Patent Publication Number: US-2003223183-A1

Title: Information processing apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-159987, filed May 31, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0003] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus which comprises a tablet device having a sub-display in addition to a main display.  
       [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0005] Recent OSs (operating systems) allow different programs to run on a plurality of windows. When a program such as a wordprocessor, spreadsheet software, or the like is running, the user normally directly processes data such as characters, numerals, images, and the like on the corresponding window.  
       [0006] However, for some types of data to be input it is often necessary to display another window having a different function suitable for input, edit the data on that window, and display the edited information on the previous window via a memory (operation for editing information using a plurality of windows).  
       [0007] For example, this operation is done in the following case. That is, when the user wants to paste an image onto a given page on the wordprocessor window, he or she opens another window used to run a program suitable for inputting images and edits image data on that window. Then, the user pastes the edited information onto a page on the previous window.  
       [0008] When the user wants to input a plurality of items of identical information, he or she temporarily stores that information in a memory, and successively inputs it by a “paste” operation. Conventionally, upon editing and pasting the information stored in the memory, the user opens a window used to edit information, pastes information from the memory on that edit window, and edits the information on the edit window. The user stores the edited information in the memory again, switches the edit window to a main window, moves a pointer to a position where information is to be pasted, and pastes the information (operation for editing information stored in a memory).  
       [0009] On the other hand, as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-339097, an information processing apparatus which comprises a tablet device having a sub-display in addition to a main display has been developed in recent years.  
       [0010] This information processing apparatus implements an input function of image information, text information, numerical value information, and the like, a time display function, and the like on the sub-display.  
       [0011] However, the aforementioned operation for editing information using a plurality of windows is made via a plurality of information. For this reason, a pointing operation, and window display and switching operations are required until information is input and the edited information is laid out on a target window, resulting in complicated user operations.  
       [0012] Also, the operation for editing information stored in a memory similarly requires a pointing operation, and window display and switching operations, resulting in complicated user operations.  
       [0013] On the other hand, according to the information processing apparatus disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-339097 above, the input function of image information, text information, numerical value information, and the like, time display function, and the like can be implemented on the sub-display. However, since this reference does not disclose any technique for displaying information, which is displayed on the main display, on the sub-display, editing that information, and then displaying the edited information on the main display, it cannot solve the problems experienced in the operation for editing information using a plurality of windows, and the operation for editing information stored in a memory.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and provides an information processing apparatus, which can reduce the load on user operations.  
       [0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising a first display means, a touch interface means having a second display means separate from the first display means, a selection means for selecting information displayed on the first display means such that the selected information is displayed on the second display means, and an edit means for editing the information displayed on the second display means such that the edited information is displayed on the first display means.  
       [0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising a main display, a tablet device having a sub-display separate from the main display, a selection device for selecting an information item displayed on the main display such that the selected information item is displayed on the sub-display, and a processor programmed for managing in the form of a list a predetermined number of selected information items selected by the selection device.  
       [0017] Additional embodiments and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
     [0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
     [0019]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0020]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system arrangement of a computer shown in FIG. 1;  
     [0021]FIG. 3 shows information&#39;stored in a main memory  203 ;  
     [0022]FIG. 4 shows information managed by a history information manager  24 ;  
     [0023]FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0024]FIG. 6 shows information displayed on a main display;  
     [0025]FIG. 7 shows a display window on a sub-display when text information C is selected;  
     [0026]FIG. 8 shows a GUI corresponding to numerical value information;  
     [0027]FIG. 9 shows a GUI corresponding to image information;  
     [0028]FIG. 10 shows a GUI corresponding to text information;  
     [0029]FIG. 11 shows a display screen of the main display when edited text information is pasted;  
     [0030]FIG. 12 shows a window used to edit list information managed in the main memory;  
     [0031]FIG. 13 is a flow chart for explaining the process for editing list information; and  
     [0032]FIG. 14 is a flow chart for explaining the process for editing list information. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0033] An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     [0034] The present invention is characterized in that a display-integrated pointing device which integrates a display panel (sub-display) such as an LCD or the like and a tablet or touch interface is provided in addition to a display device (main display) that displays a mouse pointer and the like, and setups and operations of various setup windows and operation windows are allowed on this device. As such display-integrated pointing device, “cPad™” is commercially available from “Synaptics” Incorporated (refer to http://www.synaptics.com/products/cpad.cfm.) An embodiment of the present invention will exemplify an arrangement using cpad (to be referred to as a cpad device hereinafter) as the display-integrated pointing device.  
