Information processing device and program

Abstract

To enable a user to confirm the state of an entire work area regardless of a displayed area when the work area is larger than an area displayed on a screen.SOLUTION: An information processing device is characterized by holding a work area which is larger than a display area 610 displayed on an operation screen 500 for accepting user operations and in which an icon 510 for accepting user instructions is arranged, and by displaying an entire image 540 indicating an entire specific work area on the operation screen 500 when a switching button image 520 corresponding to the specific work area is specified.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a configuration in which, when the work screen is interrupted to perform document-related work, the displayed work screen is captured to generate a capture image representing the work screen, and before the actual work screen is displayed, the capture image is displayed as information representing the work screen that will be displayed when work is resumed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2018-28748 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When there are multiple independent work areas, it is possible to display a preview image as information representing each work area so that the user can confirm which work area is the work area in which the intended work is to be performed. When the content and arrangement of the instruction image in the work area are important, it is necessary to correctly reflect the appearance and position of the instruction image. The work area is, for example, an area larger than the range displayed on the screen. However, if a capture image of the work area displayed on the screen is simply displayed as a preview image, the work area not displayed on the screen cannot be displayed. An object of the present invention is to allow a user to check the state of the entire work area regardless of the area being displayed when the work area is larger than the area displayed on the screen. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 includes a processor, and the processor displays an area in which an instruction image for receiving an instruction from a user is arranged, the area being larger than an area displayed on an operation screen for receiving an operation by a user. It is an area Work area multiple Hold and press the button on the operation screen. Other working areas that are different from the working area that contains the displayed area If specified, Without changing the operation screen, The information processing device is characterized by displaying an overall image showing the entire work area. The invention described in claim 2 is the information processing device described in claim 1, characterized in that the processor generates the overall image by combining partial images indicating an area of ​​the work area that is displayed on one screen of the operation screen. The invention described in claim 3 is the information processing device described in claim 2, characterized in that the processor newly generates the entire image when the partial image is acquired. The invention described in claim 4 is the information processing device described in claim 2, characterized in that the processor acquires the partial image when an operation by a user satisfies a predetermined condition. The invention described in claim 5 is the information processing device described in claim 4, characterized in that the processor acquires the partial image when the user's operation is an operation to change the display mode of the instruction image. The invention described in claim 6 is the information processing device described in claim 4, characterized in that the processor acquires the partial image when the user's operation is an operation to cancel the display of the work area displayed on the operation screen. The invention recited in claim 7 is the information processing device recited in claim 2, characterized in that the processor generates the partial images from partial image generation information that identifies each of the partial images. The invention described in claim 8 is an information processing device described in claim 2 or 7, characterized in that the processor utilizes partial image generation information that identifies the partial image acquired by other users or each of the partial images when the working area is shared by multiple users. The invention described in claim 9 is a method for displaying an instruction image for receiving an instruction from a user in an area larger than an area displayed on an operation screen for receiving an instruction from a user. It is an area Work area multiple Functions to be held and the operation screen Other working areas that are different from the working area that contains the displayed area If specified, Without changing the operation screen, This is a function for displaying an overall image showing the entire work area, and a program for realizing this function. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the inventions of claims 1 and 9, when the work area is larger than the area displayed on the screen, the user can check the state of the entire work area regardless of the area being displayed. According to the invention of claim 2, a whole image can be generated by combining partial images showing areas displayed on one screen of the operation screen. According to the invention of claim 3, when the work area is larger than the area displayed on the screen, the user can check the latest state of the entire work area regardless of the area being displayed. According to the invention of claim 4, it is possible to omit acquisition of unnecessary partial images. According to the invention of claim 5, the latest state of the work area in which the user is working can be reflected in the whole image. According to the invention of claim 6, the state at the end of the work in the work area can be reflected in the whole image. According to the invention of claim 7, it is possible to omit storing unnecessary partial images, as compared with the case where partial images are acquired. According to the invention of claim 8, the latest state of the work area in which a plurality of users are working can be reflected in the whole image. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a working area to which the present embodiment is applied. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display of an operation screen to which the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for generating an entire image to which the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 6] 11 is a table showing an example of identification information of partial images to which the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between a partial image and an entire image to which the present embodiment is applied; [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for acquiring a partial image to which the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of the display of an operation screen to which the present embodiment is applied, in which (A) shows a state before the display mode of an icon is changed, and (B) shows a state after the display mode of the icon is changed. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of the display of an operation screen to which this embodiment is applied, in which (A) shows a state in which a preview screen of another work area different from the specific work area is displayed in a specific work area, and (B) shows a state in which the other work area is displayed. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing examples of preview screens to which the present embodiment is applied, in which (A) shows a state in which the entire image is displayed on a single screen, and (B) shows a state in which the entire image is enlarged and displayed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. <Hardware configuration of image display device 1> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an image display device 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, an image display device 1 according to this embodiment functions as an example of an information processing device, and includes an arithmetic processing unit 10 that executes digital arithmetic processing according to a predetermined processing program when displaying a screen, an input unit 20 that accepts input operations from a user, a secondary storage unit 30 realized by an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a communication unit 40 that transmits and receives data via a network, and a display unit 50 consisting of a liquid crystal display panel, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display panel, or the like that displays images, text information, etc. to the user.

