Editing method, program, information processing apparatus, and printing apparatus

Abstract

To suppress a burden on a user in editing a layout of objects to be printed on a printed medium.SOLUTION: An editing method performed by a computer includes: causing a display unit to display an editing screen on which a layout of objects can be edited; and allowing selection conditions for each of the objects on the editing screen to be switched so that the object is in a selected state or in a non-selected state on the basis of operation of a user. The switchable selection conditions may include a combination of a first selection condition for selecting an object whose area is entirely included in a range designated by operation for designating the range and a second selection condition for selecting an object whose area is at least partially included in the designated range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] A user of a printing apparatus that prints on a tape-shaped printing medium can edit the layout of objects such as characters and graphics to be printed on the printing medium by using the printing apparatus itself or an information processing apparatus that executes a dedicated application. During the editing of the layout of the objects, the user can select a desired object from among a plurality of objects arranged in the editing screen by performing a predetermined selection operation (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a selection operation for selecting an object arranged in an editing screen such as a mouse drag is performed, the printing apparatus itself or the information processing apparatus changes an object that satisfies a selection condition associated with the selection operation to a display indicating that it is in a selected state. However, in the conventional editing process, the selection condition is fixed. For example, the selection condition associated with a selection operation for specifying a range in the editing screen is generally determined to be either selecting an object that is entirely included within the specified range or selecting an object that is at least partially included within the specified range. Therefore, when the number of objects arranged in the editing screen increases, it becomes difficult to select only a desired object by a predetermined selection operation, and the burden on the user increases.

[0005] An object according to one aspect of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of suppressing the burden on a user in the layout editing work of an object to be printed on a printing medium.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] An editing method according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to display an editing screen on a display unit that can edit the layout of an object, and on the editing screen For specifying a range in Based on the operation by the user Range specification Based on For each of the objects on the editing screen Either a selected state or a non-selected state is set When making the user select, prior to the range specification operation An object of the same type as the object is set to the selected state Make First Setting And Prior to the range specification operation, by the user An object of a type different from the selected object is set to the selected state Make Second Between the setting to be made and the setting And executes a process that enables switching.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the above aspect, it is possible to suppress the burden on the user in the layout editing work of the object to be printed on the printing medium.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a printing apparatus that can be used in combination with an information processing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically explaining the mechanism inside the printing apparatus. FIG. 2 schematically shows the mechanism along the conveyance path of the printing medium in a thermal printing apparatus.

[0011] The printing apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 can perform printing on a tape-shaped printing medium 21 and cutting of the printing medium 21 based on print data transmitted from the information processing apparatus 1. The information processing apparatus 1 is a device capable of executing a dedicated application 2 corresponding to the printing apparatus 10, and can be, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer or a smartphone. The information processing apparatus 1 and the printing apparatus 10 can perform wireless communication according to a known short-range wireless communication standard or wired communication via a transmission cable.

[0012] The printing apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a mounting portion for mounting a cassette (media adapter) that supplies the print medium 21, a conveyance mechanism that conveys the print medium 21, a printing mechanism that prints on the print medium 21, and a cutting mechanism that cuts the print medium 21, within an apparatus housing composed of a first member 11 and a second member 12. Also, various electronic components such as a control circuit that controls the operations of the conveyance mechanism, the printing mechanism, and the cutting mechanism are provided within the apparatus housing. The second member (lid member) 12 is detachable from the first member 11, and by removing the second member 12 from the first member 11, a cassette (media adapter) containing the roll 20 around which the print medium 21 is wound can be mounted within the apparatus housing. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the print medium 21 unwound from the roll 20 is conveyed along a conveyance path that passes between the thermal head 15 and the platen roller 16. The thermal head 15 is a part of the printing mechanism and applies thermal energy to the print medium 21. The platen roller 16 is a part of the conveyance mechanism and conveys the print medium 21 along the conveyance path. The thermal head 15 and the platen roller 16 are configured to sandwich the print medium 21 at least when conveying the print medium 21. The platen roller 16 can rotate, for example, in the direction of conveying the print medium 21 downstream along the conveyance path (forward rotation) and in the direction of conveying the print medium 21 upstream along the conveyance path (reverse rotation). The print medium 21 conveyed downstream along the conveyance path is discharged outside the printing apparatus 10 from the discharge port 1101 provided in the first member 11.

[0013] When printing on the print medium 21 based on print data, the printing device 10 first transports the print medium 21 so that the starting edge (the leading edge on the downstream side of the transport path) of the print medium 21 is at the cue position illustrated in FIG. 2 . The printing device 10 then rotates the platen roller 16 forward to transport the print medium 21 while printing on the print medium 21 using the thermal head 15. The printing device 10 can also cut the print medium 21 using the first cutter 1701 or the second cutter 1702 at a predetermined timing, such as after printing on the print medium 21 is completed. The first cutter 1701 is a cutter that performs what is called a full cut on the print medium 21, cutting the entire print medium 21 at the full cut position to divide it into two pieces. The second cutter 1702 is a cutter that performs what is called a half cut on the print medium 21. The second cutter 1702 cuts the print medium 21 at the half cut position. If the print medium 21 is an adhesive tape-type medium with a multi-layer structure having an adhesive layer and a release paper, the second cutter 1702 cuts the layers other than the release paper at the half-cut line of the print medium 21 that overlaps the half-cut position. The second cutter 1702 may cut the half-cut line of the print medium 21 that overlaps the half-cut position in a perforated pattern with cut and uncut sections alternating.

[0014] As described above, the printing device 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 can print and cut onto a print medium 21 based on print data transmitted from the information processing device 1. For this reason, the printing device 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 does not include a keyboard that can be used to create print data. Operation buttons 13 and indicator lamps 14 related to the operation of the printing device 10 are arranged on the outer surface of the first member 11 of the printing device 10 illustrated in FIG. 1. The operation buttons 13 include, for example, a button for turning the power on and off, a button for switching the type (standard) of wireless communication, and a button for reprinting. The indicator lamps 14 include, for example, a lamp that indicates the power on / off status, a lamp that indicates the type of valid wireless communication, and a lamp that notifies of errors.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus. Each block in the information processing apparatus 1 and the printing apparatus 10 in FIG. 3 illustrates a functional configuration and is associated with a hardware configuration as described below.

[0016] The information processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 30, a storage unit 31, an input unit 32, a display unit 33, and a communication unit 34. The control unit 30 controls various operations that can be performed by the information processing apparatus 1. The control unit 30 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the operation of the information processing apparatus 1 by executing a program of an OS (Operation System) and various application programs stored in the storage unit 31. The application programs executed by the processor include application programs that cooperate with the printing apparatus 10.

[0017] The storage unit 31 stores various types of information and the like that can be used for controlling the operation of the information processing apparatus 1 by the control unit 30. The storage unit 31 can store, for example, a program executed by a processor as the control unit 30, data referred to during program execution, data generated during program execution, and the like. The storage unit 31 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 31 may include a built-in auxiliary storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 31 may include a portable recording medium such as a memory card or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory.

[0018] The input unit 32 accepts operations to input various types of information to the information processing device 1. The input unit 32 includes, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The display unit 33 displays various types of information related to the operation of the information processing device 1. The display unit 33 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display. If the information processing device 1 is a tablet computer or a smartphone, the combination of the input unit 32 and the display unit 33 may include a touch panel display in which a digitizer (position detector) is superimposed on the display area of the liquid crystal display.

[0019] The communication unit 34 communicates with the printing device 10 in accordance with at least a communication standard applied to the printing device 10. The communication unit 34 includes a communication interface capable of wireless communication with an external device according to known short-range wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, registered trademark). The communication unit 34 may include a terminal to which a transmission cable with a general-purpose connector, such as a USB cable, can be connected.

[0020] Note that the information processing device 1 is not limited to the configuration described above with reference to Fig. 3 and may include other configurations. Furthermore, one block in the information processing device 1 illustrated in Fig. 3 is not limited to a single piece of hardware, but may be a combination of multiple pieces of hardware. For example, the control unit 30 may include a first processor such as a CPU that processes a program, and a second processor such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that controls the display of the display unit 33. Furthermore, multiple blocks in the information processing device 1 illustrated in Fig. 3 may be realized by a single piece of hardware, or hardware corresponding to one block may include hardware elements corresponding to the functions of the other blocks.

