Information processing system

• US 6,621,508 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2000
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Tsuji, Keisuke, Shiraishi, Atsushi, Nakashima, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/484,855
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 345/769, 345/733, 345/810, 345/835, 345/764, 345/841, 345/963, 345/751, 345/752, 345/778, 345/864, 345/727, 345/728, 345/740, 345/748, 345/781, 345/790, 345/792, 709/201
• US Class Current: 715/810
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

The menu displays of a base-station device and its data-correlated, portable device are managed. In the base-station device, first icon information corresponding to the menu is displayed on a first display screen. In the portable device, second icon information (corresponding to the first) is displayed on a second display screen. The base-station device has a first storage unit for storing the first icon information, a first display control unit for controlling a first display unit, and a first communication unit for communicating with the portable device. The portable device has a second storage unit for storing the second icon information, a second display control unit for controlling a second display unit, and a second communication unit for communicating with the base-station device and for matching pieces of display data stored in the first and second storage units. Thus, the size of the second icon information is maintained smaller than the size of the first.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

a first information processing device which performs display processing of at least one piece of first icon information which is displayed on a first menu screen; and

a second information processing device which performs display processing of at least one piece of second icon information which is displayed on a second menu screen, said second icon information having the same concept as said first icon information;

wherein said first information processing device comprises;

a first storage unit for storing said first icon information and display data corresponding to said first icon information;

a first display unit for displaying at least said first icon information, said first display unit having a plurality of first split display areas for multiple split display of said first menu screen according to differing background attributes;

a first control unit for performing display control of said first icon information upon said first display unit; and

a first communication unit for performing transmission and reception of said display data between said first information processing device and said second information processing device;

and wherein said second information processing device comprises;

a second storage unit for storing said display data and second icon information corresponding to said display data;

a second display unit for displaying said second icon information which is formed smaller than at least said first display unit, said second display unit having a plurality of second split display areas for multiple split display of said second menu screen according to differing background attributes;

a second control unit for performing display control of said second icon information upon said second display unit; and

a second communication unit for performing transmission and reception of said display data between said first information processing device and said second information processing device, and performing data matching between pieces of said display data each stored in said first and second storage units;

wherein the capacity of said second icon information is formed smaller than the capacity of said first icon information;

and wherein the background attributes of said first split display area and the background attributes of said second split display area are displayed according to common background attributes.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first background display of the menu screen of said first display unit and the second background display of the menu screen of said second display unit are displayed according to common background attributes.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1:

wherein said second storage unit has a plurality of pieces of attribute information for identifying the types of said display data of a plurality of types with differing attributes;

and wherein said second control unit selects said second icon information each corresponding with the attributes of said display data of a plurality of types.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1:

wherein said second icon information is comprised of said first icon information compressed and transferred to said second storage unit.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1:

wherein said first information processing device comprises a first operating unit for performing operation input for changing said first icon information on said first display unit into a third icon information;

wherein said first control unit changes said first icon information into said third icon information according to the operating unit at said first operating unit, and also performs transfer control of said third icon information to said second storage unit via said first and second communication units.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said display data comprises e-mail information transmitted and received via said second control unit, and reception time information relating to the time at which this e-mail information has been received;

and wherein said second control unit performs display processing of said second icon information in the order of reception, based on said reception time information.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said display data comprises input/output information wherein a schedule has been input, and specified time information which the user has specified as a scheduled execution time of said input/output information;

and wherein said second control unit performs display processing of said second icon information on said first background display area in the order of creation, based on said specified time information.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, said second split display area comprising:

a first display area for arrayed display of said second icon information corresponding with communication information;

a second display area for arrayed display of said second icon information following at least a time axis; and

a third display area for arrayed display of said second icon information, for alphabetically searching said display data of a plurality of types received at said first and second display areas;

wherein said second control unit performs display control based on said first through third display areas.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said second information processing device is a portable information processing device including an arm-worn portion which is worn on the arm of the user.

10. An information processing system, comprising:

a first information processing device which performs display processing of at least one piece of first icon information which is displayed on a first menu screen; and

a second information processing device which performs display processing of at least one piece of second icon information which is displayed on a second menu screen, said second icon information having the same concept as said first icon information;

wherein said first information processing device comprises;

a first storage unit for storing said first icon information and display data corresponding to said first icon information;

a first display unit for displaying at least said first icon information;

a first control unit for performing display control of said first icon information upon said first display unit; and

a first communication unit for performing transmission and reception of said display data between said first information processing device and said second information processing device;

and wherein said second information processing device comprises;

a second storage unit for storing said display data and second icon information corresponding to said display data;

a second display unit for displaying said second icon information which is formed smaller than at least said first display unit;

a second control unit for performing display control of said second icon information upon said second display unit; and