[0009] The arithmetic processing unit 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 that controls the entire device as an example of a processor, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12 that is used as a working memory for the CPU 11, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 13 that stores an image display processing program executed by the CPU 11. The arithmetic processing unit 10 also includes a non-volatile memory 14 that is rewritable and can hold data even when the power supply is cut off, and an interface unit 15 that controls each unit such as an input unit 20 connected to the arithmetic processing unit 10. The non-volatile memory 14 is composed of, for example, an SRAM or a flash memory backed up by a battery, and stores image information such as thumbnail images (described later) displayed on the display unit 50. The secondary storage unit 30 stores image data and the like, and also stores an image display processing program executed by the arithmetic processing unit 10. The arithmetic processing unit 10 reads the image display processing program stored in the secondary storage unit 30, thereby executing each process of the image display device 1 of the present embodiment.

[0010] Here, the program executed by the CPU 11 as an example of a processor is provided to the arithmetic processing unit 10 in a state where it is stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk, etc.), an optical recording medium (optical disk, etc.), a magneto-optical recording medium, a semiconductor memory, etc. In addition, the program executed by the CPU 11 may be downloaded to the image display device 1 using a communication means such as the Internet. In this embodiment, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPUs, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic devices, etc.). In addition, the operations of the processor may not only be performed by one processor, but may be performed by multiple processors in physically separate locations working together. The order of the operations of the processor is not limited to the order described in this embodiment, and may be changed.

[0011] The input unit 20 is a device such as a pointing device through which a user inputs operations. For example, when the input unit 20 is a mouse or the like, the user can specify a position on the screen of the display unit 50, a displayed image, etc. by performing a cursor movement operation or a click operation. Furthermore, when the input unit 20 is a touch panel or the like, the user can specify a position on the screen or a displayed image by touching the touch panel with a finger or the like or by maintaining the touch state of the finger or the like for a predetermined period of time. In this case, the input unit 20 is provided integrally with the display unit 50. In addition to the above-mentioned pointing device and other devices, the input unit 20 may also include a keyboard for key input operations.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a working area 600 to which this embodiment is applied. The working area 600 to which this embodiment is applied is a working area on so-called file handling software, and is an area larger than the area displayed on one screen of the display unit 50 without scrolling or the like. This file handling software is software that digitizes and manages document data, and has a function of promoting the unified management of paper and electronic data. The working area 600 is an area in which icons 510, which are an example of instruction images that accept user instructions for a document, and the like are arranged. The area size of the working area 600 is changed according to the arrangement of the icons 510 and the like. Note that the document may contain images in addition to characters, or may be composed of only images without containing characters.

[0013] Of the working area 600, the area that is actually displayed on the display unit 50 is referred to as the display area 610, and the area that is not actually displayed on the display unit 50 is referred to as the non-display area 620. In the working area 600, "which area becomes the display area 610" and "which area becomes the non-display area 620" are assumed to change depending on a user operation, for example, a scroll operation.

