Information Processing Apparatus and Program

Abstract

To suppress deterioration of user operability due to the fact that a document image is unintentionally hidden, as compared with the case where a document image is hidden by canceling a specification even when performing a process that requires determination of a position.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to: on an operation screen that accepts a user operation, display a document image, in response to an operation for an instruction to display the document image corresponding to contents of a document; hide the document image in a case where an operation is performed to remove specified coordinates specified by the user operation from a predetermined area including an area where the document image is displayed; in a case where an instruction is made by the user to perform processing that requires determination of a position on the operation screen, for the document image, enter a standby state to wait for determination of the position; and not hide the document image in the standby state even if an operation is performed to remove the specified coordinates from the predetermined area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an information processing apparatus that, as a technique for assisting the input of instruction content (input content) related to an image using an image, displays a list of example images for editing, and by the user selecting, automatically performs annotation setting according to the annotation information associated with the selected image, and can input instruction content using an annotation along the example for editing. Also, Patent Document 2 describes a configuration in which a thumbnail control object is added to document data as a technique for making it easier for a viewer to convey information that the document creator wants to convey when displaying a thumbnail image of the document data. For example, a configuration is described in which only a part of the information, such as a stamp or a sticky note annotation, is enlarged without enlarging the thumbnail image of the entire document.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When managing documents displayed as a list by thumbnail images, text, etc., there is an information processing apparatus having a function of displaying a document image corresponding to the content of the specified document by performing a document specifying operation. In such an information processing apparatus, for example, while a document is specified by mouse over on a document displayed as a list, the display of the document image is maintained, and when the mouse over is released, the document image is made non-displayed. In this mode, the display and non-display of the document image can be switched by a simple operation. However, when performing a process that requires determination of a position on the operation screen, such as when attaching an annotation to a desired position of the document image, there is a risk that the specification is unintentionally canceled and the document image becomes non-displayed, resulting in a decrease in user operability. The present invention suppresses a decrease in user operability caused by the document image being unintentionally made non-displayed, as compared with the case where the document image is made non-displayed by canceling the specification even when performing a process that requires determination of a position.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The invention according to claim 1 includes a processor. The processor displays a document image by an operation instructing the display of the document image corresponding to the content of the document on an operation screen that receives a user's operation. When an operation is performed to remove the specified coordinates specified by the user's operation from a predetermined area including the area where the document image is displayed, the document image is made non-displayed. When a process that requires determination of a position on the operation screen by the user is instructed for the document image, the processor shifts to a standby state waiting for the determination of the position. In the standby state, even if an operation is performed to remove the specified coordinates from the predetermined area, the document image is not made non-displayed. The information processing apparatus is characterized by this. The invention according to claim 2 is the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the process that requires determination of the position is a process of attaching an annotation by an image or text at the position when the position is determined. The invention according to claim 3 is the information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the processor attaches the annotation given to the document image at the corresponding position of the document in the same manner. The invention according to claim 4 is the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the processor releases the standby state when a release condition related to the operation of the user is satisfied. The invention according to claim 5 is the information processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the release condition is that an operation for determining the position is performed, and when the release condition is satisfied, the processor performs the processing at the position and releases the standby state. The invention according to claim 6 is the information processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the processor does not release the standby state even when the position is determined when a predetermined operation by the user is performed. The invention according to claim 7 is the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that when an operation for determining the position is performed outside the predetermined area in the standby state, the processor makes the document image non-displayed. The invention according to claim 8 is the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the processor receives an instruction for a process that requires determination of the position in a state where the designated coordinates are in the predetermined area. The invention according to claim 9 is the information processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the processor displays an instruction image for instructing a process that requires determination of the position in the predetermined area, and when the instruction image is designated by an operation of the user, shifts to the standby state. The invention according to claim 10 is a program for causing a computer to implement a function of displaying a document image corresponding to the content of a document by an operation of instructing the display of the document image on an operation screen that receives a user's operation, a function of making the document image non-displayed when an operation of removing designated coordinates specified by the user's operation from a predetermined area including the area where the document image is displayed is performed, a function of shifting to a standby state of waiting for the determination of a position when a process that requires the determination of a position by the user on the operation screen with respect to the document image is instructed, and a function of not making the document image non-displayed even when an operation of removing the designated coordinates from the predetermined area is performed in the standby state.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to the invention of claim 1, even when performing a process that requires the determination of a position, compared with the case where the document image is made non-displayed by canceling the designation, it suppresses the decrease in the user's operability due to the document image being unintentionally made non-displayed. According to the invention of claim 2, when determining the position for adding an annotation, it suppresses the document image being unintentionally made non-displayed. According to the invention of claim 3, compared with the case where an annotation given to a document image is not given to the document, it becomes easier to give an annotation to the document. According to the invention of claim 4, the user can arbitrarily switch between the display and non-display of the document image. According to the invention of claim 5, compared with the case where the standby state is not released even when an operation for determining a position is performed, it becomes easier to make the document image non-displayed after the process is performed. According to the invention of claim 6, compared with the case where the standby state is always released when an operation for determining a position is performed, it becomes easier to perform continuous processing on the document image. According to the invention of claim 7, compared with a configuration in which the document image is made non-displayed by an operation different from the operation for determining a position, the non-display of the document image is performed smoothly. According to the invention of claim 8, even after moving the designated coordinates into a predetermined area, it is possible to instruct a process. According to the invention of claim 9, compared with the case of receiving an instruction for a process that requires determination of a position by a key operation, it suppresses the unintentional non-display of a document image when giving the instruction. According to the invention of claim 10, even when performing a process that requires determination of a position, compared with the case of making the document image non-display by canceling the designation, it suppresses the deterioration of the user's operability due to the unintentional non-display of the document image.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [System Configuration of Information Processing System 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, this information processing system 1 is configured by connecting a server device 10 that provides a storage location for storing documents and a plurality of client devices 20 (20a, 20b,...) used by users via a communication line 80. This communication line 80 is, for example, a line such as the Internet and is used for information communication between the server device 10 and the client device 20. In the present embodiment, the "document" refers to an electronic document stored in the server device 10 or the like. An electronic document is something that has digitized some information, and there are no particular limitations on the type, format, data structure, etc. of the information.