[0021] The printing device 10 includes a control unit 40, a storage unit 41, an input unit 42, a display unit 43, a communication unit 44, a detection unit 45, a conveyance unit 46, a printing unit 47, and a cutting unit 48. The control unit 40 controls various operations that can be performed by the printing device 10. The control unit 40 is a processor such as a CPU, and controls the operation of the printing device 10 by executing the programs of the OS stored in the storage unit 41 and various programs related to printing on the printing medium 21. The various programs related to printing on the printing medium 21 include, for example, a program related to communication with the information processing device 1 and a program for controlling the operations of the conveyance unit 46, the printing unit 47, and the cutting unit 48 based on the printing data.

[0022] The storage unit 41 stores various information and the like that can be used for controlling the operation of the printing device 10 by the control unit 40. In the storage unit 41, for example, programs executed by the processor as the control unit 40 and printing data and the like referred to during the execution of the programs can be stored. The storage unit 41 includes a ROM and a RAM. The storage unit 41 may include a portable recording medium such as a memory card or a USB memory.

[0023] The input unit 42 receives operations for inputting various information into the printing device 10. The display unit 43 displays various information related to the operation of the information processing device 1. In the printing device 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, the operation button 13 corresponds to the input unit 42, and the display lamp 14 corresponds to the display unit 43. Note that the input unit 42 of the printing device 10 may include, for example, a keyboard that can be used for inputting characters or the like to be printed on the printing medium 21. Further, the display unit 43 of the printing device 10 may include, for example, a display device capable of displaying character information such as a liquid crystal display.

[0024] The communication unit 44 communicates with an external device such as the information processing device 1 according to a predetermined communication standard. The communication unit 44 includes, for example, a communication interface capable of wireless communication with an external device according to a known short-range wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi and BLE. The communication unit 44 may include a terminal to which a transmission cable having a general-purpose connector such as a USB cable can be connected.

[0025] The detection unit 45 detects various pieces of information related to the print medium 21. The detection unit 45 includes, for example, a first sensor that detects whether a cartridge (medium adapter) containing the roll 20 is attached and the width of the roll 20 (print medium 21), and a second sensor that detects whether the print medium 21 is present on the transport path.

[0026] The transport unit 46 transports the print medium 21 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 40. The transport unit 46 corresponds to the transport mechanism described above and includes a platen roller 16, a motor for rotating the platen roller 16, and an encoder for acquiring information indicating the transport amount of the print medium 21. The printing unit 47 prints on the print medium 21 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 40. The printing unit 47 corresponds to the printing mechanism described above and includes a thermal head 15, a control circuit for controlling the current applied to the heating elements of the thermal head 15, and a thermistor for detecting the temperature of the thermal head 15. The cutting unit 48 cuts the print medium 21 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 40. The cutting unit 48 corresponds to the cutting mechanism described above and includes a first cutter 1701, a second cutter 1702, and motors for operating each cutter.

[0027] The printing device 10 is not limited to the configuration described above with reference to FIG. 3 and may include other configurations. For example, the detection unit 45 of the printing device 10 may include a sensor that detects the color of the print medium 21 and a sensor that moves the leading edge of the print medium 21 to the cue position described above with reference to FIG. 2. The printing device 10 may also omit some of the configurations described above with reference to FIG. 3. For example, the cutting unit 48 of the printing device 10 may omit the second cutter 1702 that half-cuts the print medium 21. The cutter of the cutting unit 48 may also be configured to cut the print medium 21 by operating in response to an external force applied when a user presses a predetermined button.

[0028] As described above, the information processing apparatus 1 can execute an application program for creating print data. When the application program is launched in the information processing apparatus 1, an editing screen (display screen) for editing the layout of objects such as characters and graphics to be printed on the print medium 21 is displayed on the display unit 33.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an editing screen for editing the layout of an object. The editing screen 200 illustrated in FIG. 4 is displayed in the whole or a part of the display area of the display unit 33 as one window (working area) of the application.

[0030] The editing screen 200 includes a menu area 210, an editing area 220, and an auxiliary information area 230. In the menu area 210, processes executable by the application are displayed in a manner that can be specified by operating a keyboard or a mouse. In the menu area 210, a button 211 for selecting a process of inputting a character string, which is one of the objects, in horizontal writing, a button 212 for selecting a process of inputting in vertical writing, etc. are displayed. In the editing area 220, a medium area 221 indicating the print medium 21 and objects such as characters and graphics to be printed on the print medium 21 are displayed. In the auxiliary information area 230, information 231 indicating the dimensions of the medium area 221, information 232 indicating the selection conditions of the object, etc. are displayed.

[0031] The media area 221 within the editing area 220 illustrated in FIG. 4 is shown with the conveyance direction during printing of the print medium 21 to be used for printing (in other words, the conveyance direction when the platen roller 16 in FIG. 2 rotates forward) as the left direction. In this case, the length of the left side 221a (and the right side 221b) of the media area 221 corresponds to the width of the print medium 21 to be used for printing, and corresponds to the label width in the information 231 of the auxiliary information area 230. The label width can be selected, for example, from among the widths of the print medium 21 corresponding to the printing device 10 used for printing on the print medium 21. Also, the distance from the left side 221a to the right side 221b of the media area 221 is the length of the label (media piece of the print medium 21) created by performing printing on the print medium 21 by the printing device 10, and corresponds to the label length in the information 231 of the auxiliary information area 230. The label length can be set to any length equal to or greater than the shortest length corresponding to the printing device 10 used for printing on the print medium 21, for example. The length of the label can be changed, for example, by moving the slider 229 in the editing area 220 along the ruler or by inputting a numerical value indicating the label length in the information 231 of the auxiliary information area 230.

[0032] The dashed rectangle 222 within the media area 221 illustrated in FIG. 4 indicates the boundary between the printable area when performing printing on the print medium 21 by the printing device 10 and the margin area set on the outer peripheral portion of the media area 221. The user of the information processing apparatus 1 executing the application edits the layout of objects such as characters and graphics so that the objects fit within the printable area surrounded by the dashed rectangle 222, for example.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a first example of a plurality of objects arranged within the editing screen. FIG. 5 shows a partial area 220P corresponding to the portion of the media area 221 within the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200 illustrated in FIG. 4 and the peripheral portion thereof that is displayed.

[0034] In the partial area 220P illustrated in FIG. 5, four character objects 240 to 243, one graphic object 250 of the first type, and one graphic object 260 of the second type are arranged. Note that the two-dot chain line rectangles for each of the objects 240 to 243, 250, and 260 are illustrated to make the shape and dimensions of the object (in other words, the area recognized as an object within the editing screen 200) easier to understand, and are not displayed within the editing screen 200 including the partial area 220P displayed on the display unit 33 of the information processing apparatus 1.

[0035] The operation of selecting one or more of the objects 240 to 243, 250, and 260 arranged within the partial area 220P is generally roughly classified into two types: an operation of directly specifying the object to be selected and an operation of specifying a range within the editing area 220. The operation of directly specifying the object to be selected is, for example, an operation of moving the mouse so that the pointer 300 overlaps with the object to be selected (for example, the character object 240), and more specifically, to a position within the area represented by the two-dot chain line rectangle in FIG. 5, and then clicking the mouse. The operation of specifying a range within the editing area 220 is, for example, an operation of dragging the mouse. When the information processing apparatus 1 has the touch panel display described above, an object can be directly specified (selected) by touching an object displayed on the touch panel display (more specifically, within the area indicated by the two-dot chain line rectangle in FIG. 5) with a finger, a stylus, or the like. Also, when the information processing apparatus 1 has the touch panel display described above, a range can be specified within the editing area 220 by moving a finger, a stylus, or the like that is in contact with a point within the editing area 220 to another point and then releasing the contact.

[0036] In conventional applications, when an operation to specify a range is performed within editing area 220, the selection condition for placing each object in either a selected state or a non-selected state based on the specified range is set to one of the following two selection conditions. The first selection condition is a selection condition in which an object that is entirely contained within the specified range is selected, and other objects are non-selected. The second selection condition is a selection condition in which an object that is at least partially contained within the specified range is selected, and other objects are non-selected. An object that is entirely contained within the specified range is, for example, an object whose entire area within the dashed-dotted rectangle shown in FIG. 5 is included within the specified range. An object that is at least partially contained within the specified range is, for example, an object whose entire area within the dashed-dotted rectangle shown in FIG. 5 is included within the specified range.

