Electronic service manual display program and apparatus associated therewith

A recording medium, on which recorded is an electronic service manual display program that permits a computer to provide a function for displaying, on a display device, information that is related to parts and that is used for a predetermined product constituted by an electric circuit or an electronic circuit employing said parts as components, and at the least either a board diagram that represents not only a board used for said predetermined product but also said parts mounted on said board, or a circuit diagram that represents a circuit provided on said board, and that permits said computer to perform the steps of:

• displaying a single display window;
• displaying an index page display area in said display window for displaying an index page on which a list of names for, at the least, either said board or said circuit is published;
• displaying a parts table page display area in said display window for displaying a parts table page on which a list of said parts is published;
• displaying a drawing display area in said display window to display a drawing, at the least, either a board diagram for said board or a circuit diagram for said circuit;
• displaying said index page in said index page display area;
• establishing in advance, for each of said parts, parts identification information used to identify said part, and reading, from a predetermined location, parts table database information wherein detailed information for said part, including said parts identification information, is recorded;
• reading, from a predetermined location, differential parts table database information wherein, for said parts provided in said parts table database information, information related to parts that are altered, parts that are deleted and parts that are added is recorded with said parts identification information and information indicating types of alterations, deletions and additions;
• coupling and processing, using a predetermined method, said parts table database information and said differential parts table database information that have been read, and providing a list of all said parts, both in said parts table database information and in said differential parts table database information, and generating a parts table page on which said parts that have been altered, said parts that have been deleted and said parts that have been added are entered, so that said types can be identified based on said information describing said types;
• displaying said parts table page in said parts table page display area;
• establishing in advance, for each of said names published on said index page, index page information, which is drawing identification information for said drawing corresponding to said names, and when one of said names displayed in said index page display area is selected, obtaining from said index page information said drawing identification information that is designated for said selected name;
• when said thus obtained drawing identification information is information for a designation of said board diagram or said circuit diagram, searching for and displaying, in said drawing display area, said board diagram or said circuit diagram that corresponds to said drawing identification information;
• when said drawing identification information thus obtained is information for a designation of both said board diagram and said circuit diagram, dividing said drawing display area into first and second display areas and searching for and displaying, in said first and second display areas, said board diagram and said circuit diagram that correspond to said drawing identification information;
• establishing in advance, for each graphics primitive that is a constituent of said drawing, graphics primitive information, which is part identification information corresponding to each of said parts, and when one of said graphics primitives in of said drawing displayed in said drawing display area is selected, obtaining drawing identification information designated for said drawing in which said graphics primitive is selected, obtaining from said graphics primitive information said part identification information designated for said selected graphics primitive, and enhancing and displaying said graphics primitive that is selected in said drawing display area;
• establishing in advance, for each of said parts published on said parts table page, parts table page information that includes part identification information corresponding to said part and drawing identification information corresponding to said drawing that shows said part as a graphics primitive, searching for said parts table page information that includes the same part identification information as designated for said graphics primitive selected in said drawing, obtaining said drawing identification information from said parts table page information that has been found, and enhancing and displaying, in said parts table page display area, a part corresponding to said graphics primitive that is selected;
• and
• when said drawing identification information obtained from said parts table page information is information for a designation of both said board diagram and said circuit diagram, and when drawings are shown in said first and said second display areas, obtaining drawing identification information for a drawing displayed in one display area that is not a location whereat a drawing that includes said selected graphics primitive is shown, and when said drawing identification information for said drawing in said display area is included in said drawing identification information obtained from said parts table page information, enhancing and displaying a graphics primitive in said display area that corresponds to said graphics primitive that has been selected, or when said drawing identification information for said drawing in said display area is not included in said drawing identification information obtained from said parts table page information, obtaining drawing information identification, from said drawing identification information acquired from said parts table page information, that differs from said drawing identification information provided for said drawing shown in the remaining display area, reading and displaying, in said display area, said drawing that corresponds to said drawing identification information, and enhancing and displaying a graphics primitive in said display area that corresponds to said graphics primitive that is selected.

