Information processing device, control method, and program
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CANON KK
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to a technique for information processing using multiple windows.
Background Art
[0002] There are portable information processing devices such as PCs, tablet terminals, or smartphones that have a multi-window mode in which multiple applications are launched simultaneously and the windows of each application are displayed on one screen. For example, in an information processing device with a small screen like a smartphone, after launching multiple applications, an operation of dividing the screen can be performed to display multiple applications by screen division (see Patent Document 1). Also, in the multi-window mode, some have a function of sharing files between applications by operations such as drag and drop among the multiple windows displayed within one screen.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] There is a need for a technique that enables a user to easily perceive that objects can be shared between applications in multi-window mode and enables the user to easily execute sharing.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an application program executed on an information processing device, characterized in that, when the computer, which is the information processing device, detects that it is in multi-window mode, it causes the computer to function as a display control means that displays an object reception area in the application's display window for accepting object sharing operations from another application, and when the object is received in the object reception area by the sharing operation, it executes a predetermined process using the object. [Effects of the Invention]
[0006] According to this disclosure, users can easily perceive that it is possible to share objects between applications in multi-window mode, and users can easily perform the sharing process. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0007] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the external appearance of an information processing device. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of multi-window mode. [Figure 4] This diagram shows an example of a screen in multi-window mode. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of processing in the second application. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a document preview screen. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of processing in the second application. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a confirmation screen. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows an example of processing in the second application. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of a screen displaying information that cannot be accepted. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0008] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not limiting to the scope of this disclosure, and not all combinations of features described in these embodiments are necessarily essential to the solutions of this disclosure. The same reference numerals are used for identical components, and their descriptions are omitted.
[0009] <<First Embodiment>> <Appearance of the information processing device> Figure 1 shows the external appearance of the information processing device 100. The information processing device 100 can be any device having a display unit, such as a personal information terminal like a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a smartphone, or a tablet. In this embodiment, a smartphone is used as an example of an information processing device. A smartphone is a multi-functional mobile phone that, in addition to mobile phone functions, is equipped with a camera function, an internet browser function, and an email function. Various application programs (hereinafter referred to as applications or apps) are installed on smartphones.
[0010] Figure 1(a) shows an example of displaying a list of applications installed on the information processing device 100 on the display unit 103 of the information processing device 100. Each application is displayed as an icon 105. When a user taps an icon 105, the corresponding application is launched. The information processing device 100 also has a home button 101. By pressing the home button 101, the screen of the currently running application is closed and the user returns to the screen where the applications are listed (the screen in Figure 1(a)). The information processing device 100 also has a back button 102. By pressing the back button 102, the user can move to the screen immediately preceding the most recently used screen. By repeatedly pressing the back button 102, the user can go back and sequentially display the screens they most recently used.
[0011] The display unit 103 is a display equipped with an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) type display mechanism. The display of the display unit 103 is not limited to the LCD type. For example, it may be an organic electro-luminescence display (OELD). Alternatively, it may be an inorganic electro-luminescence display (IELD). Any other type is also acceptable.
[0012] The operation unit 104 is equipped with a touch panel type operation mechanism and detects user press operations. The operation unit 104 detects contact of a finger or pen, etc., with the display unit 103. The operation unit 104 can also detect the positions where multiple fingers or pens, etc., are in contact with the display unit 103. The detection method of the operation unit 104 may be any method such as a capacitive method, a resistive method, a surface acoustic wave method (or ultrasonic method), an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, or a load detection method. In the following explanation, for simplicity, it is assumed that the user touches the operation unit 104 with their finger to operate the smartphone. The information processing device 100 determines the type of gesture based on at least one of the contact detected by the operation unit 104, the position where the contact was detected, the change in the position where the contact was detected, the interval at which the contact was detected, and the number of times the contact was detected. A gesture is an operation performed on the operation unit 104.
[0013] The gestures identified by the information processing device 100 include, but are not limited to, touch, release, swipe, drag, and flick. "Touch" is a gesture in which a finger touches the operation unit 104. The information processing device 100 identifies a gesture in which a finger contacts the operation unit 104 as a touch. Pressing the various buttons described above is synonymous with touching the button icon. "Release" is a gesture in which a finger moves away from the operation unit 104. The information processing device 100 identifies a gesture in which a finger moves away from the operation unit 104 as a release. "Swipe" is a gesture in which a finger moves while remaining in contact with the operation unit 104. The information processing device 100 identifies a gesture in which a finger moves while remaining in contact with the operation unit 104 as a swipe. "Flick" is a gesture in which a finger moves away from the operation unit 104 after touching it. In other words, a "flick" is a gesture in which the finger moves and is released after a touch. The information processing device 100 recognizes a gesture in which the finger touches the operation unit 104 and then moves away from the operation unit 104 as a flick. Flicks are often performed with the finger moving in one direction. Flicks include "up flick" where the finger moves upward on the screen, "down flick" where the finger moves downward on the screen, "right flick" where the finger moves to the right of the screen, and "left flick" where the finger moves to the left of the screen. The finger movement in a flick is often faster than the finger movement in a swipe. "Drag" is used in combination with "release". Drag is a similar operation to a flick, but differs in that it is used as a movement operation on an object such as an icon displayed on the display unit 103. This object movement operation is often called "drag and drop".
