JP2624110B2 - Communication network terminal device and menu display method in communication network terminal device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a terminal device used when a host computer is used via a communication network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional menu display method in a communication network terminal device reads a menu item again through a communication network when trying to refer to a menu once referred to.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned conventional method requires time to read the menu items again, and in the case where the user is charged for receiving the data, there is a cost associated with receiving the menu. . SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems. When displaying a menu once displayed, it is unnecessary to receive the menu via a communication network, and the time and cost required for receiving the menu are eliminated. Can be saved.

[0004]

In order to achieve this object, a communication network terminal device according to the present invention has a communication control means for transmitting and receiving data via a communication network, and a communication control means for receiving data from a host computer via the communication network. In addition to display means for displaying data, input means for inputting data to be transmitted to the host computer via the communication network, a menu once displayed in each communication session is displayed by a sign corresponding to the menu,
In the hierarchical structure, the menu corresponding to the upper level of the menu
The upper information indicating the menu and the menu corresponding to the upper
Menu is displayed when any item is selected.
A menu storing means for storing the menu information together with specification information indicating whether the menu is to be displayed; and a menu search means for receiving a signal specifying the menu from the input means, searching the menu from the menu storage means, and outputting the menu to the display means.

[0005]

In the communication session using the communication network terminal device of the present invention, the menu received from the host computer is displayed on the display means and stored in the menu storage means. When the menu needs to be displayed again, the menu is read out from the menu storage means and the menu is displayed.

