Apparatus, system, and method that support operation to switch to input terminal to be activated among input terminals included in display apparatus

1. An operational support apparatus for supporting operation of a display apparatus, the display apparatus including a plurality of input terminals that each receive image information and a display section that displays image information received by an activated input terminal of the plurality of input terminals from an apparatus connected to the activated input terminal, comprising:

a speech recognizer that converts speech data into text information; and

a command generator that generates a control command that corresponds to a content of the text information,

wherein in a case where the text information contains a keyword that indicates first application software, the command generator determines which of the plurality of input terminals of the display apparatus is associated with the first application software,

the command generator generates, as the control command, a switching command to activate the input terminal thus determined and a start-up command to start the first application software associated with the input terminal thus determined,

the command generator identifies a certain input terminal of the input terminals of the display apparatus according to a keyword that indicates first application software associated with the certain input terminal, and identifies a certain different input terminal of the input terminals of the display apparatus according to a keyword indicating first application software associated with the certain different input terminal, and

first application software associated with an input terminal of the input terminals activated by the switching command is installed on an apparatus connected to the input terminal activated by the switching command,

after the first application software associated with the input terminal activated by the switching command is started by the start-up command, the apparatus connected to the input terminal activated by the switching command transmits image information generated by the first application software associated with the input terminal activated by the switching command to the input terminal activated by the switching command.

2. The operational support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the command generator generates the switching command after having transmitted the start-up command.

3. The operational support apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory having stored therein a name arbitrarily set by a user for the first application software,

wherein in a case where the text information contains the name, the command generator identifies the input terminal associated with the first application software that corresponds to the name from among the input terminals of the display apparatus.

4. The operational support apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory having stored therein history information indicating a history of display screens that the display apparatus displayed,

wherein in a case where the text information contains a keyword that takes the display apparatus back to a last display screen the display apparatus displayed, the command generator generates the control command to cause the display apparatus to display the last display screen.

5. The operational support apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory having a file name of a data file and one input terminal stored therein in association with each other, the one input terminal being one of the plurality of input terminals of the display apparatus,

wherein in a case where the text information contains a keyword that indicates the file name, the command generator determines which of the plurality of input terminals of the display apparatus is associated with the file name, and generates the switching command.

6. The operational support apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the data file is a data file currently processed by the first application software.

7. The operational support apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the data file is a data file being displayed by an apparatus connected to an input terminal determined as the input terminal associated with the first application software.

8. The operational support apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory having stored therein a management table that associates an apparatus connected to one input terminal of the input terminals of the display apparatus, the first application software installed on the apparatus connected to the one input terminal, and the one input terminal to which the apparatus is connected with one another,

wherein in a case where the text information contains a keyword indicating the first application software installed on the apparatus connected to the one input terminal, the command generator identifies, with reference to the management table, the apparatus installed with the first application software, and

the command generator identifies, with reference to the management table, the one input terminal to which the apparatus thus identified is connected from among the plurality of input terminals of the display apparatus.

9. The operational support apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a determiner that determines whether the text information contains a keyword that indicates the first application software or a keyword that indicates an apparatus connected to one input terminal of the plurality of input terminals of the display apparatus,

wherein in a case where the text information contains a keyword that indicates the first application software, the command generator generates the switching command and the start-up command as the control command, and

in a case where the text information contains a keyword that indicates the apparatus connected to the one input terminal of the plurality of input terminals of the display apparatus, the command generator determines which of the plurality of input terminals of the display apparatus the apparatus is connected to, and

the command generator generates, as the control command, the switching command to activate the input terminal thus determined that is the one input terminal to which the apparatus connected to the one input terminal is connected.

10. The operational support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

in a case where the text information contains a keyword that indicates the second application software installed on the display apparatus, the command generator generates, as the control command, the start-up command to start the second application software.

11. The operational support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display apparatus displays a main screen and a sub screen that is smaller in screen size than the main screen, and

in a case where the text information contains a keyword that changes at least either first image information being displayed on the main screen or second image information being displayed on the sub screen, the command generator generates, according to the keyword, the control command to change at least either the first image information or the second image information.

12. An operational support system comprising:

a display apparatus; and

an operational support apparatus for supporting operation of the display apparatus,

wherein the display apparatus includes:

a plurality of input terminals that each receives image information, and

a display section that displays image information received by an activated input terminal of the plurality of input terminals from an apparatus connected to the activated input terminal,

the operational support apparatus includes:

a speech recognizer that converts speech data into text information, and

a command generator that generates a control command that corresponds to a content of the text information,

in a case where the text information contains a keyword that indicates application software, the command generator determines which of the plurality of input terminals of the display apparatus is associated with the application software,

the command generator generates, as the control command, a switching command to activate the input terminal thus determined and a start-up command to start the application software associated with the input terminal thus determined,

the command generator identifies a certain input terminal of the input terminals of the display apparatus according to a keyword that indicates application software associated with the certain input terminal, and identifies a certain different input terminal of the input terminals of the display apparatus according to a keyword indicating application software associated with the certain different input terminal,

the application software associated with an input terminal of the input terminals activated by the switching command is installed on an apparatus connected to the input terminal activated by the switching command,

after the application software associated with the input terminal activated by the switching command is started by the start-up command, the apparatus connected to the input terminal activated by the switching command transmits image information generated by the application software thus started to the input terminal activated by the switching command, and

the display section displays the image information received by the input terminal of the plurality of input terminals of the display apparatus that is activated by the switching command from the apparatus installed with the application software associated with the input terminal thus activated.

13. An operational support method for supporting operation of a display apparatus, the display apparatus including a plurality of input terminals that each receives image information and a display section that displays image information received by an activated input terminal of the plurality of input terminals from an apparatus connected to the activated input terminal, comprising:

recognizing speech whose speech data is converted into text information;

generating a control command that corresponds to a content of the text information; and

displaying image information received by the activated input terminal,

wherein the generating the command includes

in a case where the text information contains a keyword that indicates application software, determining which of the plurality of input terminals of the display apparatus is associated with the application software, and

generating, as the control command, a switching command to activate the input terminal thus determined and a start-up command to start the application software associated with the input terminal thus determined,

in the determining, a certain input terminal of the input terminals of the display apparatus is identified according to a keyword that indicates application software associated with the certain input terminal, and a certain different input terminal of the input terminals of the display apparatus is identified according to a keyword that indicates application software associated with the certain different input terminal,

application software associated with an input terminal of the input terminals activated by the switching command is installed on an apparatus connected to the input terminals activated by the switching command,

after the application software associated with the input terminal activated by the switching command is started by the start-up command, the apparatus connected to the input terminal activated by the switching command transmits image information generated by the application software associated with the input terminal activated by the switching command to the input terminal activated by the switching command, and

the displaying includes displaying, on the display section, image information received by the input terminal activated by the switching command from the apparatus installed with the application software associated with the input terminal activated by the switching command.