Indication device

Abstract

To improve the usability of the display screen. [Solution] The display device 20 displays one or more menu buttons Mi on the screen that are used by the user, who is a passenger in the vehicle, to select content. When the display device 20 detects that the user has touched a menu button M1, it releases the fixed display state of the menu button M1 and puts it into a movable display state, determines the trajectory T of the operation performed by the user while touching the menu button M1, moves the menu button M1 along the trajectory T, and releases the movable display state of the menu button M1' and puts it into a fixed display state at the position on the screen where contact is no longer detected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a display control device that displays buttons for setting the functions of a device on a display unit, and changes the display positions of the respective setting buttons in response to a customization operation by a user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a display device, a menu button for starting an application is displayed on the screen. If the menu button is fixed, the reach from each passenger seat to the menu button may be long, impairing the operability.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to improve the operability of a display screen.

[0006] A display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a display device that displays one or more menu buttons on a screen for use by a user who is a passenger in a vehicle to select content, when detecting contact by the user with the menu button, releases the fixed display state of the menu button to a movable display state, determines a trajectory of an operation performed while the user is in contact with the menu button, and moves the menu button along the trajectory, The system includes a control unit that, when the contact is no longer detected on the screen, releases the movable display state of the menu button and sets it to a fixed display state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, the operability of the display screen can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display screen according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing the configuration of a display device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the operation of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the figures.

[0010] In each figure, identical or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of identical or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] The outline of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1.

[0012] If a passenger in the front passenger seat of a vehicle attempts to operate a button displayed on the driver's side of the display screen, it may be difficult to reach, impairing operability. The same applies if the driver attempts to operate a button displayed on the passenger side.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the display device 20 according to this embodiment is mounted on the dashboard of a vehicle. The display device 20 displays one or more menu buttons Mi on the screen that are used by the user, who is a passenger in the vehicle, to select content. In the example in Figure 1, the display screen, which is the output unit 25 of the display device 20, shows menu button M1 on the right and menu button M2 on the left. Menu buttons M1 and M2 may each include multiple individual menu buttons mii (m1i, m2i, ...). Menu button M1 is far from the passenger seat on the left side of the page and difficult to operate. On the other hand, menu button M2 is far from the driver's seat on the right side and difficult to operate.

[0014] In this embodiment, when the display device 20 detects contact with the menu button Mi by the user, it releases the fixed display state of the menu button Mi and sets it to a movable display state. The display device 20 determines the trajectory T of the operation performed by the user while in contact with the menu button M1 and moves the menu button M1 along the trajectory T. The user performs, for example, a drag operation. A drag operation is an operation in which an object on the screen is selected and moved to another location. When the contact is no longer detected on the screen, the display device 20 releases the movable display state of the menu button M1' and sets it to a fixed display state.

[0015] In this embodiment, the menu button Mi is implemented as a gadget, allowing for greater flexibility in its placement. According to this embodiment, the user can move the menu button Mi to any position while maintaining its functionality. For example, the user can move a menu button Mi that is far from their seat and difficult to operate on the display screen of the display device 20 closer to their seat by dragging it. As a result, the operability of the display screen is improved.

[0016] Referring to Figure 2, the configuration of the display device 20 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0017] The display device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, and an output unit 25.

[0018] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or a GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 21 executes processes related to the operation of the display device 20 while controlling each part of the display device 20.

[0019] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The storage unit 22 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores data used for the operation of the display device 20 and data obtained by the operation of the display device 20.

[0020] The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication interface. The communication unit 23 receives data used for the operation of the display device 20 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the display device 20.

[0021] The input unit 24 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen provided integrally with the display, or an audio sensor. The input unit 24 receives an operation for inputting data used for the operation of the display device 20. Instead of being provided in the display device 20, the input unit 24 may be connected to the display device 20 as an external input device. As the connection method, for example, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used. "USB" is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. "HDMI (registered trademark)" is an abbreviation for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. In the present embodiment, the input unit 24 is a touch screen.

[0022] The output unit 25 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. "LCD" is an abbreviation for liquid crystal display. "EL" is an abbreviation for electro luminescence. The output unit 25 outputs data obtained by the operation of the display device 20. Instead of being provided in the display device 20, the output unit 25 may be connected to the display device 20 as an external output device. As the connection method, for example, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used. In the present embodiment, the output unit 25 is a display.

[0023] The functions of the display device 20 are realized by executing the program according to the present embodiment with a processor as the control unit 21. That is, the functions of the display device 20 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operation of the display device 20, making the computer function as the display device 20. That is, the computer functions as the display device 20 by executing the operation of the display device 20 according to the program.

[0024] The program can be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable medium. Examples of non-temporary computer-readable media include flash memory, magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, or ROM. The program can be distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending portable media such as SD cards, DVDs, or CD-ROMs containing the program. "SD" is an abbreviation for Secure Digital. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program may also be distributed by storing it in server storage and transferring it from the server to other computers. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0025] Referring to Figure 3, the operation of the display device 20 according to this embodiment will be described. This operation corresponds to the method according to this embodiment.

[0026] In S1, the control unit 21 of the display device 20 detects contact with the menu button Mi by the user. Specifically, the control unit 21 senses the position and / or pressure of the user's finger and determines whether the menu button Mi has been pressed by the user. The process in S1 is repeated until contact with the menu button Mi by the user is detected. When contact with the menu button Mi by the user is detected in S1, the process in S2 is performed.

[0027] In S2, the control unit 21 of the display device 20 releases the fixed display state of menu button Mi and sets it to a movable display state. For example, suppose that the menu button Mi that the user touched in S1 is menu button M1. The control unit 21 can dynamically change the display position of menu button M1 through internal software control.

