JP2005018222A - Operation input automatic deciding program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent any unexpected action from starting. <P>SOLUTION: When it is monitored that a cursor is stopping for a second predetermined time in an action area (S11, S12), a predetermined sound is reproduced according to the contents set by a user (S13, S14), and time until a click event occurs is count-down displayed (S15, S16). When the movement stopping status of the cursor continues for a first predetermined time (S17, S18), the click event to exhibit effects similar to those of a click operation is made to automatically occur (S18). Therefore, the time until the click event occurs is count-down displayed before the click event occurs in the lapse of the first predetermined time after the movement of the cursor stops, and, if the occurrence of the click event is not desired, any unexpected action is prevented from starting by performing a cursor moving operation during count-down display. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for preventing an unexpected action from being started in an operation input automatic determination technique in a Web browser or mail software.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When operating a PC (Personal Computer), it is possible to move the cursor using a joystick, trackball, etc., but for the physically handicapped who have difficulty in clicking to confirm the operation input A technology for automatically confirming the above has been put into practical use. As an example thereof, as described in Patent Document 1, there has been proposed a technique for automatically generating a click event and starting an action when a viewpoint position on a screen is fixed for a predetermined time. Further, as disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, there is also provided a technique for automatically generating a click event when the cursor position in an application is fixed for a predetermined time.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 9-212287 A
[Non-Patent Document 1]
Kenji Machida, “Introduction of“ I can click ””, [online], [Search June 10, 2003, Internet <URL: http://deki.psv.org/DekiClk.html>
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in a Web browser, it is usual to browse a Web page for a long time without moving the cursor. Therefore, if the conventional technology is applied as it is, an unexpected action is started depending on the cursor position. There is a fear. For example, if the cursor is fixed in a region where a link is set for a predetermined time, a click event occurs at that position against the user's intention, and the linked web page is displayed. Especially for the physically handicapped person, even moving the cursor requires a lot of labor, so imposing an operation for redisplaying the Web page desired to be browsed is too severe and should be avoided as much as possible. Note that the same problem may occur in mail software for sending / receiving and browsing electronic mail.
[0005]
Therefore, in view of the conventional problems as described above, the present invention notifies the time until the click event is automatically generated through visual and auditory senses, thereby preventing an unexpected action from being started. The purpose is to provide automatic input confirmation technology.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
For this reason, in the operation input automatic determination technique according to the present invention, the movement state of the cursor is monitored, and when it is monitored that the movement of the cursor is stopped for the first predetermined time, the click event is automatically generated, When it is monitored that the movement of is stopped, the time until the click event occurs is displayed in a countdown manner. Here, it is desirable that the countdown display be started when a second predetermined time has elapsed since it was monitored that the movement of the cursor was stopped. Further, it is desirable that the first predetermined time can be arbitrarily set by the user.
[0007]
According to this configuration, when the movement of the cursor is stopped for the first predetermined time, a click event that exhibits the same effect as the click operation is automatically generated. Therefore, even if the user does not perform the click operation, it is possible to start some processing corresponding to the click operation, and the labor can be reduced. Further, when the movement of the cursor is stopped, the time until the click event is generated is displayed in a countdown manner, so that it is possible to notify the user in advance that the click event is automatically generated. When the user does not want to automatically generate a click event, it is possible to prevent an unexpected action from starting by moving the cursor while the countdown display is being made. At this time, since the countdown display is started after the second predetermined time has elapsed since the movement of the cursor is stopped, the countdown display does not start as soon as the cursor stops, and the user feels “noisy”. Is prevented. Furthermore, if the first predetermined time can be set by the user, it is possible to secure a cursor movement operation time corresponding to the degree of the failure.
[0008]
In addition, it is desirable that the occurrence of the click event and the countdown display be an additional condition that the cursor is in the action area. Here, the “action area” refers to an area where an action (for example, display of a linked Web page) is started when a click event occurs. Furthermore, it is desirable to start an action corresponding to the automatically generated click event.
