Window display system and method for a computer system7028265Abstract An example window display device on a window-system type computer system displays a main window and a sub-window. The window display device includes a sub-window moving mechanism for moving the sub-window in accordance with movement of the main window so that the sub-window may always keep a specified relative position with respect to the main window on a display screen. Claims What is claimed is: Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic construction view of an on-demand interface device according to an aspect of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic construction view of an exemplary control means 5. FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting a procedure for a voice recognition adjustment advising means and a fail-in-retrieval output means. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary content of a function database DB8. FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary content of a fail-in-retrieval response database DB9. FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting the processing operations of an on-demand interface device according to an aspect (the item (4)) of the present invention. FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary explanation of functions by an on-demand voice interface device of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart depicting the processing operations of an on-demand interface device according to an aspect (the item (5)) of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart depicting the processing operations of an on-demand interface device according to an aspect (the item (6)) of the present invention. FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary content of a command database DB10. FIG. 11 illustrates how to display an agent, a retrieval mode, a voice level and a request-text edit box on a voice on-demand interface device of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart depicting a procedure for correcting position of a sub-window on a display screen by a voice on-demand interface device according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flowchart depicting a procedure for reducing a total display area of windows on a display screen. FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary display of windows on a display screen when the total display area of windows was reduced. FIG. 15 is a flowchart depicting a procedure for requesting a user to input a speech through a voice on-demand interface device according to the present invention. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a voice on-demand interface device according an embodiment of the present invention. This voice on-demand interface device comprises a voice input means 1 (e.g., a microphone) for vocally inputting a retrieval request and an instruction by a user, a request text input means 2 (e.g., a keyboard) for inputting a retrieval request and an instruction not vocally by the user, an input starting means 3 for informing a control means 5 of starting inputting a retrieval request and a user's instruction through the voice input means 1 and request text input means 2, a voice recognizing means 4 for recognizing a speech inputted by the voice input means 1, a control means 5 for controlling the voice on-demand interface device, a selecting means 6 for selecting a user's desired item from the result outputted by the output means 7, an output means 7 (e.g., a display and a speaker) for outputting a result of retrieval from a function database 8 according to a request text inputted through the voice input means 1 or the request text input means 2, an impersonated character (agent) on a display screen and a speech, a function database 8 containing scripts of help explanations and operation steps for an apparatus in which the voice on-demand interface device is used, a fail-in-retrieval response database 9 containing massages to be output to the output means 7 if a retrieval result for a request text inputted through the voice input means 1 or the text input means 2 is zero and scripts of actions of the agent, and a command database 10 containing commands to instruct the control means 5. The voice input means 1 may also serve as the selecting means 6 and the request text input means 2 may also serve as the input start means 3 and the selecting means 6. The function database 8, the fail-in-retrieval response database 9 and the command database 10 may be stored in an external storage connected to the control means 5 or stored in separate storages or storages provided on a network. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an exemplary control means 5. This control means 5 comprises a retrieval means 11 for retrieving data from the database 8, a memory means 12 for storing what a user selected by the selecting means 6 from retrieval results obtained by the retrieval means 11, a voice recognition adjustment advising means 13 for advising the user to adjust the voice recognizing means 4 if he/she didn't select any of retrieval results n times in succession, which record is stored on the memory means 12, a fail-in-retrieval output means 14 for outputting a response randomly selected from the fail-in-retrieval response database 9 to the output means 7 when nothing (zero) was retrieved by the retrieval means 11, a fail-in-retrieval number memory means 15 for storing the number of "zero" results (fails) of retrieval operations made by the retrieval means 11, an input mode memory means 16 for storing the result of examination on whether user's request text or instruction was input in the voice input mode, a function executing means 17 for executing a function that the user has selected by the selecting means 6 from the results of retrieval made by the retrieval means 11 from the function database 8, an agent output means 18 for outputting an agent (impersonated character) to the output means 7, an agent position memory means 19 for storing a current position of the agent being output by the output means 18 on a display screen, an agent position returning means 20 for changing the position of the agent being outputted by the agent output means 18, a command processing means 21 for processing a command when a request text inputted by the voice input means 1 or the request text input means 2 coincides with one of commands stored in the command database 10, a sub-window