Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

To suppress the occurrence of a failure caused by changing the arrangement of contents on a screen.SOLUTION: A control unit configured to receive a request for changing an arrangement of contents in a screen, specify a first content group that is a combination of contents simultaneously displayed on the screen when the arrangement of the contents is changed in response to the request, and prohibit simultaneous display of the first content group on the screen in response to the first content group including a second content group that is a combination of predetermined contents.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that a plurality of widgets are displayed on a television screen and the positions of the widgets are moved by operating a remote control (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5330595 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to prevent problems from occurring due to changes in the layout of content on a screen. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is receiving a signal from a sensor that detects a user touching the screen; In response to the signal from the sensor being a signal corresponding to a change in content arrangement on the screen, when the arrangement of the content is changed, identifying in real time, in response to the signal from the sensor, a first content group which is a combination of content to be simultaneously displayed on the screen; determining in real time whether the first content group includes a second content group that is a combination of predetermined content, based on information about the second content group stored in a storage unit; in response to determining that the first content group includes the second content group, disable in real time a function of a user interface for storing information regarding an arrangement of the first content group within the screen in the storage unit, and output in real time a signal for displaying on the screen an image corresponding to the disablement of the function of the user interface; The information processing device includes a control unit configured to execute the above.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is Accepting a request to change the placement of content within a screen; Identifying a first content group, which is a combination of content to be simultaneously displayed on the screen, when the arrangement of the content is changed in response to the request; prohibiting simultaneous display of the first content group on the screen in response to the first content group including a second content group that is a combination of predetermined content; The information processing device includes a control unit configured to execute the above.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is The computer Accepting a request to change the placement of content within a screen; Identifying a first content group, which is a combination of content to be simultaneously displayed on the screen, when the arrangement of the content is changed in response to the request; prohibiting simultaneous display of the first content group on the screen in response to the first content group including a second content group that is a combination of predetermined content; This is an information processing method for performing the above.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a program executed by the information processing device described above, or a storage medium that non-temporarily stores the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent problems from occurring due to changes in the layout of content on a screen. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen displayed on a display. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen (change screen) for changing the arrangement of widgets displayed on a display. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the change screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an in-vehicle device. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of a process performed by the in-car device when changing the arrangement order of widgets on the change screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is an example of a home screen that may cause a user to feel uncomfortable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The development period for in-vehicle multimedia devices is relatively long, and although key requirements are taken into consideration when determining the hardware and software architecture, it is difficult to determine specifications based on a detailed estimate of all functions. Even if a detailed estimate were possible, the specifications may be limited to reduce costs. When implementing highly flexible functions such as widgets in such multimedia devices, running multiple specific widgets simultaneously can lead to poor CPU and memory resource allocation, resulting in rendering problems or the inability to use the function.

[0012] For example, there has long been a demand for displaying a wide-area map and a detailed map side by side. One possible solution is to place two route guidance widgets side by side on the home screen. Here, a route guidance widget may simultaneously draw two maps—a regular map and an enlarged view of the intersection—when the vehicle approaches an intersection. In other words, placing two route guidance widgets side by side on the same screen may result in four maps being drawn. Drawing maps is a resource-intensive function, and it may be difficult to draw four maps simultaneously on hardware with limited specifications. Furthermore, the increased system processing load may impede other processes besides the display of the widgets.

[0013] In response to this, a control unit provided in an information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure prevents content that may cause a malfunction from being displayed simultaneously on the same screen. To this end, the control unit accepts a request to change the layout of content on the screen. The content includes, for example, content related to displaying a map including the current location, playing video, displaying a weather forecast, playing music, answering a phone call, displaying vehicle information, or displaying a clock. These may be widgets. When displaying a map including the current location, for example, images showing a map, a route, and the current location are displayed in the display area. When playing video, for example, a video is displayed in the display area. The image may include, for example, television images, videos provided from a storage medium, or videos provided from the Internet. For example, when a weather forecast is displayed, text or an image corresponding to the weather is displayed in the display area. When playing music, for example, an image corresponding to the music, the song title, and a time bar are displayed in the display area. When displaying a clock, for example, the current time and date are displayed in the display area. In this manner, an image corresponding to the content is displayed on the screen. Multiple contents may be arranged on the screen. That is, images corresponding to multiple contents may be displayed on one screen. Each content can be moved within the screen. Content can be moved, for example, by a user's drag-and-drop operation. For example, a third content can be moved between a first content and a second content. In this case, the third content may be placed in the position where the second content was located, and the positions of the second content and subsequent contents may be shifted. The control unit accepts a request to change the arrangement of content on the screen, for example, when a user touches the screen and makes a finger movement associated with a drag-and-drop operation. Note that when a user touches the screen, it means that the user touches a touch panel. Alternatively, the user's finger movement may be detected by a camera or the like instead of a touch panel.