     [0035]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 exemplifies a notebook type personal computer.  
     [0036] A computer according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 comprises a computer main body  11  and display unit  12 . A display screen (main display)  121  which comprises an LCD is built in the display unit  12 .  
     [0037] The display unit  12  is attached to the computer main body  11  to be pivotal between the opened and closed positions. The computer main body  11  has a low-profile, box-shaped housing. A keyboard  111  is arranged on the upper surface of the housing, and the upper surface of the housing portion in front of the keyboard  111  forms an armrest. At nearly the center of this armrest, a cpad device  112 , which is used as the display-integrated pointing device, as described above, is arranged together with left, right, and middle user-selectable operators  113   a,    113   b,  and  113   c  included in that cpad device.  
     [0038] Furthermore, a user-selectable operator such as, but not limited to, power button  114 , is used to turn on/off the power supply of the computer main body  11  is arranged on the upper surface of the computer main body  11 .  
     [0039]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system arrangement of the computer shown in FIG. 1. This computer comprises a CPU  201 , host bridge  202 , main memory  203 , graphics controller  204 , PCI-ISA bridge  206 , I/O controller  207 , hard disk drive (HDD)  208 , CD-ROM drive  209 , USB controller  210 , embedded controller/keyboard controller IC (EC/KBC)  211 , power supply controller  213 , and the like, as shown in FIG. 2.  
     [0040] The aforementioned cPad device  112  is connected to the USB controller  210 . This cPad device  112  is formed by integrating a touch pad  112   a,  display unit  112   b,  and backlight  112   c,  and has the left, right, and middle user-selectable operators  113   a ,  113   b,  and  113   c.    
     [0041] The CPU  201  is provided to control the operation of this computer. The CPU  201  executes an operation system, and application-program/utility program, which are loaded from the hard disk drive (HDD)  208  onto the main memory  203 . In this embodiment, the CPU  201  executes processes shown in FIGS. 5, 13, and  14 . These processes to be executed shown in FIGS. 5, 13, and  14  will be explained later. The host bridge  202  is a bridge device that connects the local bus of the CPU  201 , and a PCI bus  1 , for bi-directional communication.  
     [0042] The graphics controller  204  controls the main display  121  used as a display monitor of this computer. The graphics controller  204  also controls an external display  106  when such display is connected to an external display connection port.  
     [0043] The I/O controller  207  controls the hard disk drive (HDD)  208 , CD-ROM drive  209 , and the like. The PCI-ISA bridge  206  is a bridge device that connects the PCI bus  1  and an ISA bus  2  for bi-directional communication. Also, the PCI-ISA bridge  206  incorporates various system devices such as a system timer, DMA controller, interrupt controller, and the like.  
     [0044] The embedded controller/keyboard controller IC (EC/KBC)  211  is a 1-chip microcomputer which integrates an embedded controller (EC) for power management and a keyboard controller (KBC) that controls the keyboard  111 . The embedded controller/keyboard controller IC (EC/KBC)  211  has a function of turning on/off the power supply of this computer in response to user&#39;s operation on the power button  114  in collaboration with the power supply controller  213 .  
     [0045]FIG. 3 shows information stored in the main memory  203 .  
     [0046] As shown in FIG. 3, the main memory  203  comprises a text information manager  21 , image information manager  22 , text &amp; image information manager  23 , and history information manager  24 .  