[0014] The icon 510 is a pictorial symbol representing various functions such as program functions, and is an instruction image for receiving user instructions for a document. In the example shown in FIG. 2, a thumbnail image for confirming at least a part of the contents of a document managed by the file handling software is shown as an example of the icon 510. For example, when the corresponding document is image data, this thumbnail image is displayed as a simple reduced image of the original image. Also, when the corresponding file is multi-page document data, it is displayed as a reduced image of a representative page such as the first page. The icon 510 displayed as a thumbnail image functions as an icon for opening the corresponding document. In addition to icon 510, working area 600 may also include, although not shown, a tray icon for selecting a tray to be used by the user to transfer electronic documents to third parties, and a folder icon for selecting a folder to be used to store electronic documents.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen 500 to which this embodiment is applied. The display unit 50 has an operation screen 500 that is a screen for accepting an operation by a user. In addition to a display area 610, the operation screen 500 displays a switching button image 520 for accepting an operation to switch the work area to be displayed, a preview screen 530 for showing another work area without changing the actually displayed display area 610, and an entire image 540 for showing the entire specific work area. Furthermore, text 560 such as the name of a document or function corresponding to the icon 510, a work area name 570 of the work area 600 of the actually displayed display area 610, and a user name 580 of a logged-in user may be displayed. In addition, the operation screen 500 may accept a scroll operation by a user and display a scroll image indicating "which area of ​​the work area 600 is set as the display area 610".

[0016] The switching button images 520 (520a, 520b, 520c) are button images that accept an operation to switch the work area 600 displayed on the operation screen 500. For example, when a plurality of independent and separate work areas 600 are held, switching is performed using the switching button images 520 of each of these work areas 600.

[0017] Preview screen 530 is a screen that shows a work area that is not displayed on operation screen 500, regardless of the display area 610 that is actually displayed. Preview screen 530 displays an entire image 540 that shows the entire work area 600 that corresponds to one switching button image 520 designated by the user.

[0018] In addition to the icons 510, the operation screen 500 may display a toolbar (not shown). The toolbar is a collection of instruction parts prepared to simplify operations on electronic documents by the user. The operations on electronic documents include operations to save, print, rotate, search, and encrypt electronic documents, and operations to bundle two or more electronic documents.

[0019] <Functional configuration of image display device 1> Next, the functional configuration of the image display device 1 will be described. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the image display device 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the image display device 1 has an operation determination unit 101, a display control unit 102, a partial image acquisition unit 103, a partial image management unit 104, an area determination unit 105, an entire image generation unit 106, a preview screen output unit 107, a partial image storage unit 108, and an entire image storage unit 109, which are realized by a calculation processing unit 10 (see FIG. 1).

[0020] The operation determination unit 101 determines whether or not a user operation has been performed on the operation screen 500 (see FIG. 3) via the input unit 20. This user operation is, for example, an operation for designating an image, various icons, a position, etc. on the operation screen 500, a scroll operation, a key input operation, etc.

[0021] Based on the contents determined by the operation determination unit 101, the display control unit 102 controls the display mode and positions of the icon 510, the switching button image 520, the work area name 570, the user name 580 (see FIG. 3), and the like.

[0022] When the user's operation satisfies a predetermined condition based on the contents determined by the operation determination unit 101, the partial image acquisition unit 103 acquires a partial image 550 (550a to 550d, see FIG. 7) showing the display area 610 displayed on the operation screen 500. More specifically, the partial image acquisition unit 103 acquires the partial image 550 when the user performs an operation to change the display mode of the icon 510 or an operation to cancel the display of the working area 600 displayed on the operation screen 500. Examples of the change in the display mode of the icon 510 include adding or deleting the icon 510, changing the display position of the icon 510 in the working area 600, and changing the appearance of the icon 510. Examples of the operation to cancel the display of the working area 600 include an operation to select the switching button image 520 and an operation to end the program displaying the operation screen 500. Furthermore, the partial image acquiring unit 103 may acquire partial image generation information that is used to generate the partial images 550 and identifies each of the partial images 550. The partial image generation information is, for example, text information related to the number, appearance, display position, etc. of the icons 510 in the partial image 550.

[0023] Partial image management section 104 manages, by work area, partial images 550 and partial image generation information newly acquired by partial image acquisition section 103. More specifically, partial image management section 104 manages a plurality of partial images 550 and partial image generation information acquired in one work area 600 based on acquisition date and time, image ID, position information such as coordinates in work area 600, and identification information such as user ID.