[0037] Whether the first selection condition or the second selection condition is applied varies from application to application. Therefore, the selection condition applied to an application for editing the layout of objects may differ from the selection condition that is most convenient for the user, which may reduce the usability of the application. Furthermore, when only one of the first selection condition and the second selection condition is specified, it may be difficult to select only the desired multiple objects by specifying a range. When it is difficult to select only the desired multiple objects by specifying a range, the user may have to perform an operation such as directly specifying each of the multiple objects while pressing a specific key.

[0038] In contrast, in the application according to the embodiment of the present invention, the user can switch whether the selection condition of the object when an operation of specifying a range is performed is either the first selection condition or the second selection condition. For example, the user can use the radio buttons in the information 232 indicating the selection condition of the object displayed on the editing screen 200 illustrated in FIG. 4 to specify that the selection condition of the object when an operation of specifying a range is performed is either "all" corresponding to the first selection condition or "part" corresponding to the second selection condition. Further, during the execution of the application, the user can switch the selection condition of the object when an operation of specifying a range is performed by using the radio buttons in the information 232. Note that the information 232 indicating the selection condition of the object is not limited to the auxiliary information area 230 of the editing screen 200 illustrated in FIG. 4, and may be displayed in other areas within the editing screen 200. Further, the information 232 indicating the selection condition of the object may be always displayed in any area within the editing screen 200, for example, while the application is being executed, or may be displayed when an operation such as setting change using the menu area 210 is performed. Furthermore, the information 232 indicating the selection condition of the object is not limited to within the editing screen 200, and may be displayed, for example, in a sub-screen (sub-window) different from the editing screen 200, and it may be possible to change the display position within the display area of the display unit 33 separately from the editing screen 200.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the object when the selection condition is set to all and a range is specified. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the object when the selection condition is set to part and a range is specified. FIGS. 6 and 7 each show an example of the display of the object when an operation of specifying a range is performed within the partial area 220P in which the objects 240 to 243, 250, and 260 illustrated in FIG. 5 are arranged. Also, the XY orthogonal coordinate system in FIGS. 6 and 7 is a coordinate system set in the display area of the display unit 33 (or the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200). The positive direction of the X-axis is the right direction, and xb > xa. The positive direction of the Y-axis is the downward direction, and yb > ya.

[0040] In the information 232 indicating the selection conditions of the objects illustrated in FIG. 6, “All” is specified by a radio button. In this case, when an operation of specifying a range is performed, the information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application sets the selection conditions of the objects to the first selection condition (that is, the selection condition in which the objects entirely included within the specified range are set to the selected state and the other objects are set to the non - selected state). Therefore, for example, when the range SA is specified by dragging the mouse, the information processing apparatus 1 displays only the objects entirely included within the specified range SA as the selected objects. The information processing apparatus 1 determines, for example, based on the coordinates (xa, ya) of the upper - left corner Qa and the coordinates (xb, yb) of the lower - right corner Qb of the specified range SA within the editing area 220 including the partial area 220P, and the coordinates of the upper - left and lower - right corners of the arranged objects (more specifically, the coordinates of the upper - left and lower - right corners in the rectangle of the two - dotted line illustrated in FIG. 5), whether the entire object is included within the specified range SA. Among the objects 240 to 243, 250, and 260 illustrated in FIG. 5, the objects entirely included within the range SA illustrated in FIG. 6 are only the character object 240 of “Horizontal writing” and the character object 243 of “123”. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 1 sets the character object 240 of “Horizontal writing” to the display 240a indicating the selected state, and displays on the display unit 33 the editing screen 200 in which the character object 243 of “123” is set to the display 243a indicating the selected state. The displays 240a and 243a illustrated in FIG. 6 indicate the selected state by displaying, together with the object, a frame surrounding the object and a handle (the element indicated by “○” in FIG. 6) capable of changing the dimensions of the object.

[0041] On the other hand, in the information 232 indicating the selection conditions of the objects illustrated in FIG. 7, “part” is specified by a radio button. In this case, when an operation of specifying a range is performed, the information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application sets the selection conditions of the objects at the time of the range-specifying operation to the second selection conditions (that is, the selection conditions in which objects having at least a part included in the specified range are set to the selected state and other objects are set to the non-selected state). For this reason, for example, when the range SA is specified by dragging the mouse, the information processing apparatus 1 displays only the objects having at least a part included in the specified range SA as the selected objects. The information processing apparatus 1 determines, for example, based on the coordinates (xa, ya) of the upper left Qa and the coordinates (xb, yb) of the lower right Qb of the specified range SA and the coordinates of the upper left and the lower right of the arranged objects within the editing area 220 including the partial area 220P, whether or not at least a part of the objects is included in the specified range SA. All of the objects 240 to 243, 250, and 260 illustrated in FIG. 5 are objects having at least a part included in the range SA illustrated in FIG. 7. Accordingly, the information processing apparatus 1 displays on the display unit 33 an editing screen 200 in which each of the objects 240 to 243, 250, and 260 illustrated in FIG. 5 is set to displays 240a to 243a, 250a, and 260a indicating the selected state.

[0042] When the selection condition of an object when an operation for specifying a range in an application is performed is fixed to a second selection condition corresponding to "partial", it is difficult to select only two objects, i.e., the character object 240 named "horizontal writing" and the character object 243 named "123" illustrated in FIG. 5, by the operation of specifying a range. Therefore, for example, the user will perform an operation of directly specifying the character object 240 named "horizontal writing" and an operation of directly specifying the character object 243 named "123" while pressing a predetermined key. On the other hand, when the selection condition of an object when an operation for specifying a range in an application is performed is fixed to a first selection condition corresponding to "all", when all the objects 240 to 243, 250, and 260 illustrated in FIG. 5 are selected by the operation of specifying a range, the range to be specified becomes wider. Therefore, for example, when the user drags the mouse, the movement amount of the mouse becomes large and the range specification fails, or the end of the object to be selected is outside the range specified by dragging the mouse, resulting in a failure to select the object.

[0043] In contrast, in the application according to the embodiment of the present invention, as described above, the user can specify whether to use the first selection condition or the second selection condition as the selection condition of the object when an operation for specifying a range is performed, and can switch appropriately. Therefore, compared with an application fixed to either the first selection condition or the second selection condition, the burden on the user due to the operation of selecting an object can be suppressed.

[0044] FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a first example of processing related to object selection performed by an information processing apparatus. The flowchart of FIG. 8 is an example of processing related to object selection described above with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. When an operation for specifying a range is performed within an editing area 220 in which one or more objects are arranged, the information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application starts the processing illustrated in FIG. 8.

[0045] The information processing device 1 first acquires the coordinates (xa, ya) of the upper left and the coordinates (xb, yb) of the lower right of the specified range SA (step S1). In step S1, the information processing device 1 acquires, for example, the coordinates (xa, ya) of the upper left and the coordinates (xb, yb) of the lower right of the range SA in a coordinate system set in the display area by a known process that is performed when a range in the display area of the display unit 33 is specified by operating a pointing device such as a mouse. The coordinate system set in the display area may be, for example, a coordinate system set in the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200. Thereafter, the information processing device 1 performs a loop process (steps S2 to S9) to determine whether each object arranged in the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200 should be in a selected state or a non-selected state, and switches the display of the object (selected object) determined to be in a selected state to a display indicating the selected state (step S10).

[0046] For example, the information processing device 1 selects an object to be determined at the start of the loop processing (step S2). Next, the information processing device 1 acquires the upper left coordinates (x1, y1) and lower right coordinates (x2, y2) of the object to be determined (step S3). In step S3, the information processing device 1 acquires the upper left coordinates (x1, y1) and lower right coordinates (x2, y2) of the object to be determined in the coordinate system within the display area corresponding to the upper left coordinates (xa, ya) and lower right coordinates (xb, yb) of the range SA. The upper left coordinates (x1, y1) and lower right coordinates (x2, y2) of the object are the upper left coordinates (x1, y1) and lower right coordinates (x2, y2) of a rectangle drawn with two dotted lines that indicates the shape and dimensions of the object, as exemplified in FIG. 5, etc.

[0047] Next, the information processing device 1 determines whether the selection condition of the object is a part corresponding to the second determination condition or a whole corresponding to the first determination condition (step S4).