[0014] Furthermore, when the control unit changes the content layout in response to the request, it identifies a first content group, which is a combination of content to be displayed simultaneously on the screen. The first content group may be identified before actually displaying the first content group on the screen. That is, the control unit may identify the first content group assuming that the content layout has been changed as requested. In this case, for example, a screen for changing the content layout may be provided separately from the home screen that displays the content. Then, a request to change the content layout may be made by the user moving an icon corresponding to each content on the screen for changing the content layout. In this case, the control unit may determine the layout of the content on the home screen based on the layout of the icons on the screen for changing the content layout. As another example, the control unit may identify the first content group after actually displaying the first content group on the screen. The first content group is a combination of content to be displayed simultaneously on the same screen. Note that, for example, when page scrolling is possible, the control unit may identify multiple content to be displayed simultaneously on the same screen as the first content group for each page.

[0015] Then, the control unit prohibits simultaneous display of the first content group on the screen in response to the first content group including a second content group that is a predetermined combination of content. The second content group is a combination of content that may not be displayed correctly if displayed simultaneously on the same screen. The second content group may be determined, for example, based on the performance of a processor or memory. There may be multiple second content groups. Since the control unit prohibits simultaneous display of the second content group on the same screen, it is possible to prevent problems from occurring in rendering. The prohibition may include executing a process to not save the changed content layout. For example, the control unit may prohibit simultaneous display of the first content group on the screen by disabling the function of a push button that is a graphical user interface (GUI) for saving the changed content layout.

[0016] Furthermore, in response to the first content group including the second content group, the control unit may disable a function of a user interface for storing information regarding the arrangement of the first content group on the screen in a storage unit, thereby prohibiting the first content group from being simultaneously displayed on the screen. The user interface for storing information regarding the arrangement of the first content group on the screen in a storage unit may include, for example, a save button for saving information regarding the arrangement of the first content group in a storage unit, a confirm button for confirming the arrangement of the first content group, an execute button for executing a change in the arrangement of the first content group, and the like. The buttons may be buttons. The save button, confirm button, and execute button are buttons of a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on the screen. Disabling the function of the user interface includes disabling the function of the buttons. Disabling the function of the buttons includes, for example, preventing the user from pressing the buttons, or not saving information about the layout of the first content group even if the user presses the buttons. Disabling the function of the buttons also includes, for example, not displaying the buttons or graying out the buttons. When the user interface function is enabled, the control unit can save information about the layout of the first content group in the storage unit, allowing the user to use the content in that layout. On the other hand, disabling the function of the user interface prohibits saving information about the layout of the first content group in the storage unit, preventing the user from using the first content group in that layout. In this way, the control unit can prohibit simultaneous display of the first content group on the screen.

[0017] Furthermore, the control unit may, in response to the first content group including the second content group, display a message on the screen notifying the user that the content placement cannot be changed. This message may be a message notifying the user that the content placement requested by the user is not permitted by the system, or a message urging the user to change the content placement. Furthermore, the message may include an inquiry as to whether or not the user agrees to revert the content placement. By displaying the message on the screen, the control unit can inform the user of what to do next.

[0018] The predetermined content may include content that displays an image that changes over time. The predetermined content may also include content that provides at least one of a map including the current location and video playback. Displaying multiple pieces of such content may cause problems due to the high processing load on the system. By preventing multiple pieces of such content from being displayed, the occurrence of problems can be prevented.

[0019] The information processing device may further include a storage unit that stores information about the second content group. This information may be acquired in advance from another server or the like.

[0020] Furthermore, when the first content group does not include the second content group, the control unit may enable a user interface function for storing information regarding the arrangement of the first content group on the screen in a storage unit. In other words, if the combination of content is unlikely to cause a malfunction, storing information regarding the arrangement in the storage unit allows the user to use the content in that arrangement thereafter.

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Furthermore, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0022] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle 1 is owned by a user who is the driver. The vehicle 1 is equipped with an in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 may be a multimedia device or a navigation device. The in-vehicle device 10 may also be a device that is detachable from the vehicle 1. The in-vehicle device 10 includes a processor 11, a main memory unit 12, an auxiliary memory unit 13, an input unit 14, a display 15, a communication unit 16, and a position information sensor. These are connected to each other by a bus.

[0023] The processor 11 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The processor 11 controls the in-vehicle device 10 and performs various information processing operations. The main memory unit 12 is a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The auxiliary memory unit 13 is an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), a hard disk, etc. Hard disk drives (HDDs), removable media, etc. The memory unit 13 stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. The processor 11 loads the programs stored in the auxiliary memory unit 13 into a working area of ​​the main memory unit 12 and executes them, and each component unit, etc. is controlled through the execution of these programs. This allows the in-vehicle device 10 to realize functions that meet a predetermined purpose. The main memory unit 12 and the auxiliary memory unit 13 are examples of memory units. Furthermore, the main memory unit 12 and the auxiliary memory unit 13 are computer-readable recording media. The in-vehicle device 10 may be a single computer or may be a combination of multiple computers. Furthermore, information stored in the auxiliary memory unit 13 may be stored in the main memory unit 12. Furthermore, information stored in the main memory unit 12 may be stored in the auxiliary memory unit 13.