[0024] The area determination unit 105 acquires the area size of the working area 600 changed according to the arrangement of the icons 510, etc., and judges whether or not one partial image 550 is present within the acquired area size. More specifically, the area determination unit 105 judges whether or not a part of the working area 600 shown in the partial image 550 managed by the partial image management unit 104 is included within the working area 600 whose area size has been changed by the latest user operation. For example, when a certain icon 510 is deleted and the area size of the working area 600 is reduced, the area determination unit 105 judges based on the coordinates that the partial image 550 showing the area outside the latest working area 600 is not present within the acquired area size.

[0025] The entire image generating unit 106 retrieves the partial image 550 and the partial image generation information that the area determining unit 105 has determined to be within the area size from the partial image storage unit 108, and generates an entire image 540 that shows the entire working area 600 whose area size has been changed. More specifically, when the partial image acquiring unit 103 acquires the partial image 550 and the partial image generation information, the entire image generating unit 106 newly generates the entire image 540. For example, the entire image generating unit 106 combines the partial images 550 to synthesize the entire image 540. The entire image generating unit 106 may also determine whether the partial images 550 are incorporated into the entire entire image 540, and generate the entire image 540 by using the background of the working area 600 in the area where the partial image 550 has not been acquired.

[0026] Based on the determination by operation determination unit 101 that switching button image 520 has been designated, preview screen output unit 107 retrieves entire image 540 from entire image storage unit 109. Preview screen output unit 107 outputs preview screen 530 showing the entire working area 600 corresponding to switching button image 520 designated by the user to display unit 50, without starting a new program. This preview screen 530 is displayed in a state associated with switching button image 520.

[0027] The partial image storage unit 108 stores the partial image 550 and partial image generation information acquired by the partial image acquisition unit 103. The partial image storage unit 108 is realized by the non-volatile memory 14. The whole image storage unit 109 acquires and stores the whole image 540 generated by the whole image generation unit 106. The whole image storage unit 109 is realized by the non-volatile memory 14.

[0028] <Generation of whole image 540 using partial image 550> Next, the process of generating the entire image 540 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. Here, the case of acquiring the partial image 550 is taken as an example. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for generating an entire image 540 to which this embodiment is applied. FIG. 6 is a table showing an example of identification information of partial images 550 to which this embodiment is applied. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between an entire image 540 and a partial image 550 to which this embodiment is applied.

[0029] 6, even if the user IDs are different, partial images 550 (see FIG. 7) and partial image generation information acquired when one work area 600 is displayed on the operation screen 500 are centrally managed. In this way, when one work area 600 is shared by multiple users, an entire image 540 showing the latest state of one work area 600 is generated using partial images 550 acquired by the other users.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 7, whole image 540 in this embodiment is generated by combining partial images 550 (550a to 550d) showing display area 610 displayed on one screen of operation screen 500. For convenience, whole image 540 shows the area of ​​each partial image 550 by a dashed line. Partial image 550 is a so-called capture image, and is image data showing the state of display area 610 displayed on operation screen 500 at a certain moment. In the example of Fig. 7, an area of ​​whole image 540 in which partial image 550 is not incorporated is shown by diagonal lines.

[0031] Next, a description will be given with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 4 acquires partial image 550 based on the contents determined by operation determination unit 101 (step 701). In this embodiment, partial image acquisition unit 103 acquires partial image 550 when a user's operation based on the contents determined by operation determination unit 101 satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0032] The partial image management unit 104 manages the partial images 550 newly acquired by the partial image acquisition unit 103 by work area (step 702). In this embodiment, the partial image management unit 104 manages the partial images 550 based on the acquisition date and time of the partial images 550, the partial image ID of the partial images 550, position information such as coordinates in the work area 600, and identification information such as the user ID of the user who acquired the partial images 550. When the partial image management unit 104 holds a plurality of independent and separate work areas 600, it distinguishes the work area 600 to which the display area 610 indicated by the partial image 550 belongs. In the example of FIG. 6, in the work area 600 shared by a plurality of users, the partial images 550 acquired by other users other than the specific user are managed in the same way as the partial images 550 acquired by the specific user.