[0009]
According to this configuration, the click event is generated and the countdown display is performed only when the cursor is in the action area. For this reason, when the cursor is in an area where no action is started, the cursor moving operation for preventing the automatic occurrence of the click event is not necessary, and therefore, it is possible to concentrate on browsing the Web page or the e-mail. In addition, if an action corresponding to a click event is started, operability related to browsing a Web page or an e-mail can be improved.
[0010]
Furthermore, it is desirable to display a software keyboard when the text input area becomes ready for input in response to an automatically generated click event. For example, when a click event is automatically generated in a text input area and a caret is displayed, a software keyboard is automatically displayed. For this reason, when inputting text into the text input area, there is no need to display a software keyboard by a predetermined operation, and the number of necessary operations is reduced, thereby reducing the labor required for browsing web pages or creating e-mails. Can do.
[0011]
In addition, when the movement of the cursor is stopped, it is desirable to reproduce a predetermined sound until the click event occurs. It is also desirable to generate a click sound when a click event is automatically generated. If a predetermined sound is played after the cursor movement is stopped until the click event occurs, the time until the click event occurs can be grasped through hearing. On the other hand, if a click sound is generated when a click event automatically occurs, it can be recognized that the click event has automatically occurred.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration in which an operation input automatic determination device (hereinafter referred to as “operation input automatic determination device”) is constructed by applying the present invention to a computer system having a cursor movement device such as a mouse, joystick, or trackball. Indicates. The computer system includes at least a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory, and various functions related to automatic operation input confirmation are realized by a program loaded in the memory.
[0013]
The various functions can be incorporated in advance in a Web browser program and provided as a standard function of the Web browser, or can be provided by a program independent of the Web browser program. It is also possible to adopt a form for controlling various functions of the present invention for a Web browser operating on the system. In the present embodiment, the former case is assumed.
[0014]
The operation input automatic determination device 10 is connected to the Internet 20 on which various Web pages are provided, and also includes an operation condition file 10A, an operation condition setting unit 10B, a cursor movement monitoring unit 10C (movement monitoring function and movement monitoring means), and operation. It includes a control unit 10D, a countdown display unit 10E, a sound playback unit 10F, a click event generation unit 10G, and a software keyboard presentation unit 10H.
[0015]
When content that can be displayed by a Web browser exists in a storage device in a computer system, an external storage device connected to the computer system, or a recording medium, the operation input automatic determination device 10 is not necessarily the Internet. 20 need not be connected.
[0016]
In the operation condition file 10A, various operation conditions for automatic operation input confirmation, specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, automatic click event generation, click event automatic generation seconds, sound playback, countdown display, software Each item of keyboard presentation and designated action is stored. In the automatic generation of a click event, whether or not to automatically generate a click event that exhibits the same effect as when a click operation is performed is set. The first predetermined time from when the cursor is stopped until the click event is automatically generated is set as the click event automatic generation seconds. In sound playback and countdown display, in order to notify in advance that a click event automatically occurs, a predetermined time before the click event is automatically generated (in this embodiment, 3 seconds before), that is, the movement of the cursor is stopped. Whether or not to start sound reproduction and countdown display when a second predetermined time elapses is set. In the software keyboard presentation, whether or not to present the software keyboard is set so that an arbitrary character can be input using the cursor moving device when a click event occurs in the text input area. In the designated action, an object for automatically generating a click event, for example, a button, a text input area, and a link type is set.
[0017]
In the operation condition setting unit 10B, an effect as a time setting function is provided and a function for setting the operation condition is provided. That is, when “operation condition setting” is selected from the menu of the Web browser, an operation condition setting process as shown in FIG. 3 is started.