[0024] The series of processes executed by the in-vehicle device 10 can be executed by hardware, but can also be executed by software.

[0025] The input unit 14 is a means for accepting an input operation performed by the user, and is, for example, a touch panel. The touch panel may be, for example, a pressure-sensitive type that detects the pressure with which the user presses the panel, or a capacitance type that detects a change in capacitance when the user presses the panel. As another example, the input unit 14 may be a button that can operate the display 15. The display 15 is a means for presenting information to the user, and is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an EL (Electroluminescence) panel. The input unit 14 and the display 15 may be integrated into a single touch screen. In the following description, when a user touches a screen, it means that the user touches a touch panel.

[0026] The communication unit 16 is a communication means for connecting the in-vehicle device 10 to the network N1. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 can communicate with other devices via the network using mobile communication services such as 3G, LTE, 5G, and 6G.

[0027] The position information sensor 17 acquires position information (for example, latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 1. The position information sensor 17 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit, a wireless communication unit, etc. be.

[0028] Next, the functions of the in-vehicle device 10 will be described. The in-vehicle device 10 provides content to the user by displaying a screen corresponding to the content on the display 15. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen 20 displayed on the display 15. The home screen 20 shown in FIG. 2 displays a main menu 21, status icons 22, a main area 23, and a page display 24. The main menu 21 is configured to include a plurality of icons. These icons are used to switch the content displayed in the main area 23. The status icons 22 are used to display icons corresponding to the status of each device.

[0029] In the example shown in FIG. 2, widgets corresponding to content are arranged in the main area 23. Widgets are shortcut functions that aggregate specific functions to make them easier for users to access. In the example shown in FIG. 2, a map widget 23 is arranged as a widget. 1 and music widget 232 are displayed. When a content widget is displayed in main area 23 and the user taps the widget, the content corresponding to the tapped widget is displayed in main area 23. The size of the area where the widget is displayed (hereinafter also referred to as the display area) varies depending on the content.

[0030] The map widget 231 displays the vehicle's position 231B on a map 231A. The vehicle's position 231B indicates the current location detected by the position information sensor 17. The vehicle's position 231B moves on the map 231A in real time as the vehicle 1 moves. The map 231A displayed in the map widget 231 moves in real time so that the vehicle's position 231B is located within the display range of the map widget 231. The map widget 231 may also display a searched route. The map widget 231 requires a relatively large amount of resources.

[0031] The music widget 232 displays an image 232A corresponding to the song being played, a time bar 232B indicating the playback position of the song being played, icons 232C for selecting play, stop, play of the previous song, play of the next song, etc., and an icon 232D for controlling the connection with the user's terminal. The display area of ​​the music widget 232 is horizontally narrower than the display area of ​​the map widget 231. The music widget 232 requires fewer resources than the map widget 231.

[0032] At the bottom of the home screen 20, a page display 24 is arranged, which indicates the page currently being displayed. The page display 24 shows the total number of pages and the current page. The page currently being displayed on the screen is indicated by an oval, and the remaining pages are indicated by circles. In the example shown in FIG. 2, this indicates that there are three pages in total, and that the first page on the left is currently being displayed. The two pages not displayed on the home screen 20 are also allocated display areas for other widgets. The size of this display area may be set in advance for each widget. The user can select the widget to be displayed on the home screen 20 from options provided to the user. The user can also specify the order in which the widgets are arranged.

