Abstract: An ALIS system PDP apparatus in which a reduction in the variation in luminance due to ringing has been reduced is disclosed. In an ALIS system PDP apparatus, X (first) electrodes and Y (second) electrodes are arranged in such a way that the X electrodes and the Y electrodes, whose path length, which is the length of each of the signal paths of a sustain discharge pulse from the X and Y electrode to sustain drive circuits, is longer or shorter than that of the peripheral X and Y electrodes, do not exist densely. Specifically, the order of arrangement of the odd and even X sustain drive circuits is reversed to that of odd and even Y sustain drive circuits.

Abstract: The present invention provide a display panel including a current-driven displaying elements arrayed therein, and a display device, which suppress the deterioration in the representation accuracy of grayscale levels of pixels, resulting from the variation in transistors formed within the display panel. A display panel according to the present invention is composed of a current-driven display element, a constant current control line, a constant current line, a current hold circuit, a switch circuit connected between said current-driven display element and said current hold circuit, a data line transmitting a data signal having a waveform corresponding to a grayscale level, and a control circuit provided with said data signal.

Abstract: Side faces of anodes have a tapered incline that becomes broader toward a lower layer. Thus, an emissive element layer is smoothly formed on the anodes making it possible to prevent field contraction of the electric field. An EL display apparatus having long life and high yield is provided by preventing the emissive element layer from rupturing between an anode and a cathode and by preventing concentration of the electric field at an upper edge of the anode facing the cathode and localized deterioration in the emissive element layer.

Abstract: A transistor circuit is provided including a driving transistor where conductance between the source and the drain is controlled in response to a supplied voltage, and a compensating transistor where the gate is connected to one of the source and the drain, the compensating transistor being connected so as to supply input signals to the gate of the driving transistor through the source and drain. In a transistor circuit where conductance control in a driving transistor is carried out in response to the voltage of input signals, it is possible to control the conductance by using input signals of a relatively low voltage and a variance in threshold characteristics of driving transistors is compensated. With this transistor circuit, a display panel that can display picture images with reduced uneven brightness is achieved.

Abstract: An active matrix display driving circuit is disclosed. Each pixel driving circuit includes one luminance device, one transistor connected to the device, one driving transistor and one storage capacitor. There are two switching transistors at one end of the storage capacitor connecting to two voltage levels for capacitive coupling and gate voltage of the driving transistor is changed. This driving circuit is applicable to the current driving pixel circuit of Poly-Si TFT EL display panel, improves image defects resulting from uneven threshold voltage of a TFT and IR drop and solves charging/discharging time problems for low current import.

Abstract: A light emitting device and an element substrate which are capable of suppressing variations in the luminance intensity of a light emitting element among pixels due to characteristic variations of a driving transistor without suppressing off-current of a switching transistor low and increasing storage capacity of a capacitor. According to the invention, a driving transistor also serves as an erasing transistor and the driving transistor is operated in a saturation region. The gate of the driving transistor is connected to an erasing scan line and it can be selected whether or not to flow current by a potential of the erasing scan line. In addition, a current controlling transistor which operates in a linear region is connected in series to the driving transistor, thus a video signal transmitting a light emission or non-emission of a pixel is input to the gate of the current controlling transistor through a switching transistor.

Abstract: This invention concerns a process for addressing a bistable liquid crystal material screen, characterized in that it comprises at least the step consisting of applying, to the screen column electrodes, an electrical signal whose characteristics are adapted to reduce the mean quadratic voltage of the parasite pixel pulses, in order to reduce the parasitic addressing optical effects.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device in which picture elements are arranged in a matrix form, a fixed time before a display data voltage is supplied to the picture element by a data line and a scan line, a pre-write voltage at a gradation value having a high speed of response to a change in gradation is supplied to the picture element regardless of the gradation value of a picture after response. When the display data voltage is supplied to the picture element, the pre-write voltage is always supplied to the picture element to thereby increase the response speed of liquid crystal constituting the liquid crystal display device regardless of the gradation value of a picture after response, so as to display quickly a picture on a display section.

Abstract: A digital image signal fed from the drain signal line is written into a retaining circuit through a pixel element selection TFT and a liquid crystal displays an image based on the digital image signal. In the retaining circuit, a threshold voltage of the first inverter circuit is set smaller than a threshold voltage of the second inverter circuit. Therefore, false writing of the image signal data into the retaining circuit can be prevented, leading to an accurate display the image signal retained in the retaining circuit.