moving means 22 for moving at least one sub-window in accordance with the movement of a main window output by the output means 7, a timer means 23 for interrupting the control means 5 at specified time intervals, a sub-window movement setting means 24 for setting each sub-window to be movable or unmovable by the sub-window moving means 22, a sub-window displaying setting means 25 for setting each sub-window to be presentable and non-presentable when being moved by the sub-window moving means 22, a sub-window display position correcting means 26 for correcting a current position of any one of the sub-windows on a display screen so as to display the sub-window within the display screen of the output means 7 if it was shifted out of the screen by the sub-window moving means 22, a main/sub-window position correcting means 27 for correcting a current position of each of sub-windows with respect to the main window to eliminate an overlap between the sub-window and the main window on the display screen of the output means 7 if such occurred due to shifting the sub-window by the sub-window moving means 22, sub/sub-window position correcting means 28 for correcting a current position of one sub-window with respect to another sub-window to eliminate an overlap between them on the display screen of the output means 7 if such occurred due to shifting the former by the sub-window moving means 22, a window priority setting means 29 for setting displaying priorities of the main widow and the sub-windows to be displayed as laying on one another in the downward order when shifting each sub-window by the sub-window moving means 22 on the display screen of the output means 7, a window priority changing means 30 for changing the displaying priorities of the main and each sub-windows laid on one another according to the priorities set by the window priority setting means 29 on the display screen of the output means 7, a total window display area reduction/sub-window position correcting means 31 for correcting the current positions of the sub-windows moved thereto by the sub-window moving means 22 so as to reduce a total display area of the main and sub windows on the display screen of the output means 7, a sub-window display area reduction/sub-window position correcting means 32 for correcting the positions of the sub-windows moved thereto by the sub-window moving means 22 so as to reduce a total display area of the sub-windows on the display screen of the output means 7, a sub-window front-display means 33 for displaying each sub-window in front of the display screen of the output means 7 not to be hidden under a window other than the main window and sub-windows, a status output means 34 for outputting a mode of retrieval operation of the retrieval means 11 to the display screen of the output means 7, a voice level output means 35 for outputting a volume level of a speech inputted by the voice input means 1 to the display screen of the output means 7, an input request text output means 36 for displaying a character string inputted by the request text input means 2 and a cursor on the display screen of the output means 7, a voice input instruction display means 37 for outputting an explanation on how to input an information by the voice input means 1 to the display screen of the output means 7 when the user did not select any of retrieval results n times in succession based on the data stored in the memory means 12, and a voice input requesting means 38 for outputting to the display screen of the output means 7 an message requesting the user of any vocal instruction through the voice input means 1 if no input through the voice input means 1 was received for a specified period. The embodiments of the items (1) to (3) of the present invention are first described below. FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting an exemplary procedure of processing data by the voice recognition adjustment advising means 13 and the fail-in-retrieval output means 14. The user vocally enters through the voice input means 1 a retrieval requesting text for retrieval of a function from the function database 8 (Step S1). FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplified function database 8. Function names and summaries are objective character strings. Operation procedures and action scripts are used by the function executing means 17 when executing respective functions and by the agent output means 18 when explaining the operation by the agent. The request text inputted through the voice input means 1 is converted by the voice recognizing means 4 to a character string (Step S2). The converted character string is transferred to a control means 5 that in turn causes the retrieval means 11 to search for the character string in the function database 8 (Step S3). Now let assume that the result of voice recognition by the voice recognizing means 4 was "Document". The retrieval means 11 searches data in the function database 8 and outputs the retrieval result to the output means 7 to display the following message (Step S5): Select a function to be executed.
When the number of successively non-executed events stored in the memory means 12 reached n times (Step S8), the control means 5 caused the voice recognition adjustment advising means 13 to advise the user to adjust the voice recognizing means 4 through the output means 7 (Step S11). For example, if the non-executions were successively counted 5 times in the memory means 12, the control means 5 causes the voice recognition adjustment advising means 13 to advise the user to enroll the voice recognizing means 4 by displaying the following messages on the output means 7.
The zero-result of retrieval by the retrieval means 11 is recorded in the fail-in-retrieval count memory means 15 for example as follows:
The voice recognition adjustment advising means 13 monitors the number of the failed retrievals stored in the memory means 15. When the number of successively zero-retrieval results stored in the memory means 15 reached n times (Step S10), the voice recognition adjustment advising means 13 advises the user to adjust the voice recognizing means 4 via the output means 7 (Step S11). For example, if the zero-retrieval results were counted 5 times in succession, the voice recognition adjustment advising means 13 advises the user to enroll the voice recognizing means 4 by displaying the following messages on the display screen of the output means 7.