[0033] The area determination unit 105 acquires the area size of the working area 600 to which the partial image 550 managed by the partial image management unit 104 has been added (step 703). The area determination unit 105 checks the partial images 550 managed by the partial image management unit 104 in order (step 704). In this embodiment, the area determination unit 105 checks the partial image 550 starting from the partial image 550 with the most recent acquisition date and time. In the example of Fig. 6, the partial image ID "A0100" with the most recent acquisition date and time is checked first. The area determination unit 105 determines whether the latest partial image 550 among the partial images 550 to be confirmed is within the area size of the acquired working area 600 (step 705). For example, the area determination unit 105 determines that the partial image 550 that does not have coordinates within the area of ​​the latest working area 600 is not within the area size of the working area 600.

[0034] In step 705 , if the latest partial image 550 is not within the area size of the acquired working area 600 (NO in step 705 ), the latest partial image 550 is not incorporated into the entire image 540 and the process proceeds to step 709 . In step 705, if the latest partial image 550 is within the area size of the acquired working area 600 (YES in step 705), the entire image generating unit 106 retrieves the latest partial image 550, which the area determining unit 105 has determined to be within the area size, from the partial image storing unit 108, and generates an entire image 540 showing the entire working area 600 (step 706). In this embodiment, the entire image generating unit 106 shows the state of the working area 600 in the entire image 540 based on the coordinates of the partial image 550.

[0035] The whole image generating unit 106 judges whether or not the partial images 550 have been incorporated into the entire whole image 540 (step 707). In step 707, if partial images 550 are incorporated into all of overall image 540 (YES in step 707), overall image storage unit 109 acquires overall image 540 generated by overall image generation unit 106, stores it as the latest overall image 540 (step 708), and terminates the processing. In step 707, if partial images 550 are not incorporated into all of entire images 540 (NO in step 707), area determination unit 105 determines whether there is a next partial image 550 to check among the partial images 550 managed by partial image management unit 104 (step 709). For example, if there are two or more partial images 550 showing the same area of ​​working area 600, area determination unit 105 does not check the partial image 550 with the latest acquisition date and time. In the example of FIG. 6, partial image IDs "A0100, A0099" have the same coordinates, so the partial image 550 to check next after partial image ID "A0100" is partial image ID "A0098."

[0036] In step 709, if there is a next partial image 550 to be checked (YES in step 709), the area determination unit 105 determines whether the next partial image 550 to be checked is within the area size of the acquired working area 600 (step 710). In step 710, if the next partial image 550 to be confirmed is not within the area size of the acquired working area 600 (NO in step 710), the process of determining whether or not there is a next partial image 550 is repeated (step 709).

[0037] In step 710, if the next partial image 550 to be confirmed is within the area size of the acquired working area 600 (YES in step 710), the entire image generating unit 106 retrieves the next partial image 550 that the area determining unit 105 has determined to be within the area size from the partial image storing unit 108, and incorporates it behind the entire image 540 whose area size indicates the entire working area 600 acquired (step 711). In this embodiment, the entire image generating unit 106 incorporates the next partial image 550 behind the entire image 540 so that the specific partial image 550 is placed higher in the display hierarchy (closer to the user's face) than the next partial image 550 that was acquired before the specific partial image 550.

[0038] Here, a specific example of the arrangement of partial images 550 constituting whole image 540 will be given. In the example of FIG. 7, the entire image 540 is generated from four partial images 550 (550a to 550d). The partial image 550a corresponds to the partial image ID "A0100" in FIG. 6, and the partial images 550b to 550d correspond to the partial image IDs "A0098, A0097, A0096" in FIG. 6, respectively. The partial image 550a is incorporated into the entire image 540 before the partial images 550b to 550d, and is arranged higher (closer to the user's face) in the display hierarchy. The next partial image 550b to be confirmed is arranged lower in the display hierarchy than the partial image 550a. In other words, the partial image 550b is arranged behind the partial image 550a. Furthermore, the partial image 550c is arranged behind the partial image 550b, and the partial image 550d is arranged behind the partial image 550c. This allows the generation of an entire image 540 showing the latest state of one working area 600.

[0039] Next, the entire image generating unit 106 determines whether or not the partial images 550 have been incorporated into the entire entire image 540 (step 712). In step 712, if partial images 550 are incorporated into all of overall image 540 (YES in step 712), overall image storage unit 109 acquires overall image 540 generated by overall image generation unit 106, stores it as the latest overall image 540 (step 708), and terminates the processing. In step 712, if partial images 550 have not been incorporated into all of entire image 540 (NO in step 712), the process of determining whether or not there is a next partial image 550 is repeated (step 709).

