Patent ID: 7218312

Claim:
An information display device comprising: a display having a display screen on which information regarding an apparatus is displayed; an input device including an operation switch through which operation control of the apparatus is performed, the input device being operable to output a switch signal when said operation switch is operated; a proximity detector operable to detect when a hand of an operator enters a range which is within a predetermined distance away from said input device; a menu display controller operable to cause a menu of a hierarchical menu showing an operation item group of the apparatus to be displayed on said display screen in response to the switch signal from said input device when the hand of the operator enters the range, and terminate the display of the menu of the hierarchical menu after the hand of the operator is taken off of said input device; a counter operable to count a period of time during which the hand of the operator is in the range; and a delay time setting means for setting, based on the period of time counted by said counter, a delay time that is a period of time from an instant at which the hand of the operator is taken off of said input device until said menu display controller terminates the display of the menu of the hierarchical menu, wherein said menu display controller terminates the display of the menu of the hierarchical menu after the set delay time has passed from an instant when the hand of the operator is taken off of said input device.