[0018]
In step 1 (abbreviated as “S1” in the figure, the same applies hereinafter), an operation condition setting screen as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed. In the operating condition setting screen, in addition to whether or not the click event is automatically generated when the cursor is staying (when stopped), when the click event is automatically generated, the automatic generation number of seconds, whether to play the sound, and the countdown are displayed. A function for setting whether or not to display each is provided. In addition, on the operation condition setting screen, a function that sets the target for starting some action such as a button, text input area, link, etc., and a software keyboard are automatically displayed to limit the target for automatically generating a click event. A function for setting whether or not to perform is provided.
[0019]
In step 2, the number of seconds (first predetermined time) from when the movement of the cursor is stopped until the click event is automatically generated is set. Note that the processing in step 2 corresponds to a time setting function.
[0020]
In step 3, in order to notify in advance that the click event is automatically generated, it is set whether or not the sound is reproduced from a predetermined time before the click event is automatically generated.
[0021]
In step 4, in order to notify in advance that the click event is automatically generated, it is set whether or not the countdown display is performed from a predetermined time before the click event is automatically generated.
[0022]
In step 5, whether or not to present the software keyboard when a click event is automatically generated in the text input area and the caret is displayed is set.
[0023]
In step 6, in order to limit the target for automatically generating the click event, a designated action for starting some action is set.
In step 7, the contents set in steps 2 to 6 are stored in the operating condition file 10A as operating conditions.
[0024]
According to the series of processes from step 1 to step 7 described above, in addition to whether or not the click event is automatically generated, the operation condition is stored in the operation condition file 10A. For this reason, in the subsequent processing, the operation input automatic determination device 10 can be operated under the operation condition according to the user's intention by referring to the operation condition stored in the operation condition file 10A. In particular, for physically handicapped persons, the degree of disability varies, and the time required to move the cursor varies, so by setting the first predetermined time according to the degree of disability of the user, Operability can be improved.
[0025]
The cursor movement monitoring unit 10C monitors the movement state of the cursor in the Web browser. In the operation control unit 10D, when it is monitored by the cursor movement monitoring unit 10C that the movement of the cursor is stopped, the countdown display unit 10E, the sound reproduction unit 10F, The click event generation unit 10G and the software keyboard presentation unit 10H are selectively activated. In the countdown display unit 10E, countdown display is performed. In the sound reproducing unit 10E, a predetermined sound is reproduced. The click event generating unit 10G automatically functions as a click sound generating function and automatically generates a click event that exhibits the same effect as when a click operation is performed. The software keyboard presenting unit 10H presents (displays) a software keyboard.
[0026]
The operation control unit 10D and the click event generation unit 10G realize an event generation function and an event generation unit, respectively. The operation control unit 10D and the countdown display unit 10E realize a countdown display function and a countdown display unit, respectively. A keyboard display function is realized by the operation control unit 10D and the software keyboard display unit 10H. A sound reproduction function is realized by the operation control unit 10D and the sound reproduction unit 10F. The operation control unit 10D realizes an area determination function, a text input determination function, and an area determination unit.
[0027]
5 and 6 show the operating condition control unit 10D, the countdown display unit 10E, the sound playback unit 10F, the click event generation unit 10G, and the software when the cursor movement monitoring unit 10C monitors the movement of the cursor. A click event automatic generation process performed in cooperation by the wear keyboard presenting unit 10H is shown.
[0028]
In step 11, it is determined whether or not the cursor is in the action area set as the designated action. Here, whether or not the cursor is in the action area can be determined using, for example, functions provided in the Web browser (the color of the link portion changes, the shape of the cursor changes, etc.). The action area is an area where some action is started. If the cursor is in the action area, the process proceeds to step 12 (Yes), and if the cursor is not in the action area, the process is terminated (No). Note that the processing in step 11 corresponds to an area determination function and an area determination unit, respectively.
[0029]
In step 12, the staying state after the cursor stops in the action area is monitored. If the cursor stop state continues for the second predetermined time (first predetermined time—3 [seconds]), the process proceeds to step 13, and if the cursor moves during that time, the process ends.