In the embodiments of the items (21) and (22) of the present invention, the voice input instructing means 37 instead of the voice recognition adjustment advising means 13 is used for explaining the user how to vocally input an instruction through the voice input means 1 in case of non-execution or zero-retrieval having occurred "n" times in succession. For example, if non-execution of functions occurred five times in succession, the voice input instructing means 37 outputs an explanation of how to input a speech on the display screen of the output means 7 as follows: To input your speech, press the input start button and speak "I want to Enlarge characters". The voice input instructing means 37 may also be used for explaining functions stored in the function database 8, displaying an exemplary screen image representing the state of executing a function selected from the function database 8 and presenting the help for the voice on-demand interface device. An embodiment of the item (4) of the present invention is described with reference to FIG. 6 where a relevant flowchart is shown. A request for retrieving information from the function database 8 can be input in a voice input mode (through the voice input means 1) or in a non-vocal input mode (through the request text input means 2). The selected input mode is stored in the input mode memory means 16. At the beginning of inputting a request, a start signal is first sent to the input starting means 3 (Step S12). The selected input mode is examined referring to the input mode memory means 16 (Step S13). When the voice input mode was selected, the request is input through the voice input means 1. When the non-vocal input mode was selected, the request is input through the request text input means 2 (Step S15). For example, when the user pressed the input start button provided as the input starting means 3, the input of a request text is ready to start either in the voice input mode or non-vocal mode depending on the selection stored in the input mode memory means 18. In the non-vocal mode, a dialogue for inputting characters is displayed on the display screen of the output means 7. An embodiment of the item (5) of the present invention is described as follows: FIG. 7 illustrates an example of how to explain a function by the voice on-demand interface device of the present invention. In this case, the embodiment uses the function database 8 shown in FIG. 4 and selects a "centering" function therein to be executed. In accordance with an action script, the function executing means 17 executes the function and the agent output means 18 outputs an agent to the output means 7. In the shown case, the agent instructs the user to select a character string to be centered, then moves vertically on the display screen to indicate selectable position "centering" function in an "edit" menu. The flowchart of FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary procedure for the shown embodiment (the item (5)) of the present invention. First, the agent position memory means 19 stores coordinates of an initial current position of the agent on the display screen of the output means 7 (Step S16). According to the above-described procedure, the agent explains what to do (Step S17). On completion of the explanation by the agent, the agent position returning means 20 refers to the coordinates stored in the agent position memory means 19 and returns the agent to the initial position where the agent was before starting movement (explanation) (Step S18). In the shown case, the agent moves to explain what to do and select to execute "centering" as shown in (b) and (c) on FIG. 7, then returns to the initial position (where it was before moving) as shown in (a) on FIG. 7. An embodiment according to the item (6) of the present invention is described with reference to FIG. 9 where a flowchart depicting the procedure for the embodiment. A request text is inputted through the voice input means 1 or the request text input means 2 (Step S19) and then transferred to the command processing means 21 whereby the request text is examined whether it corresponds to one of commands stored in the command database 10 (Step S20). If the request text didn't correspond to every command in the database 10, the retrieval means 11 is driven to carry out the retrieval operation (Step S21). When the request text corresponds to a command in the database, the command processing means 21 performs the operation specified by the command (Step S22). An exemplary content of the command database 10 is shown in FIG. 10. For example, when a request text "Once more" was inputted, it is recognized as a command and the operation specified by the command is executed. In this case, the just finished explanation is conducted again. Other commands may be provided for example for presenting a help for just finished instruction, repeating again the just finished explanation but more slowly and so on. Embodiments according to the items (7) to (20) of the present invention are described below. FIG. 11 illustrates an example of displaying an agent, a retrieval mode, a voice level and a request text input edit box on a display screen of the output means 7 of the voice on-demand interface device. (a) on FIG. 11 shows an agent separately displayed on the display screen by the agent output means 18. (b) on FIG. 11 shows the case of simultaneously displaying an agent and a retrieval mode outputted by the status output means 34 and (c) on FIG. 11 shows the case of simultaneously displaying an agent, an retrieval mode and a voice level outputted by the voice level output means 35. (d) on FIG. 11 shows the case of simultaneously displaying an agent, a retrieval mode and a request-text edit box outputted by the request text output means 35 instead of the voice level shown in (c) on FIG. 11. This voice on-demand interface device allows the agent to be shifted by the user and to automatically move on the display screen when explaining how to operate the device. The movement of the agent is also