     [0047] The text information manager  21  stores text information (including numerical value information) ( 21 - 1   a,    21 - 2   a,    21 - 3   a , . . . ) of information selected on the main display. The manager  21  also stores change permission flags ( 21 - 1   b,    21 - 2   b,    21 - 3   b , . . . ) corresponding to the text information ( 21 - 1   a,    21 - 2   a,    21 - 3   a , . . . ). Each of these change permission flags ( 21 - 1   b,    21 - 2   b ,  21 - 3   b , . . . ) indicates whether or not corresponding text information can be changed, and can be freely set by the user.  
     [0048] According to embodiments of the present invention, the change permission flag will initially be set to X when the data includes file attribution and the file is a READ-ONLY file (note that if the file was stored in file form, then the data will include file attribution). Thus, if file attribution exists for the data, the file attribution will be reflected to the change permission flags shown in FIG. 4. That is, if the file is READ-ONLY, then the change permission flag is X. Otherwise, it will not be X.  
     [0049] On the other hand, if the file does not include file attribution, the change permission flag is set to X as the default. In either case, when the change permission flag is set to X, a user is prevented from mistakenly inputting information.  
     [0050] The image information manager  22  stores image information ( 22 - 1   a,    22 - 2   a,    22 - 3   a , . . . ) of information displayed on the main display. Also, the manager  22  stores change permission flags ( 22 - 1   b,    22 - 2   b,    22 - 3   b , . . . ) corresponding to the image information ( 22 - 1   a,    22 - 2   a,    22 - 3   a , . . . ) Each of these change permission flags ( 22 - 1   b,    22 - 2   b,    22 - 3   b , . . . ) indicates whether or not corresponding image information can be changed, and can be freely set by the user.  
     [0051] The text &amp; image information manager  23  stores information (text information and image information ( 23 - 1   a,    23 - 2   a,    23 - 3   a , . . . ) selected on the main display. Also, the manager  23  stores change permission flags ( 23 - 1   b,    23 - 2   b,    23 - 3   b , . . . ) corresponding to the text information and image information ( 23 - 1   a,    23 - 2   a,    23 - 3   a , . . . ) Each of these change permission flags ( 23 - 1   b,    23 - 2   b,    23 - 3   b , . . . ) indicates whether or not corresponding text information and image information can be changed, and can be freely set by the user.  
     [0052] For example, when information which contains both text information and image information is selected, the text information is stored in the text information manager  21 , the image information is stored in the image information manager  22 , and both the text information and image information are stored in the text &amp; image information manager  23 .  
     [0053] The history information manager  24  manages information managed by the text information manager  21 , image information manager  22 , and text &amp; image information manager  23  in the form of a list, as shown in FIG. 4. This list basically stores selected information items in the order in which they are selected from the main display, and the user can edit this list using a GUI to be described later. Referring to FIG. 4, reference numeral  31  denotes a pointer which indicates information to be displayed on the sub-display. In FIG. 4, the pointer  31  indicates that “text &amp; image information 1” is information to be displayed on the sub-display.  
     [0054] This pointer  31  is also movable using a GUI to be described later. The pointer  31  moves by toggling.  
     [0055] The operation of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flow chart in FIG. 5.  
     [0056] The operation for selecting information displayed on the main display to display the selected information on the sub-display (cPad), editing that information, and then displaying the edited information on the main display will be described first.  
     [0057] The user selects information (image information, numerical value information, text information, or the like) to be edited displayed on the main display (S 1 ).  
     [0058] For example, when image information A, numerical value information B, and/or text information C are displayed on spreadsheet software on the main display  121 , as shown in FIG. 6, the user selects one of the data to be edited by a pointing function of the cPad device  112 .  
     [0059] After that, the selected information is stored in the main memory  203  (S 2 ). For example, if image information A in FIG. 6 is selected, that selected information is stored in the image information manager  22 , and is managed by the history information manager  24 .  
     [0060] On the other hand, if numerical value information B and/or text information C is selected, these selected information items are stored in the text information manager  21 , and are managed by the history information manager  24 . At this time, the pointer  31  managed by the history information manager  24  moves to a position indicating information which was last stored.  
     [0061] After that, the type (image, numerical value, text information) of selected information is determined (S 3 ). A GUI suitable for editing the selected information is displayed on the sub-display of the cPad device  112  on the basis of the type of information determined in step S 3  (S 4 ).  