[0048] If all the object selection conditions are satisfied (step S4; all), the information processing device 1 determines whether x1≧xa, y1≧ya, x2≦xb, and y2≦yb are satisfied (step S5). In step S5, it is sufficient to determine whether all of the objects to be determined are included within the specified range SA. Therefore, the determination condition in step S5 is not limited to whether x1≧xa, y1≧ya, x2≦xb, and y2≦yb are satisfied, and other determination conditions may be used. If the determination condition in step S5 is satisfied (step S5; YES), the information processing device 1 determines that the object to be determined is an object to be set to a selected state (selected object) (step S7). If the determination condition in step S5 is not satisfied (step S5; NO), the information processing device 1 determines that the object to be determined is an object to be set to a non-selected state (non-selected object) (step S8).

[0049] On the other hand, if the selection condition for the object is partial (step S4; partial), the information processing device 1 determines whether x1>xb or x2<xa又はy1> yb or y2<yaを満たすか否かを判定する(ステップS6)。x1> xb or x2<xa又はy1> yb or y2 <yaを満たす場合、判定対象のオブジェクトの全部が範囲SAの外側にある。ステップS6では、判定対象のオブジェクトの少なくとも一部が指定された範囲SA内に含まれるか否かを判定することができればよい。このため、ステップS6の判定条件は、x1> xb or x2<xa又はy1> yb or y2 <yaを満たすか否かに限らず、他の判定条件であってもよい。ステップS6の判定条件を満たす場合(ステップS6;YES)、情報処理装置1は、判定対象のオブジェクトは非選択オブジェクトであるとする(ステップS8)。ステップS6の判定条件を満たしていない場合(ステップS6;NO)、情報処理装置1は、判定対象のオブジェクトは選択オブジェクトであるとする(ステップS7)。

[0050] After step S7 or S8, for example, at the end of the loop process (step S9), the information processing apparatus 1 determines whether it has specified whether each object arranged in the editing area 220 is a selected object or a non - selected object. If there remains an object for which it has not specified whether it is a selected object or a non - selected object, the information processing apparatus 1 continues the loop process. When it has specified whether each object is a selected object or a non - selected object, the information processing apparatus 1 ends the loop process and switches the display of the selected objects to a display indicating that they are in a selected state (step S10), and ends the process related to object selection.

[0051] Note that the process to be executed by the information processing apparatus 1 to realize the object selection method described above with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 is not limited to the process along the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 8, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0052] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining examples of selected objects and non - selected objects in a first example of the process related to object selection. The six dashed - double - dot rectangles 270 to 275 illustrated in FIG. 9 each show the outer shape of an object arranged in the partial area 220P (editing area 220). Also, the XY orthogonal coordinate system in FIG. 9 is a coordinate system set in the display area of the display unit 33 (or the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200). The X - axis has the right direction as the positive direction, and xb>xa. The Y - axis has the downward direction as the positive direction, and yb>ya.

[0053] When a user performs an operation to specify the range SA, generally, an operation is performed starting from the upper left point Qa of the range SA and ending at the lower right point Qb. However, the operation to specify the range SA is not limited to such an operation, and for example, an operation starting from the upper right of the range SA and ending at the lower left may be used. On the other hand, the position and size of an object arranged in the partial region 220P (editing region 220) are represented by the upper left coordinates (x1, y1) and the lower right coordinates (x2, y2) in a two-dot chain line rectangle showing the outer shape of the object. Therefore, when determining whether an object is a selected object or a non-selected object in response to the operation of specifying the range SA, the specified range SA is represented by the coordinates (xa, ya) of the upper left point Qa and the coordinates (xb, yb) of the lower right point Qb. By doing so, based on the coordinates (xa, ya) of the upper left point Qa and the coordinates (xb, yb) of the lower right point Qb of the range SA, and the upper left coordinates (x1, y1) and the lower right coordinates (x2, y2) of the object to be determined, the degree of overlap between the object to be determined and the range SA can be determined.

[0054] In the determination of step S5 described with reference to FIG. 8, it is determined whether all of the object to be determined is included within the specified range SA. When the whole is included within the range SA as in the object 270 illustrated in FIG. 9, x1 > xa and y1 > ya and x2 < xb and y2 < yb. Also, the object having the largest size among the objects all included within the range SA is the object for which (x1, y1) = (xa, ya) and (x2, y2) = (xb, yb). Therefore, an object all included within the specified range SA satisfies x1 ≥ xa and y1 ≥ ya and x2 ≤ xb and y2 ≤ yb. Accordingly, when all of the selection conditions of the object correspond to the first selection condition described above with reference to FIG. 8, an object that satisfies x1 ≥ xa and y1 ≥ ya and x2 ≤ xb and y2 ≤ yb becomes the object to be set to the selected state. At this time, the objects 271 to 275 illustrated in FIG. 9 do not satisfy x1 ≥ xa and y1 ≥ ya and x2 ≤ xb and y2 ≤ yb (that is, at least a part thereof exists outside the range SA), and thus become objects to be set to the non-selected state.

[0055] On the other hand, in the determination of step S6 described with reference to FIG. 8, it is determined whether at least a part of the object to be determined is included within the specified range SA. Such a determination can be efficiently made with a simple determination condition, for example, by replacing it with whether all of the object to be determined is located outside the range SA. For example, for an object 272 located above the range SA, the coordinate y2 indicating the position of the lowermost side closest to the range SA satisfies y2 < ya. For an object 273 located below the range SA, the coordinate y1 indicating the position of the uppermost side closest to the range SA satisfies y1 > yb. For an object 274 located to the left of the range SA, the coordinate x2 indicating the position of the rightmost side closest to the range SA satisfies x2 < xa. For an object 275 located to the right of the range SA, x1 indicating the position of the leftmost side closest to the range SA satisfies x1 > xb. Therefore, an object that satisfies x1 > xb or x2 < xa or y1 > yb or y2 < ya is an object that is entirely outside the range SA as described above. That is, it can be said that an object that does not satisfy x1 > xb or x2 < xa or y1 > yb or y2 < ya is an object that at least partially includes within the range SA. For example, when the selection condition is a part (the second selection condition), the objects 270 and 271 illustrated in FIG. 9 do not satisfy x1 > xb or x2 < xa or y1 > yb or y2 < ya (that is, at least a part is included within the range SA), and thus become objects to be set in the selected state.

[0056] As described above, when the user of the information processing apparatus 1 that executes the application according to the embodiment of the present invention performs an operation of designating the range SA within the editing area 220, the selection condition for specifying the object to be set in the selected state can be selected and switched between a first selection condition in which an object entirely included within the range SA is set in the selected state and a second selection condition in which an object at least partially included within the range SA is set in the selected state. Therefore, compared with the case where the selection condition is fixed, the burden on the user in the process of selecting an object can be suppressed.

[0057] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of selection conditions and a second example of a plurality of objects arranged in an editing screen. FIG. 10 shows information 233 indicating a second example of selection conditions and a partial region 220P of an editing region 220 of an editing screen 200. Also, the XY orthogonal coordinate system in FIG. 10 is a coordinate system set in a display region of a display unit 33 (or an editing region 220 of an editing screen 200). The positive direction of the X-axis is the right direction, and the positive direction of the Y-axis is the downward direction.

[0058] The method for selecting an object to be described with reference to FIG. 10 is a method of starting an operation of designating a range within the editing region 220 in a state where at least one object arranged within the editing region 220 is selected. FIG. 10 shows, as an example of a plurality of objects arranged in the partial region 220P (editing region 220), one character object 245, one graphic object 280 of a third type, and twelve graphic objects 261 of a second type. The graphic object 280 is a QR code (registered trademark). One of the twelve graphic objects 261 located at the upper left is selected by the user's operation and has a display 261a indicating that it is in a selected state. The dashed-dotted rectangle surrounding the other objects 245, 280, and 261 is not displayed on the display unit 33 as described above with reference to FIG. 5.

