User interface system in which operation associated with input device may be selectively switched

• US 5,119,479 A
• Filed: 09/06/1989
• Issued: 06/02/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Arai, Toshifumi, Tanikoshi, Koichiro, Tanifuji, Shinya, Tani, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Michael R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US07/404,948
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/419, 364/488, 364/521, 364/514, 340/706, 340/709, 340/710, 340/723, 340/724, 395/919, 395/934
• US Class Current: 710/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/919 Designing, planning, programming, CAD, CASE

Abstract

A user interface system receives data from input devices and, on input of data, that data is associated with one of a plurality of names, which names are stored in a reference memory. The resulting data signal is processed by suitable a processing device, which determines the operation to be carried out on the data on the basis of selection of one of a plurality of operations stored in a rule base memory, which selection is determined by the name that has been associated with the data. A control output to e.g. a display is then generated by the processing device. One of the operations stored in the rule base memory is that which determines the association of names and data. By configuring the user interface in this way, a more flexible arrangement can be achieved.

Claims

1. A user interface system, comprising:

means for receiving a data input from a user via a data input device;

reference memory means for defining a plurality of logical device names associated with said data input device, including means for selecting one of said logical device names and for associating said selected one of said logical device names with said data input to form a data signal comprising said data input and said associated logical device name;

rule base memory means for storing a plurality of operations including operations corresponding to said plurality of logical device names; and

processing means responsive to said data signal for retrieving from said rule base memory means the operation corresponding to said associated logical device name in said data signal, and for generating a control output on the basis of said data input and said operation corresponding to said associated logical device name;

wherein at least one of said operations stored in said rule base memory means is a selection operation arranged to determine the selection of said selected one of said logical device names by said selecting means in said reference memory means, and said processing means includes means responsive to said selection operation for controlling said selection means to change the selected one of said logical device names to be associated with a data input from said data input device.

2. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein said processing means determines the operations corresponding to said associated logical device name on the basis of said data input.

3. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein there is a one-to-one relationship between said plurality of operations and said plurality of logical device names stored in said rule base memory means.

4. A user interface system, comprising:

a data input device;

means for receiving a data input from said data input device;

reference memory means for defining a plurality of logical device names associated with said data input device, including means for selecting one of said logical device names, and associating the selected one of said logical device names with said data input to form a data signal comprising said data input and said associated logical device name;

processing means responsive to said data signal for executing an operation corresponding to said associated logical device name in said data signal and for generating a control output on the basis of said data input and said operation corresponding to said associated logical device name; and

a display device for displaying a display corresponding to said control output;

wherein at least one of said operations executed by said processing means in response to an input from a user is a selection operation arranged to determine the selection of said selected one of said logical device names by said selection means in said reference memory means, and said processing means includes means responsive to said selection operation for controlling said selection means to change the selected one of said logical device names to be associated with a data input from said data input device.

5. A user interface system, comprising:

library memory means for storing a plurality of object data, each of said object data corresponding to a display object;

means for associating with said object data a plurality of user parameters, each said object data and at least some of said plurality of user parameters together forming a user object; and

processing means responsive to data input by a user via an input device for processing each user object to generate a plurality of display objects;

wherein each of said object data includes a plurality of logical device names associated with said input device, said user data includes a corresponding plurality of operations associated with said plurality of logical device names, said processing means including means for selecting one of said logical device names and for generating one of said display objects on the basis of the operation corresponding to the selected logical device name, and at least one of said user objects includes user parameters corresponding to selection of said one of said logical device names by said processing means.

6. A user interface method to be performed by a user interface system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a data input from a data input device;

defining a plurality of logical device names associated with said data input device;

selecting one of said logical device names;

associating said selected one of said logical device names with said data input to form a data signal, said data signal comprising said data input and said selected logical device name;

storing respective operations corresponding to said plurality of logical device names;

determining the operation corresponding to said logical device name of said data signal;

generating a control output on the basis of said operation corresponding to said selected logical device name; and

executing one of said operations in response to a user input to change the selection of said selected one of said logical device names.

7. A user interface system for switching a relationship between an input data device and an operation to be performed in response to the data input device, comprising:

reference memory means for defining a plurality of names associated with said data input device;

switching means responsive to a data input from said data input device for input device for selecting one of said names stored in said reference memory means for associating said selected one of names with said data input to form a data signal comprising said data input and said associated name, and for outputting said data signal; and

rule base memory means for storing a plurality of operations including operations corresponding to said plurality of names;

wherein at least one of said operations stored in said rule base memory means is a name selection operation to determine the selection one of said names by said switching means, said processing means outputting said control output to said switching means when said name selection operation is executed to control selection of a name by switching means.

8. A user interface system for switching a relationship between an input data device and an operation to be performed in response to the data input device, comprising:

a data input device;

reference memory means for defining a plurality of names associated with said data input device;

switching means responsive to a data input from said data input device for input device for selecting one of said names stored in said reference memory means, for associating said selected one of names with said data input to form a data signal comrprising said data input and said associated name, and for outputting said data signal;

rule base memory means for storing a plurality of operations including respective operations corresponding to said plurality of names;

processing means connected to receive said data signal for retrieving the operation corresponding to said associated name in said data signal from said rule base memory means, and for outputting a control output on the basis of said data input and said operation corresponding to said associated name; and

a display device connected to said processing means for displaying a display corresponding to said control output;

wherein at least one of said one of said operations stored in said rule base memory means is a name selection operation to determine the selection one of said names by said switching means, said processing means outputting said control output to said switching means when said name selection operation is executed to control selection of a name by switching means.