Easily graspable numerical expression display apparatus

Abstract

When a numerical expression (FIG. 6(a)) is inputted to a mathematical calculator (1) and then a rough display key (27) is depressed, calculation units composing the numerical expression are converted to display blocks, whereby the numerical expression is displayed in a natural expression form on a display (3) and a rough map (M) is also displayed in which the display blocks are disposed at positions corresponding to those of the calculation units of the numerical expression in the natural expression form (FIG. 6(b)). A calculation unit of the numerical expression to be edited is indicated by a cursor (30) and a corresponding display block of the rough map is displayed emphatically in the rough map (FIG. 6(c)).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiment of the present invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a mathematical calculator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the mathematical calculator;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart indicative of a numerical expression edition process to be performed by the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart indicative of a rough map display process to be performed by the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart indicative of a rough map edition process to be performed by the present invention;

FIG. 6( a) illustrates a numerical expression involving the rough map display process, and FIG. 6(b) and (c) show different display pictures involving the rough map display process;

FIG. 7( a) and (b) show another numerical expression and another display picture involving the rough map display process;

FIG. 8( a)-(e) illustrate a rough map edition process to be performed by the present invention;

FIGS. 9( a) and (b) illustrate a different rough map edition process to be performed by the present invention;

FIG. 10( a), (b) and (c) illustrate a numerical expression, a display picture, and a different display picture involving the rough map display process; and

FIG. 11 shows a prior art display picture.

Claims

1. A numerical expression display control apparatus comprising: a display;an input unit that inputs a numerical expression to the apparatus;a dividing unit that divides the numerical expression inputted by the input unit into a plurality of calculation units; anda display controller that converts the plurality of calculation units to a like number of smaller display blocks, and forms and displays on the display a map in which the display blocks are disposed at positions corresponding to those of the plurality of calculation units in the numerical expression expressed in a natural expression form.

2. The numerical expression display control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a numerical expression display controller that displays the inputted numerical expression on the display either in a single line expression form or in the natural expression form by disposing the components of the numerical expression at proper positions in the display area.

3. The numerical expression display control apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the map display controller displays the map on the display in a state in which the numerical expression is displayed.

4. The numerical expression display control apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: an edition object specifying unit that specifies as an object to be edited at least one component of the numerical expression displayed by the numerical expression display controller, and wherein:the display controller emphatically displays in the map on the display a display block corresponding to the at least one component of the numerical expression to be edited in the numerical expression.

5. The numerical expression display control apparatus of claim 4, further comprising: an edition block selecting unit that selects an edition display block in the map in a direction specified manually, and wherein:each time the edition block selecting unit selects a different edition display block, the edition block specifying unit displays on the display an element of the plurality of calculation units of the numerical expression corresponding to the selected edition display block.

6. The numerical expression display control apparatus of claim 4, further comprising: an edition block deleting unit that deletes the edition display block manually from the map, and wherein:the numerical expression display controller deletes from the numerical expression all the numerical expression components corresponding to the edition display block to be deleted by the edition block deleting unit, and then displays a resulting numerical expression.

7. A numerical expression display control method comprising the steps of inputting a numerical expression to a display;dividing the numerical expression inputted in the inputting step into a plurality of calculation units; andconverting the plurality of calculation units to a like number of smaller display blocks, and forming and displaying on the display a map in which the display blocks are disposed at positions corresponding to those of the plurality of calculation units in the numerical expression expressed in a natural expression form.

8. A software program product embodied in a computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 3.