[0040] In step 709, if there is no next partial image 550 to check (NO in step 709), whole image 540 is generated (step 713) using the background of working area 600 in the area where partial image 550 is not incorporated, and is stored as the latest whole image 540 (step 708), and the process ends. In the example of Fig. 7, the background of working area 600 is incorporated in the area of ​​whole image 540 where partial image 550 is not incorporated, which is indicated by diagonal lines. With the above processing procedure, the process of generating the whole image 540 is completed.

[0041] <Acquisition of partial image 550 by mouse operation> Next, the process of acquiring partial image 550 based on a user operation will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 8 to Fig. 10. Here, a case where the user uses input unit 20 such as a mouse will be taken as an example. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for acquiring a partial image 550 to which this embodiment is applied. Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 are diagrams showing an example of the display of operation screen 500 to which this embodiment is applied. Fig. 9(A) shows a state before the display mode of icon 510 is changed, and Fig. 9(B) shows a state after the display mode of icon 510 is changed. Fig. 10(A) shows a state in which preview screen 530c of working area C is displayed in working area A, and Fig. 10(B) shows a state in which working area C is displayed.

[0042] 9 and 10, display unit 50 in this embodiment displays cursor 200, which indicates a position, image, etc. on the screen, on operation screen 500. Cursor 200 moves in response to a user operation input via input unit 20, and is displayed so as to indicate a position, image, etc. on the screen designated by the user. Icons 510 and a switching button image 520 are displayed on operation screen 500. Preview screen 530c shown in FIG.

[0043] Next, a description will be given with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 4 determines whether or not a user operation has been performed on the operation screen 500 based on an operation via the input unit 20 (step 801). In this embodiment, the operation determination unit 101 determines an operation instructed by the user on the operation screen 500 as a user operation.

[0044] In step 801, if no operation has been performed by the user (NO in step 801), the process waits until an operation is performed by the user. If an operation has been performed by the user (YES in step 801), the operation determination unit 101 determines whether the operation by the user is an operation on the icons 510 (step 802). An example of an operation on the icons 510 is an operation to change the number or display positions of the icons 510, such as changing the display mode of the icons 510 from that shown in Fig. 9(A) to that shown in Fig. 9(B).

[0045] In step 802, if the user's operation is an operation on the icons 510 (YES in step 802), the operation determination unit 101 determines whether or not the operation is an operation to change the number of icons 510 in the working area 600 (step 803). The operation determination unit 101 determines, for example, an operation to add or delete an icon 510 as an operation to change the number of icons 510.

[0046] In step 803, if the operation is to change the number of icons 510 in the working area 600 (YES in step 803), the partial image acquisition unit 103 acquires a partial image 550 showing the display area 610 after the number of icons 510 has been changed (step 804), and the processing ends. If the operation is not an operation to change the number of icons 510 in the work area 600 in step 803 (NO in step 803), the operation determination unit 101 determines whether or not the operation is an operation to change the display position of the icon 510 in the work area 600 (step 805). The operation determination unit 101 determines, for example, an operation to move the icon 510 by drag and drop or the like as an operation to change the display position of the icon 510.

[0047] In step 805, if the operation is to change the display position of icon 510 in working area 600 (YES in step 805), partial image acquisition unit 103 acquires partial image 550 showing display area 610 after the display position of icon 510 has been changed (step 804), and the processing ends. If the operation is not an operation to change the display position of the icon 510 in the working area 600 in step 805 (NO in step 805), the operation determination unit 101 determines whether or not the operation is an operation to change the appearance of the icon 510 in the working area 600 (step 806). The operation determination unit 101 determines, for example, an operation to change the pictorial symbol of the icon 510 or the name of the document or function corresponding to the icon 510, or an operation to edit a document displayed as a thumbnail image, as an operation to change the appearance of the icon 510.

[0048] In this step 806, if the operation is to change the appearance of the icon 510 in the working area 600 (YES in step 806), the partial image acquisition unit 103 acquires a partial image 550 showing the display area 610 after the appearance of the icon 510 has been changed (step 804), and the processing ends. In step 806, if the operation is not for changing the appearance of the icon 510 in the working area 600 (NO in step 806), the process ends without acquiring the partial image 550.