[0014] The information processing apparatus 100 operates according to these gestures discriminated via the operation unit 104. For this reason, intuitive operability is realized for the user. The operations performed by the information processing apparatus 100 according to the discriminated gestures may differ according to the screen displayed on the display unit 103. As described above, GUI components such as the application icon 105, the home button 101, and the back button 102 are displayed on the display unit 103 of the information processing apparatus 100. The user can use the functions indicated by the GUI components by operating the GUI components. In the present embodiment, the navigation buttons of the home button 101 and the back button 102 are GUI displays in the form of buttons on the display unit 103, but the present invention is not limited to this, and physical buttons provided in the information processing apparatus 100 may also be used. Further, the information processing apparatus 100 has a history button 106, and when the history button 106 is touched, a history of the most recently used applications is displayed on the display unit 103.
[0015] FIG. 1(b) shows a screen in a state where one of the applications listed is being used. On the information processing apparatus 100, a screen of the application in use is displayed, and the function can be used by tapping a button indicating each function such as the button 107. FIG. 1(b) shows a diagram of a state where the printing application is started on the information processing apparatus 100.
[0016] <Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus> Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information processing apparatus 100. FIG. 2(a) shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 100. The information processing apparatus 100 includes a CPU 201, a memory 204, an operation unit 104, a display unit 103, a network interface 203, and a storage device 206. The CPU 201 performs overall control of the information processing apparatus 100. The operation unit 104 is for a user to give instructions to the information processing apparatus 100. The network interface 203 is an interface for connecting the information processing apparatus 100 to a network. The network interface 203 is connected to the network and connects the information processing apparatus 100 to external devices such as a printer or the Internet via the network. The display unit 103 is a display mechanism such as a liquid crystal panel as described above. The storage device 206 is a storage device such as a flash memory. The storage device 206 stores various control programs such as applications and operating systems. The memory 204 is a random access memory (RAM) as the working area of the CPU 201.
[0017] FIG. 2(b) shows an example of the software configuration of the information processing apparatus 100. The information processing apparatus 100 includes an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) 207, a first application 208, and a second application 209. In FIG. 1(b), for simplicity of explanation, two applications are shown, but this is not limited to this example. Three or more applications may be provided. The first application 208 and the second application 209 operate via the OS 207. These software programs are stored in the storage device 206, expanded in the memory 204, and executed by the CPU 201.
[0018] <Multi-window mode> Figure 3 shows an example of the multi-window mode provided by the information processing device 100. The multi-window mode is implemented by the control of the OS 207. Figure 3(a) shows a screen displaying two applications in multi-window mode. In the example in Figure 3(a), a photo application is launched at the top of the screen as the first application 208, and a print application is launched at the bottom of the screen as the second application 209. In this embodiment, an example of file sharing will be described. For the sake of this explanation, the first application 208 is assumed to be the application that shares the file, and the second application 209 is assumed to be the application that shares the file. In multi-window mode, the OS 207 divides the display area of the display unit 103 into a first display area 301 and a second display area 302. The OS 207 displays the screens of the first application 208 and the second application 209 in the divided display areas (display windows), respectively. Hereinafter, this method of displaying applications will be referred to as multi-window display. On the other hand, in contrast to multi-window mode, the state in which one application is displayed in the entire area of the display unit 103 is described as single-window mode. In the example in Figure 3, the information processing device 100 is shown in a vertical orientation, and an example of it being divided into two screens, top and bottom. If the information processing device 100 is tilted to a horizontal orientation, the multi-window display will be performed in a form where it is divided into two screens, left and right.
[0019] Multi-window mode is activated by a predetermined operation defined by OS207 (hereinafter referred to as the multi-window mode activation operation). In this embodiment, multi-window mode is activated when the history button 106 is long-pressed while one application is displayed on the display unit 103 in single-window mode.
[0020] Figure 3(b) shows an example screen when multi-window mode is started. Using Figures 3(a) and 3(b), we will explain a typical operation in which the screens of the first application 208 and the second application 209 are displayed in multi-window mode, starting from a state where the first application 208 is displayed in single-window mode. When the first application 208 is displayed on the display unit 103, and the user long-presses the history button 106, the OS 207 switches from single-window mode to multi-window mode. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3(b), the OS 207 displays the first application 208, which was displayed in single-window mode, in the first display area 301, and displays the application list screen in the second display area 302.
[0021] Next, the user selects the second application 209 that they want to display in the second display area 302 from the application list screen. When the second application 209 is selected, the OS 207 displays the top screen 304 of the second application 209 in the second display area 302, as shown in Figure 3(a). The top screen 304 shown in Figure 3(a) is a screen that is displayed when the second application 209 is launched, and displays the main function buttons of the second application 209.
[0022] In this embodiment, a long press of the history button is given as an example of the operation to activate multi-window mode, but this is not the only example. For example, it could be a long press of an application in the history of recently used applications displayed by tapping the history button, or an operation to select multiple applications to be displayed in multi-window mode from the application list screen.
[0023] In the multi-window display state shown in Figure 3(a), control is granted to either the first application 208 or the second application 209 at a time. This state in which control is granted is described as "active." In the case of devices with a touch panel, control is transferred by touch. For example, if there is any user input, such as a touch, on the first display area 301, the first application 208 becomes active. If there is any user input, such as a touch, on the second display area 302, the second application 209 becomes active. In other words, the first application 208 and the second application 209 cannot both accept screen operations simultaneously.