[0059] The information 233 showing the second example of the selection condition is displayed, for example, within the auxiliary information area 230 of the editing screen 200 or the like, similar to the information 232 described above. The information 233 indicates whether it is the third selection condition of making the type of the object to be in the selected state based on the range SA specified by the operation of specifying the range performed with at least one object selected, the same type as the object selected at the start of the operation of specifying the range, or the fourth selection condition of making it a different type. Also, the information 233 is configured such that the user can specify and appropriately change which of the third selection condition and the fourth selection condition to select the object with. Note that the operation of specifying the range performed with an object selected includes the operation of specifying the range starting with an object selected. That is, when the operation of specifying the range is started with an object selected, the display of the object that was in the selected state at the start during the operation may remain the display indicating the selected state, or may be changed to the display indicating the non - selected state.

[0060] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the display of objects when the selection condition is set to the same type and the range is specified. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the display of objects when the selection condition is set to another type and the range is specified. FIGS. 11 and 12 each show an example of the display of objects when an operation of specifying the range is performed within the partial area 220P where the objects 245, 280, and 261 illustrated in FIG. 10 are arranged. Also, the XY orthogonal coordinate system in FIGS. 11 and 12 is a coordinate system set in the display area of the display unit 33 (or the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200). The X - axis has the right direction as the positive direction, and xb>xa. The Y - axis has the downward direction as the positive direction, and yb>ya. Note that in FIGS. 11 and 12, some of the two - dotted - line rectangles indicating the shape and dimensions of the objects are omitted.

[0061] In the information 233 indicating the object selection conditions illustrated in FIG. 11, "same type" is specified by a radio button. In this case, the information processing device 1 executing an application sets the object selection condition when an operation to specify a range is performed to the third selection condition (i.e., a selection condition that selects objects of the same type as the object that was selected when the operation to specify a range was performed). For example, when an operation to specify a range is started with a triangular object 261 selected as illustrated in FIG. 10, the object 261 is changed to a non-selected display and a rectangle indicating the specified range SA' is displayed, as illustrated in the upper partial region 220P of the two partial regions 220P in FIG. 11. Thereafter, when the operation to specify a range is completed, the information processing device 1 selects all of the triangular objects 261 included in the range specified by the completed operation. For example, when a range SA that includes all 12 triangular objects 261 in Fig. 11 is specified, the information processing device 1 displays on the display unit 33 the editing screen 200 in which all 12 triangular objects 261 within the range SA are changed to display 261a indicating that they are selected, as shown in the lower partial area 220P of the two partial areas 220P in Fig. 11. At this time, the information processing device 1 does not select the text object 245 and the QR code object 280 that are included in the specified range SA and are positioned between the upper set of six triangular objects 261 and the lower set of six triangular objects 261. In other words, the user can easily select only the triangular objects 261 by performing an operation to specify a range.

[0062] On the other hand, in the information 233 indicating the selection conditions of the objects illustrated in FIG. 12, "other type" is specified by a radio button. In this case, when an operation of specifying a range is performed, the information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application sets the selection condition of the object to the fourth selection condition (that is, a selection condition for setting an object of a type different from the object that was in the selected state when the operation of specifying a range was performed). For example, as shown in the upper partial region 220P of the two partial regions 220P in FIG. 12, when one of the triangular objects 261 is selected, the information processing apparatus 1 determines that the character object 245 and the QR code object 280 are objects of a type different from the triangular object 261. Therefore, when an operation of specifying a range is started with the triangular object 261 selected and the range SA specified by that operation is determined, for example, as shown in the lower partial region 220P of the two partial regions 220P in FIG. 12, the display is changed to displays 245a and 280a indicating that the objects 245 and 280 other than the triangular object 261 among the objects 245, 280, and 261 included in the range SA are in the selected state.

[0063] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining a second example of the process related to the selection of an object performed by the information processing apparatus. The flowchart of FIG. 13 is an example of the process related to the selection of an object described above with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. The information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application starts the process illustrated in FIG. 13 when the operation of specifying a range started with an object arranged in the editing region 220 selected is completed.

[0064] The information processing apparatus 1 first identifies the type of object to be displayed in the selected state (step S21), and acquires the coordinates (xa, ya) of the upper left corner and the coordinates (xb, yb) of the lower right corner of the designated range SA (step S22). In step S21, the information processing apparatus 1 identifies the type of object to be displayed in the selected state based on, for example, the type of object selected when the operation of designating a range is started, and the selection condition of the object specified in the information 233 described above with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. In step S22, the information processing apparatus 1 acquires, by known processing performed when a range within the display area of the display unit 33 is designated by operating a pointing device such as a mouse, for example, the coordinates (xa, ya) of the upper left corner and the coordinates (xb, yb) of the lower right corner of the range SA in the coordinate system set within the display area. The coordinate system set within the display area may be, for example, the coordinate system set within the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200. The processing of steps S21 and S22 is not limited to this order, and may be performed in the reverse order or in parallel.

[0065] After steps S21 and S22, the information processing apparatus 1 performs a loop process (steps S23 to S31) for determining whether to set each object arranged in the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200 to the selected state or the non - selected state, and switches the display of the object determined to be in the selected state (selected object) to a display indicating that it is in the selected state (step S32).

[0066] For example, the information processing device 1 selects an object to be determined at the start of the loop processing (step S23). Next, the information processing device 1 determines whether the object to be determined is of the type identified in step S21 (step S24). If the object to be determined is of the identified type (step S24; YES), the information processing device 1 performs processes (steps S25 to S30) corresponding to steps S3 to S8 in the process described above with reference to FIG. 8. If a selection condition (first selection condition) is specified that selects only objects that are entirely contained within the range SA (step S26; all), the information processing device 1 sets objects that satisfy x1≧xa, y1≧ya, x2≦xb, and y2≦yb as selected objects to be displayed in a selected state (step S29), and sets objects that do not satisfy the conditions as non-selected objects to be displayed in a non-selected state (step S30). On the other hand, when a selection condition (second selection condition) is specified to select an object at least a part of which is included in the range SA (step S26; part), the information processing device 1 determines whether x1>xb or x2<xa又はy1> yb or y2 <yaを満たしていないオブジェクトを選択オブジェクトとし(ステップS29)、満たしているオブジェクトを非選択オブジェクトとする(ステップS30)。

[0067] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S24 that the object to be determined is not an object of the specified type (step S24; YES), the information processing device 1 sets the object to be determined as a non-selected object (step S30).

[0068] After step S29 or S30, the information processing device 1 determines, for example, at the end of the loop processing (step S31), whether all objects arranged in the editing area 220 have been identified as selected objects or non-selected objects. If there are any objects remaining for which it has not been determined whether they are selected objects or non-selected objects, the information processing device 1 continues the loop processing. When it has been determined whether all objects are selected objects or non-selected objects, the information processing device 1 ends the loop processing, switches the display of the selected objects to a display indicating that they are in a selected state (step S32), and ends the processing related to object selection.

[0069] The process executed by the information processing device 1 to realize the object selection method described above with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12 is not limited to the process according to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 13, and can be modified as appropriate.

[0070] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a third example of selection conditions and an example of the display of objects when a range is specified. Fig. 14 shows information 234 indicating the third example of selection conditions and partial area 220P of editing area 220 of editing screen 200. The XY Cartesian coordinate system in Fig. 14 is a coordinate system set in the display area of display unit 33 (or editing area 220 of editing screen 200). The rightward direction is positive on the X axis, and the downward direction is positive on the Y axis. Some of the rectangles drawn with two-dot chain lines that indicate the shape and dimensions of the objects have been omitted from Fig. 14.

[0071] The method of selecting an object to be described with reference to FIG. 14 is another example of the selection method when an operation of designating a range within the editing area 220 is performed (started) with at least one object arranged within the editing area 220 being selected. FIG. 14 shows, as an example of a plurality of objects arranged in the partial area 220P (editing area 220), two character objects 245 and 246 and twelve graphic (triangle) objects 261. In the upper partial area 220P of the two partial areas 220P, the object 245 of "New Product Information" among the two character objects has been selected by the user's operation, and it is in a display 245a indicating the selected state. The dashed-dotted rectangle surrounding the other objects 246 and 261 is not displayed on the display unit 33 as described above with reference to FIG. 5.

[0072] The information 234 indicating the third example of the selection condition is displayed, for example, within the auxiliary information area 230 of the editing screen 200 and the like, similar to the above-described information 232 and 233. The information 234 is based on the range SA specified by the operation of designating a range performed with at least one object being selected. It indicates whether it is the fifth selection condition of making all objects other than the object selected when the operation of designating the range was performed into the selected state, or the sixth selection condition of making objects other than the object selected when the operation of designating the range was performed and of different types. Also, the information 234 is configured such that the user can specify and appropriately change which of the fifth selection condition and the sixth selection condition to select the object with.

