USER INTERFACE PROCESSOR AND USER INTERFACE PROCESSING METHOD
There is provided a user interface processor ( 200 ) for generating a display screen on which a selectable item having a multi-level hierarchical structure is displayed to the user. The user interface processor is equipped with image information generators ( 202, 203, 204, 205 ) for generating two-dimensional image information including at least two lateral faces of a cube having lateral faces to each of which the selectable item having a different hierarchical level is assigned.
1 . A user interface processor for generating a display screen that provides selectable items having a multi-layered hierarchical structure to a user, comprising:
an image information generation part, which generates two-dimensional image information including at least two side faces of a cube that has side faces to which, out of the selectable items, selectable items of respective different layers are assigned.
2 . A user interface processor of claim 1 , wherein:
the image information generation part assigns structurally-continuous layers of selectable items to respective adjacent side faces of the cube.
3 . A user interface processor of claim 1 , wherein:
when the user selects a selectable item assigned to one side face, the image information generation part assigns to an adjacent side face, selectable items belonging to a layer just under a layer to which the selected selectable item belongs.
4 . A user interface processor of claim 1 , wherein:
the side faces of the cube display a given number of selectable items in a same layer; and
when a number of selectable items to display in the side faces exceeds the given number, the image information generation part assigns the selectable items in question to a top face and/or a bottom face of the cube in addition to the side faces of the cube.
5 . A user interface processor of claim 1 , wherein:
the two-dimensional image includes, in addition to the at least two side faces of the cube, other faces projected onto virtual walls.
6 . A user interface processing method for generating a display screen that provides selectable items having a multi-layer hierarchical structure to a user, wherein:
the method generates two-dimensional image information including at least two side faces of a cube that has side faces to which, out of the selectable items, selectable items of respective different layers are assigned.
7 . A user interface processing method of claim 6 , wherein:
structurally-continuous layers of selectable items are assigned to respective adjacent side faces of the cube.
8 . A user interface processing method of claim 6 , wherein:
when the user selects a selectable item assigned to one side face, selectable items belonging to a layer just under a layer to which the selected selectable item belongs are assigned to an adjacent side face.
9 . A user interface processing method of claim 6 , wherein:
the side faces of the cube display a given number of selectable items in a same layer; and when a number of selectable items to display in the side faces exceeds the given number, the selectable items in question are assigned to a top face and/or a bottom face of the cube in addition to the side faces of the cube.
10 . A user interface processing method of claim 6 , wherein:
the two-dimensional image includes, in addition to the at least two side faces of the cube, other faces projected onto virtual walls.