[0033] The home screen 20 is configured to allow page scrolling by, for example, a swipe operation by the user. Page scrolling makes it possible to display widgets that were not displayed on the home screen 20. In addition to the map widget 231 and the music widget 232, widgets include, for example, a video widget, a weather forecast widget, a phone widget, a vehicle information widget, and a clock widget. The video widget is a widget that displays television images or videos. Television images may be acquired through a television antenna provided in the vehicle 1. Videos may be acquired, for example, from a website that distributes videos via the communication unit 16. The weather forecast widget is a widget that displays a weather forecast, the current weather, the current temperature, etc. Information regarding the weather forecast may be acquired, for example, from a website that distributes weather forecasts via the communication unit 16. The phone widget is a widget that displays phone responses and call destination information. The vehicle information widget is a widget that displays the status of the vehicle detected by a sensor in the vehicle. The clock widget is a widget that displays the current time and date. The current time and date may be acquired via the communication unit 16 or the location information sensor 17. The map widget 231 and the video widget are examples of content that displays an image that changes over time. The map widget 231 and the video widget are also examples of content that provides at least one of a map including the current location and video playback. Note that the time bar 232B of the music widget 232 may also change over time, but the processing load of the system that corresponds to this change is lower than that of the map widget 231 and the video widget. The processing load of other widgets is also lower than that of the map widget 231 and the video widget. Therefore, in this embodiment, In this embodiment, the contents other than the map widget 231 and the video widget are contents that do not cause any problems in rendering even if they are displayed simultaneously on the same page.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen 30 (hereinafter referred to as the change screen 30) for changing the arrangement of widgets displayed on the display 15. The arrangement of widgets shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the arrangement of widgets on the home screen 20 shown in FIG. 2. When a predetermined input is made by the user on the home screen 20, the screen switches to the change screen 30. The change screen 30 shown in FIG. 3 displays a main menu 21, status icons 22, and an operation area 31. The change screen 30 also has an execute button 32, a cancel button 33, and an add button 34. These buttons are GUIs that can be operated by the user touching the screen. The execute button 32 is a button for confirming the change of widget arrangement and for saving information about the widget arrangement in the storage unit 110. The cancel button 33 is a button for moving to the home screen 20 without changing the widget arrangement. The add button 34 is a button for adding a new widget. The main menu 21 and the status icons 22 are the same as those in FIG. 2.

[0035] The operation area 31 is an area in which widgets corresponding to each page of the home screen 20 are displayed in a changeable arrangement. The operation area 31 is divided into a first area 311 corresponding to the first page, a second area 312 corresponding to the second page, and a third area 313 corresponding to the third page. As shown in FIG. 2, an icon 3111 corresponding to a map widget and an icon 3112 corresponding to a music widget are displayed in the first area 311, from left to right. The display area of ​​each icon is set according to the display area of ​​the widget. The map widget 231 shown in FIG. 2 is approximately twice as wide as the music widget 232, and therefore the icon 3111 corresponding to the map widget shown in FIG. 3 is approximately twice as wide as the icon 3112 corresponding to the music widget. In addition, the second area 312 displays an icon 3121 corresponding to a phone widget, an icon 3122 corresponding to a vehicle information widget, and an icon 3123 corresponding to a weather forecast widget, from left to right. The icons arranged in the operation area 31 are configured to be movable by drag and drop. The user can change the order of the icons by dragging any icon to the left or right. After that, the user taps the execute button 32 to confirm the icon arrangement, and information about the widget arrangement corresponding to that icon arrangement is saved in the storage unit 110, which will be described later.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the change screen 30. An icon 3111 corresponding to the map widget 231 and an icon 3113 corresponding to the detailed map widget are arranged in the first area 311 by a user operation. The detailed map widget is a widget that displays a map including the current location at a larger scale than the map widget 231. The in-vehicle device 10 according to the present embodiment prohibits the map widget 231 and the detailed map widget from being displayed on the home screen 20. When widgets restricted from being arranged in the same area are arranged in the same area, the execute button 32 is grayed out, and the execute button 32 does not function even if the user taps the execute button 32. That is, the function of the execute button 32 is disabled, and the arrangement order is not saved in the storage unit 110 (described later). In addition to the map widget 231, widgets (e.g., video widgets) that may cause resource shortages and rendering problems if displayed on the same page are also restricted from being arranged on the same page. For example, when a video widget and a detailed map widget are arranged in the same area, or when two video widgets are arranged in the same area, the execute button 32 is grayed out. In this way, when icons with high processing loads are arranged in the same area on the change screen 30, the execute button 32 is configured not to function. In this way, widgets that impose a high processing load on the processor 11 can be prevented from being displayed on the same page of the home screen 20, thereby reducing the processing load on the system.

[0037] On the other hand, the music widget 232, the phone widget, the vehicle information widget, the weather forecast widget, the clock widget, etc., impose a relatively low processing load on the system. A plurality of such widgets with a relatively low processing load can be displayed on the same page of the home screen 20. For example, when the function of the execute button 32 is enabled and the user taps the execute button 32, information regarding the placement of these widgets is stored in the storage unit 110, which will be described later.

[0038] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 includes, as functional components, a control unit 100 and a storage unit 110. The control unit 100 is a functional component provided, for example, by the processor 11 executing various programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13. The control unit 100 includes an input determination unit 101, a combination determination unit 102, an invalidation unit 103, a placement change unit 104, and an output unit 105. The processor 11 of the in-vehicle device 10 executes the processes of the input determination unit 101, the combination determination unit 102, the invalidation unit 103, the placement change unit 104, and the output unit 105 in accordance with a computer program stored in the main storage unit 12. However, all or part of these processes may be executed by a hardware circuit.