[0009] The server device 10 is an information processing device that provides a storage location for storing documents. The server device 10 according to the present embodiment provides a document management service, a document processing service, etc. to the users of the client device 20. Here, the server device 10 according to the present embodiment, as a document management service, stores the received document in the storage location, retrieves and transmits the stored document, etc. in response to a request sent from the client device 20. In addition, as a document processing service, in response to a request sent from the client device 20, in addition to processing for changing the content of the specified document, processing such as document creation, deletion, and duplication is performed.

[0010] The client device 20 is an information processing device used by a user when using a service. The client device 20 to which the present embodiment is applied requests the server device 10 to perform processes such as storing, retrieving, and changing the content of a document based on a user's operation. Examples of the client device 20 include a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, and the like.

[0011] [Hardware Configuration of Server Device 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the server device 10 according to the present embodiment includes an arithmetic processing unit 11 that executes digital arithmetic processing according to a program determined in advance when providing a document management service or a document processing service, a secondary storage unit 12 realized by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) in which stored documents and the like are recorded, and a communication unit 13 that transmits and receives information via a communication line 80.

[0012] The arithmetic processing unit 11 includes a CPU 11a that controls the entire device as an example of a processor, a RAM 11b used as a working memory of the CPU 11a, etc., and a ROM 11c in which a document management program executed by the CPU 11a is stored. Further, it includes a non-volatile memory 11d that can hold data even when rewritable and the power supply is interrupted, and an interface unit 11e that controls each unit such as the communication unit 13 connected to the arithmetic processing unit 11. The non-volatile memory 11d is composed of, for example, an SRAM backed up by a battery, a flash memory, or the like.

[0013] In the secondary storage unit 12, in addition to the stored documents, the programs executed by the arithmetic processing unit 11 are stored. By the arithmetic processing unit 11 reading the programs stored in the secondary storage unit 12, each process of the server device 10 of the present embodiment is executed. Also, in the present embodiment, the secondary storage unit 12 stores data such as various images for display on the operation screen 400 (described later) of the client device 20 and annotation images 520 (described later) to be added to the document or document image 420.

[0014] [Hardware Configuration of Client Device 20] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the client device 20 according to the present embodiment. The client device 20 to which the present embodiment is applied includes an arithmetic processing unit 21 that executes digital arithmetic processing according to a program determined in advance when using the service provided by the server device 10, a secondary storage unit 22 realized by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) in which data received from the server device 10 and the like are recorded, and a communication unit 23 that transmits and receives information via a communication line 80. Further, it has an input unit 24 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, and a touch panel that receives input operations from the user, and a display unit 25 including a liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display panel that display images, text information, etc. to the user.

[0015] The arithmetic processing unit 21 includes a CPU 21a that controls the entire device as an example of a processor, a RAM 21b used as a working memory of the CPU 21a, etc., and a ROM 21c in which processing programs executed by the CPU 21a and the like are stored. Further, it includes a non-volatile memory 21d that can hold data even when the power supply is interrupted and can be rewritten, and an interface unit 21e that controls each unit such as the input unit 24 connected to the arithmetic processing unit 21. The non-volatile memory 21d is composed of, for example, an SRAM backed up by a battery, a flash memory, etc., and stores various requests to the server device 10 and the like.

[0016] In the secondary storage unit 22, in addition to storing data and the like received from the server device 10, a program executed by the arithmetic processing unit 21 is stored. By the arithmetic processing unit 21 reading the program stored in the secondary storage unit 22, each process of the client device 20 of the present embodiment is executed.