[0028] In S3, the control unit 21 of the display device 20 determines the trajectory T of the operation performed by the user while in contact with the menu button Mi, and moves the menu button Mi along the trajectory T. The user performs a drag operation on the menu button M1, for example. While the user is performing the drag operation, the control unit 21 continuously acquires the position of the user's finger at regular intervals. The control unit 21 determines the trajectory T of the user's operation by analyzing the acquired continuous position data. An algorithm that takes into account the temporal change of position data can be used to determine the trajectory T. Based on the determined trajectory T, the control unit 21 moves the menu button M1 on the screen. As a result, the menu button M1 moves along the trajectory T of the user's operation.

[0029] In this embodiment, the menu button Mi may contain multiple individual menu buttons mii. When the menu button Mi contains individual menu buttons mii (mi1, mi2, ...), the individual menu buttons mii may be movable as a group or individually. As shown in Figure 1, the menu button M1 contains multiple individual menu buttons m1i (m11, m12, ...), and the menu button M2 contains multiple individual menu buttons M2i (m21, m22, ...). In this case, the operation of moving multiple individual menu buttons mii as a group or individually will be described. As an example, the user can select all the individual menu buttons mii contained in the menu button Mi by double-clicking or long-pressing the menu button Mi. "Long-pressing" means pressing and holding a predetermined key (in this example, the menu button Mi) for a certain period of time (e.g., several seconds) or longer. The user can also select an individual menu button contained in the menu button Mi by clicking or tapping one of the individual menu buttons mii. For example, a user who wants to move all of the individual menu buttons m1i (m11, m12, ...) included in menu button M1 at once will double-click or long-press menu button M1. When the control unit 21 detects that the user has double-clicked or long-pressed menu button M1, it will make all of the individual menu buttons m1i (m11, m12, ...) included in menu button M1 movable. The control unit 21 may also highlight all of the individual menu buttons m1i (m11, m12, ...) included in menu button M1. With all of the individual menu buttons m1i (m11, m12, ...) highlighted, the user will touch menu button M1 and drag it to the desired position. At this time, all of the individual menu buttons m1i (m11, m12, ...) will be moved at once. On the other hand, the user can select any of the individual menu buttons mii (m1i, m2i, ...) included in the menu button Mi by clicking or tapping one of them.For example, suppose a user clicks or taps one of the individual menu buttons m1i (m11, m12, ...) included in the menu button M1, namely individual menu button m12. When the control unit 21 detects that individual menu button m12 has been clicked or tapped, it makes only that individual menu button m12 movable among the multiple individual menu buttons m1i. The control unit 21 may also highlight the selected individual menu button m12. With the selected individual menu button m12 highlighted, the user touches and drags the individual menu button m12 to the desired position. As a result, the individual menu button m12 is moved independently.

[0030] In S4, the control unit 21 of the display device 20 monitors the user's contact status with the menu button Mi. As long as user contact is detected, the process returns to S3 and the menu button Mi is moved repeatedly. On the other hand, when contact is no longer detected, the process in S5 is performed.

[0031] In S5, the control unit 21 of the display device 20 releases the movable display state of the menu button Mi and sets it to a fixed display state at the position on the screen where user contact was no longer detected in S4. Specifically, when the user lifts their finger from the menu button M1 selected in S1, the control unit 21 determines that user contact is no longer detected and records the position where the user's contact ended. Then, the control unit 21 releases the movable display state of the menu button M1 at that position. As a result, the menu button M1 is fixed in that position. Through this process, the menu button M1' is fixed at the position where the user finished the drag operation, and the menu button M1' is placed at the position intended by the user. The series of operations performed by the user from S1 to S5 is called a drag-and-drop operation.

[0032] According to this embodiment, users can customize the position of the menu buttons. For example, a user who is a passenger in a vehicle can arbitrarily customize the position of the menu buttons to suit their lifestyle, such as their preferences, the number of passengers, and the frequency of use of each button. Users can place menu buttons and other elements in any position by performing drag-and-drop operations on the display device screen, thus enabling appropriate handling of a wide range of cases, such as when the driver or a passenger in the front seat operates the system. Note that the operation to move the position of the menu buttons is not limited to dragging; for example, it may also be done by flicking. Flicking is an operation in which a finger is quickly flicked across a screen such as a touchscreen. Specifically, it refers to the action of quickly sliding a finger over a short distance after it has touched the screen. According to this embodiment, by gadgetizing the menu buttons on the display screen of a display device such as a car navigation system and providing flexibility in layout, the operability of the display screen from the driver's seat and the passenger seat can be improved.

[0033] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, multiple blocks described in the block diagram may be combined, or a single block may be divided. Instead of executing multiple steps described in the flowchart in chronological order as described, they may be executed in parallel or in a different order, depending on the processing capacity of the device performing each step, or as necessary. Other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 20 Display device 21 Control Unit 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 24 Input section 25 Output section Mi, M1, M1', M2 Menu Buttons Mii, M1i, M2i individual menu buttons

Claims

[Claim 1] A display device that displays one or more menu buttons on the screen for use by a user, who is a passenger in a vehicle, to select content, When contact with the menu button by the user is detected, the fixed display state of the menu button is released and the display state is changed to a movable state. The system determines the trajectory of the operation performed by the user while they were in contact with the menu button, and moves the menu button along the trajectory. A display device comprising a control unit that, when the aforementioned contact is no longer detected on the screen, releases the movable display state of the menu button and sets it to a fixed display state.

Images