[0039] The storage unit 110 is a means for storing information, and is composed of a main storage unit 12 and an auxiliary storage unit 13. The storage unit 110 includes a placement restriction information DB 111 and a map information DB 112. The placement restriction information DB 111 and the map information DB 112 are constructed by a database management system (DBMS) program executed by the processor 11 managing data stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13. The placement restriction information DB 111 and the map information DB 112 are, for example, relational databases.

[0040] Any of the functional components of the in-vehicle device 10 or part of the processing thereof may be executed by another computer connected to the network.

[0041] The input determination unit 101 receives a signal from the input unit 14 and determines a user's input operation via the input unit 14. When a user touches a touch panel, which is the input unit 14, and performs a finger movement associated with a tap, flick, swipe, or pinch, the input determination unit 101 determines that a tap, flick, swipe, or pinch operation has been performed. The input determination unit 101 may also be capable of determining input operations such as a double tap, a long tap, and a multi-tap in addition to a tap, flick, swipe, or pinch. The relationship between the user's finger movement and the user's input operation is stored in the storage unit 110. The input determination unit 101 also determines whether the user has performed an operation to display a change screen 30 for changing the layout of widgets via the input unit 14. For example, when the user long-taps the main area 23 of the home screen 20, the input determination unit 101 determines that the user has performed an operation to display the change screen 30. As another example, when a user taps a settings icon on the main menu 21 and then taps an icon for changing the layout of widgets, the input determination unit 101 may determine that the user has performed an operation to display the modification screen 30. When a user drags and drops an icon on the modification screen 30, the input determination unit 101 determines that an input for moving the icon has been made. Upon determining that an input for moving the icon has been made, the input determination unit 101 accepts a request for changing the layout of content on the screen in real time. The input determination unit 101 also determines whether the user has pressed the execute button 32 and whether the user has pressed the cancel button 33.

[0042] The combination determination unit 102 determines whether a predetermined combination of widgets is arranged in the same area in each of the first area 311, the second area 312, and the third area 313 of the modification screen 30. The predetermined combination of widgets is an example of a second content group. The predetermined combination is a combination of widgets that is prohibited from being displayed on the same page of the home screen 20, and is a combination of widgets that is prohibited from being displayed in the same area of ​​the modification screen 30. Information on this predetermined combination is stored in advance in the placement restriction information DB 111. The combination determination unit 102 determines whether widgets arranged in the same area on the modification screen 30 correspond to the combinations stored in the placement restriction information DB 111, thereby determining whether the predetermined combination of widgets is arranged in the same area. The combination determination unit 102 passes the determination result to the invalidation unit 103.

[0043] When a predetermined combination of widgets is arranged in the same area of ​​the change screen 30, the invalidation unit 103 invalidates the execute button 32 for saving the arrangement. That is, the invalidation unit 103 prevents information about the arrangement from being saved in the storage unit 110. The invalidation unit 103 may, for example, gray out the execute button 32 to disable the execute button 32, or may disable the execute button 32 by not displaying the execute button 32. Furthermore, when a user taps the execute button 32, the invalidation unit 103 may cause the display 15 to display text informing the user that the current arrangement is not recognized by the system. Furthermore, when a user taps the execute button 32, the invalidation unit 103 may cause the display 15 to display text inquiring about restoring the icon arrangement to its original position and buttons for the user to input a response to the inquiry.

[0044] The layout change unit 104 changes the layout of the widgets in response to a user's drag-and-drop operation on the modification screen 30. When the execute button 32 is pressed on the modification screen 30, the layout change unit 104 stores the layout order of the widget icons displayed on the modification screen 30 in the storage unit 110.

[0045] The output unit 105 displays an image corresponding to each widget on the home screen 20 in a display area corresponding to the widget. The output unit 105 displays the widgets on the home screen 20 according to the order of the widgets stored in the storage unit 110. The output unit 105 generates a real-time image corresponding to the widget and displays it on the display 15. For example, in the case of the map widget 231, the output unit 105 acquires the current location obtained by the position information sensor 17 and displays the vehicle position 231B on a map 231A obtained from the map information DB 112. The output unit 105 generates an image corresponding to each widget for each frame, generates a signal for displaying the home screen 20 for each frame, and transmits this signal to the display 15. Furthermore, when the input determination unit 101 determines that the user has performed an operation to display the change screen 30 via the input unit 14, the output unit 105 may output the change screen 30. The output unit 105 displays an icon corresponding to the widget on the change screen 30 according to the order of the widgets stored in the storage unit 110.

[0046] The placement restriction information DB 111 stores information (hereinafter also referred to as placement restriction information) regarding combinations of widgets that cannot be displayed on the same page of the home screen 20. This placement restriction information may be provided from an external server connected to the network.