[0017] The input unit 24 is a device such as a pointing device for a user to input operations. For example, when the input unit 24 is a mouse or the like, by the user performing a cursor movement operation or a click operation, the coordinates and positions on the screen of the display unit 25, and the displayed text, images, etc. can be specified. Also, when the input unit 24 is a touch panel or the like, the user can specify the coordinates and positions on the screen and the displayed image by performing an operation of touching the touch panel with a finger or the like, or an operation of maintaining the state where this finger or the like is in contact for a time longer than a predetermined time. In this case, the input unit 24 is provided integrally with the display unit 25. As the input unit 24, in addition to the devices such as the above-described pointing device, a keyboard or the like for performing a key input operation may be provided. In the present embodiment, basically, the operations when using a mouse as the input unit 24 will be described.

[0018] Here, the program executed by the CPUs 11a and 21a, which are examples of processors, is provided to the arithmetic processing units 11 and 21 in a state of being 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, or a semiconductor memory. Also, the program executed by the CPUs 11a and 21a may be downloaded using communication means such as the Internet. Note that the processor refers to a processor in a broad sense, including general-purpose processors such as CPUs, and dedicated processors such as GPUs (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and programmable logic devices. In addition, the operation of the processor may be achieved not only by one processor but also by a plurality of physically separated processors cooperating with each other. And the order of each operation of the processor is not limited to the described order and may be changed.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation screen 400 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the display unit 25 of the client device 20 displays an operation screen 400 for receiving user operations. The operation screen 400 is a workspace provided when using a document management service or a document processing service. On the operation screen 400, for example, documents A, B, C,... managed by the document management service are displayed as a list using document icons 410a, 410b, 410c,... (hereinafter, may be collectively referred to as "document icons 410"). Details of this document icon 410 will be described later.

[0020] In addition to the document icons 410, on the operation screen 400, a document image 420 which is an image corresponding to the content of the document, a menu image 50 which displays various processes related to the document or the document image 420 as a menu, a toolbar 430 prepared to simplify operations on the document, etc. are displayed. Examples of operations on this document include operations such as saving, printing, rotating, searching, encrypting the document, and bundling two or more documents. In addition, on the operation screen 400, as shown in FIG. 4, text such as the name of the corresponding document may be displayed in association with the document icon 410. Also, this text may be displayed in association with the document image 420.

[0021] The document icon 410 is an image that accepts an operation for designating a document. More specifically, the document icon 410 accepts an operation for designating the document corresponding to itself among the documents managed by the document management service. Further, in the present embodiment, the document icon 410 accepts an instruction to display the corresponding document image 420 accompanying the designation of this document. For example, the user instructs the display of the document image 420 corresponding to Document A by a mouse-over operation on the document icon 410a (described later with reference to FIG. 10). Note that as the document icon 410, in addition to the thumbnail image prepared for each document, a common image or the like according to the type of document or the like may be used.

[0022] The document image 420 is an image corresponding to the document designated by the user. This document image 420 includes, for example, the content of one page in the document. In the example of FIG. 4, an image including the content of the first page of Document A consisting of three pages is displayed as the document image 420. By checking this document image 420, the user can view the content without receiving the document from the server device 10. Note that when a thumbnail image is displayed as the document icon 410, the document image 420 may be an image obtained by enlarging the thumbnail image. Here, the size and position for displaying the document image 420 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 4. For example, it may be made changeable based on the shape and size of the display unit 25 and the operation screen 400, user settings, and the like.

[0023] The menu image 50 is an image that displays various processes related to the document or the document image 420 as a menu, and includes a plurality of instruction images for instructing each of these various processes. In the example of FIG. 4, the menu image 50 includes, as this instruction image, a page change icon 51 and an annotation icon 52 (52a, 52b, 52c, 52d,...). The page change icon 51 is an instruction image for instructing a process of changing the page to be displayed as the document image 420 for a document consisting of a plurality of pages.

[0024] The annotation icon 52 is an instruction image for instructing a process of adding an annotation to the document image 420, that is, so-called annotation addition. In the present embodiment, when a click operation is performed on the annotation icon 52, the addition of the corresponding annotation is instructed, and the process shifts to the annotation addition mode. Then, in this annotation addition mode, when a click operation is performed on the document image 420, the position where the click operation is performed is determined as the position for adding the annotation. Note that the details of this annotation addition mode will be described later.

[0025] In the example of FIG. 4, as the annotation icon 52, a marker icon 52a, a sticky note icon 52b, a text icon 52c, and a stamp icon 52d are displayed. The marker icon 52a is an instruction image for instructing a process of adding a linear marker image 520a between two determined positions. The sticky note icon 52b is an instruction image for instructing a process of adding a sticky note image 520b as an electronic sticky note to the determined position. Further, the text icon 52c is an instruction image for instructing a process of adding a text annotation 520c, which is an annotation by text, to the determined position. Furthermore, the stamp icon 52d is an instruction image for instructing a process of adding a stamp image 520d as an electronic seal or stamp to the determined position. Note that the marker image 520a, the sticky note image 520b, the text annotation 520c, the stamp image 520d, etc., added as annotations are collectively referred to as an annotation image 520.