a second communication unit for performing transmission and reception of said display data between said first information processing device and said second information processing device, and performing data matching between pieces of said display data each stored in said first and second storage units;

wherein the capacity of said second icon information is formed smaller than the capacity of said first icon information;

wherein the first background display of the menu screen of said first display unit and the second background display of the menu screen of said second display unit are displayed according to common background attributes;

wherein said first and second display units have a plurality of pieces of time information related to the plurality of pieces of said display data;

wherein said first control unit performs display control based on said time information so as to display said first icon information on said first display unit in accordance with a time axis, at least;

wherein said second control unit performs display control based on said time information so as to display said second icon information on said second display unit in accordance with a time axis, at least;

and wherein the time axis of said first background display and the time axis of said second background display differ in length.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10:

wherein said first control unit performs display control so as to display said first icon information on said first display unit in accordance with N-time on said time axis;

and wherein said second control unit performs display control so as to display said second icon information on said second display unit in accordance with M-time (wherein M<

N) on said time axis.

12. The information processing system according to claim 10, wherein said second information processing device further comprises timing means for keeping the current time;

and wherein said second control unit performs sequential updating processing of said display screen based on said time information of said timing means, so that said time axis and said icon information move over said screen sequentially proceeding along said single axis, in accordance with elapsing of time.

13. An information processing system, comprising:

a first information processing device which performs display processing of at least one piece of first icon information which is displayed on a first menu screen; and

a second information processing device which performs display processing of at least one piece of second icon information which is displayed on a second menu screen, said second icon information having the same concept as said first icon information;

wherein said first information processing device comprises;

a first storage unit for storing said first icon information and display data corresponding to said first icon information;

a first display unit for displaying at least said first icon information;

a first control unit for performing display control of said first icon information upon said first display unit; and

a first communication unit for performing transmission and reception of said display data between said first information processing device and said second information processing device;

and wherein said second information processing device comprises;

a second storage unit for storing said display data and second icon information corresponding to said display data;

a second display unit for displaying said second icon information which is formed smaller than at least said first display unit;

a second control unit for performing display control of said second icon information upon said second display unit; and

a second communication unit for performing transmission and reception of said display data between said first information processing device and said second information processing device, and performing data matching between pieces of said display data each stored in said first and second storage units;

wherein the capacity of said second icon information is formed smaller than the capacity of said first icon information;

wherein said first storage unit further comprises said second icon information;

and wherein said first control unit performs control such that a second display area for displaying said second icon information is superimposed on a first display area for displaying said first icon information, based on both said first icon information and said second icon information.

14. The information processing system according to claim 13:

wherein said second display area is an area formed by extracting a portion of the display data displayed within said first display area and specifying as said second icon information.

15. An information processing system, comprising:

a first information processing device which performs display processing of at least one piece of first icon information which is displayed on a first menu screen; and

a second information processing device which performs display processing of at least one piece of second icon information which is displayed on a second menu screen, said second icon information having the same concept as said first icon information;

wherein said first information processing device comprises;

a first storage unit for storing said first icon information and display data corresponding to said first icon information;

a first display unit for displaying at least said first icon information;

a first control unit for performing display control of said first icon information upon said first display unit; and

a first communication unit for performing transmission and reception of said display data between said first information processing device and said second information processing device;

and wherein said second information processing device comprises;

a second storage unit for storing said display data and second icon information corresponding to said display data;

a second display unit for displaying said second icon information which is formed smaller than at least said first display unit;

a second control unit for performing display control of said second icon information upon said second display unit; and

a second communication unit for performing transmission and reception of said display data between said first information processing device and said second information processing device, and performing data matching between pieces of said display data each stored in said first and second storage units;

wherein the capacity of said second icon information is formed smaller than the capacity of said first icon information;

wherein said second information processing device comprises a second operating unit for performing operation input for changing the display of said second display unit;

wherein said second control unit registers said display data to said second storing means anew, based on the operation input at said second operation unit, and performs display control of said second icon information anew upon said menu screen.

16. The information processing system according to claim 15, said second information processing device further comprising:

an audio input unit for inputting audio information; and

an audio input control unit for input control of the audio information of said audio input unit, based on operating input of said second operating unit;

wherein said second control unit performs display control of said second icon information upon a menu screen, based on the input control of audio information at said audio input control unit.

17. The information processing system according to claim 15, said second information processing device comprising:

an audio output unit for outputting audio information; and

an audio output control unit for output control of the audio information of said audio output unit, based on operating input of said second operating unit;

wherein said second control unit performs output control of audio information at said audio output control unit, and performs display control so as to erase said second icon information, based on the operating input at said second operating unit.

18. The information processing system according to claim 15, wherein said second control unit performs display control such that the unit-time intervals on said time axis becomes variable.