[0049] In step 802, if the operation by the user is not an operation on the icon 510 (NO in step 802), the operation determination unit 101 determines whether or not the operation is an operation on the switching button image 520 (step 807). In this embodiment, the operation determination unit 101 determines, for example, a mouse-over operation or a click operation on the switching button image 520 as an operation on the switching button image 520.

[0050] In step 807, if the user's operation is an operation on the switching button image 520 (YES in step 807), the operation determination unit 101 determines that the switching button image 520 has been designated (step 808). In this embodiment, the operation determination unit 101 determines a mouse-over operation on the switching button image 520 as a designation of the switching button image 520. Preview screen output unit 107 outputs preview screen 530 of the work area corresponding to the specified switching button image 520, and displays it on operation screen 500 (step 809). In the example of Fig. 10(A), switching button image 520c is specified, and preview screen 530c of work area C corresponding to switching button image 520c is displayed.

[0051] Next, the operation determination unit 101 determines that the switching button image 520 has been selected (step 810). In this embodiment, the operation determination unit 101 determines a click operation on the switching button image 520c as a selection of the switching button image 520. In the example of FIG. 10(B), the switching button image 520c is selected, and a partial area of ​​the working area 600 of the working area C corresponding to the switching button image 520c is displayed on the operation screen 500. The partial image acquisition unit 103 acquires the partial image 550 showing the display area 610 before switching the work area 600 displayed on the operation screen 500 (step 811), and the process ends.

[0052] In step 807, if the operation by the user is not an operation on the switching button image 520 (NO in step 807), the operation determination unit 101 determines whether or not the operation is an operation to end the display of the operation screen 500 (step 812). The operation determination unit 101 determines, for example, a click operation on an end button image (not shown) that accepts an operation to end the display of the operation screen 500, or a key input operation to end the display of the operation screen 500, as an operation to end the display of the operation screen 500. In this step 812, if the user's operation is an operation to end the display of the operation screen 500 (YES in step 812), the partial image acquisition unit 103 acquires a partial image 550 showing the display area 610 before the display of the operation screen 500 was ended (step 813), and the processing ends. In step 812, if the operation by the user is not an operation to end the display of operation screen 500 (NO in step 812), partial image 550 is not acquired and the process ends.

[0053] In the above example, the partial image 550 is acquired simply when a predetermined user operation is performed, but this is not limited to the above. The partial image 550 may be acquired, for example, when a predetermined time has elapsed after a predetermined user operation is performed. This makes it possible to avoid acquiring unnecessary partial images 550.

[0054] <Display mode of preview screen 530> In the above example, the preview screen 530 is displayed so as to simply show the entire working area 600, but this is not limited thereto. The entire working area 600 may not be displayed on the preview screen 530. As an example, a mode in which at least a part of the working area 600 is displayed on the preview screen 530 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a preview screen 530 to which this embodiment is applied, in which (A) shows a state in which the entire image 540 is displayed on a single screen, and (B) shows a state in which the entire image 540 is enlarged and displayed.

[0055] The preview screen 530 shown in Figures 11(A) and (B) has a full display button image 531 and a partial display button image 532 that accept an operation from the user to select whether to "show the entire work area 600" or "enlarge and show a portion of the work area 600". As shown in FIG. 11(A), when the whole display button image 531 is selected, a whole image 540 is displayed so as to show the entire work area 600. As shown in FIG. 11B, when the partial display button image 532 is selected, the whole image 540 is enlarged and displayed so as to show a part of the working area 600. Also, the preview screen 530 may display a whole reduced image 534 showing the whole working area 600 and a display range frame 535 showing "which area is being enlarged and displayed". Furthermore, an operation to change the area to be enlarged and displayed may be received from the user. Examples of the operation to change the displayed area include a scroll operation via the input unit 20 such as a mouse, and an operation to slide a finger or the like while keeping the finger in contact with the display unit 50 such as a touch panel.

[0056] Furthermore, the magnification for enlarging the entire image 540 so as to show a portion of the working area 600 may be changed based on an operation by the user. Examples of operations for changing the magnification include an operation for reselecting the partial display button image 532, a key operation or a mouse operation with the cursor 200 on the preview screen 530, and an operation for selecting a magnification change button image (not shown) that accepts an operation for changing the magnification. Furthermore, when the user selects switching button image 520 corresponding to working area 600 displayed on preview screen 530 while selecting partial display button image 532 on preview screen 530, the area displayed on preview screen 530 may be displayed on operation screen 500 as display area 610. In other words, the area surrounded by display range frame 535 becomes display area 610.

