Information processing apparatus

Abstract: An information processing apparatus comprises a processing circuit (21) for processing information in a unit of pages, the information being classified into the same kind of pages as index information, a display device (1) for displaying the class of the index information, and a pointing device (2, 3) for pointing the class of index information on the display device (1), wherein the processing circuit (21) processes the information such that, when the pointing device (2, 3) points to the displayed index information, the first page or a new page in the class of index information is displayed.

Description: This invention relates to information processing apparatus. Embodiments of the invention can be used, for example, in portable computers into which data can be input by a pen. WO 89/01658, discloses an information processing apparatus (an electronic organiser) such that when pointer means (a stylus) points to an address tab, the apparatus displays the first page of the set of pages associated with the address tab. A computer (hereinafter referred to as a central processing unit (CPU)) generally utilizes a program in which a lot of data to be stored in a memory are stored in the form of pages or cards. In the data stored in the form of pages, predetermined data are filed at every page, while in the data stored in the form of cards, although predetermined data are filed as one data group, these data are retrieved independently. In the following description, of data stored in the form of pages and in the form of cards, sets of data of the same kind are treated as data thus managed at every index. When predetermined data of the data thus managed at every index are retrieved and data written therein are read out, pages must be turned. Further, when new data are written, a blank page must be opened. Considering a notebook in which data are managed at every index, such a notebook has blank portions together with pages in which data are already written. If predetermined data are written in the blank portion, pages must be turned to this blank portion. If this page turning operation is carried out in a portable computer and if data managed at every index of thirty pages must be turned, then page turning operations must be carried out twenty-nine times in worst cases. To avoid such cumbersome key operation, it has been proposed to provide an additional write mode key, wherein the last page is opened by the depression of this write mode key. Another proposal is that [first key], [last key] or the like are provided to open the first or last page of data managed at every index by the depression of [first key] or [last key]. Particularly in apparatus in which data are administered at every index, [first key] or the [last key] must be provided at every index, which increases the number of keys, and makes the apparatus difficult to handle. According to the present invention there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising processing means arranged to process groups of pages of information, each group having a first page and a last page, each group being associated with index information denoting the information to be contained in the pages of the group, display means responsive to the processing means to display the index information and to selectively display pages associated with the index information, and pointing means cooperating with the processing means to point to index information displayed by the display means and select for display pages associated with the index information to which the pointing means points, characterised in that when the pointing means points to displayed index information and selects for display the associated group of which a page is concurrently displayed, then the displayed page changes to the first or last page of that group. The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like parts are referred to by like references, and in which: Figure 1 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of an embodiment of the invention; Figures 2A to 2D are schematic diagrams showing examples of picture screens of a portable computer to which the invention can be applied; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of data stored in a file-like fashion; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portable computer to which the invention is applied; and Figure 5 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention. An embodiment of the information processing apparatus according to the invention will now be described. In this embodiment, the invention is applied to a portable computer, and first the overall arrangement of the portable computer will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Referring to Figure 4, a display device, that is, a display unit 1 formed of a liquid crystal display (LCB) device or the like is provided on a left housing 17. The display unit 1 displays on a picture screen thereof video data from a central processing unit (CPU) or the like which will be described later, and an input apparatus, that is, an input tablet 2 formed of a so-called touch sensitive device or the like is attached to the surface of the display unit 1. A pen 3 is used to input data in cooperation with the input tablet 2, and the pen 3 and the input tablet 2 have detecting means for sensing the change of electrostatic capacitance between the pen 3 and the input tablet 2. Therefore, even when the point of the pen 3 is not in contact with the input tablet 2, coordinate position can be detected, and a cursor is displayed on the display unit 1 at a position opposing the point of the pen 3. When the user picks up the pen 3 and touches the input tablet 2 with the point of the pen 3, information such as the contact condition or contact position are supplied through a lead 4 to the CPU, whereby data are input to the CPU. Signals from key switches 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d, and 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d are also supplied to the CPU. There is also a loudspeaker unit 7, a battery accommodating section 8 in which a power source battery is accommodated in the inside of a lid which is made openable and/or closable by releasing a lock mechanism 9, a power switch 10, and a microphone 11. An operation key pad 12 performs solid state recording which will be described later. The operation key pad 12 comprises a recording key 12a, a playback key 12b, a stop key 12c and a sound level adjusting key 12d which can adjust the level of sound to high, medium and low. When the keys 12a to 12d are pushed and slid, an audio signal fed to the microphone 11 is recorded and the recorded sound is emitted from the loudspeaker 7. A socket 13 can receive an IC card such as a read only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), and