Portable computer which has a task selection menu allowing easy selection and execution of arbitrary application software without entering a command

• US 5,497,455 A
• Filed: 06/25/1993
• Issued: 03/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mihara, Hidekazu, Nakajima, Syuzo, Outake, Atsuhiro, Iba, Yoshiaki, Suga, Masao, Nishikawa, Hirofumi, Satake, Shigeru, Saito, Toshimitsu, Inomata, Tadaaki, Nanno, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAUHAN, ULKA J
• Application Number:
  US08/081,408
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155-161, 395/600, 395/650, 395/700, 364/510, 345/117-120
• US Class Current: 715/835
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

When the MS-DOS is not installed from an FDD or an HDD but is installed from a built-in DOS ROM arranged in a memory space in which bank access to the computer main body can be performed, at the time the system power is turned on, a menu display processing program stored in the DOS ROM is executed by the DOS. Upon execution of the program, the arrangement of menu icons can be arbitrarily changed on the menu screen.

Claims

1. A portable computer for executing tasks, each identified by a file name, the portable computer comprising:

display means for displaying a menu screen having a plurality of task-registered icons for task selection and at least one user-registration icon for selecting execution of a new task to be registered by a user;

means for selecting the user-registration icon from the menu screen and for setting a file name for the new task corresponding to the user-registration icon;

means for darkening the display of the user-registration icon to indicate that the new task has been registered;

means for storing display data for the menu screen including display data for the darkened user-registration icon; and

means for, when the user-registration icon is selected on the menu screen, initiating execution of the new task.

2. A computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for providing a plurality of user-registration icons for selecting execution of software registered by the user, and for selecting at least one of the user-registration icons in a predetermined order to be set in a registered state; and

means for designating the user-registration icon and canceling the registration thereof.

3. A computer according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying an operation guide for registration of a user-registration icon and cancellation thereof on the menu screen on which the user-registration icon is displayed.

4. A computer according to claim 2, wherein the software registered by the user includes icon display data, and said computer further includes means for, when the software is selected through the user-registration icon, displaying the user-registration icon based on the icon display data of the software at a display position of the user-registration icon.

7. A computer according to claim 3, further comprising means for displaying an operation guide for registration of a user-registration icon and cancellation thereof on the menu screen on which the user-registration is displayed.

11. A computer according to claim 4, further comprising means for displaying an operation guide for registration of a user-registration icon and cancellation thereof on the menu screen on which the user-registration icon is displayed.

12. A computer according to claim 4, wherein the software registered by the user includes icon display data, and said computer further includes means for, when the software is selected through the user-registration icon, displaying the user-registration icon based on the icon display data of the software at a display position of the user-registration icon.

5. A portable computer having a function of displaying a menu screen including a plurality of task-registered icons for task selection and execution of software corresponding to each task-registered icon, comprising:

at least one user-registration icon displayed on the menu screen for selecting execution of software to be registered by a user;

a software-install icon, arranged on the menu screen among the task-registered icons, for selecting a task for executing an installation software;

means for displaying a list of a plurality of software available in a memory of the portable computer which can be installed upon selection of the software-install icon;

means for selecting one of the plurality of software from the list;

means for reflecting data unique to the selected software in the user-registration icon on the menu indicate that the selected software has been registered and corresponds to the user-registration icon;

means for storing display data of the darkened user-registration icon as part of display data of the menu screen; and

means for, when the user-registration icon is selected on the menu screen, executing the selected software having a file name corresponding to the user-registration icon.

6. A computer according to claim 5, further comprising:

means for providing a plurality of user-registration icons for selecting execution of software registered by the user, and for selecting at least one of the user-registration icons in a predetermined order to be set in a registered state; and

means for designating the user-registration icon and canceling the registration thereof.

8. A computer according to claim 5, wherein the software registered by the user includes icon display data, and said computer further includes means for, when the software is selected through the user-registration icon, displaying the user-registration icon based on the icon display data of the software at a display position of the user-registration icon.

9. A portable computer having a function of displaying a menu screen including a plurality of task-registered icons for task selection, comprising:

at least one user-registration icon, arranged on the menu screen, for selecting execution of software registered by a user;

means for setting a file name and attribute data of an icon title, an execution command, and the description of the command with respect to the user-registration icon;

means for displaying the user-registration icon on the menu screen after the file name and the attribute data are set, upon changing a display form of the user-registration icon to a display form indicating that the user-registration icon has already been registered, and for displaying the set attribute data in an area corresponding to the user-registration icon;

means for storing the file name and the attribute data of the user-registration icon as part of display data of the menu screen; and

means for, when the user-registration icon in the display form indicating that the user-registration icon has already been registered is selected on the menu screen, starting software having a file name corresponding to the user-registration icon.