[0026] As described above, the annotation addition according to the present embodiment is a process of adding an annotation by an image or text to a position on the document image 420 determined by a user operation, and is an example of a process that requires determination of a position on the operation screen 400 by a user operation. Note that the number of positions determined at the time of adding an annotation may be two or more, as in the case of adding the marker image 520a. In addition, the types of annotations to be given are not limited to the above examples. For example, it may be a process of giving an image of a rectangle with the two determined positions as diagonals, or a process of giving an image of a curve corresponding to a plurality of positions continuously determined by a drag operation or the like.

[0027] [Functional Configuration of Server Device 10] Next, the functional configuration of the server device 10 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server device 10. As shown in the figure, the server device 10 includes a communication processing unit 111, a document management unit 112, a document image generation unit 113, and a document processing unit 114, which are realized by the arithmetic processing unit 11. Note that the same components as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

[0028] The communication processing unit 111 processes the information transmitted or received by the communication unit 13. In addition, the communication processing unit 111 acquires a request for the own device from the information transmitted from the client device 20 based on the user's operation and received by the communication unit 13. Then, it instructs the document management unit 112, the document image generation unit 113, and the document processing unit 114 to correspond to the acquired request. Furthermore, in response to a request from the client device 20, it performs a process of transmitting the data and information generated or acquired by the document management unit 112, the document image generation unit 113, and the document processing unit 114.

[0029] The document management unit 112 manages documents based on requests from the client device 20 as a document management service provided by the server device 10. For example, when a request for storing a document is received from the client device 20, it performs a process of storing the received document in a storage location in the secondary storage unit 12. Also, for example, when a request for transmitting a stored document is received from the client device 20, it performs a process of retrieving the document stored in the storage location in the secondary storage unit 12. Then, it instructs the communication processing unit 111 to transmit the retrieved document to the client device 20.

[0030] The document image generation unit 113 generates a document image 420 corresponding to the document stored in the storage location. For example, when a document is specified by the client device 20 and a request for the document image 420 is made, the document is retrieved and referenced from the storage location in the secondary storage unit 12, and a process of generating the corresponding document image 420 is performed. Then, the communication processing unit 111 is instructed to transmit the generated document image 420 to the client device 20.

[0031] The document processing unit 114 performs processing on the document specified based on a request from the client device 20 as a document processing service provided by the server device 10. For example, when the client device 20 requests to add an annotation to a document, the document processing unit 114 retrieves the document from the storage location in the secondary storage unit 12, adds the specified type of annotation image 520 to the specified position in the document, and then performs a process of storing it again in the storage location. Note that this series of processes of retrieving the document, adding the annotation, and storing is called "updating the document". Also, for example, when the client device 20 requests to delete or copy a document, the document processing unit 114 retrieves the document from the storage location in the secondary storage unit 12 and deletes or copies the target document.

[0032] [Functional Configuration of Client Device 20] Next, the functional configuration of the client device 20 to which the present embodiment is applied will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the client device 20. As shown in the figure, the client device 20 includes an operation determination unit 211, a communication processing unit 212, an image acquisition unit 213, a display control unit 214, a document image output unit 215, and an annotation image output unit 216, which are realized by the arithmetic processing unit 21. Note that the same components as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

[0033] The operation determination unit 211 determines whether a user operation has been performed on the operation screen 400 (see FIG. 4) via the input unit 24. This user operation includes, for example, a cursor movement operation for changing the coordinates specified on the operation screen 400, a mouse-over operation, a click operation, a drag operation, etc. for specifying or determining the position of an image, an icon, etc. Further, when an operation for instructing the annotation addition to the document image 420 and an operation for determining the position where the annotation image 520 is to be added are performed, the operation determination unit 211 generates annotation addition information indicating the type of annotation to be added and the determined position.

[0034] The communication processing unit 212 processes the information transmitted or received by the communication unit 23. Based on the user operation determined by the operation determination unit 211, the communication processing unit 212 makes a request to the server device 10. For example, when an operation for starting the use of a document management service or a document processing service is performed by the user, various images for displaying on the operation screen 400 and an annotation image 520 for adding to the document image 420 are requested from the server device 10. Also, for example, when an operation for specifying the document icon 410 is performed, the corresponding document image 420 is requested from the server device 10. Further, the communication processing unit 212 performs a process of storing the images, documents, etc. transmitted by the server device 10 in response to the request in the secondary storage unit 22.

[0035] The image acquisition unit 213 extracts, from the secondary storage unit 22, an image for displaying on the operation screen 400 in response to an instruction from the display control unit 214, the document image output unit 215, or the annotation image output unit 216. Based on the content determined by the operation determination unit 211, the display control unit 214 not only displays on the operation screen 400 the image, text, etc. extracted by the image acquisition unit 213 from the secondary storage unit 22, but also controls the display mode such as the size and position of the displayed image, text, etc.