[0024] The area division bar 303 is a UI component that separates the first display area 301 and the second display area 302. In multi-window mode, the initial position of the area division bar 303 is the center of the screen. The area division bar 303 can be moved as needed by the user's drag or swipe operation. For example, by dragging the area division bar 303 downwards, the first display area 301 can be made larger than the second display area 302. In other words, by dragging the area division bar 303 downwards, the sizes of the first display area 301 and the second display area 302 can be changed simultaneously.
[0025] Furthermore, in multi-window mode, data such as files or text can be shared between applications by drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste operations. For example, a user can drag an image displayed in the first application 208, which is displayed in the first display area 301, to the second display area 302, and drop it onto the screen of the second application 209, which is displayed in the second display area 302. This drag-and-drop operation copies and shares the image data corresponding to that image, which is held by the first application 208, with the second application 209. Alternatively, a user can copy the image data displayed in the first application 208, which is displayed in the first display area 301, to the clipboard. Then, the user can paste it onto the screen of the second application 209, which is displayed in the second display area 302, thereby copying and sharing the image data held by the first application 208 with the second application 209. Both methods are features provided by OS207 as part of the functionality of multi-window mode.
[0026] In this embodiment, a photo application is used as the first application 208. The photo application is an application that can view or edit images stored in the storage device 206 of the information processing device 100. The image formats handled by the first application 208 are, for example, JPEG, PNG, and GIF. However, it is not limited to these and may handle any image format such as BMP or TIFF. Furthermore, when the first application 208 is launched in multi-window mode, it supports the function of sharing images with an application displayed in another display area by drag and drop. In addition, the first application 208 is equipped with a function to copy the image displayed on the display to the clipboard. The user can paste the image copied to the clipboard into any application. These drag-and-drop and clipboard image sharing functions are realized by utilizing the functions provided by OS207. For example, when the user copies an image to the clipboard, OS207 stores the URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) in the storage device 206 where the image is stored in the clipboard. Subsequently, when the user performs a paste operation, OS207 passes the URI saved to the clipboard to the application that performed the paste operation. The application that receives the URI uses the received URI to retrieve the image from the storage device 206. This enables image sharing between applications. Note that here, an example has been described in which the storage destination pointed to by the URI is the address of the storage device 206, but if the URI points to an external location outside the information processing device 100, the image will be retrieved from an external device.
[0027] In this embodiment, a printing application is exemplified as the second application 209. The printing application is an application for printing photos or document files stored on the information processing device 100 by connecting to an external device such as a printer or multifunction device. The second application 209 is not limited to a printing application; it may have the functionality to receive image files or document files from other applications. Specifically, the second application 209 may receive any file by drag-and-drop or paste operation in multi-window mode. In this embodiment, the files that the second application 209 as a printing application can handle are assumed to be JPEG, PNG, or PDF. However, it is not limited to these, and may also handle TIFF or Microsoft® Word, Excel, and other file formats.
[0028] In a display device with a small screen, such as a smartphone, as in the information processing device 100 of this embodiment, the size of the windows divided in multi-window mode becomes smaller than the window size in single-window mode. As a result, the operability of applications in multi-window mode may be reduced. Furthermore, if there is no proper explanation, users may not realize that file sharing is possible between applications in multi-window mode. Therefore, this embodiment describes an example of display control that allows users to easily perceive and perform file sharing between applications in multi-window mode.
[0029] <File Sharing> Next, an example of file sharing in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, in multi-window mode, the second application 209 receives an image file for printing from the first application 208. Then, an example will be described in which the second application 209 displays a screen for printing that image file in the second display area 302.
[0030] Figure 4 shows an example of the screen in this embodiment when the first application 208 is displayed in single-window mode and then two applications are displayed on the display unit 103 in multi-window mode. Specifically, it shows an example of the screen when the first application 208 and the second application 209 are displayed in multi-window mode. When the second application 209 detects multi-window mode, it displays a file reception area 401 in the second display area 302. The file reception area 401 is an area configured to receive shared files and displays a message to the user indicating that it is possible to drop or paste files into the file reception area 401. By checking the file reception area 401, the user can immediately perceive that it is possible to drop or paste files into the file reception area 401. Figure 4(a) shows an example of the screen when the file reception area 401 is displayed in the second display area 302. In the example of Figure 4(a), the file reception area 401 is displayed as a floating display, overlapping the second display area 302 where the second application 209 is displayed. In Figure 4(a), the file receiving area 401 is assumed to be floating on the first screen when the first screen is displayed in the second application 209. Alternatively, the file receiving area 401 may be displayed by switching to the second screen, which includes the file receiving area 401, when the first screen is displayed in the second application 209.
[0031] When the user passes the file to be printed, "Image A1" 408, to the file reception area 401, the second application 209 displays a screen for printing the received file "Image A1" in the second display area 302. Figure 4(b) shows an example where the second application 209 displays a screen for printing the received file "Image A1" in the second display area 302. In Figure 4(b), the print preview screen for the received file "Image A1" is displayed. That is, in Figure 4(b), the process of displaying the print preview screen is performed as a predetermined process for the file passed to the file reception area 401.