10. A computer according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for providing a plurality of user-registration icons for selecting execution of software registered by the user, and for selecting at least one of the user-registration icons in a predetermined order to be set in a registered state; and

means for designating the user-registration icon and canceling the registration thereof.

13. A portable computer comprising:

an icon display window opened on a menu screen when a menu icon arrangement setting mode is selected;

target icon display means for displaying target icons to be rearranged on the icon display window one by one;

first operation entry means for updating display contents of the icon display window;

second operation entry means for selecting an icon display position; and

icon setting means for arranging an icon, selected by said first operation entry means and displayed on the icon display window, at an icon display position selected by said second operation entry means.

14. A portable computer according to claim 13 further comprising:

storage means for storing default icon display position data;

third operation entry means for designating restoration to a standard icon set state; and

means for canceling icon display position data set in an icon arrangement setting mode in accordance with an instruction from said third operation entry means, and displaying icons in accordance with the icon display position data set as standard data in accordance with the stored data.

15. A method of selecting a function with an illustration as an icon, comprising the computer steps of:

a) displaying a first menu screen having, as menu components, a plurality of icons for selecting tasks to be executed, and a plurality of function selector display guides including an icon arrangement function selector when system power is turned on;

b) displaying a second menu screen for opening an icon display window for deleting each icon on the first menu screen and displaying target icons to be rearranged one by one and an arrangement number entry window for designating an arrangement position of an icon displayed on the icon display window, and for allowing updating of display contents of the icon display window, and setting of an arrangement number in the arrangement number entry window when the menu icon rearrangement function selector is selected while the first menu screen is displayed; and

c) displaying a third menu screen for arranging an icon displayed on the icon display window at an icon display position corresponding to the set arrangement number, and displaying a changed registered state of the icon when an arrangement number is set in the arrangement number entry window on the second menu screen,

wherein a menu screen having icons rearranged by the second and third menu screens becomes a first menu screen when the system power is turned on next.

16. A portable computer comprising:

means for simultaneously displaying a task selection icon screen including a user-registration icon for selecting at least one application program, and a plurality of function key definition guidance data arranged in correspondence with a plurality of function keys to define operations of the function keys, one of said function keys to define operations of the function keys, one of said function keys functioning to set a system environment for a data entry mode, and the function of setting a system environment for the data entry mode including a function of setting and displaying an entry practice window on the menu screen in which an operator performs a keyboard entry practice;

means for selecting one of the task-selection and user-registration icons on the menu screen; and

means for selecting the function key definition guidance data on the menu screen by using a corresponding one of said function keys.

17. A portable computer having a predetermined area on a display screen in which icons are displayed, comprising:

means for displaying the icons in a plurality of predetermined display areas on the display screen in one-to-one correspondence;

entry means for instructing rearrangement of the icons;

means for displaying target icons to be rearranged on a display window one by one in response to the instruction of icon rearrangement;

entry means for designating a specific area of the plurality of display areas on the display screen in which an icon displayed in the display window is rearranged; and

means for displaying an icon, displayed in the display window, in a display area designated by data entered by said designating means.

18. A computer according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of icons are sequentially selected by using cursor keys.

19. A portable computer having a predetermined area on a display screen in which icons are displayed, comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of function keys;

means for displaying icons in a plurality of predetermined display areas on the display screen in one-to-one correspondence, and simultaneously displaying a plurality of function key definition guidance data arranged in correspondence with the plurality of function keys to define operations thereof, said function keys including a function key for selecting a system configuration file;

means for selecting the icons; and

means for selecting the function key definition guidance data by using corresponding function keys.

20. A portable computer having a predetermined area on a display screen in which icons are displayed, comprising:

keyboard means having a plurality of function keys;

means for respectively displaying icons in a plurality of predetermined display areas on the display screen, and simultaneously displaying a plurality of function key definition guidance data arranged in correspondence with the plurality of function keys to define operations of the function keys, said function keys including a function key having a function of setting a system environment for a data entry mode, and displaying an entry practice window on a menu screen in which an operator performs a keyboard entry practice;

means for selecting the icons; and

means for selecting the function key definition guidance data by using corresponding function keys.

21. A portable computer having a predetermined area on a display screen in which icons are displayed, comprising:

means for storing software;

means for displaying a plurality of areas on the display screen in which new icons can be displayed, the plurality of display areas being constituted by rectangular display frames of uniform size;

means for selecting one of the plurality of icon display areas;

means for registering the software in the selected icon display area;

means for canceling registration of the registered software; and

means for changing, from a dark display to a light display, a display of the display frame of a display area in which an icon corresponding to deleted software has been displayed.