Abstract: A pixel circuit having a function of compensating for characteristic variation of an electro-optical element and threshold voltage variation of a transistor is formed from a reduced number of component elements. The pixel circuit includes an electro-optical element, a holding capacitor, and five N-channel thin film transistors including a sampling transistor, a drive transistor, a switching transistor, and first and second detection transistors. The sampling transistor samples and supplies an input signal from a signal line so as to be held into the holding capacitor. The driving transistor drives the electro-optical element with current in response to the held signal potential. The first and second detection transistors detect a threshold voltage of the drive transistor and supply the detected voltage into the holding capacitor in order to cancel an influence of the threshold voltage in advance.

Abstract: A liquid crystal driving device in accordance with the present invention includes an offset information storing register for storing digital compensation data, an amplitude information storing register, and a variable resistor for adjusting the maximum gradation display voltage and minimum gradation display voltage in order to cause an absolute value of the difference between a voltage applied to a pixel electrode and a voltage applied to a common electrode to be consistent in all frames. With this, the number of components of the liquid crystal driving device can be restrained and the offset adjustment can be easily carried out with low costs.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to suppress a picture defect such as a vertical streak, a ghost or the like on an active matrix display apparatus of a divided sample and hold type. A horizontal driving circuit (17) sequentially generates sampling pulses of which sampling pulses supplied to sampling switches (23) connected to an identical video line (25) do not overlap each other and sampling pulses supplied to adjacent sampling switches (23) overlap each other, and drives the switches, whereby a video signal is sequentially written to pixels (11). A clock generating circuit (18) generates a clock signal HCK serving as a basis for operation of the horizontal driving circuit (17), and a clock signal 2HCK having twice a cycle of the clock signal HCK and twice a pulse width of the clock signal HCK.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes pixels arrayed in a matrix of rows and columns, scanning lines extending along the rows of the pixels, signal lines extending along the columns of the pixels, and pixel driving sections which are disposed near intersections of the scanning lines and signal lines, and each of which is controlled via one scanning line to capture a data signal on one signal line and output the data signal to one pixel. Particularly, each pixel driving section includes a memory circuit having a transistor whose gate is connected to the one signal line, and first and second storage capacitances which are charged to positive and negative power supply voltages and connected to a source and drain of the transistor to store the data signal as analog drive voltages of positive and negative polarities, respectively.

Abstract: A data driver of a display device alternately repeats a first step of sequentially generating a display signal corresponding to each one of the lines of image data for a fixed period and outputting the display signal to a pixel array N-times and a second step of generating a display signal which makes the luminance of pixels lower than the luminance of the pixel in the first step for the fixed period and of outputting the display signal to the pixel array M-times. A scanning driver circuit alternately repeats selecting a plurality of pixel rows for every Y rows sequentially from one end to another end of the pixel array along the second direction in the first step and selecting the plurality of pixel rows other than the pixel rows (Y×N) sequentially from one end to another end of the pixel array for every Z rows along the second direction.

Abstract: In a display device the possibility that the ratio between a display period for display signals and a display period for blanking signals differs from a preset ratio is eliminated, even when the video data is changed. A display device sequentially supplies blanking data from a data driver circuit which sequentially supplies display signals after a lapse of a given time from starting the supply of the display signals. In the display device, a ratio of display is set based on the blanking data per one frame period. Further, the number of pulses of a horizontal synchronizing signal is measured in one frame period contained in the video data, and a point of time is determined for starting display based on the blanking data in response to pulses of the horizontal synchronizing signal corresponding to the ratio based on a measured value of the number of pulses.

Abstract: A comb-tooth drive is realized by a display driver which drives data lines. The display driver includes a gray-scale bus to which gray-scale data is supplied corresponding to an arrangement order of the data lines, first and second bidirectional shift registers of which the shift directions are determined based on first and second shift direction control signals and which shift first and second shift start signals based on first and second shift clock signals, first and second data latches which latch the gray-scale data based on shift outputs, and a data line driver circuit which drives the data lines based on the latch data.

Abstract: An LCD control unit includes a software adjustment block for adjusting the ?-correction voltages by a software. The LCD control unit includes a voltage generator block generating n ?-correction voltages and m Vcom voltages based on a voltage address signal, a voltage selecting block selecting a pair of ?-correction voltages and a Vcom voltage based on a time series polarity control signal, and an LCD driver having a ?-correction resistor string which receives the ?-correction voltages at both the ends thereof. The LCD driver converts external data signals into display voltages having voltages corrected by the outputs from the ?-correction resistor string.