An electronic service manual display control method, for displaying, on a display device, information that is related to parts and that is used for a predetermined product constituted by an electric circuit or an electronic circuit employing said parts as components, and at the least either a board diagram that represents not only a board used for said predetermined product but also said parts mounted on said board, or a circuit diagram that represents a circuit provided on said board, comprising the steps of:

• displaying a single display window;
• displaying an index page display area in said display window for displaying and index page on which a list of names for, at the least, either said board or said circuit is published;
• displaying a parts table page display area in said display window for displaying a parts table page on which a list of said parts is published;
• displaying a drawing display area in said display window to display a drawing, at the least, either a board diagram for said board or a circuit diagram for said circuit;
• displaying said index page in said index page display area;
• establishing in advance, for each of said parts, parts identification information used to identify said part, and reading, from a predetermined location, parts table database information wherein detailed information for said part, including said parts identification information, is recorded;
• reading, from a predetermined location, differential parts table database information wherein, for said parts provided in said parts table database information, information related to parts that are altered, parts that are deleted and parts that are added is recorded with said parts identification information and information indicating types of alterations, deletions and additions;
• coupling and processing, using a predetermined method, said parts table database information and said differential parts table database information that have been read, and providing a list of all said parts, both in said parts table database information and in said differential parts table database information, and generating a parts table page on which said parts that have been altered, said parts that have been deleted and said parts that have been added are entered, so that said types can be identified based on said information describing said types;
• displaying said parts table page in said parts table page display area;
• establishing in advance, for each of said names published on said index page, index page information, which is drawing identification information for said drawing corresponding to said names, and when one of said names displayed in said index page display area is selected, obtaining from said index page information said drawing identification information that is designated for said selected name;
• when said thus obtained drawing identification information is information for a designation of said board diagram or said circuit diagram, searching for and displaying, in said drawing display area, said board diagram or said circuit diagram that corresponds to said drawing identification information;
• when said drawing identification information thus obtained is information for a designation of both said board diagram and said circuit diagram, dividing said drawing display area into first and second display areas and searching for and displaying, in said first and second display areas, said board diagram and said circuit diagram that correspond to said drawing identification information;
• establishing in advance, for each graphics primitive that is a constituent of said drawing, graphics primitive information, which is part identification information corresponding to each of said parts, and when one of said graphics primitives of said drawing displayed in said drawing display area is selected, obtaining drawing identification information designated for said drawing in which said graphics primitive is selected, obtaining from said graphics primitive information said part identification information designated for said selected graphics primitive, and enhancing and displaying said graphics primitive that is selected in said drawing display area;
• establishing in advance, for each of said parts published on said parts table page, parts table page information that includes part identification information corresponding to said part and drawing identification information corresponding to said drawing that shows said part as a graphics primitive, searching for said parts table page information that includes the same part identification information as designated for said graphics primitive selected in said drawing, obtaining said drawing identification information from said parts table page information that has been found, and enhancing and displaying, in said parts table page display area, a part corresponding to said graphics primitive that is selected;
• and
• when said drawing identification information obtained from said parts table page information is information for a designation of both said board diagram and said circuit diagram, and when drawings are shown in said first and said second display areas, obtaining drawing identification information for a drawing displayed in one display area that is not a location whereat a drawing that includes said selected graphics primitive is shown, and when said drawing identification information for said drawing in said display area is included in said drawing identification information obtained from said parts table page information, enhancing and displaying a graphics primitive in said display area that corresponds to said graphics primitive that has been selected, or when said drawing identification information for said drawing in said display area is not included in said drawing identification information obtained from said parts table page information, obtaining drawing information identification, from said drawing identification information acquired from said parts table page information, that differs from said drawing identification information provided for said drawing shown in the remaining display area, reading and displaying, in said display area, said drawing that corresponds to said drawing identification information, and enhancing and displaying a graphics primitive in said display area that corresponds to said graphics primitive that is selected.

