Terminal Device and Program

• US 20100005421A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshioka, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A terminal device includes a display unit having a function for displaying a menu screen on a display screen, a selection unit for causing a user to select one of the items in the menus screen displayed on the display screen, and a holding unit holding status information concerning at least one application among a plurality of applications. The display unit displays an item indicating the application on the display screen while presenting status information on the application held in the holding unit on the display screen.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising:

a display screen;

a display unit having a function to display a menu window on the display screen, the menu window containing items, each of which represents one of a plurality of application programs, and in which selection of at least one application program among the plurality of application programs is made;

a selection unit to prompt a user to select any of the items in the menu window being displayed on the display screen; and

a container unit to contain status information concerning at least one of the plurality of application programs,

wherein the display unit displays the items respectively representing the plurality of application programs along with the status information concerning the application programs contained in the container unit on the display screen.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1,

wherein the display unit is further provided with items, each of which represents an upper layer being associated with at least one of the application programs;

wherein the menu window is a menu screen configured in a hierarchy; and

wherein the display unit displays, when any of the items respectively representing the upper layers is selected through the selection unit, the items respectively representing the application programs being associated with the item representing the upper layer along with the status information on the display screen.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2,

wherein the display unit associates lower layers of the items respectively representing the application programs with items representing the status information concerning the application programs.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3,

wherein the display unit displays objects on the display screen based on a template, which defines:

a hierarchical structure including the items respectively representing the upper layers, the items respectively representing the application programs, and items respectively representing the status information; and

manners of displaying and operational behaviors.

5. The terminal device according to claim 4,

wherein the template defines the manners of displaying and operational behaviors for the items respectively representing the upper layers, which include contents to be displayed, positions to be displayed, sizes to be displayed, and behaviors based on user'"'"'s operations.

6. The terminal device according to claim 4,

wherein the template associates the items respectively representing the application programs with the application programs and defines the manners of displaying and operational behaviors for the items respectively representing the application programs, which include contents to be displayed, positions to be displayed, sizes to be displayed, and behaviors based on user'"'"'s operations.

7. The terminal device according to claim 4,

wherein the template defines the manners of displaying and operational behaviors for the items respectively representing the status information, which include contents to be displayed, positions to be displayed, sizes to be displayed, and behaviors based on user'"'"'s operations.

8. The terminal device according to claim 6,

wherein the behaviors based on user'"'"'s operations include activation of the application programs.

9. The terminal device according to claim 1,

wherein the status information is provided to the container unit at predetermined timing by the application programs.

10. The terminal device according to claim 1,

wherein the status information is obtained from the application programs at predetermined timing to be contained in the container unit.

11. The terminal device according to claim 9,

wherein the predetermined timing refers to, when the application program is inactive, a time point in which the application program was previously terminated.

12. The terminal device according to claim 9,

wherein the predetermined timing refers to periodic occurrence when the application program is active.

13. A computer usable medium comprising computer readable instructions for controlling a computer by executing steps of:

displaying a menu window on a display screen of a terminal device, the menu window containing items, each of which represents one of a plurality of application programs, and in which selection of at least one application program among the plurality of application programs is made;

prompting a user to select any of the items in the menu window being displayed on the display screen;

storing status information concerning at least one of the plurality of application programs in a storage unit; and

displaying the items respectively representing the plurality of application programs along with the status information concerning the application programs stored in the storage unit in the storing step on the display screen.

14. The computer usable medium according to claim 13,

wherein the menu window to be displayed in the displaying step is a menu configured in a hierarchy;

wherein the displaying step includes displaying items, each of which represents an upper layer being associated with at least one of the application programs in the hierarchy; and

wherein the displaying step further includes, when any of the items respectively representing the upper layers is selected by the user, displaying the items which respectively represent the application programs being associated with the selected item along with the status information on the display screen.

15. A terminal device comprising:

a display screen;

a plurality of input units;

a section to contain menu specific data, which is used to configure variant menus respectively for the plurality of input units;

a unit to contain menu common data, which is common in the variant menus and independent from the input units;

a section to store information concerning operational status to be associated with the menu common data each time the operation to input through the input unit is provided;

a unit to generate a menu window to display on the display screen according to an input unit currently being used based on the menu specific data, the menu common data, and the information concerning operational status;

a section to judge as to whether the input units were switched based on an operation provided through any of the plurality of input units; and

a section to switch to a menu corresponding to the input unit when it is judged that the input units were switched.