Abstract: A shift register circuit includes a plurality of latch circuits connected in series to sequentially transfer a pulse signal ST from one to another, a clock signal line transmitting a clock signal CLK, and a plurality of switching circuits performing electrical connection and disconnection between the clock signal line and the plurality of latch circuits. Upon turning on the shift register, at least one of the switching circuits electrically disconnects at least one of the latch circuits from the clock signal line. During an initialization period immediately after power has been turned on, the frequency of the clock signal CLK is lower than in a normal operation period and gradually increases toward the frequency used in the normal operation period.

Abstract: A method is provided for displaying an image in a liquid crystal display which enables a scale of a power supply circuit for supplying power to a backlight to be small-sized and the power supply circuit to be low-priced and power consumption of the backlight to be reduced and which enables a flickering phenomenon, a trail-leaving phenomenon (trail-effect), and an image-retention phenomenon to be decreased. In the method for displaying the image in the liquid crystal display device, based on a motion vector, by doing switching between an image signal making up the above image and a blanking signal and by applying a plurality of data electrodes making up the liquid crystal display device, an image signal or a non-image signal is displayed.

Abstract: To supply selection signals to multiplexed pixels efficiently. For a period from time t0 to time t2, first, during a period from time t0 to time t1, a pixel electrode A11 is driven by selecting scan lines Gn+1 and Gn+2, and next, during a period from time t1 to time t2, a pixel electrode B11 is driven by selecting only the scan line Gn+1. Moreover, during the period from time t1 to time t2, scan lines Gn+3 and Gn+4 are also selected, and thus a pixel electrode A12 is driven. After time t2, at least one of the scan lines Gn+3 and Gn+4 is not selected before the pixel electrode A12 is driven by selecting both of the scan lines Gn+3 and Gn+4 during a period from time t4 to time t5. Accordingly, the pixel electrode A12 can be preliminarily charged during the period from time t1 to time t2 and can maintain a potential preliminarily applied thereto until the pixel electrode A12 is driven during the period from time t4 to time t5.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for providing position feedback for a device includes providing a photointerrupter having a light-emitting diode, a phototransistor, and an aperture between the light-emitting diode and the phototransistor. For a given size aperture, a current through the phototransistor is a function of a current through the light-emitting diode. The method also includes controlling the current through the light-emitting diode current such that a change in the effective aperture size results in a desired approximately proportional change in current through the phototransistor. While controlling the current through the light-emitting diode, a portion of the aperture is blocked by an arm that has a position indicative of the position of the device. The method also includes providing a signal indicative of the change in current through the photodiode as an indication of the change in position of the device.

Abstract: A first electrode layer 12, a first piezoelectric film layer 13, a second electrode layer 14, a second piezoelectric film layer 15, and a third electrode layer 16 are layered in that order on a substrate 11; these are constrained so as pot to expand or contract in a thickness direction and a piezoelectric transducer is constructed thereby.

Abstract: An input system for a computer includes a first input device, such as a mouse or a tablet, and a second input device differing from the first input device. The first input device specifies a position on a display screen, which is connected to a computer for executing an application program and for displaying a processing object area of the application program on the display screen. An instruction set instructs a change in a display state of the processing object area on the display screen in response to an operation of the second input device. The first input device is operated with the operator's favored hand, while the second input device is operated with the operator's non-favored hand. Therefore, both hands are effectively used to improve operation efficiency.

Abstract: A handheld device includes a gesture database maintaining a plurality of gestures, each gesture defined by a motion of the device with respect to a first position of the handheld device. The gestures comprise a plurality of remote command gestures and at least one device selection gesture. The device includes a gesture mapping database comprising a plurality of command maps, each of the command maps corresponding to a particular controllable device and mapping at least one of the remote command gestures to a command for controlling operation of the particular controllable device. The device also includes a motion detection module operable to detect motion of the handheld device within three dimensions and a device selection module operable to detect the device selection gesture based on the motion of the handheld device and to select a currently controlled one of the controllable devices in response to the device selection gesture.