An electronic service manual display control apparatus, for displaying, on a display device, information that is related to parts and that is used for a predetermined product constituted by an electric circuit or an electronic circuit employing said parts as components, and at the least either a board diagram that represents not only a board used for said predetermined product but also said parts mounted on said board, or a circuit diagram that represents a circuit provided on said board, comprising:

• means for displaying a single display window;
• means for displaying an index page display area in said display window for displaying an index page on which a list of names for, at the least, either said board or said circuit is published;
• means for displaying a parts table page display area in said display window for displaying a parts table page on which a list of said parts is published;
• means for displaying a drawing display area in said display window to display a drawing, at the least, either a board diagram for said board or a circuit diagram for said circuit;
• means for displaying said index page in said index page display area;
• means for establishing in advance, for each of said parts, parts identification information used to identify said part, and for reading, from a predetermined location, parts table database information wherein detailed information for said part, including said parts identification information, is recorded;
• means for reading, from a predetermined location, differential parts table database information wherein, for said parts provided in said parts table database information, information related to parts that are altered, parts that are deleted and parts that are added is recorded with said parts identification information and information indicating types of alterations, deletions and additions;
• means for coupling and processing, using a predetermined method, said parts table database information and said differential parts table database information that have been read, and for providing a list of all said parts, both in said parts table database information and in said differential parts table database information, and generating a parts table page on which said parts that have been altered, said parts that have been deleted and said parts that have been added are entered, so that said types can be identified based on said information describing said types;
• means for, displaying said parts table page in said parts table page display area;
• means for, establishing in advance, for each of said names published on said index page, index page information, which is drawing identification information for said drawing corresponding to said names, and when one of said names displayed in said index page display area is selected, obtaining from said index page information said drawing identification information that is designated for said selected name;
• means for, when said thus obtained drawing identification information is information for a designation of said board diagram or said circuit diagram, searching for and displaying, in said drawing display area, said board diagram or said circuit diagram that corresponds to said drawing identification information;
• means for, when said drawing identification information thus obtained is information for a designation of both said board diagram and said circuit diagram, dividing said drawing display area into first and second display areas and searching for and displaying, in said first and second display areas, said board diagram and said circuit diagram that correspond to said drawing identification information;
• means for establishing in advance, for each graphics primitive that is a constituent of said drawing, graphics primitive information, which is part identification information corresponding to each of said parts, and for, when one of said graphics primitives in of said drawing displayed in said drawing display area is selected, obtaining drawing identification information designated for said drawing in which said graphics primitive is selected, obtaining from said graphics primitive information said part identification information designated for said selected graphics primitive, and enhancing and displaying said graphics primitive that is selected in said drawing display area;
• means for establishing in advance, for each of said parts published on said parts table page, parts table page information that includes part identification information corresponding to said part and drawing identification information corresponding to said drawing that shows said part as a graphics primitive, for searching for said parts table page information that includes the same part identification information as designated for said graphics primitive selected in said drawing, for obtaining said drawing identification information from said parts table page information that has been found, and for enhancing and displaying, in said parts table page display area, a part corresponding to said graphics primitive that is selected;
• and
• means for, when said drawing identification information obtained from said parts table page information is information for a designation of both said board diagram and said circuit diagram, and when drawings are shown in said first and said second display areas, obtaining drawing identification information for a drawing displayed in one display area that is not a location whereat a drawing that includes said selected graphics primitive is shown, and for, when said drawing identification information for said drawing in said display area is included in said drawing identification information obtained from said parts table page information, enhancing and displaying a graphics primitive in said display area that corresponds to said graphics primitive that has been selected, or for, when said drawing identification information for said drawing in said display area is not included in said drawing identification information obtained from said parts table page information, obtaining drawing information identification, from said drawing identification information acquired from said parts table page information, that differs from said drawing identification information provided for said drawing shown in the remaining display area, reading and displaying, in said display area, said drawing that corresponds to said drawing identification information, and enhancing and displaying a graphics primitive in said display area that corresponds to said graphics primitive that is selected.