[0030]
In step 13, it is determined whether or not there is a sound, that is, whether or not the sound reproduction of the operating condition is set to “Yes”. If there is a sound, the process proceeds to step 14 (Yes), and a predetermined sound file is reproduced. On the other hand, if there is no sound, the process proceeds to step 15 (No). In addition, the process of step 13 and step 14 corresponds to a sound reproduction function.
[0031]
In step 15, it is determined whether or not there is a countdown, that is, whether or not the countdown display of the operating condition is set to “Yes”. If there is a countdown, the process proceeds to step 16 (Yes), and a countdown display is performed. Here, as the countdown display, various display modes by a known technique such as sequentially changing the cursor shape or displaying a number in the vicinity of the cursor in order to visually display the time until the click event automatically occurs. Is applicable. On the other hand, if there is no countdown, the process proceeds to step 17 (No).
[0032]
Here, the processing of step 12, step 15 and step 16 corresponds to the countdown display function and the countdown display means, respectively.
In step 17, it is determined whether or not the first predetermined time has elapsed since the movement of the cursor has stopped, in other words, whether or not the countdown display has ended. Then, if the first predetermined time has elapsed after the cursor stops in the action area, the process proceeds to step 18 (Yes). On the other hand, if the first predetermined time has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step 19 (No), and it is determined whether or not the cursor has moved from 3 seconds before the occurrence of the click event. If the cursor has moved, the process ends (Yes), while if the cursor has not moved, the process returns to Step 13 (No).
[0033]
In step 18, a click event is automatically generated. At this time, in conjunction with the occurrence of the click event, a so-called “click sound” may be generated so that the occurrence of the click event is notified through hearing. Note that the process of generating the “click sound” corresponds to the click sound generation function.
[0034]
Here, the processing of step 17 to step 19 corresponds to the event generation function and the event generation means, respectively.
In step 20, it is determined whether or not a caret is displayed as a result of the occurrence of the click event, that is, whether or not a click event has occurred in the text input area. If the caret is displayed, the process proceeds to step 21 (Yes). On the other hand, if the caret is not displayed, the process proceeds to step 23 (No), and the action corresponding to the action area in which the click event occurs is started. Note that the processing in step 20 corresponds to the text input determination function.
[0035]
In step 21, it is determined whether or not the software keyboard is presented, that is, whether or not the software keyboard presentation of the operating condition is set to “Yes”. If the software keyboard is to be presented, the process proceeds to step 22 (Yes), and the software keyboard is presented. On the other hand, if the software keyboard is not presented, the process ends (No). Note that the processing of step 21 and step 22 corresponds to the keyboard display function.
[0036]
According to the series of processes from step 11 to step 23 described above, after the cursor is stopped in the action area, the same effect as the click operation is exhibited when the first predetermined time set as the operation condition has elapsed. Click event is automatically generated. At this time, sound reproduction and / or countdown display for notifying in advance that the click event is automatically generated according to the setting contents of the user is appropriately performed from a predetermined time (3 seconds) before the click event occurs. . When the automatic generation of the click event is not desired, the automatic operation of the click event can be prevented by operating the cursor moving device and moving the cursor while the sound is being reproduced or / and the countdown display is being performed. it can. For this reason, an unexpected action is prevented from being started, and an operation for redisplaying the web page being browsed is not required. Therefore, a user-friendly web browser can be provided.
[0037]
Further, when the click event is automatically generated in the text input area and the software keyboard is set to be presented, the software keyboard is automatically presented as the caret is displayed. For this reason, when inputting text into the text input area, it is not necessary to display a software keyboard by a predetermined operation, and the number of necessary operations is reduced. Therefore, labor required for browsing a Web page can be reduced.