accompanied by movements of other relevant sub-windows. FIG. 12 is a flowchart depicting a procedure for realizing the above movements on the display screen. Nothing is done until the timer means 23 generates interrupting signal (Step S23). It is assumed the interrupting signal is generated at intervals of, e.g., 0.1 second. With an interruption from the timer means 23, the control means 5 refers to the sub-window display setting memory means 25 and displays sub-windows that must be displayed and does not display sub-windows that are preset not to be displayed (Step S24). In case of (c) on FIG. 11, the edit box is not displayed, while in case of (d) on FIG. 11, the voice level is not displayed. Next, each sub-window is examined whether it is preset to move or not to move in the sub-window movement setting means 24. The processing is made to move the movable sub-windows and no processing is made for the non-movable sub-windows (Step S25). For example, when a sub-window of a status indication such as a retrieval mode as shown in (b) on FIG. 11 is desired. to present at a specified relative position in respect to the agent without moving simultaneously with the movement of the agent, it is set not to move. Next, after the agent moved to a new position, the sub-window moving means 22 obtains new current coordinates of the agent and transfers the sub-window "retrieval mode" to its new position predetermined in respective to the agent (Step S26). As shown in (e-1) to (e-3) on FIG. 11, the agent is displayed together with a status indication representing the retrieval mode ((e-1) on FIG. 11) and then moves to a next position ((e-2) on FIG. 11). Now, the sub-window moving means 22 transfers the status indication (sub-window) to a position below the agent ((e-3) on FIG. 11). Next, the sub-window display position correcting means 25 examines whether the sub-window is hidden out of the display screen (Step S27). If the sub-window disappeared out of the screen, the correcting means 25 brings it to the display screen (Step S31). For example, when the status indication was transferred out of the display screen as shown in (f-1) on FIG. 11, it is brought onto the screen by the correcting means 25 as shown in (f-2) on FIG. 11. Then, the main/sub-window position correcting means 27 recognizes whether the sub-window overlapping on the agent (Step S28) and corrects the relative position of the sub-window to eliminate the overlap (Step S32). For example, when the agent and the status indication overlap each other as shown in (f-2) on FIG. 11, the correcting means 27 corrects the location of the status indication and displays the indication at a position where it cannot overlap the agent as shown in (f-3) on FIG. 11. Alternatively, the window display priority changing means 30 examines whether the sub-window and the agent are overlapping each other (Step S28) and, if so, it decides the priority of displaying the main window and the sub-windows according the order of priorities stored in a memory of the window display priority order setting means 29 (Step S32). For example, when the status indication overlaps the agent as shown in (f-2) on FIG. 11 and the priority of the agent over the status indication is preset in the memory of the window display priority order setting means 29, the status indication is displayed behind the agent as shown in (f-4) on FIG. 11. Since the agent serves as the interface for the user, it is usually displayed with the priority over other sub-windows. However, since the edit box in which the user enters a request text is desirable not to be hidden under the agent as shown in (g-1) on FIG. 11, it may be preset with its display priority over the agent and other sub-windows. The edit box can be displayed on the agent as shown in (g-2) on FIG. 11. The sub/sub-window position correcting means 28 examines whether any sub-window overlaps another sub-window (Step S29) and, if so, then moves one of the sub-windows to a position where it is displayed with no overlap (Step S33). For example, when a status indication is hidden under a volume level indication as shown in (h-1) on FIG. 11, the sub/sub-window position correcting means 28 moves the status indication to a suitable position as shown in (h-2) on FIG. 11. Next, the sub-window front-displaying means 33 examines whether any sub-window is hidden under a window other than the agent and other sub-windows (Step S30) and displays the detected sub-window in front of the window under which it was hidden (Step S34). For example, when a window of another application covers a status indication sub-window as shown in (i-1) on FIG. 11, the sub-window front-displaying means 33 displays the sub-window in front of the application window as shown in (i-2) on FIG. 11. After completion of the correction of sub-window positions, the device waits for a next timer interruption (Step S23). If a user feels somewhat excessive presentation of an agent and sub-windows on the display screen of the output means 7, he/she may reduce a total display area of an agent with sub-windows by using the sub-window position correcting means 31 for reducing total display area or a total display area of sub-windows by using the sub-window display area reduction/sub-window position correcting means 32. In FIG. 13, there is shown a flowchart depicting an exemplary procedure for the above operation. In case of reducing a total display area of sub-windows including an agent (in case of "YES" at decision Step S35), positions of presented sub-windows are corrected so as to coincide the left-top point coordinates of each sub-window with that of the agent (Step S36). In case of reducing a total display area of only presented sub-windows (in case of "NO" at decision Step S35), positions of the sub-windows are corrected in such a way that left-top point coordinates of the sub-windows coincide (Step S37). For example, an agent and two sub-windows are displayed on a display screen as shown in (a) on FIG. 14. To reduce a total display area of the agent with the sub-windows, they