Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Norio Sanada

Kiyokazu Yamanaka

Chihiro Kawahara

Hisayuki Kino

Kouichi Yasutake

A focus control device that positions a focus on one of a plurality of graphical user interface (GUI) components displayed on a screen includes request receiving means for receiving a request to move the focus, focus permission information storing means for storing focus permission information indicating, for each GUI component, whether the focus can be positioned on the GUI component, and focus moving means for moving the focus in response to the received request to a GUI component where, according to the focus permission information, the focus can be positioned, the focus moving means skipping over GUI components where the focus cannot be positioned.

Focus control device that moves a focus in a GUI screen

A layout unit refers to a plurality of menu items stored in a menu item information storage unit by a menu item information obtaining unit. The following processes are performed as necessary to display a large number of menu items in a predetermined part of a GUI screen. A character size reducing unit reduces the size of characters used to display menu items. A margin reducing unit determines the layout of menu items so as to reduce the margins in menu items. An abbreviating unit replaces certain character strings in menu items with shorter character strings. In this way, the layout unit determines the layout of menu items. A menu control unit then has the menu items displayed in accordance with the layout determined by the layout unit.

Graphical user interface apparatus with improved layout of menu items

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for synthesizing a plurality of program component specifications into a single program component specification. Each program component transforms its state in operation, responding to an input of an event and in turn outputs another event in accordance with the transformation to the other program components. The program component specifications each includes a table showing events to be inputted therein, a table showing states of the program component in operation, a table showing state transformations in response to the input events, and a table showing events to be outputted therefrom according to the state transformations.

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Kobe, Japan

Norio Sanada