[0032] As described above, in this embodiment, the screen displayed by the second application 209 follows the following screen transition as an example. Specifically, the screen transitions from the top screen 304, which is any screen shown in Figure 3(a), through the reception screen 403, which includes the file reception area 401 shown in Figure 4(a), to the print preview screen 407 shown in Figure 4(b). The print preview screen 407 is a screen for printing files received in the file reception area 401. For example, the print preview screen 407 displays a print preview image 404 of the file to be printed, a print settings button 405 for setting print settings such as paper size or number of copies, and a print execution button 406 for executing the print. When the print execution button 406 is operated, the information processing device 100 sends a print job to the printer via the second application 209 to print the contents displayed in the print preview image 404. The print job also includes the print settings set via the print settings button 405. The content displayed in print preview image 404 is the file (data) received from the first application 208. As a result, the content displayed in print preview image 404 is printed by the printer. Here, an example is shown in which the reception screen 403 shown in Figure 4(a) is displayed after the top screen 304. However, if the second application 209 is launched in multi-window mode, the reception screen 403 may be displayed without displaying the top screen 304.
[0033] Furthermore, the size of the file reception area 401 in the reception screen 403 of Figure 4(a) can change according to the size of the second display area 302. Specifically, when the second application 209 receives a change in the size of the second display area 302 from the OS 207, it can change the size of the second display area 302 according to the received window size information. The size of the file reception area 401 changes according to this size of the second display area 302. The window size information includes the height and width of the second display area 302. As a result, even when the size of the second display area 302 changes due to the operation of the area division bar 303, the appropriate size file reception area 401 can be displayed.
[0034] Furthermore, the file reception area 401 has a hide button 402. When the hide button 402 is pressed (touched) by the user, the second application 209 hides the file reception area 401. This allows the second application 209 to display a screen similar to that when launched in single-window mode. For example, since the file reception area 401 is displayed as a floating screen on any screen of the second application 209, when the file reception area 401 is hidden, that screen will be displayed. In this embodiment, the file reception area 401 is shown as a floating screen, but it is not limited to this example. That is, when the hide button 402 is pressed, the second application may be configured to close the entire screen displayed in the second display area 302 and display a new, different screen.
[0035] In this embodiment, the second application 209 hides the file receiving area 401 when the hide button 402 is pressed by the user, but this is not limited to this example. For example, when the hide button 402 is pressed by the user, the second application 209 may, in addition to hiding the file receiving area 401, also display a show button (not shown) in the second display area 302. Alternatively, as another example, after the file receiving area 401 has been hidden, the second application 209 may redisplay the file receiving area 401 when it detects a drag or paste operation by the user on the second display area 302. This makes it possible to redisplay the file receiving area 401 on any screen displayed by the second application 209, even if it has been hidden. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(a), the file receiving area 401 includes a message display to show the user how to operate it. This makes it possible to apply the file sharing function to the user and simultaneously show them how to share files. In this embodiment, an example of displaying a message in the file reception area 401 is shown, but the example is not limited to this, and the message may also be represented by an icon or symbol.
[0036] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing in the second application 209 of this embodiment. Figure 5 shows an example where the second application 209 detects multi-window mode, displays the file reception area 401 shown in Figure 4, and performs predetermined processing using the file passed to the file reception area 401. In this embodiment, the second application 209 is a printing application, and the predetermined processing is the process of displaying a screen for printing the file passed to the file reception area 401 in the second display area. The processing shown in Figure 5 is realized by the CPU 201 loading a program stored in the storage device 206 or the like into memory 204 and executing it. The symbol "S" in the description of each process means a step in the flowchart (the same applies throughout this specification).
[0037] The flowchart in Figure 5 starts when the second application 209 is launched by tapping icon 105 in multi-window mode, and when the second application 209 is displayed in the second display area 302. Furthermore, the flowchart in Figure 5 is a process that is performed continuously. In other words, while the second application 209 is running, the process shown in Figure 5 is performed periodically (effectively continuously). This means that regardless of which screen the second application 209 is displaying, the file reception area 401 will be displayed when multi-window mode is detected.
[0038] In S501, the second application 209 determines whether the information processing device 100 is in multi-window mode. Specifically, the second application 209 queries the OS 207 to determine whether the information processing device 100 is in multi-window mode. Based on the information obtained in response to this query, it determines whether the information processing device 100 is in multi-window mode. If the information processing device 100 is in multi-window mode, the process proceeds to S502; otherwise, this process terminates. As mentioned above, the second application 209 may be launched after the information processing device 100 has transitioned to multi-window mode while the first application 208 is running. Alternatively, the information processing device 100 may transition to multi-window mode while the second application 209 is running in single-window mode. In the former case, the determination in S501 can be said to be a process to determine whether the second application 209 was launched in multi-window mode. In the latter case, the determination in S501 can be said to be a process to determine whether the information processing device running the second application 209 has transitioned from single-window mode to multi-window mode. In this embodiment, the former example, that is, the example in which the information processing device 100 transitions to multi-window mode while the first application 208 is running, and then the second application 209 is launched, will be used for explanation. The latter example will be described later.
[0039] In S502, the second application 209 displays the file reception area 401 in the second display area 302. That is, the second application 209 displays the file reception area 401 in the second display area 302, which is designated by the OS as its own display area. This allows the second application 209 to enter a state where it accepts file sharing from other applications while indicating to the user that it accepts file sharing from other applications when it detects multi-window mode. For example, if the second application 209 is launched in multi-window mode, it can enter a state where it accepts file sharing from other applications while indicating to the user that it accepts file sharing from other applications. As mentioned above, the file reception area 401 is an area that can accept drag-and-drop or paste operations of files from other applications.
