reduce the cognitive load and work load of the user.

The following are some specific examples of display methods that can be changed by setting them as change rules as shown in FIG. -Open a window-Close a window-Save a window-Recover a window-Hide a window (icon)-Screen a window (icon)-Enable input to a window-Open a window Disables input to the window-Enlarges the window (icon)-Reduces the window (icon)-Moves the window (icon)-Scrolls the contents of the window-Refreshes (redisplays) the contents of the window -Change the size of windows (icons)-Make the display order of windows (icons) the highest-Make the display order of windows (icons) the lowest-Split the window-Restore the split window- Flashes the window (icon).・ Change the display color of display elements ・ Add menu items ・ Delete menu items ・ Change menu items ・ Change the cursor display position ・ Change the cursor size ・ Cursor Changing the Shape Various other screen display controls are possible.

In the present embodiment, when a plurality of windows are displayed, they are overwritten and displayed. Instead, the windows are not overlapped with a size determined according to the order of the overwritten display. Multiple windows may be displayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, a window that becomes the highest rank when overwritten and displayed is displayed in a large display area w1, and thereafter, w1 is displayed in the order of overwritten display.
It is displayed in a small display area of ~ w7. If any window is saved to the task bar or iconified, the subsequent display area is slid one by one in the direction from w7 to w1 and conversely saved to the task bar or iconified. When one of the windows is displayed, the window may be displayed in the corresponding display area, and the subsequent display areas may be slid one by one in the direction from w1 to w7.

The number of windows, the number of icons, and the layout in FIG. 15 are merely examples, and can be set arbitrarily. When displaying a plurality of windows, a method of overwriting and displaying in accordance with the order of overwriting display and a method of displaying so as not to overlap in a size corresponding to the order of overwriting display may be used.

In the above description, “personnel guidance support system” is a specific example of the software program.
However, the present invention is applicable to various other software programs. For example, it is also possible to perform screen display control on a software program for a monitoring system of a plant or the like. In this case, a desired screen display control can be performed by inputting a sensor output, an image from the ITV, a message from a supervisor visiting the site, and the like from the external input / output unit 6.

Further, the software software program and the program related to the screen display control may be configured to be executed by the same CPU, or a CPU that executes the software program and a CPU that executes the program related to the screen display control. May be provided independently.

The above functions can be realized also as software. Further, the present invention can be embodied as a machine-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the above-described procedures or means. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented with various modifications within the technical scope.

[0106]

According to the present invention, a specific event is detected, and a screen is displayed while adjusting a display mode between display areas based on predetermined control information. In a computer system that performs work by referring to simultaneous real-time information that is output via an interface, users can intuitively see changes in multiple pieces of information that differ in content, importance, and type. By presenting in an understandable way and supporting the user's operation for information reference, it provides a unified and consistent user interface that is flexible and appropriate to the user and work content, and Cognitive load and work load can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a screen display control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of a screen display control process according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output screen.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an output screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an output screen.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display rule stored in a display rule storage unit.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display state of a screen stored in a display state storage unit.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of a transition of a display method change;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of an event stored in an event storage unit;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 mouse 2 keyboard 3 operation input unit 4 program storage unit 5 program execution control unit 6 external input / output unit 7 clock 8 display rule storage unit 9 display method determination unit 10 event storage unit 11 Screen display control unit 12 Display state storage unit 13 Cursor display control unit 14 Window display control unit 15 Icon display control unit 16 Menu display control unit 17 Display element storage unit 18 Screen display drive unit 19 CRT 20 … Speaker

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A user interface control device for controlling a presentation form of a plurality of data to be presented to a user, wherein a plurality of types are specified in advance as specific events indicating arrival of an external input including data to be presented to the user. Means for detecting that any one of the specific events has occurred, and, when the occurrence of any of the specific events has been detected by the means, presentation of data relating to the specific event predetermined for each of the specific events. Means for mutually adjusting the presentation form of data relating to each of the specific events based on information for controlling the priority. 2. A user interface control device for controlling screen display of a plurality of display areas, wherein one of a plurality of types of events specified in advance as specific events indicating the arrival of an external input including data to be presented to a user is provided. Means for detecting the occurrence of the event, and when the occurrence of any of the specific events is detected by the means, the change in the presentation form of data related to the specific event, which is predetermined for the specific event, is defined. Means for performing control to change the presentation mode of the data based on the information; and prioritizing the presentation of data related to the specific event predetermined for each of the specific events in changing the presentation mode of the data. Means for mutually adjusting the presentation form of the data related to each of the specific events based on the information for controlling the characteristics. User interface controller according to. 3. The data is data to be displayed on a screen, the presentation form is a display form of a display area in which the data is to be displayed, and the information for controlling the priority is a display related to the specific event. The information for controlling the priority of the display of the area, the information defining the temporal change, the elapsed time from the occurrence of the corresponding specific event, the display area of the display form to be changed and the display area before the change 3. The user interface control device according to claim 2, wherein the user interface control device includes a series of a set of information on a display mode and designation of the display mode after the change. 4. The user interface control device according to claim 3, wherein a display area other than a display area related to a corresponding specific event can be designated as the display area for which the display mode is changed. . 5. A means for performing control for changing the presentation form includes a window displayed on a user interface,
4. The user interface control according to claim 2, wherein a spatial arrangement and a temporal arrangement of icons, menus and pointers and display attributes of display items displayed in the window are changed with time. apparatus. 6. The user interface control according to claim 1, wherein when a request for data presentation is input through a user interface, the request is processed with the highest priority. apparatus. 7. When the data is visible data, the presentation form is selected from a group including at least a form in which a display form of a display area for displaying the data is displayed in a window and a form in which the display area is displayed as an icon. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected one is selected.
The user interface control device according to the item. 8. The form in which the display area is displayed as a window is further subdivided by at least one of a size of a window, a position of a window, a display order in overlapping of a plurality of windows, and presence or absence of blinking of a window. The user interface control device according to claim 7, wherein 9. The user interface control device according to claim 8, wherein the form in which the display area is displayed in a window is further subdivided by a difference in display contents in the window. 10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the display of the icons in the display area includes at least a display of the icons normally, a display of the icons blinking, and a display of the icons shaded. User interface control device. 11. The user interface control device according to claim 1, wherein the external input is a signal transmitted from a predetermined device. 12. A user interface control method for controlling a form of presentation of a plurality of data to be presented to a user, wherein a plurality of types are specified in advance as specific events indicating arrival of an external input including data to be presented to the user. To monitor whether any of the specific events have occurred, and to control the priority of the presentation of data related to the specific event predetermined for each of the specific events when any of the specific events has occurred. Based on the information in
A user interface control method, wherein a presentation form of data relating to each of the specific events is mutually adjusted. 13. A user interface control method for controlling a screen display of a plurality of display areas, wherein one of a plurality of types specified in advance as a specific event indicating arrival of an external input including data to be presented to a user is provided. It monitors whether or not the event has occurred, and if any of the specific events has occurred, based on the information that defines the change over time of the presentation form of the data related to the specific event that is predetermined for the specific event, Information for controlling the presentation mode of the data, and for changing the presentation mode of the data, information for controlling the priority related to the presentation of the data related to the specific event predetermined for each of the specific events. A method of controlling the presentation of data related to each of the specific events based on the method.