[0036] Based on the determination of the operation determination unit 211 that the document icon 410 is specified, the document image output unit 215 instructs the image acquisition unit 213 to retrieve the corresponding document image 420 from the secondary storage unit 22. Then, the retrieved document image 420 is output to the display unit 25 to display the document image 420.

[0037] Based on the determination of the operation determination unit 211 that the annotation icon 52 is specified, the annotation image output unit 216 instructs the image acquisition unit 213 to retrieve the corresponding annotation image 520 from the secondary storage unit 22. Then, the retrieved annotation image 520 is output to the display unit 25 and displayed at the position on the document image 420 determined by the user operation, thereby performing annotation on the document image 420.

[0038] [Use of Document Processing Service] Next, regarding the processing performed by the server device 10 and the client device 20 when using the document processing service, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure related to the display of the document image 420 in the client device 20. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure in the server device 10. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure related to the annotation of the document image 420 in the client device 20. FIGS. 10(A) and (B) are diagrams showing display examples of the operation screen 400 when using the document processing service. FIG. 10(A) shows a state where the document image 420 is displayed, and FIG. 10(B) shows a display example of a state shifted to the annotation mode. Note that in FIGS. 7 to 10, for the same configurations as in FIGS. 1 to 6, the same reference numerals are given and the description is omitted.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 10(A) and (B), in the present embodiment, the display unit 25 displays, in addition to the operation screen 400, the document image 420, etc., a cursor 240 indicating the coordinates on the screen. This cursor 240 moves by the operation of the user input via the input unit 24 such as a mouse. In the present embodiment, the user can specify this coordinate as the designated coordinate by performing an operation of indicating the coordinate to be specified with the cursor 240. Note that the operation of designating the coordinate within the display area of the image or text as the designated coordinate is called a "mouse-over operation" on the image or text.

[0040] Here, in the present embodiment, the document image 420 is displayed by a mouse-over operation on the document icon 410. Further, for the purpose of switching the display and non-display of the document image 420 by a simple operation, after a mouse-over operation on the displayed document image 420 is performed and this mouse-over operation is released, the document image 420 is configured to become non-displayed. In other words, when an operation is performed to move the designated coordinate indicated by the cursor 240 out of the display area of the document image 420 which is an example of a predetermined area, the document image 420 becomes non-displayed.

[0041] (Processing related to the display of the document image 420) Referring to FIG. 7, first, the operation determination unit 211 of the client device 20 determines whether a mouse-over operation on the document icon 410 has been performed (step 701). If a mouse-over operation on the document icon 410 has not been performed as shown by the cursor 240 (position C) in FIG. 10(A) (NO in step 701), it waits until the document icon 410 is specified. If a mouse-over operation on the document icon 410a has been performed as shown by the cursor 240 (position A) (YES in step 701), it accepts an instruction to display the document image 420. Based on this instruction, the communication processing unit 212 requests the server device 10 for the document image 420 corresponding to Document A (step 702).

[0042] Referring to FIG. 8, the communication processing unit 111 of the server device 10 acquires a request for the document image 420 from the client device 20 (step 801). In step 802, the document image generation unit 113 retrieves the specified document A from the secondary storage unit 12 and generates the corresponding document image 420. If the document A is a multi-page document, first, the document image 420 of the first page (page 1) of the document is generated.

[0043] In step 803, the communication processing unit 111 transmits the generated document image 420 to the client device 20. In step 804, the communication processing unit 111 determines whether the document image 420 of the last page of the document A has been transmitted. If the document image 420 of the last page has not been transmitted (NO in step 804), for example, if the document image 420 corresponding to page 1 of the document A has been transmitted, the process returns to step 802 to generate the document images 420 of the subsequent pages. In this way, the processes of steps 802 to 804 are repeated until the document images 420 from page 1 to the last page of the document A are generated. When the document image 420 of the last page has been transmitted (YES in step 804), the process proceeds to step 805 to wait for a request from the client device 20.

[0044] Returning to FIG. 7, the communication processing unit 212 of the client device 20 receives the document image 420 from the server device 10 (step 703) and stores it in the secondary storage unit 22. Then, the document image output unit 215 retrieves the document image 420 and outputs it to the display unit 25 for display (step 704). Also, as shown in FIG. 10(A), in this embodiment, the menu image 50 is displayed within the display area of the document image 420.

[0045] In step 705, the operation determination unit 211 determines whether a mouse-over operation has been performed on the document image 420. In other words, the operation determination unit 211 determines whether the designated coordinates are within the display area of the document image 420. Then, as shown by the cursor 240 (position A) in FIG. 10(A), when no mouse-over operation has been performed on the document image 420 (NO in step 705), the display of the document image 420 is continued. As shown by the cursor 240 (position B) in FIG. 10(A), when a mouse-over operation has been performed on the document image 420 (YES in step 705), the process proceeds to step 706.