[0038]
To explain with a specific example, when the cursor is on the link, a countdown display is started at that position as shown in FIG. When the countdown display is completed, a click event is automatically generated, and the linked web page is displayed in order to achieve the same effect as clicking the link, as shown in FIG. FIG. 7 illustrates the cursor as if it was moving during the countdown display for 3 seconds, but this is for convenience only to show that the countdown number changes every second. Is described. In the present embodiment, in reality, the cursor position does not move and remains fixed at the same place, and only the numbers indicating the countdown change sequentially. 9 and 11 are similar to this. However, as another example, even if the cursor moves, it is possible to generate a click event by determining that the cursor is staying in the same action area. In this case, Step 12 and Step 19 in FIG. 5 can be realized by determining whether or not the cursor is positioned in the action area, instead of determining whether or not the cursor is moved.
[0039]
On the other hand, when the cursor is on the button, a countdown display is started at that position as shown in FIG. When the countdown display is completed, a click event is automatically generated and, as shown in FIG. 10, an action corresponding to the button is started so as to exert the same effect as when the button is clicked. When the cursor is on the text input area, a countdown display is started at that position as shown in FIG. When the countdown display is completed, a click event is automatically generated, and a caret is displayed in the text input area as shown in FIG. At this time, if the setting to present the software keyboard is made, the software keyboard is displayed with the display of the caret as shown in FIG.
[0040]
In this embodiment, the sound reproduction or / and countdown display is adopted when the cursor is in the action area. However, the sound reproduction or / and countdown is performed wherever the cursor is on the Web browser. It is good also as a structure which performs a display. At this time, it goes without saying that the function and item for setting the designated action are unnecessary in the operation condition setting screen and the operation condition file 10A. The present invention is not limited to a Web browser, and can be applied to, for example, mail software that transmits / receives and browses electronic mail.
[0041]
If a program that realizes such a function is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or DVD-R, the operation input automatic determination program according to the present invention is distributed to the market. be able to. A person who has obtained such a recording medium can easily construct the operation input automatic determination device according to the present invention by installing the program in a computer system.
[0042]
(Appendix 1) A movement monitoring function for monitoring the movement state of the cursor, and an event generation function for automatically generating a click event when it is monitored by the movement monitoring function that the movement of the cursor has stopped for a first predetermined time; Automatic operation input for causing a computer to realize a countdown display function for counting down the time until the click event is generated by the event generation function when it is monitored that the movement of the cursor is stopped by the movement monitoring function A fixed program.
[0043]
(Supplementary note 2) The countdown display function starts a countdown display when a second predetermined time has elapsed since it was monitored that the movement of the cursor was stopped by the movement monitoring function. Operation input automatic confirmation program.
[0044]
(Additional remark 3) It is provided with the area | region determination function which determines whether a cursor exists in an action area | region, The event generation function and the countdown display function are determined when the cursor is in the action area by the area determination function. The operation input automatic determination program according to Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, wherein each process is started.
[0045]
(Supplementary Note 4) The event generation function automatically detects a click event when it is monitored by the movement monitoring function that the cursor stays in the action area for a first predetermined time even if the cursor is moved. The program for automatically determining an operation input according to appendix 3, wherein the program is generated.
[0046]
(Supplementary Note 5) A text input determination function for determining whether or not a text input area can be input in response to a click event automatically generated by the event generation function, and text input by the text input determination function An operation input automatic determination program according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 4, further comprising a keyboard display function for displaying a software keyboard when it is determined to be in a state.
[0047]
(Appendix 6) A sound playback function for playing back a predetermined sound until a click event is generated by the event generation function when it is monitored by the movement monitoring function that the cursor has stopped moving is provided. The operation input automatic determination program according to any one of appendix 1 to appendix 5.
[0048]
(Supplementary note 7) The operation according to any one of supplementary notes 1 to 6, further comprising a click sound generation function for generating a click sound when a click event is automatically generated by the event generation function. Automatic input confirmation program.
[0049]
(Supplementary note 8) The operation input automatic determination program according to any one of supplementary notes 1 to 7, further comprising a time setting function for arbitrarily setting the first predetermined time.