[0047] The map information DB 112 also stores map data and information indicating the characteristics of each point on the map data. Map information including POI (Point of Interest) such as text and photos is stored. The information DB 112 may be provided from another system connected to the network, for example, a GIS (Geographic Information System). The map data may include, for example, roads (links), The data includes link data relating to the route, node data relating to node points, intersection data relating to each intersection, search data for searching routes, facility data relating to facilities, and search data for searching for locations.

[0048] Next, a description will be given of the processing performed by the in-vehicle device 10 when changing the widget arrangement order on the change screen 30. Fig. 6 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the in-vehicle device 10 when changing the widget arrangement order on the change screen 30 according to this embodiment. The processing shown in Fig. 6 is triggered by a user operation input to the input unit 14 of the in-vehicle device 10.

[0049] In step S101, the input determination unit 101 determines whether or not there has been an input from the user to the input unit 14. For example, when the input determination unit 101 detects that the user has touched the screen through a signal from the input unit 14, the input determination unit 101 determines that there has been an input from the user. Note that in the present embodiment, a touch panel is given as an example of the input unit 14, but this is not limiting, and for example, buttons arranged on a steering wheel can also be adopted as the input unit 14. Then, for example, it may be determined that there has been an input from the user when the user presses a button arranged on the steering wheel. If the input determination unit 101 makes a positive determination in step S101, the process proceeds to step S102, and if a negative determination is made, this routine ends.

[0050] In step S102, the input determination unit 101 determines whether the user's input is an input for changing the widget layout. For example, the input determination unit 101 determines whether the user's input is an input for displaying the modification screen 30. The input determination unit 101 determines whether the user's input corresponds to an input for displaying the modification screen 30 based on the user's input to the input unit 14 and information about the operation for displaying the modification screen 30 stored in the storage unit 110. As another example, the input determination unit 101 may determine that the user's input is an input for changing the widget layout when the user presses a button on the steering wheel that corresponds to displaying the modification screen 30. If the input determination unit 101 makes a positive determination in step S102, the process proceeds to step S103. If the input determination unit 101 makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S104. In step S104, the control unit 100 executes a process corresponding to an operation other than displaying the modification screen 30.

[0051] In step S103, the output unit 105 displays the modification screen 30 on the display 15. Here, the arrangement order of the widgets on the home screen 20 is stored in the storage unit 110. The output unit 105 displays icons corresponding to the widgets on the modification screen 30 in accordance with the arrangement order of the widgets stored in the storage unit 110.

[0052] In step S105, the input determination unit 101 accepts a drag-and-drop operation by the user. As a result, the input determination unit 101 accepts a request to change the layout of content on the screen. The input determination unit 101 identifies the position where the user dragged the icon, and identifies the dragged icon based on the position where the user dragged it. Furthermore, the input determination unit 101 identifies the position where the user dropped it. Note that the output unit 105 may display an animation in real time so that the icon moves from the position where the user dragged the icon to the position where the user dropped it in response to the operation of the user's finger.

[0053] In step S106, the combination determination unit 102 identifies a first content group, which is a combination of content to be simultaneously displayed on the screen. The combination determination unit 102 determines the first content group in the operation area 31 in accordance with a signal from the input unit 14 (i.e., a user input). The icons (which may be widgets) arranged in each of the area 311, the second area 312, and the third area 313 are identified.

[0054] In step S107, the combination determination unit 102 determines whether the first content group includes a predetermined combination of widgets (second content group) in each of the first area 311, the second area 312, and the third area 313. The combination determination unit 102 determines, for each area, whether the combination of widgets stored in the placement restriction information DB 111 is included. If at least one area includes the predetermined combination of widgets, the combination determination unit 102 makes a positive determination. If the combination determination unit 102 makes a positive determination in step S107, the process proceeds to step S108, and if the combination determination unit 102 makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S113.

[0055] In step S108, the disabling unit 103 disables the function of the execute button 32. The disabling unit 103 grays out the execute button 32 and disables the function of the execute button 32 so that the execute button 32 does not function even when the user touches it. In this way, the disabling unit 103 prevents the widget arrangement order from being stored in the storage unit 110. The disabling unit 103 generates a signal for displaying the grayed-out execute button 32 on the screen and outputs the signal to the display 15. As another example, the disabling unit 103 may return the widget arrangement order to the state before the user performed the drag-and-drop.

[0056] Furthermore, in step S109, the invalidation unit 103 displays on the display 15 a message indicating that the layout changed by the user is not accepted by the system. This message may be a message notifying the user that the widget layout specified by the user cannot be accepted, or a message urging the user to reconsider the widget layout. Note that the invalidation unit 103 may display the above message when the user presses the execute button 32, or may display the above message immediately after the drag-and-drop. Also, the processing of step S109 may be omitted.

[0057] In step S110, the input determination unit 101 determines whether the cancel button 33 has been pressed. The input determination unit 101 makes a positive determination if the user taps the position where the cancel button 33 is displayed. The position where the cancel button 33 is displayed is stored in the storage unit 110. If the input determination unit 101 makes a positive determination in step S110, the process proceeds to step S111, and if the input determination unit 101 makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S112.