[0046] In step 706, the operation determination unit 211 determines whether the mouse-over operation on the document image 420 has been canceled. In other words, the operation determination unit 211 determines whether an operation has been performed to move the designated coordinates outside the display area of the document image 420. Then, when the mouse-over operation on the document image 420 has not been canceled (NO in step 706), the display of the document image 420 is continued. For example, in FIG. 10(A), when an operation is performed to move the cursor 240 from position B to position C and the mouse-over operation on the document image 420 has been canceled (YES in step 706), the process proceeds to step 707.

[0047] Note that even when the mouse-over operation on the document image 420 has been canceled, if a mouse-over operation on the document icon 410a is continuously performed (that is, without passing through a state where the cursor 240 is outside both the display area of the document image 420 and the display area of the document icon 410a), the display of the document image 420 may be continued. The subsequent processing is the same as when the process proceeds to step 702.

[0048] In step 707, the operation determination unit 211 determines whether it is in the annotation addition mode. In the present embodiment, it is determined whether it is in a state where an instruction for adding an annotation has been given by a click operation on the annotation icon 52 and a click operation for determining the position of adding the annotation is being awaited. If it is not in the annotation addition mode (NO in step 707), the process proceeds to step 709 to hide the document image 420. If it is in the annotation addition mode (YES in step 707), the process proceeds to step 708.

[0049] In step 708, the operation determination unit 211 determines whether a click operation has been performed. If a click operation has not been performed (NO in step 708), the process returns to step 706 to continue displaying the document image 420. If a click operation has been performed (YES in step 708), the process proceeds to step 709 to hide the document image. As shown in steps 708 and 709, in the present embodiment, in the annotation addition mode, if a click operation for determining the position of adding an annotation is performed outside the display area of the document image 420, the document image 420 is hidden. By making the operation of hiding the document image 420 the same as the operation of determining the position, the operation of hiding the document image 420 is performed smoothly as compared with the case of making different operations.

[0050] Note that during the period from when the document image 420 is displayed until it becomes hidden (steps 704 to 709), an annotation may be added to the document image 420. The processing related to this annotation addition will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 9.

[0051] In step 710, the communication processing unit 212 requests the server device 10 to update the document. More specifically, it transmits annotation addition information to the server device 10 and requests that the annotation image 520 added to the document image 420 be added in the same manner at the corresponding position on the corresponding page of Document A. Referring to FIG. 8, the communication processing unit 111 of the server device 10 acquires a request for updating a document from the client device 20 (step 806). Then, in step 807, the document processing unit 114 updates the document with reference to the annotation information received from the client device 20. Through the above processing procedure, the processing related to the display of the document image 420 ends.

[0052] (Processing related to adding an annotation to a document image) Next, the processing of adding an annotation to the document image 420, which is performed while the document image 420 is being displayed until it becomes non-displayed, will be described. Referring to FIG. 9, in a state where the document image 420 and the menu image 50 are being displayed, the operation determination unit 211 determines whether a click operation has been performed on the annotation icon 52 (see FIG. 4) (step 901). If a click operation has not been performed on the annotation icon 52 (NO in step 901), it waits for a user operation. If a click operation has been performed on the annotation icon 52 (YES in step 901), it shifts to the annotation mode (step 902) and waits for the determination of the position where the corresponding annotation image 520 is to be added.

[0053] For example, when a click operation is performed on the stamp icon 52d shown in FIG. 10(B), it shifts to the annotation mode and waits for the determination of the position where the stamp image 520d is to be added. At this time, by configuring the stamp image 520d to follow the movement of the cursor 240, it becomes easier for the user to grasp where the stamp image 520d will be added. Also, in the present embodiment, when performing a click operation on the annotation icon 52 or determining the position where the annotation image 520 is to be added, a mouse-over operation on the document image 420 will be performed (YES in step 705 of FIG. 7). However, in the annotation addition mode, even if an operation is performed to move the cursor 240 outside the display area of the document image 420 as shown in FIG. 10(B), if a click operation is not performed at that position, the display of the document image 420 will continue (YES in step 706, YES in step 707, and NO in step 708 of FIG. 7).

[0054] Returning to FIG. 9, in step 903, the operation determination unit 211 determines whether a click operation has been performed within the display area of the document image 420. In the case of a process that requires determination of multiple positions, such as when adding the marker image 520a (see FIG. 4), it is determined whether the required number of click operations has been performed. If no click operation has been performed (NO in step 903), the annotation addition mode is continued. If a click operation has been performed within the display area of the document image 420 (YES in step 903), the corresponding annotation image 520 is added at the position where the click operation was performed (step 904), and the annotation addition mode is canceled (step 905). In this way, the process related to adding an annotation to the document image 420 ends. After that, by performing the processes of steps 706 to 710 of FIG. 7 and steps 806 and 807 of FIG. 8, Document A is updated.

[0055] By using the document processing service as described above, the user can add an annotation to a document even when the client device 20 does not have a program for opening and editing the document. Also, since the processing can be performed while the document is stored in the server device 10 without downloading it to the client device 20, when multiple client devices 20 perform processing on the same document, the labor of downloading and storing the document is reduced.

