Desired region specifying system in an image editing apparatus

• US 6,448,959 B1
• Filed: 12/02/1994
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Iijima, Yasuhiro, Saito, Kazumi, Kawaguchi, Naohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHANH DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/353,375
• Time in Patent Office: 2,839 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/707, 340/708, 340/709, 340/710, 340/711, 340/712, 340/721, 340/723, 178/18, 178/19, 178/20, 345/113, 345/114, 345/115, 345/118, 345/119, 345/120, 345/156, 345/157, 345/173, 345/179, 345/116
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A desired region specifying system in an image editing apparatus in which a region selecting information is an analog signal generated from, for example, a pressure sensor provided in a stylus pen, for selecting the regions from overlapping regions.

Claims

1. A desired region specifying system in an image editing apparatus comprising:

position information generating means for generating position information including x-y coordinates of a point on a display;

region selecting information generating means for generating region selecting information to select a desired region from among a plurality of regions which overlap in said point;

a region management table for storing positions of the regions to be displayed, the upper and lower relationships among the regions, and displaying methods for displaying the regions;

region selecting means for selecting, based on the position information generated by the position information generating means and the region selecting information generated by the region selecting information generating means, a desired region to be edited from among the plurality of regions, wherein a first region overlapped by a second region at said point such that there is no visible indication of said first region is selectable by said region selecting means in a single step;

a data storage for storing data to be displayed on a display unit; and

display control means for reading the data stored in the data storage, and for displaying the data stored in the data storage in accordance with the displaying methods stored in the region managing table,

the region selecting information generating means including analog signal generating means for generating an analog signal, the analog signal being used to select the regions from overlapping regions.

2. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the analog signal generating means comprises a switch, the analog signal being generated during an ON period of the switch, and the analog signal being stopped by turning OFF the switch.

3. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the switch in a push button switch having a push button, the push button switch being turned ON by pressing the push button, and being turned OFF by releasing the press of the push button, the overlapping regions being sequentially selected during an ON period of the push button switch, the desired region being specified by turning OFF the push button switch.

4. A desired region specifying system an claimed in claim 3, wherein the position information generating means comprises the push button switch so as to be able to handle both the push button switch and the position information generating means in one hand.

5. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the analog signal generating means comprises a pressure sensor, the analog signal being generated while a pressure greater than a threshold value is applied to the pressure sensor, and the analog signal being stopped by removing the pressure.

6. A desired region specifying system an claimed in claim 5, wherein the overlapping regions being sequentially selected while the pressure is applied to the pressure sensor, the desired region being specified by removing the pressure from the pressure sensor.

7. A desired region specifying system an claimed in claim 6, therein the position information generating means comprises the pressure sensor so as to be able to operate the pressure sensor and the position information generating means in one hand.

8. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the analog signal generating means comprises an amplifier for generating the analog signal, the amplifier comprises a control knob for adjusting the amplitude of the analog signal, the desired region being specified in response to the amplitude of the analog signal.

9. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the desired region is specified by controlling the control knob so that the amplitude of the analog signal is not changed.

10. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 8 further comprises a switch for starting and stopping the operation of the selection of the regions.

11. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the desired region is specified by turning OFF the switch.

12. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the switch is a pressure sensor provided in the position information generating means, the switch being turned ON when a pressure applied to the pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

13. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the analog signal generating means comprises a pressure sensor for providing the analog signal and a switch, the amplitude the analog signal being changed in response to a pressure applied to the pressure sensor, the desired region being specified by turning OFF the switch.

14. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the switch in a push button switch having a push button, and the position information generating means comprises the pressure sensor and the push button switch so as to be able to operate the pressure sensor, the push button switch, and the position information generating means in one hand, the regions being selected in response to a pressure applied to the pressure sensor while the switch is turned ON by holding down the push button, and the desired region being specified by releasing the push button.

15. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the analog signal generating means comprises a first switch and a second switch, front regions being sequentially selected during an ON period of the first switch, and the desired region being specified by turning OFF the first switch;

and rear regions being sequentially selected during an ON period of the second switch, and the desired region being specified by turning OFF the second switch.

16. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 15, further comprises discrete operation mode selecting means for selecting a discrete mode in which the selection of the regions is changed from the currently selected region to one region adjacent to the currently selected region by turning ON the first or the second switch so that the regions are sequentially selected by sequentially turning ON the first switch or the second switch.

17. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the analog signal generating means comprises travel distance outputting means and a switch, the travel distance outputting means being provided in the position information generating means, for outputting a travel distance between positions designated by the position information generating means, the regions being directly selected in response to travel distance between the initial position and the final position designated by the position information generating means during an ON period of the switch.

18. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the switch is a pressure sensor provided in the position information generating means, for generating a signal representing the ON period when a pressure larger than a threshold value is applied to the pressure sensor.

19. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the desired region is specified by removing the pressure from the pressure sensor.

20. A desired region specifying system an claimed in claim 17, wherein the switch is a push button switch having a push button provided in the position information generating means, for generating a signal representing the ON period when the push button is pressed.

21. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the desired region is specified by releasing the push button.

22. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position information generating means comprises the pressure sensor and a switch, the regions being selected in response to the pressure applied to the pressure sensor, and the desired region being specified in response to the operation of the switch.

23. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 22, wherein when the output of the pressure sensor is increased to be larger than a first threshold, a front region adjacent to the region currently selected is selected, and when the output of the pressure sensor is decreased to be smaller then a second threshold value, a rear region adjacent to the region currently selected is selected.

24. A desired region specifying system as claimed in claim 22, wherein when the output of the pressure sensor is increased to be larger than a first threshold value, a rear region adjacent to the region currently selected is selected, and when the output of the pressure sensor is decreased to be smaller than a second threshold, a front region adjacent to the region currently selected is selected.