[0040] Next, in S503, the second application 209 determines whether or not it has detected the reception of a file in the file reception area 401. Specifically, the second application 209 determines whether or not it has received content information from the OS 207 regarding the file that has been passed to the file reception area 401. In this embodiment, assume that the JPEG image file "Image A1" displayed on the first application 208 is dragged and dropped into the file reception area 401. The content information includes a URI indicating the storage location of the file that has been passed to the file reception area 401. The second application 209 can obtain the file "Image A1" that has been passed to the file reception area 401 by accessing the URI included in the received content information. If it is determined in S503 that a file has been received in the file reception area 401, the second application 209 executes the process in S504. On the other hand, if there is no file reception in the file reception area 401, it executes the process in S503 again and waits for a file to be received in the file reception area 401.
[0041] In S504, the second application 209 performs a predetermined process using the received file. For example, the second application 209 displays a screen (print preview screen 407) for printing the received file "Image A1" in the second display area 302. Specifically, the second application 209 uses the URI included in the content information received in S503 to retrieve the file "Image A1" from the storage device 206 and displays it as the print preview image 404 of the print preview screen 407. This makes it possible to display a screen for setting print settings or executing print for a file received from another application, the first application 208, triggered by the reception of the file in the file reception area 401.
[0042] Furthermore, if it is determined in S501 that the information processing device 100 is not in multi-window mode, the second application 209 will not accept file sharing in multi-window mode. Therefore, the process ends without performing the processes from S502 onwards. As a result, the file reception area 401 can only be displayed when the information processing device 100 is in multi-window mode. Also, the flowchart in Figure 5 ends when the second application 209 becomes invisible in the second display area 302. For example, this can occur when the user taps the home button 101 while the second application 209 has control. This prevents unnecessary processing from being performed when the screen of the second application 209 is not displayed. Alternatively, the flowchart in Figure 5 may end when multi-window mode is terminated by user operation. This allows the file reception area 401 to be hidden without requiring user operation when multi-window mode is deactivated. Furthermore, the file reception area 401 can also be hidden when multi-window mode is deactivated by the termination of the first application 208.
[0043] As described above, in this embodiment, when the second application 209 is displayed in multi-window mode, the file receiving area 401 is displayed at S502 in Figure 5. This shows the user how to share files with the second application 209 and provides the function to share files. This makes it possible to achieve the effect of easy file sharing between applications in multi-window mode.
[0044] Up to this point, we have described an example where the second application 209 displays the screen in the second display area 302. However, the flowchart shown in Figure 5 is not necessarily limited to cases where the second application 209 displays the screen in the second display area 302. As mentioned above, the flowchart shown in Figure 5 may be executed even when the second application is launched first in single-window mode. In other words, the flowchart shown in Figure 5 is applicable even in cases where the second application 209 displays the screen in the first display area 301 and the first application 208 displays the screen in the second display area 302. That is, the flowchart in Figure 5 is applicable even when the second application 209 is displayed in single-window mode, and then the first application 208 is launched in multi-window mode and displayed in the second display area 302. In this case, the flowchart in Figure 5 may be started after the second application 209 is launched, or it may be started when the second application 209, which is displayed in the first display area 301 after the start of multi-window mode, is first assigned control rights.
[0045] In other words, when the second application 209 is running in single-window mode, the area division bar 303 is displayed as shown in Figure 3(b), and the information processing device 100 switches to multi-window mode. Thus, the file reception area may be displayed in the first display area 301 at the time the information processing device 100 switches to multi-window mode. Alternatively, the file reception area may be displayed in the first display area 301 when another application is launched in the second display area 302 after the information processing device 100 has switched to multi-window mode. Alternatively, the file reception area may be displayed in the first display area 301 when operation rights are first assigned to the second application 209 displayed in the first display area 301 after another application has been launched in the second display area 302.
[0046] Thus, the second application 209 that displays the file reception area can display the file reception area regardless of the location of the window (display area) displayed in multi-window mode. Furthermore, although this embodiment shows an example in which the display unit 103 is divided into two as a multi-window mode, it is not limited to this. This embodiment can also be applied to an information processing device equipped with a multi-window mode having three or more windows (display areas) within the display unit 103. In addition, although a smartphone with a touch panel was given as an example of an information processing device in this embodiment, it is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a PC operated by keyboard or mouse.
[0047] The example described above illustrates the transfer of an image file to the file reception area. However, the files to be shared are not limited to image files. In the example above, at S504 in Figure 5, the second application 209 displays the print preview screen 407 for the image file. However, the print preview screen 407 may display a different screen depending on the format of the received file. For example, if a document file such as a PDF is received instead of an image file, the preview screen for that document file may be displayed. In other words, a screen appropriate to the file type may be displayed.
[0048] Figure 6 shows an example of a document preview screen 601 displayed when the second application 209 receives a PDF document file B1. The document preview screen 601 includes a document preview image 602, a next button 603, and a back button 604. Although Figure 6 shows the state after the file has been transferred, as explained in Figure 4, the area where the document preview image 602 is displayed functions as a file reception area before the file is transferred.
[0049] The document preview image 602 is the area where the contents of the document file B1 received by the second application 209 are displayed. Specifically, the second application 209 retrieves the PDF file from OS207 using the URI included in the received content information. The second application 209 renders the retrieved PDF file and displays it as the document preview image 602. The Next button 603 is a button for printing the document file B1. When the user taps the Next button 603, the second application 209 displays a screen for printing the document file B1 in the second display area 302. As a result, by displaying a screen according to the received file format, the user does not need to be aware of the file format, thus improving usability.