     [0062] FIGS.  8  to  10  show GUIs displayed in correspondence with the types of information.  
     [0063]FIG. 8 shows a GUI displayed when the selected information is numerical value information, and this GUI implements a calculator function. For example, the user makes numerical value calculations on the calculator displayed on the sub-display, and can paste the result onto the main display.  
     [0064] Note that an “edit” user-selectable operator such as, but not limited to, edit button  31  in FIG. 8, is used to edit a list stored in the main memory, and this function will be explained later. An “end” user-selectable operator such as, but not limited to, end button  36 , is used to close this edit GUI.  
     [0065]FIG. 9 shows a GUI displayed when the selected information is image information, and image information can be edited on this GUI. The image information may be edited directly from the sub-display using the tablet function of the cPad device  112 , or may be edited using another input device such as a mouse, keyboard and the like. That is, the edit method in this case is not particularly limited.  
     [0066] Note that a user-selectable operator  32  in FIG. 9 indicates whether or not an edit process of information to be edited is permitted. FIG. 9 shows a case wherein the edit process is inhibited. By touching or otherwise selecting this user-selectable operator  32 , permission/inhibition of the edit process can be switched using the tablet function of the cPad device  112 , and that result is reflected in a change permission flag managed in the main memory.  
     [0067] A user-selectable operator  33  indicates information to be edited. FIG. 9 shows a case wherein image information is to be edited. By touching or otherwise selecting this user-selectable operator  33 , information to be edited can be switched between image information and text information using the tablet function of the cPad device  112 .  
     [0068] User-selectable operators  34   a  and  34   b  are used to select information, which is managed by the information manager and is to be displayed on the sub-display. Every time the user presses the user-selectable operator  34   a,  the pointer of the list managed by the history information manager moves up in the list by one information item; every time the user presses the user-selectable operator  34   b,  the pointer of the list managed by the history information manager moves down in the list by one information item. As a result, an information item indicated by the pointer is displayed on the sub-display, and the user can select information by checking information displayed on the sub-display. A display field  35  displays a list number of information displayed on the sub-display. When the user has switched information to be displayed on the sub-display, a GUI corresponding to the type of selected information is displayed.  
     [0069]FIG. 10 shows a GUI when the information to be edited is text information. In FIG. 10, the user-selectable operator  32  indicates that text information can be edited, the user-selectable operator  33  indicates that the information to be edited is text information, and the list number of text information to be edited is “88”.  
     [0070] After the process in step S 4 , the selected information is displayed on the sub-display (S 5 ). For example, when text information C is selected on the main display shown in FIG. 6, a window shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the sub-display. Note that FIG. 7 indicates that the GUI corresponding to text information is displayed, this information can be edited, and the information to be edited is text information.  
     [0071] As the edit method of text information, for example, the user may directly input/edit text on the sub-display using the tablet function of the cPad device  112  or may input/edit text from the keyboard or other input device.  
     [0072] According to embodiments of the present invention, the position of an edit cursor which indicates the position of text information to be edited may be designated from either the cPad device  112  or another input device such as a mouse, keyboard and the like.  
     [0073] Also, FIG. 7 shows a case wherein text information selected on the main display can fall within the window. However, when the selected information cannot entirely fall inside the window of the sub-display, a scroll bar may be displayed on the window of the sub-display to allow for scrolling of the display. In addition or in the alternative, the selected information may be displayed in a reduced or enlarged scale. Such display method can be arbitrarily selected by the user.  
     [0074] On the sub-display, the user edits the text information (S 6 ). This edit method is not particularly limited. For example, the information may be edited using the GUI on the sub-display or another input device such as a mouse, keyboard and the like.  
     [0075] After the process in step S 6 , it is checked if the edit button has been selected (S 7 ). If it is determined that the edit button has not been selected, the edited information is pasted at the original position on the main display (S 8 ), i.e., the user can replace the original text with the edited text. FIG. 11 shows a case wherein the user edits text “I am a cat” to text “I am a mouse”, and pastes the edited text at the original position on the main display.  