[0057] In the above example, preview screen 530 simply displays entire image 540, but this is not limited thereto. Preview screen 530 may notify, for example, by a pictorial symbol or text, that the display mode of icon 510 has been changed. This notification may show details of the change, such as addition / deletion of icon 510, editing of the file corresponding to icon 510, etc. This allows the user to check the latest state of the entire work area even when there is no entire image 540 that reflects the latest state of the entire work area.

[0058] The processes performed by the image display device 1 in this embodiment are prepared as a program such as application software. This program can be provided not only by communication means but also by being stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0059] Regarding the present application, the invention can also be understood as follows. An information processing device to which the present invention is applicable includes a processor, which displays at least a portion of a work area in which an instruction image for accepting user instructions is placed on an operation screen for accepting user operations, acquires at least one partial image indicating an area of ​​the work area to be displayed on one screen of the operation screen and at least one partial image generation information identifying each of the partial images, manages at least one of the acquired partial images and partial image generation information by work area, combines the partial images based on the partial images or the partial image generation information to generate an overall image showing the entire work area, and displays the overall image to allow a user to check the state of the work area. Here, the processor may be characterized in generating a new entire image every time the partial image is acquired. Furthermore, when the work area is shared by a plurality of users, the processor may utilize the partial image or the partial image generation information acquired by the other users. The processor may also be characterized in that it acquires the partial image when a user's operation satisfies a predetermined condition. Furthermore, the processor may be characterized in that it acquires the partial image when the operation by the user is an operation for changing the display mode of the instruction image. Furthermore, the processor may be characterized in acquiring the partial image when the operation by the user is an operation to cancel the display of the work area displayed on the operation screen. The program to which the present invention is applied can be characterized by having a computer realize the following functions: displaying at least a portion of a work area in which an instruction image for accepting user instructions is placed on an operation screen for accepting user operations; acquiring at least one partial image indicating an area of ​​the work area to be displayed on one screen of the operation screen and at least one partial image generation information identifying each of the partial images; managing at least one of the acquired partial images and partial image generation information by work area; combining the partial images based on the partial images or the partial image generation information to generate an overall image showing the entire work area; and displaying the overall image to allow a user to check the state of the work area. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1...image display device, 10...arithmetic processing unit, 11...CPU, 20...input unit, 30...secondary storage unit, 40...communication unit, 50...display unit, 101...operation determination unit, 102...display control unit, 103...partial image acquisition unit, 104...partial image management unit, 105...area determination unit, 106...whole image generation unit, 107...preview screen output unit, 108...partial image storage unit, 109...whole image storage unit, 500...operation screen, 510...icon, 520...switching button image, 530...preview screen, 540...whole image, 550...partial image, 600...work area, 610...display area

Claims

1. A processor is provided. The processor, a plurality of working areas are held, the working areas being areas in which instruction images for receiving user instructions are arranged, the working areas being areas larger than an area displayed on an operation screen for receiving user operations; When another work area different from the work area including the area displayed on the operation screen is specified, a whole image showing the whole of the other work area is displayed without changing the operation screen.

23. An information processing apparatus comprising:

2. The processor, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the entire image is generated by combining partial images that indicate areas of the work area that are displayed on one screen of the operation screen.

3. The processor, The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the entire image is newly generated when the partial image is acquired.

4. The processor, 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the partial image is acquired when a user's operation satisfies a predetermined condition.

5. The processor, The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the partial image is acquired when the operation by the user is an operation for changing a display mode of the instruction image.

6. The processor, The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the partial image is acquired when the operation by the user is an operation to cancel the display of the work area displayed on the operation screen.

7. The processor, 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the partial images are generated from partial image generation information that identifies each of the partial images.

8. The processor, 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the work area is shared by a plurality of users, partial image generation information for identifying the partial images acquired by other users or each of the partial images is utilized.

9. On the computer, A function of holding a plurality of work areas, which are areas larger than an area displayed on an operation screen for receiving operations by a user and in which instruction images for receiving instructions from a user are arranged; a function of displaying an entire image showing the whole of another work area without changing the operation screen when another work area different from the work area including the area displayed on the operation screen is specified; A program to achieve this.

Images