[0073] In the information 234 illustrated in FIG. 14, “other than the specified object (all types)” is specified by a radio button. In this case, when an operation of specifying a range is performed, the information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application sets the selection condition of the object at that time to the fifth selection condition (that is, a selection condition that makes all objects other than the object selected when the operation of specifying a range is performed into selected objects). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 14, when an operation of specifying a range is performed (started) in a state where the character object 245 is selected and the range SA is specified, as shown in the lower partial region 220P of the two partial regions 220P in FIG. 14, the object 245 selected at the start of the operation of specifying the range becomes non-selected, and the editing screen 200 in which other objects 246 and 261 within the range SA are changed to displays 246a and 261a indicating a selected state is displayed on the display unit 33.

[0074] Also, although description with reference to the figure is omitted, in the information 234 illustrated in FIG. 14, when “other than the specified object (other types)” is specified by a radio button, the information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application sets the selection condition of the object at the time when an operation of specifying a range is performed to the sixth selection condition (that is, a selection condition that makes objects other than the object selected when the operation of specifying a range is performed and having different types into selected objects). In this case, for example, when the range SA as illustrated in FIG. 14 is specified, the object 245 selected at the start of the operation of specifying the range becomes non-selected, and the editing screen 200 in which the object 261 within the range SA and having a type other than a character is changed to the object display 261a indicating a selected state is displayed on the display unit 33.

[0075] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining another example of a display method of an object when an operation of specifying a range is being performed. FIG. 15 shows another example of the display method of the object described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12.

[0076] In the process of selecting the objects illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 12, while an operation of specifying a range is being performed, each object is displayed as a non-selected object. For this reason, for example, it is difficult to identify the type of object that is the selection target on the display screen displayed on the display unit 33 while the operation of specifying a range is being performed. In order to improve the difficulty in identifying the type of object that is the selection target, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 15, while the operation of specifying a range is being performed, the color of objects of types other than the type specified as the selection target may be made lighter. In FIG. 15, an operation of specifying a range is performed (started) in a state where the graphic (triangle) object 261 is selected, and "the same type" is specified in the information 233 indicating the selection conditions of the object. In this case, while the operation of specifying a range is being performed, the information processing apparatus 1 changes and displays the character object 245 and the QR code 280, which are of types different from the triangle object 261, in light-colored displays 245b and 280b indicating that they are not the selection target. Thereby, the user can easily grasp the type of object that is the selection target even while the operation of specifying a range is being performed.

[0077] FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the process related to the display of an object performed by the information processing apparatus while the process of selecting a range is being performed. The process along the flowchart of FIG. 16 is performed in parallel with the operation of specifying a range within the editing area 220 before the process along the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 13 is started. More specifically, when an operation of specifying a range within the editing area 220 is started in a state where the object arranged in the editing area 220 is selected, the information processing apparatus 1 starts the process along the flowchart of FIG. 16.

[0078] The information processing apparatus 1 first identifies the type of object to be displayed in the selected state (step S41). In step S41, the information processing apparatus 1 identifies the type of object to be displayed in the selected state based on, for example, the type of object selected when an operation of specifying a range is started and the selection conditions of the object specified in the information 233 described above with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. Thereafter, for each object arranged in the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200, the information processing apparatus 1 determines whether the object is of the type specified in step S41, and performs a loop process (steps S42 to S45) of lightening the display color of the object of the specified type.

[0079] For example, at the start of the loop process (step S42), the information processing apparatus 1 selects an object to be the determination target. Next, the information processing apparatus 1 determines whether the object to be the determination target is an object of the type specified in step S41 (step S43). If the object to be the determination target is not an object of the specified type (step S43; NO), the information processing apparatus 1 lightens, for example, the display color of the object to be the determination target (step S44). Thereafter, for example, at the end of the loop process (step S45), the information processing apparatus 1 determines whether it has determined whether all the objects arranged in the editing area 220 are of the type specified in step S41. If there remains an object for which it has not been determined whether it is of the type specified in step S41, the information processing apparatus 1 continues the loop process. When it has determined whether all the objects are of the type specified in step S41, the information processing apparatus 1 ends the loop process and ends the process related to the display of the objects while the operation of specifying a range is being performed.

[0080] Note that the process to be executed by the information processing apparatus 1 to realize the display of the object described above with reference to FIG. 15 is not limited to the process according to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 16, and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the display of the object described above with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16 is, for example, based on the selection condition selected (designated) by the user and the type of the object selected at the start of the operation for designating the range, and the object that can be in the selected state is relatively emphasized compared to the object that is not the selection target (non-selected object). Any process may be used as long as it is displayed on the display unit 33.

[0081] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a fourth example of the selection condition and a first example of a plurality of objects arranged in the editing screen. FIG. 17 shows information 235 indicating a fourth example of the selection condition and a partial region 220P of the editing region 220 of the editing screen 200. The partial region 220P in FIG. 17 corresponds to the partial region 220P illustrated in FIG. 5. The XY orthogonal coordinate system in FIG. 17 is a coordinate system set in the display region of the display unit 33 (or the editing region 220 of the editing screen 200). The positive direction of the X-axis is the right direction, and the positive direction of the Y-axis is the downward direction.

[0082] The method for selecting an object described with reference to FIG. 17 is an example of a method for changing the selection condition of an object by an operation different from the operation for directly designating the object and the operation for designating the range when at least one object arranged in the editing region 220 is in the selected state. FIG. 17 shows, as an example of a plurality of objects arranged in the partial region 220P (editing region 220), four character objects 240 to 243, one graphic object 250 of the first type, and one graphic object 260 of the second type. The character object "horizontal writing" among the four character objects 240 to 243 is in the state selected by the user and has been changed to a display 240a indicating the selected state. The two-dot chain line rectangle surrounding the other objects 241 to 243, 250, and 260 is not displayed on the display unit 33 as described above with reference to FIG. 5.

[0083] The information 235 indicating the fourth example of the selection condition is displayed, for example, in the auxiliary information area 230 of the editing screen 200 or the like, similar to the above-described information 232 and 233. The information 235 indicates whether the selection condition of the object is the seventh selection condition for selecting all objects of the same type as the selected object, the eighth selection condition for selecting all objects of a type different from the selected object, or the ninth selection condition for selecting all objects different from the selected object. Further, the information 235 is configured such that the user can specify and appropriately change which of the seventh selection condition, the eighth selection condition, and the ninth selection condition is used to select the object.

[0084] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a display example of an object when the selection condition is targeted. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a display example of an object when the selection condition is not targeted. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a display example of an object when the selection condition is reversed. The XY orthogonal coordinate system in FIGS. 18 to 20 is a coordinate system set in the display area of the display unit 33 (or the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200). The positive direction of the X-axis is the right direction, and the positive direction of the Y-axis is the downward direction. In FIGS. 18 to 20, some of the two-dot chain line rectangles indicating the shape and dimensions of the object are omitted.

[0085] In the information 235 illustrated in FIG. 18, "target" is specified by a radio button. In this case, when an operation of specifying "target" is performed, the information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application displays all objects of the same type as the object selected at that time in a selected state based on the seventh selection condition. When an operation of specifying "target" is performed when the character object 240 is selected (displayed as the display 240a indicating the selected state) as illustrated in FIG. 17, the information processing apparatus 1 displays, as illustrated in FIG. 18, all of the character objects 240 to 243 among the objects arranged in the editing area 220 in the selected state indicated by the displays 240a to 243a.

[0086] In the information 235 illustrated in FIG. 19, “not targeted” is specified by a radio button. In this case, when an operation of specifying “not targeted” is performed based on the eighth selection condition, the information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application displays all objects of a type different from the object selected at that time in a display indicating a selected state. When an operation of specifying “not targeted” is performed while the character object 240 is selected as illustrated in FIG. 17, the information processing apparatus 1 displays, as illustrated in FIG. 19, the graphic objects 250 and 260 among the objects arranged in the editing area 220 in displays 250a and 260a indicating a selected state.

