Information processing apparatus, screen display method, screen display program, and recording medium having screen display program recorded therein

• US 20030063125A1
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Takanori, Ihara, Keigo, Shiroma, Shin, Miyajima, Yasushi, Yoshioka, Keiichi, Fukuda, Junko, Sakata, Junichirou
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

In a personal broadcasting system, a user terminal vertically divides a window serving as a main screen into separate elements corresponding to a plurality of functions on a display screen and causes a display unit to display the separate elements side-by-side, the separate elements being a plurality of independent panel windows.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus including a function for simultaneously displaying a plurality of independent windows on a display screen, comprising:

display means for displaying various information, including the plurality of windows, on the display screen; and

control means for dividing, on the display screen, a window serving as a main screen into separate elements corresponding to a plurality of functions, in a predetermined direction, and for causing the display means to display the separate elements side-by-side, the separate elements being a plurality of independent panel windows.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel window including items which need to be setup has a panel window serving as a setup screen for setting up the items,

the control means contracts, among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel windows that are not to be setup in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction on the display screen and expands the panel window to be setup in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction on the display screen, thereby causing the display means to display the panel window serving as the setup screen to be visible.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means causes the display means to display the panel windows by moving the panel windows that are not to be setup, which are to be contracted, to both ends of the display screen and moving the panel window to be setup, which is to be expanded, toward the center of the display screen.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel window including the items which need to be setup is formed by sharing part of the panel window serving as the setup screen.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising maintaining means for maintaining an upper management module, which is a module executed by the control means and which manages positional information related to the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen, and a plurality of panel modules, which are modules executed by the control means and which have the corresponding panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen,

wherein the management module determines the disposition of the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen on the basis of layout information in accordance with the display screen, and

the plurality of panel modules cause the display means to display, under the control of the management module, the corresponding panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the management module obtains information indicating the resolution of the display screen.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the management module determines the disposition of the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen on the basis of the layout information in accordance with the resolution of the display screen.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means vertically divides, on the display screen, the window serving as the main screen into the plurality of panel windows corresponding to the plurality of functions and causes the display means to display the plurality of panel windows side-by-side.

9. A screen display method for simultaneously displaying a plurality of independent windows on a display screen, comprising the step of:

dividing, on the display screen, a window serving as a main screen into separate elements corresponding to a plurality of functions, in a predetermined direction, and causing display means for displaying various information, including the plurality of windows, on the display screen to display the separate elements side-by-side, the separate elements being a plurality of independent panel windows.

10. A screen display method according to claim 9, wherein, among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel window including items which need to be setup has a panel window serving as a setup screen for setting up the items,

among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel windows that are not to be setup are contracted in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction on the display screen, and the panel window to be setup is expanded in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction on the display screen, thereby causing the display means to display the panel window serving as the setup screen to be visible.

11. A screen display method according to claim 10, wherein the display means is caused to display the panel windows by moving the panel windows that are not to be setup, which are to be contracted, to both ends of the display screen and moving the panel window to be setup, which is to be expanded, toward the center of the display screen.

12. A screen display method according to claim 10, wherein, among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel window including the items which need to be setup is formed by sharing part of the panel window serving as the setup screen.

13. A screen display method according to claim 9, wherein an upper management module for managing positional information related to the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen and a plurality of panel modules having the corresponding panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen are provided,

the disposition of the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen is determined by the management module on the basis of layout information in accordance with the display screen, and

the display means is caused by the plurality of panel modules to display, under the control of the management module, the corresponding panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen.

14. A screen display method according to claim 13, wherein information indicating the resolution of the display screen is obtained by the management module.

15. A screen display method according to claim 14, wherein the disposition of the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen is determined by the management module on the basis of the layout information in accordance with the resolution of the display screen.

16. A screen display method according to claim 9, wherein, on the display screen, the window serving as the main screen is divided vertically into the plurality of panel windows corresponding to the plurality of functions, and the display means is caused to display the plurality of panel windows side-by-side.

