Help guidance method utilizing an animated picture

• US 5,377,319 A
• Filed: 03/10/1993
• Issued: 12/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kitahara, Yoshinori, Fujita, Takehiro, Yabuuchi, Shigeru, Yoshioka, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, CLIFF N
• Application Number:
  US08/029,055
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 395/161, 395/152, 395/159, 395/155, 395/157, 364/200
• US Class Current: 715/707
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/952 Simulation

Abstract

A help guidance method utilizing an animated picture, used for an information processor including a memory for storing a help control program for controlling help guidance, animated picture help data, text help data and voice help data used for carrying out the help guidance, and a table for showing the correspondence relationship among the animated picture help data, the text help data and the voice help data. The method includes the steps of: activating, when a user inputs a help command for requiring the help guidance, the help control program to display fields, in which the help guidance is to be carried out, in the form of help menu; and reading out, when the user selects the field requiring the help guidance from the help menu, the animated picture help data corresponding to the selected contents, and at least one of the text help data and the voice help data, which correspond to the selected animated picture help data, from the memory means by referring to the table to output the animated picture help data and the at least one thereof.

Claims

1. A help guidance method utilizing an animated picture, used for an information processor including memory means for storing a help control program for controlling help guidance, animated picture help data, text help data and voice help data used for carrying out said help guidance, and a table for showing the correspondence relationship among said animated picture help data, said text help data and said voice help data, information input means, and display means for representing information stored in said memory means in a form of image and/or voice, said method comprising the steps of:

activating, when a user inputs a help command for requiring the help guidance using said information input means, said help control program to display fields, in which said help guidance is to be carried out, in a form of a help menu;

reading out, when the user selects the field requiring said help guidance from said help menu, the animated picture help data corresponding to selected contents, and at least one of said text help data and said voice help data, which correspond to said animated picture help data corresponding to selected contents, from said memory means by referring to said table; and

outputting said data read out to said display means,

wherein said output step includes the steps of;

checking whether or not a window in which guidance information is to be displayed can be displayed in a position of a work picture without overlapping with a displayed object of said work picture, and

displaying, if said window can be displayed, said window in an area in which said displayed object of said work picture is absent.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said output step includes the steps of:

checking, when said guidance information contains plural different kinds of help data, whether or not said help data can be displayed in individual positions where said help does not overlap with one another; and

displaying, if said display cannot be performed, at least one display area of said help data in a reduction manner.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said output step includes a step of displaying at least one of said help data on said work picture.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said output step includes the steps of:

checking, when said guidance information contains said animated picture help data and said text help data, whether or not said help data can be displayed in individual positions where said help data does not overlap with one another; and

displaying, if said display cannot be performed, at least one display of said help data in a reduction manner.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said output step includes a step of displaying, when said guidance information contains said animated picture help data and said text help data, one of said help data on said work picture.

8. A method according to claim 2, wherein said output step includes a step of displaying at least one of said help data on said work picture.

6. A help guidance method utilizing an animated picture, used for an information processor including memory means for storing a help control program for controlling help guidance, animated picture help data, text help data and voice help data used for carrying out said help guidance, and a table for showing the correspondence relationship among said animated picture help data, said text help data and said voice help data, information input means, and display means for representing information stored in said memory means in a form of image and/or voice, said method comprising the steps of:

activating, when a user inputs a help command for requiring the help guidance using said information input means, said help control program to display fields, in which said help guidance is to be carried out, in a form of a help menu;

reading out, when the user selects the field requiring said help guidance from said help menu, the animated picture help data corresponding to selected contents, and at least one of said text help data and said voice help data, which correspond to said animated picture help data corresponding to selected contents, from said memory means by referring to said table; and

outputting said data read out to said display means,

wherein said output step includes the steps of;

checking whether or not a window in which guidance information is to be displayed can be displayed in a position of a work picture without overlapping with a displayed object of said work picture; and

displaying, if said window cannot be displayed, said work picture in a reduced manner and displaying said window in a display area other than said reduced work picture.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said output step includes the steps of:

checking, when said guidance information contains plural different kinds of help data, whether of not said help data can be displayed in individual positions where said help data does not overlap with one another; and

displaying, if said display cannot be performed, at least one display area of said help data in a reduction manner.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein said output step includes the steps of:

checking, when said guidance information contains said animated picture help data and said text help data, whether or not said help data can be displayed in individual positions where said help data does not overlap with one another; and

displaying, if said display cannot be performed, at least one display area of said help data in a reduction manner.

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein said output step includes a step of displaying, when said guidance information contains said animated picture help data and said text help data, one of said help data on said work picture.

11. A help guidance method utilizing an animated picture, used for an information processor including memory means for storing a help control program for controlling help guidance, animated picture help data, text help data and voice help data used for carrying out said help guidance, and a table for showing the correspondence relationship among said animated picture help data, said text help data and said voice help data, information input means, and display means for representing information stored in said memory means in a form of image and/or voice, said method comprising the steps of:

activating, when a user inputs a help command for requiring said help guidance using said information input means, said help control program to display fields, in which said help guidance is to be carried out, in a form of a help menu;

reading out, when the user selects the field requiring said help guidance from said help menu, the animated picture help data corresponding to the selected contents, and at least one of said text help data and said voice help data, which correspond to said animated picture help data corresponding to selected contents, from said memory means by referring to said table; and

outputting said data read out to said display means,

wherein said output step includes the steps of;

displaying a window to display at least said animated help data in a work picture so as not to overlap an object that is currently displayed in said work picture;

reducing repeatedly said animated picture help data to display said animated picture help data, and

outputting, when a number of playback repetitions of said animated picture help data exceeds a predetermined number of times, at least one of said text help data and said voice help data, which correspond to said animated picture help data, together with said animated picture help data.