[0087] In the information 235 illustrated in FIG. 20, “inverted” is specified by a radio button. In this case, when an operation of specifying “inverted” is performed based on the ninth selection condition, the information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application displays all objects except the object selected at that time in a display indicating a selected state. When an operation of specifying “inverted” is performed while the character object 240 is selected as illustrated in FIG. 17, the information processing apparatus 1 displays, as illustrated in FIG. 20, all objects 241 to 243, 250, and 260 except the character object 240 among the objects arranged in the editing area 220 in displays 241a to 243a, 250a, and 260a indicating a selected state.

[0088] FIG. 21 is a flowchart for explaining a third example of the process related to the selection of an object performed by the information processing apparatus. The flowchart of FIG. 21 is an example of the process related to the selection of an object described above with reference to FIGS. 17 to 20. When an object arranged in the editing area 220 is selected, for example, the information processing apparatus 1 during the execution of the application starts the process illustrated in FIG. 21 by displaying the information 235 illustrated in FIG. 17 etc. in the editing screen 200. The position where the information 235 is displayed is not limited to a specific position within the editing screen 200. Further, the information 235 may be displayed not only within the editing screen 200 but also as a sub-screen (sub-window) different from the editing screen 200.

[0089] The information processing device 1 first determines whether the selection conditions for the object associated with the information 235 have been finalized (step S51). In step S51, the information processing device 1 determines that the selection conditions have been finalized, for example, when an operation to specify (select) one of "target," "non-target," and "invert" using a radio button included in the information 235 is performed. If the selection conditions have been finalized (step S51; Yes), the information processing device 1 acquires identification information and a type of the selected object (step S52). The object identification information is information for identifying (distinguishing) each object arranged in the editing area 220. Thereafter, the information processing device 1 performs a loop process (steps S53 to S60) for determining whether each object arranged in the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200 is an object to be selected, and switches the display of the object (selected object) determined to be selected to a display indicating that the object is selected (step S61).

[0090] For example, the information processing device 1 selects an object to be determined at the start of the loop processing (step S53). Next, the information processing device 1 determines whether the selection condition determined in step S51 is target, non-target, or inverted (step S54).

[0091] If the selection condition is target (step S54; target), the information processing device 1 then determines whether the object to be determined is of the same type as the selected object (step S55). If they are the same type (step S55; YES), the information processing device 1 sets the object to be determined as an object to be displayed indicating that it is in a selected state (selected object) (step S58). If they are not the same type (step S55; NO), the information processing device 1 sets the object to be determined as an object to be displayed indicating that it is in a non-selected state (non-selected object) (step S59).

[0092] When the selection condition is not applicable (step S54; not applicable), the information processing apparatus 1 next determines whether the object to be determined is of the same type as the selected object (step S56). If they are of the same type (step S56; YES), the information processing apparatus 1 sets the object to be determined as a non-selected object (step S59). If they are not of the same type (step S56; NO), the information processing apparatus 1 sets the object to be determined as a selected object (step S58).

[0093] When the selection condition is inverted (step S54; inverted), the information processing apparatus 1 next determines whether the object to be determined is the selected object based on the identification information of the object (step S57). If the object to be determined is the selected object (step S57; YES), the information processing apparatus 1 sets the object to be determined as a non-selected object (step S59). If the object to be determined is not the selected object (step S57; NO), the information processing apparatus 1 sets the object to be determined as a selected object (step S58).

[0094] After step S58 or S59, the information processing apparatus 1 determines, for example, at the end of the loop process (step S60), whether it has specified whether each object arranged in the editing area 220 is a selected object or a non-selected object. If there remains an object for which it has not specified whether it is a selected object or a non-selected object, the information processing apparatus 1 continues the loop process. When it has specified whether each object is a selected object or a non-selected object, the information processing apparatus 1 ends the loop process. After the loop process ends, the information processing apparatus 1 displays the selected objects in a state indicating selection and the non-selected objects in a state indicating non-selection (step S61), and ends the process related to object selection.

[0095] Note that the process to be executed by the information processing apparatus 1 to implement the object selection method described above with reference to FIGS. 17 to 20 is not limited to the process according to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 21 and can be appropriately changed.

[0096] As described above, in the object layout editing process according to the embodiment of the present invention, the user of the information processing apparatus 1 during application execution can specify and appropriately change the selection conditions of an object associated with an operation different from the method of directly specifying an object. Therefore, the object arranged in the editing area 220 of the editing screen 200 can be selected by an operation suitable for the user's preference, and the burden on the user in the object layout editing work can be suppressed.

[0097] In the object layout editing process according to the embodiment of the present invention, for example, when selecting an object in response to an operation of specifying a range, the user can specify and appropriately change to either a first selection condition of setting objects that are all included within the specified range to a selected state and other objects to a non - selected state, or a second selection condition of setting objects that are at least partially included within the specified range to a selected state and other objects to a non - selected state. The first selection condition can, for example, suppress the situation where objects that are not desired to be selected are also selected when some of a plurality of objects are selected. The second selection condition can, for example, suppress the situation where some objects are excluded from the selection target when all of a plurality of objects are selected.

[0098] In the editing process of the object layout according to the embodiment of the present invention, for example, when selecting an object in response to the specification of a range by an operation of specifying a range started in a state where an object is selected, the selection condition when selecting the object is the same as the object selected when the operation of specifying the range is performed (or at the start). The user can specify and appropriately change to either a third selection condition for selecting an object of the same type as the object in a selected state or a fourth selection condition for selecting an object of a different type from the object selected when the operation of specifying the range is performed. The third selection condition can, for example, suppress the selection of an object of a type that is not desired to be selected when selecting a single type of object among a plurality of objects. The fourth selection condition can, for example, facilitate the operation when selecting a plurality of objects in which a single type of object is arranged in the middle among a plurality of objects. For example, when a plurality of objects of a third type are arranged between an object of a first type and an object of a second type, in a state where the fourth selection condition is selected, the object of the third type is selected, and an operation of specifying a range that includes the object of the first type, the object of the second type, and the object of the third type is performed, whereby only the object of the first type and the object of the second type can be easily selected. Further, when an operation of specifying a range is performed in a state where the third selection condition or the fourth selection condition is selected (applied), the information processing apparatus 1 is based on the type of the object selected when the operation of specifying the range is performed and the selection condition. The display unit 33 may display the selectable object so as to be relatively emphasized compared to the object that may be out of the selection target. By doing so, it is possible to perform an operation of specifying a range while visually confirming the object that may be the selection target, and prevent the object to be selected from being out of the selection target.

[0099] In addition, in the editing process of the layout of the object according to the embodiment of the present invention, for example, in response to the range being specified by an operation of specifying a range performed (or started) with the object selected, the selection condition when selecting the object is set to the fifth selection condition of setting all objects except the object selected when the operation of specifying the range is performed to the selected state, or the sixth selection condition of setting all objects of a type different from the object selected when the operation of specifying the range is performed to the selected state. The user can specify either one and change it as appropriate. The fifth selection condition makes it possible to easily select only the objects to be selected, for example, when the number of objects to be selected among a plurality of objects is larger than the number of objects not to be selected, as compared with a selection method of directly specifying each of the objects to be selected continuously. The sixth selection condition can, for example, make it easier to perform an operation of selecting only the objects to be selected when the objects not to be selected include a plurality of objects of the same type.

[0100] Furthermore, in the editing process of the object layout according to the embodiment of the present invention, for example, when selecting an object by a selection operation different from the operation of directly specifying an object and the operation of specifying a range, which can be performed when the object is selected, the selection conditions can be selected and changed. More specifically, the user can specify and appropriately change to any one of a seventh selection condition for setting an object of the same type as the object selected when the selection operation was performed to a selected state, an eighth selection condition for setting an object of a different type from the object selected when the selection operation was performed to a selected state, and a ninth selection condition for setting an object other than the object selected when the selection operation was performed to a selected state. The seventh selection condition makes it possible to easily select only the objects of the type to be selected, for example, when the number of objects of the type to be selected among a plurality of objects is large, as compared with a selection method of directly specifying each of the objects to be selected continuously. The eighth selection condition makes it possible to easily select an object, for example, when the number of objects of the type to be selected among a plurality of objects is large, by applying it in a state where a small number of objects of the type not to be selected are selected. The ninth selection condition makes it possible to easily select an object, for example, when the number of objects to be selected among a plurality of objects is large, by applying it in a state where a small number of objects not to be selected are selected.