[0058] In step S111, the output unit 105 returns the screen to be displayed on the display 15 to the home screen 20. The layout of the widgets to be displayed on the home screen 20 is stored in the storage unit 110. The layout of the widgets stored in the storage unit 110 is the layout before the user changed the layout of the widgets on the change screen 30, so the output unit 105 displays the home screen 20 with the widget layout in the state before switching to the change screen 30.

[0059] Furthermore, in step S112, the input determination unit 101 determines whether the user has changed the layout of the widgets. For example, the input determination unit 101 determines whether an icon has been dragged. If the input determination unit 101 makes a positive determination in step S112, the process returns to step S105, and if the input determination unit 101 makes a negative determination, the process returns to step S109. The control unit 100 then repeatedly executes the processes from step S105 to step S112 until the second content group is no longer included in the first content group arranged in the same area.

[0060] On the other hand, if the combination determination unit 102 makes a negative determination in step S107, the invalidation unit 103 enables the function of the execute button 32 in step S113. This allows the user to press the execute button 32. Note that when the change screen 30 is displayed in step S103, the function of the execute button 32 is enabled by default. Next, in step S114, the invalidation unit 103 erases the message displayed in step S109. Note that if the message was not displayed, the invalidation unit 103 proceeds to the next step S115 without erasing the message.

[0061] In step S115, the input determination unit 101 determines whether or not the execute button 32 has been pressed by the user. The input determination unit 101 makes a positive determination if the user taps the position where the execute button 32 is displayed. The position where the execute button 32 is displayed is stored in the storage unit 110. If the input determination unit 101 makes a positive determination in step S115, the process proceeds to step S116, and if the input determination unit 101 makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S117.

[0062] In step S116, the layout change unit 104 stores the layout order of the widget icons displayed on the modification screen 30 in the storage unit 110. This updates the layout order of the widgets. Meanwhile, in step S117, the input determination unit 101 determines whether the cancel button 33 has been pressed by the user. If the input determination unit 101 makes a positive determination in step S117, the process proceeds to step S118, and if the input determination unit 101 makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S119.

[0063] In step S118, the output unit 105 generates the home screen 20 in the same order as the widgets stored in the storage unit 110, and displays the generated home screen 20 on the display 15. That is, the output unit 105 changes the screen displayed on the display 15 back to the home screen 20 from the changed screen 30.

[0064] In step S119, the input determination unit 101 determines whether the widget layout has been changed by the user. If the input determination unit 101 determines yes in step S119, the process returns to step S105, and if it determines no, the process returns to step S114.

[0065] As described above, according to this embodiment, for content that may cause problems if displayed simultaneously on the same screen, settings for simultaneous display cannot be saved, thereby preventing problems from occurring.

[0066] <Other embodiments> The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope of its gist. The processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradictions arise. Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration for implementing each function can be flexibly changed.

[0067] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the in-vehicle device 10 functions as an information processing device, but this is not limiting, and for example, a user's mobile terminal or an external server may function as an information processing device.

[0068] In the first embodiment, the user can change the layout of the widgets after moving from the home screen 20 to the change screen 30. However, this is not limiting. The present invention is similarly applicable to a configuration in which the user can directly change the layout of widgets on the home screen 20. In this case, the user may directly drag and drop widgets on the home screen 20.

[0069] Although a combination of content that increases the processing load on the CPU and other devices has been described as an example of content that may cause problems if displayed simultaneously on the same screen, content that should not be displayed simultaneously is not limited to this. For example, if the amount of text (number of characters) displayed on the home screen 20 is large, the home screen 20 may become difficult for the user to view. Therefore, for example, widget display may be restricted so that multiple widgets with a predetermined number of characters or more are not displayed on the same page of the home screen 20. Combinations of widgets whose display is restricted may be stored in advance in the storage unit 110. Furthermore, each time the user rearranges widgets, the control unit 100 may calculate the number of characters and determine whether the combination of widgets has a predetermined number of characters or more. Furthermore, content may be restricted so that the number of characters displayed on the entire home screen 20 or the number of characters displayed in the main area 23 is less than a predetermined number. Examples of content with a large number of characters include a news widget and a weather forecast widget.

[0070] As another example, a combination of content that may cause a user to feel uncomfortable when viewing the home screen 20 may be restricted. FIG. 7 shows an example of a home screen 20 that may cause a user to feel uncomfortable. The widget 233 on the left side displays the front of a vehicle facing left, and the widget 234 on the right side displays the front of a vehicle facing right. When viewed as a whole, the images may appear to be a single vehicle, which may cause a user to feel uncomfortable. In this way, when the display of adjacent widgets may be mistaken for a single image as a whole, the user may feel uncomfortable. Such combinations of widgets may be stored in the storage unit 110 in advance, and the control unit 100 may restrict such combinations of widgets from being displayed simultaneously on the same screen.