[0050]
(Supplementary note 9) The movement monitoring function for monitoring the movement state of the cursor, the area determination function for determining whether or not the cursor is in the action area, and the movement monitoring function stopped the cursor movement for a first predetermined time. And the event generation function that automatically generates a click event when the area determination function determines that the cursor is in the action area, and the movement monitoring function monitors that the cursor has stopped moving. A computer-readable recording of an operation input automatic determination program for causing a computer to realize a countdown display function that counts down the time until the click event occurs by the event generation function when a second predetermined time has elapsed since Possible recording media.
[0051]
(Additional remark 10) It is monitored that the step which monitors the movement state of the cursor displayed on the computer, the step which determines whether a cursor exists in an action area | region, and the movement of the cursor stopped for the 1st predetermined time, And a step of automatically generating a click event when it is determined that the cursor is in the action area, and the occurrence of the click event when a second predetermined time has elapsed since it was monitored that the movement of the cursor was stopped. And an operation input automatic determination method characterized by comprising a step of displaying a countdown time until the operation time.
[0052]
(Supplementary Note 11) Movement monitoring means for monitoring the movement state of the cursor, area determination means for determining whether or not the cursor is in the action area, and movement of the cursor is stopped by the movement monitoring means for a first predetermined time. And when the area determination means determines that the cursor is in the action area, the event generation means for automatically generating a click event and the movement monitoring means monitor that the movement of the cursor is stopped. And a countdown display means for counting down the time until the click event is generated by the event generation means when a second predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the operation input automatic confirmation device.
[0053]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the operation input automatic determination technology according to the present invention, when the movement of the cursor is stopped, the click event is automatically displayed to the user by displaying the countdown time until the click event occurs. It is possible to notify in advance that this occurs. If the user does not want to automatically generate a click event, the user can prevent the unexpected action from being disclosed by moving the cursor while the countdown display is being made. For this reason, an operation for redisplaying the web page or e-mail being browsed becomes unnecessary, and a user-friendly web browser or mail software can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an operation input automatic determination device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of operating conditions.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation condition setting process.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an operating condition setting screen.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing click event automatic generation processing;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing click event automatic generation processing;
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a countdown display when the cursor is on a link
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram when a click event occurs on a link.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a countdown display when the cursor is on the button.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram when a click event occurs on a button.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a countdown display when the cursor is on the text input area.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram when a click event occurs in a text input area.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram when a software keyboard is presented.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Operation input automatic confirmation device
10A Operating condition file
10B Operating condition setting section
10C Cursor movement monitoring unit
10D operation controller
10E countdown display
10F Sound playback unit
10G Click event generator
10H Software keyboard presentation part

Claims (5)

A movement monitoring function for monitoring the movement state of the cursor;
An event generating function for automatically generating a click event when it is monitored by the movement monitoring function that the movement of the cursor has stopped for a first predetermined time;
A countdown display function that counts down the time until the click event occurs by the event generation function when it is monitored that the movement of the cursor is stopped by the movement monitoring function;
An automatic operation input confirmation program for realizing a computer 2. The operation input according to claim 1, wherein the countdown display function starts the countdown display when a second predetermined time has elapsed since the movement monitoring function monitored that the movement of the cursor was stopped. Automatic confirmation program. Has an area determination function to determine whether the cursor is in the action area,
3. The operation according to claim 1, wherein the event generation function and the countdown display function start the respective processes when the cursor is determined to be in the action area by the area determination function. Automatic input confirmation program. The event generation function automatically generates a click event when it is monitored by the movement monitoring function that the cursor stays in the action area for a first predetermined time even when the cursor is moved. 4. The operation input automatic determination program according to claim 3, wherein In response to a click event automatically generated by the event generation function, a text input determination function for determining whether or not the text input area is ready for input;
5. A keyboard display function for displaying a software keyboard when it is determined by the text input determination function that text input is possible. 5. Operation input automatic confirmation program described in 1.

Images