an expansion socket 14 is used to connect the portable computer to external apparatus. The expansion socket 14 is provided in the side wall of the right housing 16. A hinge 15 permits the portable computer to be folded into two parts without being affected by electrical interference. In use, the portable computer is about 29 cm long and about 20.5 cm wide in the unfolded state, and is about 4 cm thick in the folded state. The display unit 1 is about 15 cm long and 10 cm wide. In the portable computer, the internal hardware is constructed as shown in Figure 5. To a CPU 21 various function ICs and so on are connected through a bus line 22. A ROM 23 is connected through the bus line 22 to the CPU 21, and, in addition to a system program for controlling the entirety of the portable computer, a Kana-Kanji conversion program for a word processing function for the Japanese language, dictionary data therefor, a hand-written input information recognition program, dictionary data and so on are written in the ROM 23. A RAM 24 which provides a work area, and a back-up RAM 25 have a power supply source 26 connected thereto. A timer IC 27 is driven by the power supply source 26 and counts clocks generated from a quartz oscillator 28 constantly to output data of year, month, day and time. The connection between this hardware and respective sections in the perspective view of Figure 4 will be described with reference to Figure 5. A display controller 29 is provided to control the display unit 1. The display controller 29 is controlled by the CPU 21, and display data derived by the CPU 21 are written in a V-RAM (video-RAM) 30 through the display controller 29. The data written in the V-RAM 30 are supplied through the display controller 29 to the display unit 1. A tablet interface 31 is provided for the input tablet 2 integrally formed with the display unit 1, and the pen 3, and by way of the tablet interface 31, data written in the input tablet 2 are supplied to the CPU 21. A solid state recording processing circuit 32 is provided to process the audio signal from the microphone 11 in a predetermined manner such as an analogue-to-digital (A/D) conversion. The thus processed signal is stored in the back-up RAM 25 through the CPU 21, and audio signal data stored in the back-up RAM 25 are supplied to the solid state recording processing circuit 32, in which they are processed in a predetermined manner such as a digital-to-analogue (D/A) conversion, the thus processed signal being fed through a mixer 33 to the loudspeaker 7. A dialler circuit 34 generates, when supplied with data such as phone number from the CPU 21, an acoustic signal corresponding to a dual tone signal such as a phone number of a push-button phone. This signal is supplied through the mixer 33 to the loudspeaker 7. A key interface circuit 35 receives directly or through a power supply source circuit 36 signals from the key switches 5a to 5d, and 6a to 6d, the power switch 10, and the key pad 12 or the like. From the key interface circuit 35, a signal converted in a predetermined manner is supplied to the CPU 21. Incidentally, the power switch 10, the key switches 6a to 6d and the key pad 12 except the stop key 12d are connected through the power supply source circuit 36 to the key interface circuit 35. When these key switches are operated, the power supply source circuit 36 is initially activated, and then key operation information are supplied to the key interface circuit 35. An IC card interface circuit 37 and an expansion interface circuit 38 are interconnected to the bus line 22 and the sockets 13 and 14, respectively. In this portable computer, the processing for retrieving data in which sets of pages belonging to the same category are managed in the list of index and stored in the V-RAM 30 by the CPU 21 will be described below. When the power switch 10 on the right housing 16 of the portable computer shown in the perspective view of Figure 4 is pushed, an icon group 54 (picture and design used instead of characters as menu on the picture screen of the CRT) is displayed on a hatched region 60 on the picture screen of the display unit 1 as shown in Figure 2A. When [WRITE] icon 53 with a picture of a pencil is displayed on the right region of Figure 2A and is touched with the point of the pen 3, characters of ACTION 45, CONNECTION 46, REPORT 47 or the like are displayed on the end of the right region. In this embodiment, operation of the portable computer will be described on the assumption that the character portions of ACTION 45, CONNECTION 46 and REPORT 47 are used as index keys. ACTION 45 is mainly used to manage the schedule, CONNECTION 46 is mainly used as address or the like, and REPORT 47 is given a function of simple word processor. Further, [SEE] icon 52 in the icon group 54 arrayed on the right of the region 60 in the longitudinal direction is composed of, as shown in Figure 3, a day schedule 40, a month schedule 41, ..., a telephone directory 43, an address book 43, a non-check list 44 or the like and is used to see stored data. [WRITE] icon 53 is composed of ACTION 45, CONNECTION 46, REPORT 47 or the like similarly as shown in Figure 3 and is used to write something. These icons are each formed of index data composed of sets of pages of the same nature of a plurality of pages, and considering, for example, ACTION 45, a plurality of pages exist between a page 45a of the beginning of action and a last page 45b of action, and nothing is written in the last page 45b. In other words, ACTION 45 has a full twenty-nine pages (not paginated), and if a variety of action data are already written in the pages of ACTION 45, then the portable computer automatically produces a last action page of blank page 30 and therefore action data are filed as data of thirty pages managed at every index. PROCESSING icon 48, RESERVE icon 49, OTHERS icon 51 and so on are constructed as layer structures at every index and managed as schematically shown in Figure 3. A page turning operation of the portable computer in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Referring to Figure 1, following the start of operation, in step ST1, the CPU 21 waits for the input of data, and in the next decision step ST2, it is determined whether or not index keys such as ACTION 45, CONNECTION 46, REPORT 47 or the like are touched with the point of the pen 3. If the index key is not touched with the point of the pen 3 as represented by a NO at decision step ST2, then other processing is executed at step ST3 and the processing returns to step ST1 wherein the CPU 21 waits for the input of data. If on the other hand any one of the index keys is touched with the point of the pen 3 as represented by a YES at decision step ST2, then the processing proceeds to the next decision step ST4. It is determined at decision step ST4 