[0056] Also, when an annotation is instructed to be added by the user, the client device 20 in the present embodiment shifts to an annotation addition mode, which is an example of a standby state. In this annotation addition mode, even if an operation to remove the designated coordinates from the display area of the document image 420 is performed, the document image 420 is not made invisible. By configuring in this way, even when performing annotation addition, which is a process that requires position determination, it is possible to suppress a decrease in user operability due to the unintentional invisibility of the document image 420 compared to the case where the document image 420 is made invisible by canceling the designation of the document.

[0057] Furthermore, in the annotation addition mode, the client device 20 in the present embodiment performs a process of adding an annotation image 520 using an image or text at the determined position on the document image 420. By configuring in this way, it is possible to suppress the unintentional invisibility of the document image when determining the position to which the annotation is added. Furthermore, as a process for similarly adding the annotation image 520 added to the document image 420 at the corresponding position of the corresponding document, a request to update the document is made to the server device 10. By configuring in this way, it becomes easier to add an annotation to the document compared to the case where the annotation image 520 added to the document image 420 is not added to the document. Note that in this aspect, the document image 420 also functions as an image for receiving an annotation for the corresponding document.

[0058] [Modification examples, etc.] (Cancellation of annotation addition mode) In the above-described present embodiment, as shown in steps 903 to 905 of FIG. 9, by performing an operation to determine a position, an annotation is added and the annotation addition mode is canceled. By configuring in this way, it becomes easier to make the document image 420 invisible after the process compared to the case where the annotation addition mode is not canceled even when an operation to determine a position is performed. However, the operation for determining the position is an example of a release condition for canceling the annotation mode, and when other operations are performed, for example, when a predetermined key operation or the like is performed, the annotation mode may be canceled. In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the annotation mode is canceled when the release condition related to the user's operation is satisfied, the user can arbitrarily switch between the display and non-display of the document image 420. Note that a plurality of release conditions may be provided.

[0059] Also, when a predetermined operation by the user, such as a double-click operation on the annotation icon 52 or a predetermined key operation, is performed, even if an operation for determining the position is performed and the annotation image 520 is added, the configuration may be such that the annotation mode is not canceled (hereinafter, this state may be referred to as the "continuous mode"). For example, in FIG. 10(B), when the position for adding the first stamp image 520d is determined after a predetermined operation is performed, the configuration may be such that the determination of the position for adding the second and subsequent stamp images 520d is awaited without canceling the annotation mode. By configuring in this way, compared with the case where the annotation mode is always canceled when the operation for determining the position is performed, continuous processing of the document image 420 becomes easier.

[0060] (Non-display of document image) In the above-described embodiment, when a click operation is performed outside the display area of the document image 420, the document image 420 is made non-display, but an exception may be provided. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of the operation screen 400 when determining the position for adding the marker image 520a. When it is desired to add a marker image 520a from the left end to the right end of the document image 420 as shown in the figure, as indicated by the dashed line, a click operation may be performed at a position that protrudes from the display area of the document image 420. Thus, when an instruction to add an annotation that may protrude from the document image 420 is given, as an exception, even if a click operation is performed outside the display area of the document image 420, the document image 420 may not be made non-displayed. In this case, for example, the document image 420 may be made non-displayed by performing a click operation again after the annotation image 520 is added.

[0061] (Instruction for adding annotation) Also, the method by which the user gives an instruction to add an annotation is not limited. For example, it may be configured to give an instruction to add an annotation by a predetermined key operation or an operation on an instruction image provided in the toolbar 430. However, by configuring to give an instruction to add an annotation by a click operation on the annotation icon 52 displayed within the display area of the document image 420 as in the present embodiment, compared to the case of giving an instruction by a key operation, it is possible to suppress the document image 420 from being made non-displayed unintentionally when giving an instruction. Also, by configuring to receive an instruction to add an annotation within the display area of the document image 420 as in the present embodiment, even after moving the designated coordinates within the display area of the document image 420, it is possible to give an instruction to add an annotation.

[0062] Also, it may be configured to accept a change in the position to be added by designating the annotation image 520 already added to the document image 420. For example, by a click operation on the stamp image 520d in FIG. 4, a transition to the annotation addition mode may be made, and then a process of moving and re-adding the stamp image 520d to the position determined by a click operation may be performed. In this case, the stamp image 520d is an example of an instruction image for instructing the addition of an annotation.

[0063] (List display of documents) In FIGS. 4 and 10, an example of displaying a list of documents managed by a document management service using document icons 410 has been shown, but a list display using text or the like may also be performed. FIG. 12 is an example of an operation screen 400 when displaying a list of documents in text. In this example, document texts 411a, 411b, and 411c corresponding to documents A, B, and C are displayed respectively. In this case, by performing a mouse-over operation on the document text 411a like the cursor 240 (position A), the display of the document image 420 corresponding to document A can be instructed.