     [0076] If it is determined in step S 7  that the edit button has been selected, a window used to edit list information managed in the main memory is displayed on the sub-display, as shown in FIG. 12.  
     [0077]FIG. 12 shows a setup window used to edit text information, and a field  41  is used to designate a font, character size, and the like.  
     [0078] A “save” user-selectable operator such as, but not limited to, save button  42 , is used to store text information in the HDD of the information processing apparatus. A “read out” user-selectable operator such as, but not limited to, read out button  43 , is used to read out list information stored on the HDD. An “insert” user-selectable operator such as, but not limited to, insert button  44 , is used to insert a new information item before or after an information item indicated by the pointer  31  of those which are managed in the form of a list and are stored in the main memory. A “delete” user-selectable operator such as, but not limited to, delete button  45 , is used to delete an information item indicated by the pointer  31 .  
     [0079] An “OK” user-selectable operator such as, but not limited to, OK button  46 , is used to accept the setups on the setup window, and a “cancel” user-selectable operator such as, but not limited to, cancel button  47 , is used to cancel the setups on the setup window.  
     [0080] If it is determined in step S 7  that the edit button has been selected, it is checked if the save button  42  has been selected (S 9 ). If it is determined in step S 9  that the save button has been selected, the list information managed in the main memory is stored on the HDD (S 10 ).  
     [0081] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S 9  that the save button has not been selected, or after the process in step S 10  is complete, it is checked if the read-out button  43  has been selected (S 11 ).  
     [0082] If it is determined in step S 11  that the read-out button  43  has been selected, the list information is read out from the HDD (S 12 ).  
     [0083] On the other hand, if it is determined in step Sit that the read-out button  43  has not been selected, or after the process in step S 12  is complete, it is checked if the insert button  44  has been selected (S 13 ).  
     [0084] If it is determined in step S 13  that the insert button  44  has been selected, new information is inserted before or after information indicated by the pointer  31  of those which are managed in the form of a list and are stored in the main memory (S 14 ).  
     [0085] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S 13  that the insert button  44  has not been selected, or after the process in step S 14  is complete, it is checked if the delete button  45  has been selected (S 15 ).  
     [0086] If it is determined in step S 15  that the delete button  45  has been selected, the current information item on the list that is indicated by the pointer is deleted (S 16 ).  
     [0087] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S 15  that the delete button  45  has not been selected, or after the process in step S 16  is complete, it is then checked if the OK button  46  has been selected (S 17 ).  
     [0088] If it is determined in step S 17  that the OK button  46  has been selected, the edit contents are reflected in the memory (S 18 ), and the flow returns to step S 8 . On the other hand, if it is determined in step S 17  that the OK button  46  has not been selected, it is checked if the cancel button  47  has been selected (S 19 ).  
     [0089] If it is determined in step S 19  that the cancel button  47  has been selected, the flow returns to step S 8 ; otherwise, the flow returns to step S 9 .  
     [0090] Therefore, with the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, information, which is selected on the main display, can be edited on the cPad device, and the edited information can be displayed on the main display. Hence, the need for the operation for opening a window, window switching operation, pointing operation, and the like can be obviated, thus reducing the load of user operations.  
     [0091] Also, since the user can edit the list which manages selected information on the cPad device, he or she need not open a window for displaying the selected information again, thus reducing the load of user operations.  
     [0092] Furthermore, all or some information items stored in the memory can be stored in the HDD of the information processing apparatus. Hence, even when the power supply is turned off, the stored information can be read out from the HDD, thus improving the work efficiency of the user.  
     [0093] Note that the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention when it is practiced. The respective embodiments may be combined as needed as much as possible, and combined effects can be obtained in such case. Furthermore, the embodiments include inventions of various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of required constituent elements disclosed in this application. For example, when the invention is extracted by omitting some required constituent elements from all the required constituent elements in the embodiments, the extracted elements are compensated for by the state-of-the-art technique upon practicing the extracted invention.  
     [0094] Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.