12. A help guidance method utilizing an animated picture, used for an information processor including memory means for storing a help control program for controlling help guidance, animated picture help data, text help data and voice help data used for carrying out said help guidance, and a table for showing the correspondence relationship among said picture help data, said text help data and said voice help data, information input means and display means for representing information stored in said memory means in a form of image and/or voice, said method comprising the steps of:

activating, when a user inputs a help command for requiring the help guidance using said information input means, said help control program to display fields, in which said help guidance is to be carried out, in a form of a help menu;

reading out, when the user selects the field requiring said help guidance from said help menu, the animated picture help data corresponding to selected contents, and at least one of said text help data and said voice help data, which correspond to said animated picture help data corresponding to selected contents, from said memory means by referring to said table; and

outputting said data read out to said display means,

wherein said output step includes the steps of;

displaying a window to display at least said animated help data in a work picture so as not to overlap an object that is currently displayed in said work picture;

displaying a picture of said animated help data of time series in a forward or reverse direction at an arbitrary speed,

wherein said step of displaying said animated picture help data at an arbitrary speed includes a step of displaying a still image and

reading out, when said still image is displayed over a predetermined period of time, the text help data corresponding to said still picture from said memory means by referring to said table to display said text help data corresponding thereto.

13. A help guidance display device comprising:

information input means;

memory means for storing a help control program for controlling help guidance, animated picture help data, text help data and voice help data used for carrying out said help guidance, and a table for showing for the correspondence relationship among said animated picture help data, said text help data and said voice help data;

display means for representing information stored in said memory means in a form of image and/or voice;

means for activating said help control program when a help command for requiring said help guidance is input from said information input means, to display fields in which said help guidance is to be carried out in a form of help menu; and

means for reading out, when a user selects the field for requiring said help guidance from said help menu using said information input means, the animated picture help data corresponding to the contents selected in response to a selection signal, and at least one of said help data and said voice help data corresponding to said animated picture help data which corresponds to the selected contents, from said memory means by referring to said table to output to said display means;

means for checking whether or not a window in which guidance information is to be displayed can be displayed in a position without overlapping with a displayed object in a work picture; and

means for displaying, if said display cannot be performed, said work picture in a reduction manner.

14. A help guidance display device comprising:

information input means;

memory means for storing a help control program for controlling help guidance, animated picture help data, text help data and voice help data used for carrying out said help guidance, and a table for showing for the correspondence relationship among said animated picture help data, said text help data and said voice help data;

display means for representing information stored in said memory means in a form of image and/or voice;

means for activating said help control program when a help command for requiring said help guidance is input from said information input means, to display fields in which said help guidance is to be carried out in a form of help menu; and

means for reading out, when a user selects the field for requiring said help guidance from said help menu using said information input means, the animated picture help data corresponding to the contents selected in response to a selection signal, and at least one of said help data and said voice help data corresponding to said animated picture help data which corresponds to the selected contents, from said memory means by referring to said table to output to said display means;

means for displaying a window to display at least said animated help data in a work picture so as not to overlap an object that is currently displayed in said work picture;

means for displaying, when a window in which said text help data is to be displayed overlap with a displayed object in a window in which said animated picture help data is to be displayed, at least one of said window in which said animated picture help data is to be displayed and said work picture window in a reduced manner; and

means for displaying said text help data in an empty area provided by the reduced display of at least one of said windows in which said animated picture help data is to be displayed and said work picture window.

15. A help guidance display device comprising:

information input means;

memory means for storing a help control program for controlling help guidance, animated picture help data, text help data and voice help data used for carrying out said help guidance, and a table for showing for the correspondence relationship among said animated picture help data, said text help data and said voice help data;

display means for representing information stored in said memory means in a form of image and/or voice;

means for activating said help control program when a help command for requiring said help guidance is input from said information input means, to display fields in which said help guidance is to be carried out in a form of help menu; and

means for reading out, when a user selects the field for requiring said help guidance from said help menu using said information input means, the animated picture help data corresponding to the contents selected in response to a selection signal, and at least one of said help data and said voice help data corresponding to said animated picture help data which corresponds to the selected contents, from said memory means by referring to said table to output to said display means;

means for displaying a window to display at least said animated help data in a work picture so as not to overlap an object that is currently displayed in said work picture;

means for counting a number of playback repetitions of said animated picture help data; and

means for outputting, when the number of playback repetitions of said animate picture help data counted by said counting means exceeds a predetermined value, at least one of said text help data and said voice help data corresponding to said animated picture help data together with said animated picture help data.

16. A help guidance display device comprising:

information input means;

memory means for storing a help control program for controlling help guidance, animated picture help data, text help data and voice help data used for carrying out said help guidance, and a table for showing for the correspondence relationship among said animated picture help data, said text help data and said voice help data;

display means for representing information stored in said memory means in a form of image and/or voice;

means for activating said help control program when a help command for requiring said help guidance is input from said information input means, to display fields in which said help guidance is to be carried out in a form of help menu; and

means for reading out, when a user selects the field for requiring said help guidance from said help menu using said information input means, the animated picture help data corresponding to the contents selected in response to a selection signal, and at least one of said help data and said voice help data corresponding to said animated picture help data which corresponds to the selected contents, from said memory means by referring to said table to output to said display means;

means for displaying a window to display at least said animated help data in a work picture so as not to overlap an object that is currently displayed in said work picture;

means for measuring a display time of a still picture of said animated picture help data; and

means for reading out, when a value of said display time measuring means exceeds a predetermined value, the text help data corresponding to said still picture from said memory means by referring to said table to display said text help data.