[0006]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration for realizing this embodiment. 1 is a communication control means, 2 is a microcomputer, 3 is a display means, 4 is an input means,
Is a main storage device, 6 is an auxiliary storage device, and 7 is a communication network. The communication control means 1 is connected to a host computer via a communication control device on the host computer side via a communication network 7. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a program for realizing the present embodiment.
Step 105. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the hierarchical structure of the menu in this embodiment. FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are front views showing the state of the display means in the present embodiment. FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are explanatory diagrams of information related to menus stored in the main storage device. For information about the menu, see FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, numbers assigned in the order of storage, display information indicating whether or not the currently displayed item is 1 and 0, upper information indicating the number of a menu higher than the menu in the hierarchical structure of the menu, higher information The menu consists of designation information consisting of a selection number on the menu designated to display the menu, and content information representing what is actually displayed. In the case of the top menu in the hierarchical structure, “0” is written in the upper information. The operation of the communication network terminal configured as described above will be described below. Now, it is assumed that the operator connects a terminal device to a host computer for weather information via a communication network in order to obtain weather information of tomorrow in Tokyo and Kanagawa from the host computer. The host computer provides the terminal device with the weather information service,
The menu data for selecting which local weather information is to be displayed is transmitted, and the display means 3 is in the state shown in FIG. At the same time, the microcomputer 2 stores the menu data received from the host computer in the main storage device 5. Since the stored menu is the currently displayed menu and the top menu in the hierarchical structure, the display information becomes “1”, and the upper information and the selection information include
"0", which means that the menu is the top-level menu, is entered. Therefore, the menu information stored in the main storage device is as shown in FIG. Since Tokyo where the operator desires the weather information is a part of Kanto, the operator inputs “3” by the input means. Here, the microcomputer 2 displays menu items according to the flowchart of FIG. At this stage, there is no menu in the main storage device having the number 1 of the currently displayed menu as the upper information and "3" as the selection information.
Transmits data "3" specifying a menu to the host computer via the communication control device 1, receives the corresponding menu, and displays it on the display means. At this stage, the state of the display means is as shown in FIG. 5, and a menu in the Kanto region is displayed. At the same time, the microcomputer 2 stores a menu for selecting a region in the Kanto region shown in FIG. 5 in the main storage device. Since the displayed menu has shifted to the region selection menu of the Kanto region, the display information of the region selection menu numbered “1” is “0”, and instead the Kanto region numbered number 2 is displayed. The display information of the menu is “1”. The upper menu of the Kanto area menu to which the number 2 is assigned is a local selection menu to which the number 1 is assigned, and is displayed by selecting “3” in the upper menu. "1" is entered in the column of higher-level information of the menu, and "3" is entered in the column of selected information. Therefore, the contents of the menu stored in the main storage device are as shown in FIG. Here, since the operator desires the weather information of Tokyo, the operator inputs “1” by the input means. Microcomputer 2
Receives the Tokyo weather information from the host computer and stores the contents of the display in the main storage device 5 at the same time.
At this point, the display unit 3 is in the state shown in FIG. 6, and the information of the menu stored in the main storage device 5 is as shown in FIG. Since the operator next wants the weather information of Kanagawa, the operator ends the display and inputs the command “quit” to display the upper menu again. The microcomputer 2 performs step 1 according to the flowchart of FIG.
At 01, a search is performed to determine whether a necessary menu exists in the main storage device 5. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper menu of the current menu is the second menu,
It is known that a necessary menu exists in the main storage device 5, and that the menu number is 2. Therefore, the microcomputer 2 reads the second menu from the main storage device 5 in step 102, and displays the second menu.
To be displayed. As described above, since the area selection menu shown in FIG. 5 is displayed once and stored in the main storage device 5, it can be read from the main storage device 5 and displayed without receiving it again. it can. At this stage, the main storage device 5
In the menu information in, since the second menu is displayed, the display information of the second menu becomes “1”, as shown in FIG. Next, when the operator designates “2” to designate the weather information of Kanagawa, the weather information of Kanagawa is displayed on the display unit 3, and the weather information of Kanagawa is added to the menu information in the main storage device 5. And the main storage device 5
The menu information inside is as shown in FIG. Further, the operator desires to display the weather information of Tokyo again,
In the menu information shown in FIG. 11, since it is known that the upper menu of the currently displayed menu is the second menu, the second menu is displayed. In the menu information of
The display information of the second menu is 1. After the second menu is displayed, the operator inputs "1" for designating the weather information of Tokyo, and the second menu is ranked higher,
Since the menu displayed by designation of "1" is the third menu, the microcomputer 2 similarly reads the third menu from the main storage device and displays it on the display means 3 according to the flowchart of FIG. As described above, when the menu once displayed in the communication session is displayed again, the menu is not passed through the communication network, but is stored in the main storage device 5.
Since the menu is read and displayed, the communication time for receiving the menu by the communication network and the cost of using the communication network can be saved. As described above, in the present embodiment, menus having a hierarchical structure are:
Although a case has been described where the menu items are sequentially displayed on the display unit by specifying the menu items by the operator's command input, the menu item specification method and the menu display mode may be other specification methods and display modes. For example, a so-called pull-down menu system may be used in which the next menu is displayed by designating a desired item of the displayed menu with a pointing device such as a mouse. Further, the method of storing the menu in the menu storage means in the present embodiment is merely a specific example when the menu has a hierarchical structure, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Further, the menu may be stored in an auxiliary storage device instead of the main storage device.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a communication network terminal device comprising: communication control means for transmitting / receiving data to / from a host computer; input means for inputting data to be transmitted to the host computer; and display means for displaying data received from the host computer. in addition, a menu for designating the operation of the once displayed host computer, to the menu
In the hierarchical structure of the corresponding sign and menu,
In the menu at the top of the menu,
Indicates whether the menu is displayed when is selected.
A menu search means for receiving a signal designating a menu from the menu storage means and the input means for storing the same menu together with the setting information and outputting the menu to the display means; In such a case, by reading the menu from the menu storage means, it is possible to save the time required to receive the required menu again via the communication network and the cost of using the communication network.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration for realizing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a program for realizing the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the state of the display means in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the state of the display means in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the state of the display means in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the state of the display means in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing menu information stored in a main storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing menu information stored in a main storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing menu information stored in a main storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing menu information stored in a main storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing menu information stored in a main storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Description of Signs] 1 Communication control means 2 Microcomputer 3 Display means 4 Input means 5 Main storage device 6 Auxiliary storage device 7 Communication network

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A communication control means for transmitting and receiving data to and from a host computer via a communication network, an input means for inputting data to be transmitted to the host computer, an input means for inputting data to be transmitted to the host computer, and the host computer In a terminal device provided with a display means for displaying received data, a menu for specifying an operation of the host computer once displayed on the display means is displayed by a sign corresponding to the menu, a menu hierarchy.
In the structure, the menu corresponding to the upper level of the menu
Higher information indicating a menu item corresponding to the higher
The menu is displayed when any item is selected.
Menu storing means for storing together with specifying information indicating whether the menu is to be displayed, and a menu searching means for receiving a signal specifying the menu from the input means, searching for the specified menu from the menu storing means, and outputting the menu to the display means. A communication network terminal device, comprising: 2. When a signal for specifying menu display is received from the input means, and the specified menu is stored in the menu storage means, the specified menu is read from the menu storage means and displayed on the display means. 2. A menu display method in a communication network terminal device according to claim 1, wherein when the information is not stored in the menu storage means, the data is received via the communication network and displayed on the display means.