16. The terminal device according to claim 15,

wherein the variant menus include a plurality of menu items as options to be selected;

wherein the menu specific data defines at least with which input unit each of data concerning contents of the plurality of menu items and the variant menus is associated; and

wherein the menu common data defines at least a hierarchical structure of the plurality of menu items.

17. The terminal device according to claim 16,

wherein the information concerning operational status indicates a previous menu item and a layer in the hierarchical structure of the previous menu item, which had been selected in the menu through the input unit having been used prior to the switching;

and

wherein the information concerning the operational status, in which a menu item and a layer in the hierarchical structure corresponding to the previous menu item and the hierarchical structure of the previous menu item which had been selected prior to the switching are designated, is reflected in the terminal device.

18. The terminal device according to claim 16,

wherein the information concerning operational status indicates a previous menu item and a layer in the hierarchical structure of the previous menu item, which had been selected in the menu through the input unit having been used prior to the switching, and contents of operations provided through the input unit being used when it is judged that the input units are switched;

and

wherein the contents of operations are added to the information concerning the operational status, in which a menu item and a layer in the hierarchical structure corresponding to the previous menu item and the hierarchical structure of the previous menu item which had been selected prior to the switching are designated, to be reflected in the terminal device.

19. The terminal device according to claim 16,

wherein the contents of the plurality of menu items included in the menu specific data contains at least data to define layout of the plurality of menu items on the screen.

20. The terminal device according to claim 16,

wherein the contents of the plurality of menu item included in the menu specific data contains at least data to define graphic data of the plurality of menu items.

21. The terminal device according to claim 16,

wherein the contents of the plurality of menu item included in the menu specific data contains at least data to define behaviors of the menu items to be performed in response to user'"'"'s operations.

22. The terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the information concerning operational status is contained on a user basis.

23. The terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the menu specific data is configurable on a user basis.

24. A computer usable medium comprising computer readable instructions for controlling a terminal device by executing steps of:

storing menu specific data, which is used to configure variant menus, each of the variant menus being configured specifically for one of a plurality of input units;

storing menu common data, which is commonly used in the variant menus and independent from the input units;

storing information concerning operational status to be associated with the menu common data each time when an operation to input is provided through one of the input units;

generating a menu window to display on a display screen of the terminal device according to one of the input units currently being used based on the menu specific data, the menu common data, and the information concerning operational status;

judging as to whether one of the input units being used was switched to another based on an operation provided through the another of the input units; and

switching a menu window to another menu window which corresponds to the another input unit when it is judged that the input units were switched from the one to the another.

25. A method to manage status information concerning usage status of at least one of plurality of application programs to be run on a computer, comprising:

obtaining a template, which defines a manner of displaying a menu window containing menu items, each of which represents one of the plurality of application programs, from a template database;

providing the template with an instruction to display the menu window to a player module so that a user can be prompted to select any of the menu items according to the display;

obtaining the status information from the at least one of the application programs being selected by the user;

storing the obtained status information in a storage unit of the computer; and

providing the status information of the selected at least one application program to the player module and an instruction to display the status information along with the menu items having been displayed in the menu window.

26. A method to display status information, concerning usage status of at least one of plurality of application programs to be run on computer, on a display unit of the computer, comprising:

obtaining a template, which defines a manner of displaying a menu window containing menu items, each of which represents one of the plurality of application programs, from a template database;

providing the template with an instruction to display the menu window to a player module so that a user can be prompted to select any of the menu items according to the display;

obtaining the status information from the at least one of the application programs being selected by the user;

storing the obtained status information in a storage unit of the computer; and

providing the status information of the selected at least one application program to the player module and an instruction to display the status information along with the menu items having been displayed in the menu window,

wherein the player module reassemble and display an image to be displayed on the display unit so that the status information of the selected at least one application program can be displayed along with the menu items having been displayed in the menu window.

