Information processing apparatus having a menu display function, and user-interface control method

• US 6,407,760 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1998
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Aritomi, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/150,250
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 345/352, 345/353, 345/354, 345/356, 345/810, 345/818, 345/841, 345/853, 345/855
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An information apparatus allows shift to a setting object, such as a dialog or a window having a specific setting item, even if the number of set items is large. In an user interface in the information processing apparatus, the configuration of a menu is checked, and a block menu in which the configuration of the menu is represented by blocks is displayed. When the user performs action for a control item in the block menu, the corresponding menu item is segmented and displayed. The display of the control item at the current position and the display of a link line to the control item change, so that the position of the control item in the menu configuration can be grasped.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for displaying a menu and setting a setting object selected from the menu, said apparatus comprising:

acquisition means for acquiring a configuration of the menu;

block display means for displaying a block menu in which the acquired menu configuration is represented by blocks such that the blocks that contain a direct link to a setting object have a background painted with oblique lines; and

assignment means for assigning a control item included in the displayed block menu,

wherein said block display means indicates a link line to the assigned control item.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising segmenting displaying means for displaying the setting object by segmenting the assigned control item.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said block display means indicates a position of the assigned control item in the block menu.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said block display means changes a position of the displayed control item when segmenting and displaying the control item.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said block display means displays the block menu in the form of a dialog.

6. A user-interface control method for displaying a menu and setting a setting object selected from the menu, said method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a configuration of the menu;

displaying a block menu in which the acquired menu configuration is represented by blocks such that the blocks that contain a direct link to a setting object have a background painted with oblique lines; and

assigning a control item included in the displayed block menu,

wherein said displaying step indicates a link line to the assigned control item.

7. A user-interface control method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of displaying the setting object by segmenting the assigned control item.

8. A user-interface control method according to claim 7, wherein a position of the assigned control item in the block menu is indicated.

9. A user-interface control method according to claim 7, wherein a position of the displayed control item is changed when segmenting and displaying the control item.

10. A user-interface control method according to claim 6, wherein the block menu is displayed in the form of a dialog.

11. A storage medium storing a program in which a menu is displayed, and a central processing unit within an information processing apparatus sets a setting object selected from the menu, said program comprising:

a procedure of acquiring a configuration of the menu;

a procedure of displaying a block menu in which the acquired menu configuration is represented by blocks such that the blocks that contain a direct link to a setting object have a background painted with oblique lines;

a procedure of assigning a control item included in the displayed block menu; and

a procedure of displaying the setting object by segmenting the assigned control item,

wherein said procedure of displaying a block menu indicates a link line to the assigned control item.

12. A storage medium according to claim 11, wherein said storage medium is detachably mountable in the information processing apparatus.

13. A storage medium according to claim 12, wherein said storage medium comprises a CD-ROM or a floppy disk.

14. A storage medium according to claim 11, wherein a position of the assigned control item in the block menu is indicated.

15. A storage medium according to claim 11, wherein a position of the displayed control item is changed when segmenting and displaying the control item.

16. A storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the block menu is displayed in the form of a dialog.

17. An information processing apparatus for displaying a menu, said apparatus comprising:

acquisition means for acquiring a configuration of the menu;

menu display means for displaying a menu including menu buttons and a block menu in which the acquired menu configuration is represented by blocks;

assignment means for assigning the menu button or a control item included in the displayed block menu;

display control means for displaying a dialog box including group boxes when the menu button was assigned by said assignment means, or a menu button corresponding to the control item when the control item was assigned by said assignment means,

wherein said menu display means indicates a direct link line to the assigned control item by a background painted with oblique lines.

18. An information processing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising segmenting/displaying means for displaying a setting object by segmenting the assigned control item.

19. An information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said menu display means indicates a position of the assigned control item in the block menu.

20. An information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said menu display means changes a position of the displayed control item when segmenting and displaying the control item.

21. An information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said menu display means displays the block menu in the form of a dialog.

22. An information processing method for displaying a menu, said method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a configuration of the menu;

displaying a menu including menu buttons and a block menu in which the acquired menu configuration is represented by blocks;

assigning the menu button or a control item included in the displayed block menu;

displaying a dialog box including group boxes when the menu button was assigned by said assignment means, or a menu button corresponding to the control item when the control item was assigned by said assignment means,

wherein the displaying menu step indicates a direct link line to the assigned control item by a background painted with oblique lines.

23. An information processing method according to claim 22, further comprising segmenting/displaying step for displaying a setting object by segmenting the assigned control item.

24. An information processing method according to claim 23, wherein the displaying menu step indicates a position of the assigned control item in the block menu.

25. An information processing method according to claim 23, wherein the displaying menu step changes a position of the displayed control item when segmenting and displaying the control item.

26. An information processing method according to claim 23, wherein the displaying menu step displays the block menu in the form of a dialog.