Abstract: Apparatus and techniques for providing a user interface for a computing device such as a pervasive computing device. The computing device projects a user input display from a projector onto a surface. A user output display is projected from the projector of the computing device onto a surface. The user input display and the user output display may be projected from the same projector. The user input display and user output display may be projected on different surfaces. A single projected image may be split and directed with a mirror system.

Abstract: A keypad module for a portable communication device including a housing and plurality of keys that each actuate electronic switches. The keypad includes a keypad inlay having a left side and a right side, means for securing the keypad inlay to the front side of the housing, means for releasing the keypad inlay from the housing. The means for releasing the keypad inlay enables the keypad inlay to be removed from the housing by simultaneously depressing at least two of the plurality of keys.

Abstract: A signal detector capable of linearly reading data at a high speed is obtained. This signal detector comprises a plurality of signal transfer transistors arranged in the form of a matrix, signal detection means connected to a first terminal of each signal transfer transistor, a data line connected to a second terminal of each signal transfer transistor, a control line connected to the gate of each signal transfer transistor, a gate line driving circuit for driving the control line, data read lines connected to a plurality of prescribed data lines through switching transistors respectively, and a switch driving circuit for driving the switching transistors corresponding to the aforementioned plurality of prescribed data lines substantially at the same timing. Thus, a plurality of prescribed data are simultaneously read for enabling linear data reading and increasing the speed of data reading.

Abstract: The method and system of the present invention allows a user to make notes on a paper book, where the information is transmitted to and overlaid on an online electronic duplicate of the book through a Bluetooth-enabled pen. The system and method of the present invention provides extension of the user's off-line experiences to an online environment, which may have application in electronic reading, writing, and shopping.

Abstract: When displaying moving images by using liquid crystal panels and others, a problem exists in that tail streaks occur, and image degradation is resultantly caused. To solve this problem, an echo suppression circuit divides a video signal into a pair composed of two successive frames for comparison between these two frames in signal level for the purpose of suppressing an echo phenomenon occurring when a liquid crystal panel displays video signals including moving images. If these two frames are not the same in signal level, the signal is accordingly corrected so as to equalize the signal level of these frames. Based on the video signals and others corrected by the echo suppression circuit, a controller operates the liquid crystal panel with AC drive through a source driver and a gate driver. As such, the drive voltage used to operate the liquid crystal panel with AC drive is adjusted so as to be balanced between positive and negative.

Abstract: A decoding system which is arranged to perform a plural-stage process in determining which of the driver lines to stimulate in response to each electrode address value supplied to the decoder. This enables the network configuration of the impedances to be machine generated, and also enables the decoder to calculate on the fly which driver lines to stimulate in response to each address value. Furthermore, different resolutions may be provided to enable groups of the electrodes to be addressed simultaneously. Such a decoder arrangement may also be used with an electrode arrangement in which each electrode is connected to only two of the driver lines, in order to achieve addressing schemes in which up to t consecutive electrodes can be driven simultaneously. The invention is applicable, for example, to liquid crystal displays, arrays of memory elements and arrays of sensors such as light-sensors.

Abstract: A controller outputs display data in a j-bit unit through first to j-th data output terminals and command data for controlling a data line drive circuit through a (j+1)th data output terminal. The controller also outputs a command identification signal for identifying command data, to the data line drive circuit through a (j+2)th data output terminal. The data line drive circuit includes a latch which fetches command data specified according to the command identification signal, a decoder which decodes the fetched command data, and a control section which outputs a control signal corresponding to a decoding result by the decoder, and the data line drive circuit drives a plurality of data lines of a liquid-crystal panel, based on the input display data and the control signal.

Abstract: An EL display device 1 includes a display portion 2 having unit pixels 10 arranged in a matrix, a source line driver circuit 6, and a gate line driver circuit 4. Each of the unit pixels 10 has an EL element 11, a switching transistor Tr1, a driver transistor Tr2, and an auxiliary capacitor 13. The auxiliary capacitor 13 has electrodes, one connected to a gate electrode of the transistor Tr2 and the other to a next gate line GL. The gate line driver circuit 4 outputs, via the next gate line GL, blanking signals for forcibly stopping a light-emitting state of the EL elements 11, within hold times in which the voltages written to the gate electrodes of the transistors Tr2 are held. With such a configuration, a blanking period where the EL elements do not emit light, is inserted in one frame.