[0071] As another example, a restriction may be imposed so that content having a music playback function is not displayed at the same time. For example, when one widget having a music playback function is active, the other widget is disabled. Therefore, even if they are placed on the same page, they cannot be operated simultaneously. In this way, the control unit 100 may restrict a combination of widgets in which activating one widget disables the other widget from being displayed on the same screen. Also, for example, the control unit 100 may restrict a widget that plays music and a widget that plays video from being placed on the same screen.

[0072] Furthermore, the message notifying that the content placement cannot be changed may remain displayed until the placement order is changed to a satisfactory order. As another example, this message may be displayed in the form of a dialog, modal, or pop-up. When the message is displayed in the form of a dialog, modal, or pop-up, if the user accepts the message and taps a predetermined location, the control unit 100 may return the modification screen 30 to the state before the user made the change. Furthermore, when a predetermined combination of widgets are placed in the same area, the control unit 100 may highlight the frames or icons of the widgets to make them stand out.

[0073] Furthermore, in the examples shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, widgets (contents) are arranged horizontally, but the arrangement direction of the contents is not limited to this, and they may be arranged vertically, or vertically and horizontally, for example.

[0074] The present disclosure provides a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments. The computer program may also be implemented by supplying the program to a computer, which then reads and executes the program on one or more processors of the computer. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus, or may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 vehicle 10 Onboard equipment 11 processors 12 Main memory 13 Auxiliary storage 14 Input section 15 Display 16 Communications Department 17 Location information sensor 100 control section 101 Input determination unit 102 Combination judgment unit 103 Nullification Section 104 Layout Change Section 105 Output section 110 Storage section

Claims

1. receiving a signal from a sensor that detects a user touching the screen; In response to the signal from the sensor being a signal corresponding to a change in content arrangement on the screen, when the arrangement of the content is changed, identifying in real time, in response to the signal from the sensor, a first content group which is a combination of content to be simultaneously displayed on the screen; determining in real time whether the first content group includes a second content group that is a combination of predetermined content, based on information about the second content group stored in a storage unit; in response to determining that the first content group includes the second content group, disable in real time a function of a user interface for storing information regarding an arrangement of the first content group within the screen in the storage unit, and output in real time a signal for displaying on the screen an image corresponding to the disablement of the function of the user interface; An information processing device comprising a control unit configured to execute the above.

2. Accepting a request to change the placement of content within a screen; Identifying a first content group, which is a combination of content to be simultaneously displayed on the screen, when the arrangement of the content is changed in response to the request; prohibiting simultaneous display of the first content group on the screen in response to the first content group including a second content group that is a combination of predetermined content; An information processing device comprising a control unit configured to execute the above.

3. the control unit, in response to the first content group including the second content group, disables a function of a user interface for storing information regarding an arrangement of the first content group on the screen in a storage unit, thereby prohibiting the first content group from being simultaneously displayed on the screen. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. the control unit, in response to the first content group including the second content group, causes a message to be displayed on the screen notifying that the arrangement of the content cannot be changed. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

5. the predetermined content includes content that displays an image that changes over time; The information processing device according to claim 2 .

6. the predetermined content includes content providing at least one of a map including a current location and video playback; The information processing device according to claim 2 .

7. further comprising a storage unit that stores information about the second content group; The information processing device according to claim 2 .

8. the control unit, when the first content group does not include the second content group, enables a function of a user interface for storing information about an arrangement of the first content group on the screen in a storage unit. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

9. The computer Accepting a request to change the placement of content within a screen; Identifying a first content group, which is a combination of content to be simultaneously displayed on the screen, when the arrangement of the content is changed in response to the request; prohibiting simultaneous display of the first content group on the screen in response to the first content group including a second content group that is a combination of predetermined content; An information processing method that performs the above.

10. the computer, in response to the first content group including the second content group, disables a function of a user interface for storing information regarding an arrangement of the first content group on the screen in a storage unit, thereby prohibiting the first content group from being simultaneously displayed on the screen; The information processing method according to claim 9.

11. and when the first content group includes the second content group, the computer displays, on the screen, a message notifying the user that the layout of the content cannot be changed. The information processing method according to claim 9.

12. the predetermined content includes content that displays an image that changes over time; The information processing method according to claim 9.

13. the predetermined content includes content providing at least one of a map including a current location and video playback; The information processing method according to claim 9.

14. the computer stores information about the second content group in a storage unit; The information processing method according to claim 9.

15. the computer, when the first content group does not include the second content group, enables a function of a user interface for storing information about an arrangement of the first content group on the screen in a storage unit; The information processing method according to claim 9.

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