[0064] (Predetermined area) Also, in the present embodiment, the determination regarding the display or non-display of the document image 420 is made using the display area of the document image 420, but other areas may be used as the predetermined area for the determination. For example, in FIG. 12, a background image 421 is displayed so as to include the display area of the document image 420, but the display area of this background image 421 may be used for the determination. In this aspect, when not in the annotation mode, if the designated coordinates are outside the display area of the document image 420 and within the display area of the background image 421 like the cursor 240 (position B), the document image 420 is not made non-display. On the other hand, if the designated coordinates are outside the display area of the background image 421 like the cursor 240 (position C), the document image 420 is made non-display. Thus, the predetermined area used for the determination regarding the display or non-display of the document image 420 is not limited as long as it is an area including the display area of the document image 420. Note that when the display area of the background image 421 is used as the predetermined area in the example of FIG. 12, as shown in the figure, the menu image 50 may be displayed with the designated coordinates outside the display area of the document image 420 and within the display area of the background image 421. By configuring in this way, compared with the case of displaying the menu image 50 within the display area of the document image 420, the decrease in the visibility of the user with respect to the document image 420 is suppressed.

[0065] (Processing by a single device) In the above-described embodiment, the annotation is added to the document image 420 by the client device 20, and the configuration for adding the annotation to the corresponding document by the server device 10 has been described. However, these processes may be performed by a single device. For example, the client device 20 may be provided with a function of generating a document image 420 corresponding to the document A stored in the secondary storage unit 22 and a function of adding an annotation to the document A, so that the process can be performed by the client device 20 alone.

[0066] (User operation) For the various user operations described, for example, the click operation for specifying the instruction image, the click operation for determining the position, the movement of the specified coordinates, etc. may be replaced with other operations within a non-conflicting range. Also, when the input unit 24 includes a plurality of devices, the operations of the plurality of devices may be combined and used. However, by adopting the configuration in which the various user operations are performed by a single device such as a mouse as in the above-described embodiment, the operability of the user is improved as compared with the case of using a combination of operations of a plurality of devices.

[0067] (Processing requiring determination of position) In this embodiment, as an example of the processing requiring determination of position, the addition of an annotation to the document image 420 has been described. However, the types of processing requiring determination of position are not limited. For example, it may be a capture process of acquiring the display content of the area determined according to the position determined by the user as an image. Also, for example, it may be a process of acquiring the text information displayed at the position or area determined by the user. Even when a process different from such annotation addition is instructed, it shifts to a standby state waiting for determination of the position, similar to the annotation addition mode.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0068] 1… Information processing system, 10… Server device, 20, 20a, 20b… Client device, 11a, 21a… CPU, 52, 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d… Annotation icon, 113… Document image generation unit, 114… Document processing unit, 211… Operation determination unit, 215… Document image output unit, 216… Annotation image output unit, 240… Cursor, 400… Operation screen, 410, 410a, 410b, 410c… Document icon, 420… Document image, 520, 520a, 520b, 520c, 520d… Annotation image

Claims

1. comprising a processor, wherein the processor displays a document image corresponding to the content of a document by an operation of instructing the display of the document image on an operation screen that receives a user operation, when an operation of removing the specified coordinates specified by the user operation from a predetermined area including the area where the document image is displayed is performed, makes the document image non-displayed, when a process that requires the user to determine a position on the operation screen for the document image is instructed, shifts to a standby state to wait for the determination of the position, and in the standby state, does not make the document image non-displayed even if an operation of removing the specified coordinates from the predetermined area is performed characterizing an information processing apparatus.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process that requires the determination of the position is a process of adding an annotation by an image or text at the position when the position is determined.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor adds the annotation given to the document image at the corresponding position of the document as well.

4. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor releases the standby state when a release condition related to the user operation is satisfied.

5. The release condition is that an operation of determining the position is performed, and the processor, when the release condition is satisfied, performs the process at the position and releases the standby state characterizing the information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processor does not release the standby state even if the position is determined when a predetermined operation by the user is performed.

7. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processor makes the document image non-displayed when an operation of determining the position in the standby state is performed outside the predetermined area.

8. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the processor receives an instruction for a process that requires the determination of the position in a state where the specified coordinates are in the predetermined area.

9. The processor display an instruction image for instructing a process that requires determination of the position in the predetermined area; when the instruction image is specified by the user's operation, shift to the standby state The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. In a computer, a function of displaying a document image corresponding to the content of a document by an operation of instructing display of the document image on an operation screen for receiving a user's operation; a function of making the document image non-displayed when an operation of removing the designated coordinates specified by the user's operation from a predetermined area including the area where the document image is displayed is performed; a function of shifting to a standby state of waiting for determination of the position when a process that requires determination of the position on the operation screen by the user is instructed for the document image; a function of not making the document image non-displayed even when an operation of removing the designated coordinates from the predetermined area is performed in the standby state A program for realizing.

Images