are re-arranged as shown in (b) on FIG. 14 by the sub-window position correcting means 31. To reduce a total display area of two sub-windows, they are laid on one another as shown in (c) on FIG. 14 by the sub-window position correcting means 32. An embodiment according to the items (23) and (24) of the present invention is described with reference to FIG. 15 where a flowchart depicting the procedure for the voice input requesting means 38. With the timer means 23 operating to count time elapsed (Step S38), the control means 5 examines whether the preset time has elapsed by checking the number of count accumulated in timer (Step S39) and, if so, examines whether a voice input was entered to the device through the voice input means 1 for the preset period (Step S40). If no voice was inputted, the control means 5 causes the output means 7 to display a message requesting the user to enter a spoken instruction (Step S41). For example, if no voice was input for 50 seconds from the starting the operation of the voice on-demand interface device, the output means 7 displays on its display screen a message. "To input a voice instruction, speak by pressing an INPUT START button." "Please speak a request, for example, "enlarge characters"." The contents of the above embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. An information processing system using an on-demand interface device according to the present invention can offer the following advantages: A device according to the item (1) of the present invention can recognize that no retrieval results were selected n times in succession and, in this case, can advise the user to enroll the voice input means since the fails in retrieval might resulted from the decreased accuracy of the input voice recognition. A device according to the item (2) of the present invention can randomly select and output one of various responses when nothing (zero) was retrieved, lessening user's uncomfortable feeling by a variety of messages. A device according to the item (3) of the present invention can recognize that zero-retrieval results were recorded n times in succession and, in this case, can advise the user to enroll the voice input means since the fails in retrieval might resulted from the decreased accuracy of the input voice recognition. A device according to the item (4) of the present invention can recognize a selected input mode and thus enables the user to start inputting his/her instruction (request) either vocally or other way by pressing one common button or keypad without worrying about selection of different input modes. A device according to the item (5) of the present invention can cause an agent to move and explain how to operate the device and return to the initial position just after completion of the explanation. The user can clearly recognize the completion of explanation by the agent. A device according to the item (6) of the present invention can repeat the just executed function when the user requested by vocally inputting a brief instruction "once more" (without inputting the same request text to repeat the preceding retrieval) in such a state that a retrieval result is not displayed and only agent interface is displayed on the display screen. A device according to the items (7) and (8) of the present invention can move main window together with sub-windows indicating necessary information about the main window on the display screen to always keep the sub-windows in easily readable positions. The above movement of sub-windows can be realized not only when the user externally causes the main window to move but also when the device autonomously moves the main window. Thus, the user does not loss the sight of the sub-windows on the screen. A device according to the items (9) and (10) of the present invention can dynamically separate any of sub-windows following the main window by making it unmovable or be not displayed on the screen if the user so requested. A device according to the items (11) to (17) of the present invention can realize adaptive display of a main and sub-windows on the display screen by correcting positions of the main and sub-windows when they disappear out of the display screen or overlap one another or by laying them on one another to reduce a total display area or by disclosing any sub-window hidden under another application window. A device according to the items (18) to (20) of the present invention can move sub-windows indicating, respectively, a status (current retrieval mode), a volume level (input voice volume level) and an edit box (for inputting a request through a keyboard and the like) to follow the movement of an agent (main interface) on a display screen, thus allowing the user to easily view these sub-windows. Particularly with the agent interface, the above arrangement of sub-windows enables the user to recognize necessary information at a glance since the user speaks to the agent and always put his/her eyes on the agent. A device according to the item (21) of the present invention can give to the user an explanation on how to vocally input an instruction or a request in case if no retrieval results were selected n times in succession since the fails in retrieval might resulted from poor voice input. A device according to the item (22) of the present invention can recognize that nothing has been retrieved n times in succession and, in this case, can give to the user an explanation how to input a vocal instruction or a spoken request since the fails in retrieval might resulted from poor or wrong vocal input. A device according to the items (23) and (24) of the present invention assumes that the user does not know what to input if no voice was inputted by the user for a specified time and, in this case, outputs an message requesting the user to vocally input a request according to the instruction presented therewith. This feature is useful with a beginner-user in the initial period of using the voice on-demand interface device.
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