Abstract: A computer system includes a system unit and a peripheral device connected by an electrical connection. The peripheral device includes a main power switch that turns power off within both the peripheral device and the system unit, together with a drive indicator light that is turned on to indicate when data is being written or read at a hard disk drive within the system unit. Preferably, the peripheral device is a display device including a screen and receiving a video signal from the system unit, with a power indicator light indicating whether power is on and whether the system unit is running in an operational state or in a suspended state. The peripheral device can also be used with a system unit not having these capabilities.

Abstract: In the case of supplying voltage to a common electrode which faces a pixel electrode through electro-optical substance while changing the voltage from a first low-potential-side voltage to a first high-potential-side voltage, a second high-potential-side voltage, which is higher than the first high-potential-side voltage, is supplied to the common electrode instead of the first low-potential-side voltage, and the first high-potential-side voltage is then supplied to the common electrode. One of the first high-potential-side voltage and a first intermediate voltage, which is lower than the first high-potential-side voltage but higher than the first low-potential-side voltage, may be supplied to the common electrode before supplying the second high-potential-side voltage to the common electrode.

Abstract: A method of generating a mesh includes locating a reference voxel. The reference voxel is inside a surface of an object and is adjacent to at least one voxel outside the surface. The method also includes, for a voxel outside the surface adjacent to the reference voxel, determining a set of contributing voxels by finding adjacent voxels on the same surface as the reference voxel using morph operators. The method further includes forming triangles with adjacent contributing voxels and the reference voxel. Each triangle has unique directional edges with respect to the other triangles.

Abstract: Bounding voxelization of a triangle or other polygon represented in a three-dimensional space is determined by dividing the triangle or polygon into polygons, each being an intersected slice of a grid. Each polygon is rasterized individually to determine an intersection of each edge with voxels on the defined slice for a given axis position. Strips of the voxels are marked iteratively using minimum and maximum voxel positions along a secondary axis for a tertiary axis.

Abstract: A computer graphics system is described in which a new type of entity, referred to as a “phenomenon,” can be created, instantiated and used in rendering an image of a scene. A phenomenon is an encapsulated shader DAG comprising one or more nodes each comprising a shader, or an encapsulated set of such DAGs which are interconnected so as to cooperate, which are instantiated and attached to entities in the scene which are created during the scene definition process to define diverse types of features of a scene, including color and textural features of surfaces of objects in the scene, characteristics of volumes and geometries in the scene, features of light sources illuminating the scene, features of simulated cameras will be simulated during rendering, and numerous other features which are useful in rendering. Phenomena selected for use by an operator in connection with a scene may be predefined, or they may be constructed from base shader nodes by an operator using a phenomenon creator.

Abstract: A character object 2001 which stands on a ground in a virtual space is arranged to rise on a land object 1802. Here, the character object 2001 is arranged to look towards a side of a virtual camera 1601. Further, the land object 1802 is arranged so as to be displaced a predetermined distance from its original position along a direction of the orientation of the virtual camera 1601 and in a direction away from the virtual camera 1601. This prevents a character arranged on a ground in a 3D virtual space from being displayed as if a part of the character sank into the ground.

Abstract: A method and system for matching digital information flow to the human perception system. In various embodiments, multi-monitor (multimon) support is leveraged to take advantage of multiple windowing and window positioning to separate elements of different tasks into information planes (which are based on a concept of “triage and focus”). Triage watches the flow of incoming information and determines the nature of the information. Based on the nature of the information and principles of human perception, Focus (or defocus) displays the information where the information is best viewed.

Abstract: An image display method is provided, with which a large number of images to be searched can be displayed quickly in a 3D space, with easy to understand image rendering and little strain on the user's eyes.

Abstract: A system for displaying textual information includes a receiver (300) for receiving textual information that includes a plurality of words. A text segmenter (302), operatively associated with the receiver (300), segments the plurality of words into a plurality of word segments, each word segment having one or more words. A user interface device (304) receives a signal initiated by an action of a user to indicate a display rate. A display device (306) including a processor and a memory, is coupled to the text segmenter and the user interface device. The display device (306) displays the word segments in a temporal sequence by displaying a first word segment for a first display duration, that is based on the display rate, at a first position on the display device (306) and automatically proceeding to display a second word segment for a second display duration, that is based on the display rate, at a second position on the display device (306).