[0050] Furthermore, in the print preview screen 407 in Figure 4(b) or the document preview screen 601 in Figure 6, the process is completed when various subsequent operations are instructed to the second application. For example, the printing process is completed. If the multi-window mode has not been resolved when the process is completed in this way, the file reception area will be displayed again on the screen of the second application 209.
[0051] As described above, according to this embodiment, users can easily perceive that it is possible to share files between applications in multi-window mode, and can easily perform file sharing.
[0052] <<Second Embodiment>> In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the second application 209 receives a JPEG image file from the first application 208. The second application 209 may receive files from other applications that it cannot handle. For example, it may receive files in a file format other than those that it can handle. Also, it may receive files that are larger than the file size that it can handle. In such cases, the second application cannot perform the predetermined processing on the received file. Therefore, in this embodiment, an example is described in which the second application 209 provides appropriate guidance to the user even when it receives a file that it cannot handle. Note that the basic configuration is the same as the example described in the first embodiment, so the explanation will be omitted.
[0053] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process executed in the second application 209 in this embodiment. The flowchart shown in Figure 7 starts with the same starting conditions as the flowchart shown in Figure 5 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the processes from S701 to S703 are the same as the processes from S501 to S503 in Figure 5, so their explanation is omitted.
[0054] If S703 detects the reception of a file in the file reception area, the process in S704 is performed. In S704, the second application 209 determines whether the received file can be handled by the second application. Specifically, the second application 209 determines whether the file extension obtained in S703 matches any extension in the supported extension information that the second application 209 has in advance. Specifically, the supported extension information includes strings such as JPEG, PNG, or PDF. This determination allows the second application 209 to determine whether the received file is in a file format that it can handle. In this embodiment, the extension was used to determine whether the file can be handled by the second application 209, but it is not limited to this, and the determination may also be made using information on the file size or resolution. If the second application 209 determines in S704 that the received file can be handled by the second application, S705 is executed. S705 is the same as the process in S504 in Figure 5, so the explanation is omitted.
[0055] On the other hand, if S704 determines that the file received by the second application 209 cannot be handled by the second application, S706 is executed. If the file received by the second application 209 cannot be handled by the second application, it means that the file reception is canceled. In S706, the second application 209 displays a predetermined confirmation screen in the second display area 302.
[0056] Figure 8 shows an example of a confirmation screen 801 displayed by the second application 209 in S706. The confirmation screen 801 includes a message informing the user that the file they attempted to share with the second application 209 could not be shared. In Figure 8, the message indicates that the file attempted to be shared with the second application 209 is in a file format or of a file size that the second application 209 cannot handle. This allows the user to understand that the file could not be shared and the reason why.
[0057] Furthermore, the confirmation screen 801 includes a confirmation button 802. When the confirmation button 802 is pressed (touched) by the user, the second application 209 closes the confirmation screen 801 and executes the process of S702 again. In S702, the second application 209 displays the file reception area 401 again in the second display area 302. As a result, the second application 209 becomes ready to accept files again without requiring any user action, thus improving user convenience.
[0058] As explained above, in this embodiment, in S704 of Figure 7, the second application 209 determines whether the received file is a file that it can handle, and in S706, it displays that the file sharing was canceled and the reason for it. This allows the user to be notified at the time of file sharing that file sharing was not possible. In addition, by executing S702 after S706, it is possible to eliminate the need for user operation to display the file reception area again, and appropriate guidance can be provided to the user.
[0059] The confirmation screen 801 is merely an example, and may display different messages depending on the reason. For example, it may be configured to identify and notify the user that the file format or file size is unacceptable to the second application 209. The confirmation screen 801 may also display a solution. For example, if the file size is too large, a confirmation screen may be displayed that includes a message to that effect and a message indicating the acceptable file size for the second application 209.
[0060] <<Third Embodiment>> In the second embodiment, an example is described of a case where the second application 209 receives a file that it cannot handle. Depending on the state of the second application 209, it may not be able to process the received file when it is received. For example, if the second application 209, which is a printing application, is performing other processing such as printing or scanning, it may not be able to display a screen for printing the received file. In this case, the second application 209 cannot perform predetermined processing using the file received in the file reception area. Therefore, in this embodiment, an example is described of providing appropriate guidance to the user when the second application 209 is unable to process the received file. Note that the basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as the example described in the first embodiment, so the explanation is omitted.
[0061] Figure 9 shows an example of a flowchart executed by the second application 209 in this embodiment. The flowchart shown in Figure 9 starts with the same starting conditions as the flowchart shown in Figure 5 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the processes from S901 to S902 are the same as the processes from S501 to S502 in Figure 5, so their explanation is omitted.
[0062] After displaying the file reception area in S902, the second application 209 determines in S903 whether or not it is possible to accept a file. Specifically, the second application 209 determines whether or not a specific process is currently being executed. A specific process is one that cannot be performed in parallel with a predetermined process using the file received in the file reception area 401 (for example, the process of displaying a print preview screen). Examples of specific processes include, for example, the printing or scanning of other images. If these processes are being executed, it is determined that a specific process is being executed. If the second application 209 determines in S903 that it is impossible to accept a file, it executes S904. In S904, the second application 209 sets the file reception area 401 to an unacceptable state.