[0101] Note that the above-described embodiments are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the invention. That is, the editing method, program, and information processing apparatus according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0102] For example, the object selection methods individually exemplified in the above-described embodiments can also be applied in combination. For example, the object selection method described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 13 can be said to be a selection method that combines the object selection method according to either the third selection condition or the fourth selection condition with the object selection method according to either the first selection condition or the second selection condition.

[0103] In addition, the above-described object selection method may be combined with a selection method that allows a user to specify and appropriately change, for example, the type (classification) of the object to be selected and the type of the object to be deselected. For example, the information 232 indicating the object selection condition may include a selection element that allows an operation of specifying a range to change only specific types of objects among the objects displayed in a selected state to a non-selected state, separately from the radio buttons for specifying whether to select an object according to either the first selection condition or the second selection condition. More specifically, radio buttons or check boxes that allow specification of the types (classifications) of a plurality of objects such as "characters", "figures", "barcodes", etc. that the user wishes to change to a non-selected state (does not wish to set to a selected state) may be added to the information 232 or other information indicating the object selection condition.

[0104] In addition, "the same type" in the above-described object selection method may be conditioned on all information regarding the object including dimensions, orientation, etc., excluding the information regarding position, being the same, or may be conditioned on some information such as dimensions and orientation being different. For example, the object 261 of the figure (triangle) that is in the display 240a indicating a selected state in FIG. 10 is arranged in an orientation in which a third vertex exists above the side connecting two vertices. In this case, "the same type" may or may not include the object 261 arranged in an orientation in which a third vertex exists below the side connecting two vertices. Also, the definition of the object regarded as "the same type" may be specified by the user and can be appropriately changed.

[0105] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the object selection conditions can be switched using radio buttons. However, the method for switching the object selection conditions does not have to be the radio buttons, and may be performed by a predetermined key input (operation). For example, the object selection conditions may be switched by performing a key operation on a keyboard or the like during or after a range designation operation such as dragging a mouse. Furthermore, the object selection conditions may differ depending on the direction of the range designation operation (e.g., dragging the mouse from the upper left to the lower right of the screen, or from the upper right to the lower left of the screen). This eliminates the need to switch using radio buttons each time, allowing for efficient editing. The above-described method for switching object selection conditions may be used in combination with the method for switching using radio buttons.

[0106] Furthermore, the above-described object selection method is not limited to an application executed by an information processing device 1 separate from the printing device 10, but may also be performed, for example, in a printing device 10 having an input device such as a keyboard that can be used to edit the layout of objects, and a display device that displays an editing screen on which the layout of objects can be edited.

[0107] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was given of a method for selecting an object in an application associated with a printing device 10 that prints on a tape-like printing medium 21, but the object selection method according to the present invention may also be applied to other applications.

[0108] The inventions described in the claims of the present application as originally filed are as follows: [Appendix 1] The computer Displaying an editing screen on the display unit that allows editing of the layout of the object, a selection condition for placing each of the objects on the editing screen in either a selected state or a non-selected state based on an operation by a user can be switched; An editing method characterized by executing a process. [Appendix 2] The operation by the user includes an operation of specifying a range within the editing screen, The selection conditions include a first selection condition for setting an object that includes the entire self-region within the specified range to a selected state, and a second selection condition for setting an object that includes at least a part of the self-region within the specified range to a selected state. The editing method according to Appendix 1, characterized by the above. [Appendix 3] The operation by the user includes an operation of specifying a range within the editing screen performed in a state where at least one object is selected. The selection conditions include a third selection condition for setting an object of the same type as the selected object to a selected state, and a fourth selection condition for setting an object of a different type from the selected object to a selected state. The editing method according to Appendix 1 or 2, characterized by the above. [Appendix 4] The operation by the user includes an operation of specifying a range within the editing screen performed in a state where at least one object is selected. The selection conditions include a fifth selection condition for setting all objects except the selected object to a selected state, and a sixth selection condition for setting all objects of a different type from the selected object to a selected state. The editing method according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3, characterized by the above. [Appendix 5] The computer While an operation of specifying a range within the editing screen is being performed, based on the selection conditions, the display of the object is changed so that an object that can be selected is emphasized compared to an object that is not a selection target. The editing method according to Appendix 3 or 4, characterized by the above. [Appendix 6] The operation by the user includes an operation of selecting at least one object. The selection condition includes an operation of designating any one of a seventh selection condition for setting an object of the same type as the selected object to a selected state, an eighth selection condition for setting an object of a type different from the selected object to a selected state, and a ninth selection condition for setting all objects except the selected object to a selected state. The editing method according to any one of supplementary notes 1 to 4, characterized in that. [Supplementary note 7] The editing screen is a screen for editing the layout of an object to be printed on a printing medium. The editing method according to any one of supplementary notes 1 to 6, characterized in that. [Supplementary note 8] Cause a display unit to display an editing screen capable of editing the layout of an object. Enable switching of selection conditions for each object on the editing screen to be either a selected state or a non-selected state based on an operation by a user. A program characterized by causing a computer to execute processing. [Supplementary note 9] Cause a display device to display an editing screen capable of editing the layout of an object, and a control unit for enabling switching of selection conditions for each object on the editing screen to be either a selected state or a non-selected state based on an operation by a user. An information processing apparatus characterized by comprising the above. [Supplementary note 10] A printing unit for performing printing on a printing medium. Cause a display unit to display an editing screen capable of editing the layout of an object to be printed on a printing medium, and a control unit for enabling switching of selection conditions for each object on the editing screen to be either a selected state or a non-selected state based on an operation by a user. A printing apparatus characterized by comprising the above.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0109] 1 Information processing apparatus 2 Application 10 Printing device 11 First member 12 Second member 13 Operation button 14 Display lamp 15 Thermal head 16 Platen roller 1701 First cutter 1702 Second cutter 20 Roll 21 Printed medium 30, 40 Control unit 31, 41 Memory unit 32, 42 Input unit 33, 43 Display unit 34, 44 Communication unit 45 Detection unit 46 Conveying unit 47 Printing unit 48 Cutting unit 200 Display screen 210 Menu area 220 Editing area 221 Medium area 230 Auxiliary information area 231, 232, 233, 234, 235 Information 240, 241, 242, 243, 245, 246 (Character) object 250, 260, 261, 280 (Graphic) object 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275 Object SA range

Claims

1. A computer causes a display unit to display an editing screen on which the layout of objects can be edited, and when each object on the editing screen is set to either a selected state or a non-selected state based on a range specifying operation by a user for specifying a range on the editing screen, a first setting for setting objects of the same type as the object selected by the user prior to the range specifying operation to the selected state, and a second setting for setting objects of a type different from the object selected by the user prior to the range specifying operation to the selected state, and enables switching between the settings, characterized in that the computer executes a process.

2. The process is configured to be switchable to a third setting for setting all objects other than the object selected by the user prior to the range specifying operation to the selected state, in addition to the first setting and the second setting. The editing method according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. A computer causes a display unit to display an editing screen on which the layout of objects can be edited, and when each object on the editing screen is set to either a selected state or a non-selected state based on a range specifying operation by a user for specifying a range on the editing screen, a first setting for setting objects of the same type as the object selected by the user prior to the range specifying operation to the selected state, and a second setting for setting objects of a type different from the object selected by the user prior to the range specifying operation to the selected state, and enables switching between the settings, characterized in that the computer executes a process.

4. A program, characterized in that a computer executes a process.

5. An information processing apparatus, comprising a control unit that enables switching between a first setting for setting objects of the same type as an object selected by a user prior to a range specifying operation to a selected state and a second setting for setting objects of a type different from the object selected by the user prior to the range specifying operation to a selected state when each object on an editing screen for editing the layout of objects is set to either a selected state or a non-selected state based on a range specifying operation by the user for specifying a range on the editing screen.

5. A printing unit that performs printing on a printed medium, a display unit that displays an editing screen for editing the layout of an object to be printed on the printed medium, and when each object on the editing screen is set to either a selected state or a non-selected state based on a range specifying operation by a user for specifying a range on the editing screen, a first setting for setting an object of the same type as the object selected by the user prior to the range specifying operation to a selected state, and a second setting for setting an object of a type different from the object selected by the user prior to the range specifying operation to a selected state, and a control unit that enables switching between the settings; A printing apparatus characterized by comprising the above.

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