Abstract: A method of representing n-dimensional parametric surfaces (animated shapes) is provided that expresses all shapes in a consistent manner to reduce storage requirements, support deformation and simplify interaction between shapes. The method, a version of sweeps, represents shapes using a unique combination of three discrete types of (piecewise polynomial) curves: spine (sweeping) curves, slice (section) curves, and lathe (plane) curves, which are combined to create surfaces. The curves required to make simple 3D primitives (i.e. torus, sphere, cube and pyramid) are themselves simple 2D primitives (i.e. line, circle, square, triangle). The storage size of this system's shapes is exponentially smaller than the size of polygonal versions of the same shapes (as a function of the number of polygons). Complex models can be broken into multiple shapes, which are arranged in a tree hierarchy. The shapes of this invention can be tiled with other shapes of this invention (i.e. a row of smokestacks made of bricks).

Abstract: A graphical display animation system is disclosed that supports timed modification of element property values of elements within a graphical display. The animation system utilizes a display structure for maintaining a set of elements corresponding to displayed objects within a graphically displayed scene. The elements include a variable property value. The animation system also utilizes a property system that maintains properties associated with elements maintained by the display structure. The properties include dynamic properties that are capable of changing over time—and thus affecting the appearance of the corresponding element on a graphical display. The animation system includes animation classes, from which animation objects are instantiated and associated with an element property at runtime. The animation object instances provide time varying values affecting values assigned to the dynamic properties maintained by the property system.

Abstract: When reproducing animation data stored in a data storing section (11), a data evaluation section (21) evaluates the complexity of the animation data before reproducing the animation data, and judges whether or not an animation reproducing section (12) can reproduce the animation data without problem. When the data evaluation section (21) judges that, because of insufficient function or throughput, the animation reproducing section (12) cannot directly reproduce the evaluated animation data, the data evaluation section (21) does not allow the animation reproducing section (12) to reproduce the animation data, and instead notifies a user that the reproduction is not possible. With this, it is possible to prevent defects that animation in which data of some types are missing and animation having many missing frames are reproduced, even when animation reproducing terminals having a variety of throughputs reproduce animation data having various complexities.

Abstract: A three-dimensional animation system using evolutionary computation includes a gene determination unit and a motion generation unit. The gene determination unit calculates modified gene information by receiving at least one genes and modifying the genes evolutionarily. The motion generation unit receives motion data and modifies the motion data based on the modified gene information. A three-dimensional animation method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An animation distributing server receives a request from a user to distribute animation. The server selects key frames to be transmitted and transmits the selected key frames to the user. Thereafter, compact interpolation data, for interpolating between the key frames, are generated, a digital watermarking processing is performed thereon, and the interpolation data are transmitted to the user. A viewer, for composing an animation from the key frames and interpolation data, may be sent to the user. The key frames and the interpolation data are transmitted separately in a manner such that they can be integrated at the user side.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system to concurrently render independent images for display on one or more display devices. In an embodiment, a graphics-rendering engine concurrently renders independent images for display on multiple display devices. A graphics context manager stores in a first memory area and restores from the first memory area information describing a first rendering context associated with a first independent image. The graphics context manager stores in a second memory area and restores from the second memory area information describing a second rendering context associated with a second independent image.

Abstract: An image input apparatus is provided for picking up an image of an object placed on an original support with a camera and displaying the object image on a display device; the apparatus has a memory capable of storing a plurality of images picked up with the camera and a controller for controlling display of an image group containing a predetermined number of images stored in the memory.

Abstract: A memory control unit adjusts and sets the address of an image data area in the memory space of a memory and the address of a window area adjacent to the memory area, using a memory controller. The memory control unit stores data, other than image data that is supplied, at a specified address location and, when a control signal is sent to the memory, reads out the image data, including data stored in the window area, from the memory. The data that is read out from the window area is inserted into a predetermined position during a blanking period.

Abstract: An improved convenience is attained in adding a character or figure to a picture with an improved convenience as follows: When a mode for addition of a character to a picture display area is selected, an attribute processor (101) outputs a plurality of sample characters whose attributes are different from each other, a display control unit (102) displays the plurality of sample characters different in attribute from each other in descending order starting with the most frequently used one in the form of a list in the sample character display area. When a predetermined sample character is selected using a touch pad (6) and a position where a character is actually added in the picture display area is selected, it becomes possible to actually add a character on the basis of the attribute of the selected sample character first at the selected position, and the attribute processor (101) provides such a control as to add a character entered from a keyboard (5) on the basis of the attribute of the sample character.