Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-01
2001-09-04
Bayerl, Raymond J. (Department: 2773)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C709S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285362
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a character-based communication offering system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the recent rapid spread of personal computer communications, the mode of communications and businesses have been changing through, such information exchanges as electronic mails and forums. On the other hand, communication medium using graphical user interfaces (GUI), for example, the Internet, have been proposed. However, it is not easy to set up a terminal for using the Internet as compared with using a personal computer for communication. Accordingly, even if a user acquires an account under a certain provider and tries a dial-up connection, it is fairly difficult for the user having no knowledge about the work station to set up the terminal and achieve a connection to the Internet successfully.
On the other hand, the personal computer communication services have a history of more than 10 years to date, so that the operation has been standardized, with the set-up of the interface at the communication terminal side being not so difficult. Thus, personal computer communication services are expected to be spread more and more in future if interconnection with the Internet or the like is made possible.
Of the services offered by the major personal computer communication companies, the character-based services have been dominant. Thus, the users' terminals have also been mainly those devices, such as personal computers or word processors, which are capable of. Accordingly, the user needs to input certain character strings or commands using a keyboard, such as for editing electronic mail in a communication-mode picture on a display screen. For this reason, people, particularly children or the aged, who are not familiar with using keyboards, tend to stay away from personal computer communication services. Accordingly, while having an interest in personal computer communication, they have not been utilizing their personal computer for communication, but for playing video games.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing and has an object to make it possible to access the existent personal computer communication services using a video game unit as a terminal, wherein the trouble of command inputting is reduced and a display is matched with a normal television screen.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a communication terminal for receiving character-based information from a host machine via a communication line, comprises menu identifying means for identifying menu information from a menu picture received from the host machine; menu information storing means for extracting individual informations from the menu information identified by the menu identifying means, the individual informations being selectable using input admissible commands, respectively, and for temporarily storing the individual informations and the corresponding input admissible commands; display output control means for outputting at least the individual informations in a manner to match a display fashion of a display unit; selecting means for selecting one of the individual informations displayed on the display unit by the display output control means; and command transmission control means for reading out the command, which corresponds to the individual information selected by the selecting means, from the menu information storing means and for transmitting it to the host machine.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the menu identifying means detects given character strings from character information forming the menu picture so as to extract the input admissible commands and the individual informations.
According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the following advantage is achieved:
In the personal computer communication service taking into account the console of the personal computer, for example, a maximum length of the character displaying is set to 80 bytes, and menu display includes two or three individual menu items within 80 bytes for efficient displaying. Accordingly, if the individual menu can be extracted from such a menu picture, the menu can be displayed in a rearranged fashion on a television screen having a limited display capability. Further, when extracting the information from the menu, the corresponding commands can be stored in the menu information storing means so that the command corresponding to the individual information selected by the selecting means can be outputted to the host machine.
With this arrangement, the menu can be rearranged and displayed on the television screen without being effected by the menu structure sent from the host machine.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a display control system of a communication terminal for receiving character-based information from a host machine via a communication line, comprises a display unit for displaying a communication picture; operating means for changing the communication picture based on an external operation; picture storing means for storing no less than two communication pictures; and display control means for changing a picture state of the display unit by an input from the operating means, wherein the display control means displays one of the communication pictures, stored in the picture storing means, on a maximum scale on the display unit as a main picture to which a command input is admissible, wherein the display control means displays another stored communication picture as a sub-picture along with the main picture, and wherein the display control means switches between the main picture and the sub-picture based on the operation of the operating means.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the display control means, upon switching the sub-picture to the main picture, dynamically changes the sub-picture as a starting picture to the main picture as a final picture.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, the dynamic change is a change in which the sub-picture arranged at a distance on the display unit in a pseudo manner approaches closer.
According to the third to fifth aspects of the present invention, the switching of pictures can be easily achieved even during personal computer communication operated on the character basis. Accordingly, for example, since the communication picture and the transmission mail editing picture can be switched in turn, the smooth picture switching can be achieved even using a video game terminal.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a display control system of a communication terminal for receiving character-based information from a host machine via a communication line, comprises a display unit for displaying a communication picture; and display control means for displaying a character on a background picture, wherein the display control means changes the background picture depending on a connected or disconnected state relative to the host machine.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, for example, by changing a background color depending on whether the communication terminal is set in an on-line state so as to load received mail or in an off-line state so as to edit transmission mail, the user can easily understands the current situation.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a display control system of a communication terminal for receiving character-based information from a host machine via a communication line, comprises editing means for editing a document; a pseudo keyboard displaying means for displaying a software keyboard for performing a character input on the editing means, wherein the pseudo keyboard displaying means displays an admissible character display frame on the software keyboard, the admissible character display frame displaying admissible characters wh
Kikuchi Misao
Kitagawa Yasushi
Bayerl Raymond J.
Fujitsu Limited
Nguyen Cao K.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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