27. A computer usable medium containing computer readable instructions to manage status information concerning usage status of at least one of plurality of application programs to be run on a computer, comprising steps of:

obtaining a template, which defines a manner of displaying a menu window containing menu items, each of which represents one of the plurality of application programs, from a template database;

providing the template with an instruction to display the menu window to a player module so that a user can be prompted to select any of the menu items according to the display;

obtaining the status information from the at least one of the application programs being selected by the user;

storing the obtained status information in a storage unit of the computer; and

providing the status information of the selected at least one application program to the player module and an instruction to display the status information along with the menu items having been displayed in the menu window.

28. A computer usable medium containing computer readable instructions to display status information concerning usage status of at least one of plurality of application programs to be run on computer, comprising steps of:

obtaining a template, which defines a manner of displaying a menu window containing menu items, each of which represents one of the plurality of application programs, from a template database;

displaying the menu window according to the definition of the template so that a user can be prompted to select any of the menu items according to the display;

obtaining the status information from the at least one of the application programs being selected by the user;

storing the obtained status information in a storage unit of the computer; and

reassembling and displaying an image to be displayed on the display unit so that the status information of the selected at least one application program can be displayed along with the menu items having been displayed in the menu window.

29. A computer usable medium containing computer readable instructions to manage display of a menu window containing menu items, each of which represents one of plurality of application programs to be run on a computer with a plurality of input units, comprising:

storing menu specific data, which is used to configure variant menus, each of the variant menus being configured specifically for one of the plurality of input units, in a storing unit of the computer;

storing menu common data, which is commonly used in the variant menus and independent from the input units, in a storing unit of the computer;

storing information concerning operational status to be associated with the menu common data each time when an operation to input is provided through one of the input units;

generating the menu window according to one of the input units currently being used based on the menu specific data, the menu common data, and the information concerning operational status;

judging as to whether one of the input units being used was switched to another based on an operation provided through the another of the input units; and

providing an instruction to switch a menu window to another menu window which corresponds to the another input unit to a player module when it is judged that the input units were switched from the one to the another.

30. A method to display a menu window containing menu items, each of which represents one of plurality of application programs to be run on a computer with a plurality of input units, comprising:

storing menu specific data, which is used to configure variant menus, each of the variant menus being configured specifically for one of the plurality of input units, in a storing unit of the computer;

storing menu common data, which is commonly used in the variant menus and independent from the input units, in a storing unit of the computer;

storing information concerning operational status to be associated with the menu common data each time when an operation to input is provided through one of the input units;

generating the menu window according to one of the input units currently being used based on the menu specific data, the menu common data, and the information concerning operational status;

judging as to whether one of the input units being used was switched to another based on an operation provided through the another of the input units; and

switching a menu window to another menu window which corresponds to the another input unit when it is judged that the input units were switched from the one to the another.

31. A method to manage display of a menu window containing menu items, each of which represents one of plurality of application programs to be run on a computer with a plurality of input units, comprising:

storing menu specific data, which is used to configure variant menus, each of the variant menus being configured specifically for one of the plurality of input units, in a storing unit of the computer;

storing menu common data, which is commonly used in the variant menus and independent from the input units, in a storing unit of the computer;

storing information concerning operational status to be associated with the menu common data each time when an operation to input is provided through one of the input units;

generating the menu window according to one of the input units currently being used based on the menu specific data, the menu common data, and the information concerning operational status;

judging as to whether one of the input units being used was switched to another based on an operation provided through the another of the input units; and

providing an instruction to switch a menu window to another menu window which corresponds to the another input unit to a player module when it is judged that the input units were switched from the one to the another.

32. A computer usable medium containing computer readable instructions to display a menu window containing menu items, each of which represents one of plurality of application programs to be run on a computer with a plurality of input units, comprising:

storing menu specific data, which is used to configure variant menus, each of the variant menus being configured specifically for one of the plurality of input units, in a storing unit of the computer;

storing menu common data, which is commonly used in the variant menus and independent from the input units, in a storing unit of the computer;

storing information concerning operational status to be associated with the menu common data each time when an operation to input is provided through one of the input units;

generating the menu window according to one of the input units currently being used based on the menu specific data, the menu common data, and the information concerning operational status;

judging as to whether one of the input units being used was switched to another based on an operation provided through the another of the input units; and

switching a menu window to another menu window which corresponds to the another input unit when it is judged that the input units were switched from the one to the another.