whether or not the pushed index key is the index key of the page which is now opened. If the page of action picture 70 is opened and CONNECTION 46 of the index key is touched with the point of the pen 3 as represented by a NO at step ST4, then the processing proceeds to step ST5, whereat a predetermined page of the pushed index is opened. That is, in this case, the page of CONNECTION is opened and the processing proceeds to the first step ST1, wherein the CPU 21 waits for the input of data. In the ACTION picture 70 shown in Figure 2A, a schedule time is 1 January 1990 and let it be assumed that the action page is page 18 in thirty pages. If it is determined in step ST4 that the area of the ACTION 45 is touched as the index key with the point of the pen 3, then the CPU 21 proceeds to step ST6, wherein it is determined whether or not the page now opened is in the first page within the index key. If the page now opened is not the first page within the index key but the page 18 as shown in Figure 2A is represented by a NO at step ST6, then the processing proceeds to the next decision step ST7. It is determined at decision step ST7 whether or not the page now opened is the final page within the index key. If the page now opened is the last blank page as shown in Figure 2C, then the processing proceeds to step ST8, wherein an action PICTURE 70c provided within the index to indicate the first page as shown in Figure 2D is opened. If the page now opened is the first page within the index as represented by a YES at step ST6 and if the page now opened is not the last page within the index as represented by a NO at step ST7, then the page is jumped from the states of Figures 2A and 2B to the state of Figure 2C as shown at step ST9. After the step ST9 has finished, the processing returns to the step ST1, in which the CPU 21 waits for the input of data. An ACTION picture 70a of Figure 2B shows a picture displayed at the moment in which the ACTION picture 70 of Figure 2A is jumped to an ACTION picture 70b of the last blank page, and a hatched portion in Figure 2B shows the moment the page is turned over. That is, in accordance with this embodiment, when a certain page in the index key of the ACTION 45 is opened, if the index of the ACTION 45 is touched with the point of the pen 3, the page is jumped to the last blank page 45b. Then, if the index key of the ACTION 45 is touched with the point of the pen 3 one more time, the page is jumped to the first page 45a. If the index key of the ACTION 45 is touched with the point of the pen 3 one more time, then the page is jumped to the last blank page 45b. It is needless to say that, if the last or first page is opened, the page may be jumped to the first or last page by one operation of the index key. Since the page is jumped to the last page of the page group of the same attribute by operating the index key one more time as described above, the user can start the writing immediately from the blank page (the blank page is of course added to the last page of the page group of the same attribute after the writing on the last page is finished and filed as described before). Further, when the first page 45a of the index key of the ACTION 45 is selected, if the backward page turn over key 72 is touched with the point of the pen 3 as shown in Figure 2A, the last page of the non-check list can be checked because the preceding page is the last page of the non-check list of the [SEE] icon 52 as shown in the schematic diagram of Figure 3. According to this embodiment, since the predetermined page opened at every index is jumped to the last blank page by depressing the index key, the writing column can be immediately opened and the user need not turn over the pages repeatedly. Therefore, as compared with the prior arrangement in which the user must operate the writing key, the user can well understand the simple key operation of the index key of the same attribute. Thus, the information processing apparatus of the embodiment requires no extra keys, and the arrangement thereof can be simplified. While the writing operation in this information processing apparatus is described above, the operation of the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to the reading operation similarly. According to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the number of keys can be reduced and the user can retrieve the writing page with ease.

Claims: An information processing apparatus comprising processing means (21, 22, 23, 24) arranged to process groups of pages of information, each group having a first page (45a) and a last page (45b), each group being associated with index information (45, 46, 47) denoting the information to be contained in the pages of the group, display means (1, 29, 30) responsive to the processing means to display the index information (45-47) and to selectively display pages associated with the index information, and pointing means (2, 3, 31) cooperating with the processing means to point to index information (45-47) displayed by the display means (1, 29, 30) and select for display pages associated with the index information to which the pointing means points, characterised in that when the pointing means points to displayed index information (45) and selects for display the associated group of which a page (70) is concurrently displayed, then the displayed page changes to the first (70c) or last page (70b) of that group. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that when the pointing means points to displayed index information (45) and selects for display the associated group of pages of which a page (70) is concurrently displayed, then: if the concurrently displayed page is not the last page of the group, the displayed page changes to the last page; and if the concurrently displayed page is the last page of the group, the displayed page changes to the first page of the group. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display means displays indexing keys (45 to 47) denoting the index information of the respective groups of pages, and the pointing means actuates the keys to select the groups. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein information is writable into the pages of a group, a new last page being added to the group when the previous last page is full. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said pointing means (2, 3) comprises pen means (3) and a tablet (2), and a pointing motion occurs by contacting said tablet (2) and pen means (3). Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said information processing apparatus is a portable computer.

Inventors: HIRAYAMA TOMOSHI, HIRAYAMA, TOMOSHI, HIRAYAMA, TOMOSHI, C/O PATENTS DIV. SONY CORP.
Applicants: SONY CORP, SONY CORPORATION
Application year: 1991
Main classification: G06F17
IPC codes: G06F17, G06F3, G06F15