17. A computer-controllable screen display program for simultaneously displaying a plurality of independent windows on a display screen, comprising the step of:

dividing, on the display screen, a window serving as a main screen into separate elements corresponding to a plurality of functions, in a predetermined direction, and causing display means for displaying various information, including the plurality of windows, on the display screen to display the separate elements side-by-side, the separate elements being a plurality of independent panel windows.

18. A screen display program according to claim 17, wherein, among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel window including items which need to be setup has a panel window serving as a setup screen for setting up the items,

among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel windows that are not to be setup are contracted in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction on the display screen, and the panel window to be setup is expanded in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction on the display screen, thereby causing the display means to display the panel window serving as the setup screen to be visible.

19. A screen display program according to claim 18, wherein the display means is caused to display the panel windows by moving the panel windows that are not to be setup, which are to be contracted, to both ends of the display screen and moving the panel window to be setup, which is to be expanded, toward the center of the display screen.

20. A screen display program according to claim 18, wherein, among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel window including the items which need to be setup is formed by sharing part of the panel window serving as the setup screen.

21. A screen display program according to claim 17, wherein an upper management module for managing positional information related to the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen and a plurality of panel modules having the corresponding panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen are provided,

the disposition of the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen is determined by the management module on the basis of layout information in accordance with the display screen, and

the display means is caused by the plurality of panel modules to display, under the control of the management module, the corresponding panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen.

22. A screen display program according to claim 21, wherein information indicating the resolution of the display screen is obtained by the management module.

23. A screen display program according to claim 22, wherein the disposition of the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen is determined by the management module on the basis of the layout information in accordance with the resolution of the display screen.

24. A screen display program according to claim 17, wherein, on the display screen, the window serving as the main screen is divided vertically into the plurality of panel windows corresponding to the plurality of functions, and the display means is caused to display the plurality of panel windows side-by-side.

25. A recording medium having recorded therein a computer-controllable screen display program for simultaneously displaying a plurality of independent windows on a display screen, the screen display program comprising the step of:

dividing, on the display screen, a window serving as a main screen into separate elements corresponding to a plurality of functions, in a predetermined direction, and causing display means for displaying various information, including the plurality of windows, on the display screen to display the separate elements side-by-side, the separate elements being a plurality of independent panel windows.

26. A recording medium according to claim 25, wherein, among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel window including items which need to be setup has a panel window serving as a setup screen for setting up the items,

the screen display program contracts, among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel windows that are not to be setup in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction on the display screen and expands the panel window to be setup in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction on the display screen, thereby causing the display means to display the panel window serving as the setup screen to be visible.

27. A recording medium according to claim 26, wherein the screen display program causes the display means to display the panel windows by moving the panel windows that are not to be setup, which are to be contracted, to both ends of the display screen and moving the panel window to be setup, which is to be expanded, toward the center of the display screen.

28. A recording medium according to claim 26, wherein, among the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen, the panel window including the items which need to be setup is formed by sharing part of the panel window serving as the setup screen.

29. A recording medium according to claim 25, wherein the screen display program provides an upper management module for managing positional information related to the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen and a plurality of panel modules having the corresponding panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen,

the screen display program uses the management module to determine the disposition of the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen on the basis of layout information in accordance with the display screen, and

the screen display program uses the plurality of panel modules to cause the display means to display, under the control of the management module, the corresponding panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen.

30. A recording medium according to claim 29, wherein the screen display program uses the management module to obtain information indicating the resolution of the display screen.

31. A recording medium according to claim 30, wherein the screen display program uses the management module to determine the disposition of the plurality of panel windows forming the window serving as the main screen on the display screen on the basis of the layout information in accordance with the resolution of the display screen.

32. A recording medium according to claim 25, wherein the screen display program vertically divides, on the display screen, the window serving as the main screen into the plurality of panel windows corresponding to the plurality of functions and to cause the display means to display the plurality of panel windows side-by-side.