[0063] Figure 10 shows an example of a screen displaying unacceptable information. Figure 10 shows an example of when the second application 209 displays an unacceptable file reception area 401 while performing a print operation. An unacceptable file reception area 401 does not accept file reception from other applications. Specifically, it does not accept file pasting or drag-and-drop. In contrast to the unacceptable state, the state of the file reception area 401 that can accept file reception is called the acceptable state. In the unacceptable state, a message indicating that the file cannot be accepted is displayed within the file reception area 401. This allows the user to know that file sharing to the second application 209 is not possible before performing a file sharing operation.
[0064] In this embodiment, the ability to receive a file is indicated by changing the message displayed in the file reception area 401, but the display is not limited to this, and other display methods such as graying out the file reception area 401 are also acceptable. In S904 in Figure 9, the second application 209 sets the file reception area 401 to an unreceivable state and then executes S903 again. In S903, if the second application 209 determines that it is possible to receive a file, it executes S905. In S905, the second application 209 sets the file reception area to an acceptable state. In this way, the file reception area can be set to an acceptable state when the second application 209 is in a state where it can receive a file. The subsequent processing steps S906 to S907 are the same as the processing steps S503 to S504 in Figure 5, so their explanation is omitted.
[0065] As described above, in this embodiment, at S903 in Figure 9, it is determined whether the second application 209 is in a state where it can receive files, and the display of the file reception area 401 is switched based on the result of that determination. This makes it possible to inform the user that the second application 209 is in a state where it cannot receive files before the file sharing operation, thereby improving the convenience of file sharing.
[0066] As described above, in this embodiment, when in multi-window mode, if a predetermined process cannot be performed or is not permitted to be performed, a second screen different from the first screen is displayed. A predetermined message may be displayed on the second screen. If a specific process that is causing the predetermined process to be unable to be performed is completed while the second screen is displayed, the system is configured to transition from the second screen to the first screen without accepting user input.
[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a specific process (e.g., printing or scanning) and a predetermined process (e.g., displaying a print preview screen) were described as separate processes, but the specific process may be the same type of process as the predetermined process. For example, consider a configuration where, if a file is shared in the file reception area 401, printing is performed immediately. In this case, if printing is already being performed for another file, the second application 209 cannot perform the predetermined process (printing) for the other second file because the specific process (printing) for the first file is already being performed. For this reason, the file reception area 401 is set to an unreceivable state. Thus, the specific process and the predetermined process may be the same type of process.
[0068] <<Other Embodiments>> The embodiments described above can be combined and applied as appropriate. For example, the second embodiment and the third embodiment may be combined. For example, the processes from S903 to S905 in Figure 9 may be introduced between S702 and S703 in Figure 7.
[0069] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which the second application 209 displays the file reception area 401 when it determines that it is in multi-window mode. Then, an example was explained in which, when a file is passed to the file reception area 401, a predetermined process using that file is executed. Here, we assume that the file is passed to a display area that includes the file reception area 401 and is within the display area displayed by the second application 209 (here, within the second display area 302). For example, we assume that when a drag-and-drop operation is performed, the file is dropped outside the file reception area 401 but into the display area of the second application 209. In this case, the second application 209 may be controlled to either not accept the dropped file or to accept it. If the file is not accepted, the control prioritizes the behavior as it appears. If the file is accepted, the file reception area 401 becomes merely a marker, and the second application can perform the processing on the file dropped into the second display area 302 as described in the above-described embodiment. When processing files, the reception area becomes larger, which can improve usability.
[0070] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, an example was explained in which the predetermined processing performed when the second application 209 receives a file is processing for executing a printing function (specifically, processing to display a print preview screen), but this is not limited to this. The predetermined processing may be the display of a settings screen for image processing on the file. For example, in addition to executing a printing function, an example of image processing may be processing for executing a scanning function or an image editing function. Moreover, the embodiments described above are not limited to smartphones, but can also be applied to tablet terminals or PC terminals, for example. The embodiments described above can be applied to any information processing device equipped with a multi-window mode in which the second application 209 has the function to receive files from other applications.
[0071] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment explained an example where the shared object is data in file format, it is not limited to this. The shared object may also be data in text format. For example, text displayed in the first application 208 may be selected and the selected portion may be dragged and dropped into the text receiving area of the second application 209. For example, if the second application 209 is an application that receives a predetermined command and executes a predetermined process, the predetermined command may be passed by dragging and dropping it from the first application 208. Thus, the shared object may be an object of any format. For example, the shared object may be an object of data in text format, or an object of data in file format, or an object of any other format. In other words, the file receiving area described in the above-described embodiment can be applied as an object receiving area.
[0072] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0073] 100 Information Processing Devices 207 Operating Systems 208 First Application 209 Second Application 401 File reception area
Claims
1. A program that corresponds to a second application different from the first application, The computer of the information processing device capable of launching the first application and the second application, A first display step in which, while the information processing device is in multi-window mode, a predetermined display including a message indicating a reception area for accepting the drop of an object dragged from a first display window corresponding to the first application is performed in a second display window corresponding to the second application, In the second display window, if an object is dropped in the reception area indicated by the predetermined display, a first control step controls the system to execute a predetermined process using the file corresponding to the dropped object. Make it run, In the first display step, the system is controlled not to display the predetermined information when no user operation on the information processing device is detected, and to display the predetermined information when dragging of the object on the second application is detected. Depending on the tilt of the information processing device, In the first state in which the information processing device is vertically elongated, the display area of the information processing device is displayed in a first form in which it is divided vertically into a first display window and a second display window. In the second state in which the information processing device is horizontally elongated, the display area of the information processing device is displayed in a second form in which it is divided left and right into the first display window and the second display window. A program characterized by the following features.
2. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that the information processing device is a smartphone.
3. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that the information processing device is a tablet.
4. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the display area of the information processing device is divided into a first display window and a second display window with a region division bar as the boundary.
5. The program according to claim 4, characterized in that the area division bar can be moved by dragging or swiping.
6. The program according to claim 5, characterized in that the size of the first display window and the size of the second display window can be changed simultaneously by moving the area division bar.
7. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the information processing device displays an area including a home button and a back button in addition to the display area.
8. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the predetermined display is controlled to be performed in a part of the second display window.
9. The aforementioned computer further: A second control step in which the size of the predetermined display is changed based on the change in the size of the second display window, The program according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it causes the program to execute.
10. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, while the information processing device is in multi-window mode, the predetermined display is newly performed in the second display window before the object is dragged from the first display window.
11. The aforementioned computer further: After the predetermined display is made, a hiding step is made to hide the predetermined display based on the fact that the first operation has been performed in the information processing device, A redisplay step in which, after the predetermined display has been hidden, the predetermined display is displayed again based on the second operation being performed in the information processing device, The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it causes the following to be executed.
12. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the predetermined processing is the process of displaying the file corresponding to the dropped object in the second display window.
13. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the multi-window mode is a mode in which multiple windows corresponding to different applications are simultaneously displayed on the display unit of the information processing device.
14. The aforementioned computer further: If the object is dropped in the reception area indicated by the predetermined display in the second display window, a first acquisition step is performed to acquire the file corresponding to the dropped object. Make it run, The program according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the first control step controls the execution of the predetermined processing using the file after the file has been acquired.
15. An information processing device capable of launching a first application and a second application different from the first application, A first display means that, while the information processing device is in multi-window mode, displays a predetermined message in a second display window corresponding to a second application, including a message indicating a reception area for accepting the drop of an object dragged from a first display window corresponding to a first application, In the second display window, if an object is dropped in the reception area indicated by the predetermined display, a first control means controls the execution of a predetermined process using the file corresponding to the dropped object. It has, The first display means is controlled to not display the predetermined display when no user operation on the information processing device is detected, and to display the predetermined display when the dragging of the object on the second application is detected. Depending on the tilt of the information processing device, In the first state in which the information processing device is vertically elongated, the display area of the information processing device is displayed in a first form in which it is divided vertically into a first display window and a second display window. In the second state in which the information processing device is horizontally elongated, the display area of the information processing device is displayed in a second form in which it is divided left and right into the first display window and the second display window. An information processing device characterized by the following:
16. The information processing device according to claim 15, characterized in that the information processing device is a smartphone.
17. The information processing device according to claim 15, characterized in that the information processing device is a tablet.
18. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the display area of the information processing apparatus is divided into a first display window and a second display window with a region division bar as the boundary.
19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that the area division bar can be moved by dragging or swiping.
20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the size of the first display window and the size of the second display window can be changed simultaneously by moving the area division bar.
21. The information processing device according to any one of claims 15 to 20, characterized in that, in addition to the display area, an area including a home button and a back button is displayed on the information processing device.
22. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 21, characterized in that the predetermined display is controlled to be performed in a part of the second display window.
23. A second control means that changes the size of the predetermined display based on the change in the size of the second display window, The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 22, further comprising the above.
24. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 23, characterized in that, while the information processing apparatus is in multi-window mode, the predetermined display is newly performed in the second display window before the object is dragged from the first display window.
25. After the predetermined display is made, a means for hiding the predetermined display based on the fact that a first operation has been performed in the information processing device, A redisplay means that, after the predetermined display has been hidden, redisplays the predetermined display based on the fact that a second operation has been performed in the information processing device. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 20, further comprising the above.
26. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 25, characterized in that the predetermined processing is the process of displaying the file corresponding to the dropped object in the second display window.
27. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 26, characterized in that the multi-window mode is a mode in which multiple windows corresponding to different applications are simultaneously displayed on the display unit of the information processing apparatus.
28. When an object is dropped in the reception area indicated by the predetermined display in the second display window, a first acquisition means acquires the file corresponding to the dropped object. It further possesses, The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 27, characterized in that the first control means controls the execution of the predetermined processing using the file after the file has been acquired.
29. A control method for an information processing device capable of launching a first application and a second application different from the first application, A first display step in which, while the information processing device is in multi-window mode, a predetermined display including a message indicating a reception area for accepting the drop of an object dragged from a first display window corresponding to the first application is performed in a second display window corresponding to the second application, In the second display window, if an object is dropped in the reception area indicated by the predetermined display, a first control step controls the system to execute a predetermined process using the file corresponding to the dropped object. Make it run, In the first display step, the system is controlled not to display the predetermined information when no user operation on the information processing device is detected, and to display the predetermined information when dragging of the object on the second application is detected. Depending on the tilt of the information processing device, In the first state in which the information processing device is vertically elongated, the display area of the information processing device is displayed in a first form in which it is divided vertically into a first display window and a second display window. In the second state in which the information processing device is horizontally elongated, the display area of the information processing device is displayed in a second form in which it is divided left and right into the first display window and the second display window. A control method characterized by the following: