Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

• US 10,241,626 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyazawa, Yusuke, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Khoo, Stacy
• Application Number:
  US13/391,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,233 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1809
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a detection unit for detecting a contact operation and a pressure of an operating object on a contact operation surface, a display switching unit for switching display on a display screen according to the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit, and an execution unit for performing a predetermined process, in a case a predetermined operation of the operating object on the contact operation surface is detected by the detection unit while the display on the display screen is being switched by the display switching unit, according to the predetermined operation.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

at least one circuitry configured to

detect a first contact and a pressure of an operating object on a contact operation surface,

select at least a first item which is displayed on a first hierarchical display image when the pressure is detected,

execute a first process when the pressure of the operating object exceeds a first threshold but does not exceed a second threshold,

switch from the first hierarchical display image to a second hierarchical display image when the detected pressure of the operating object exceeds the first threshold and the second threshold,

perform, when the pressure of the operating object has exceeded the second threshold, a secondary process to select an item which is displayed on the second hierarchical display, and

perform, when the pressure of the operating object has exceeded the first threshold and a second contact of the operating object is detected, the secondary process to select at least an item which is displayed on the second hierarchical display image,

wherein each of the first hierarchical display image and the second hierarchical display image are related to a same hierarchical group, and

wherein the first hierarchical display image displays data of a first hierarchical level and the second hierarchical display image displays data of a second hierarchical level, the first hierarchical level being different from the second hierarchical level.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one circuitry is further configured to

switch, according to the detected pressure of the operating object, between the first hierarchical display image and the second hierarchical display image on a display screen.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one circuitry is further configured to

switch, in a case the detected pressure of the operating object increases, display to a display screen that displays a hierarchical display image of a hierarchical level lower than one hierarchical level that was previously displayed by the display screen, and

switch, in a case the detected pressure of the operating object decreases, display to the display screen that displays a hierarchical display image of a hierarchical level higher than one hierarchical level that was previously displayed by the display screen.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one circuitry is further configured to

switch display between the first and second hierarchical display images and increase transparency of display on a display screen before switching, and

wherein the switching and the increasing the transparency is according to the detected pressure of the operating object.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one circuitry is further configured to

switch display between the first and second hierarchical display images and reduce a display size of a display screen before switching, and

wherein the switching and the reducing the display size is according to the detected pressure of the operating object.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one circuitry is further configured to

perform the secondary process when a predetermined contact of the operating object is detected during the switching.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one circuitry is further configured to

perform the secondary process when the detected pressure of the operating object exceeds the second threshold within a predetermined time during the switching.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one circuitry is further configured to

detect turning of a housing, and

wherein the at least one circuitry performs the secondary process according to the turning of the housing when the turning of the housing is detected.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one circuitry is further configured to

change a display color of a position corresponding to a contact part on the contact operation surface according to the detected pressure of the operating object on the contact operation surface.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hierarchical display images provide different categories of information between hierarchical levels.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hierarchical display images provide multiple level structure from a higher level to a lower level.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second process is a process different than the first process.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first process does not include a switching between the first hierarchical display image and the second hierarchical display image.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second hierarchical level is higher than the first hierarchical level.

15. An information processing method comprising:

detecting a first contact and a pressure of an operating object on a contact operation surface;

selecting at least a first item which is displayed on a first hierarchical display image when the pressure is detected;

executing a first process when the pressure of the operating object exceeds a first threshold but does not exceed a second threshold;

switching from the first hierarchical display image to a second hierarchical display image when the detected pressure of the operating object exceeds the first threshold and the second threshold;

performing, when the pressure of the operating object has exceeded the second threshold, a secondary process to select an item which is displayed on the second hierarchical display; and

performing, when the pressure of the operating object has exceeded the first threshold and a second contact of the operating object is detected, the secondary process to select at least an item which is displayed on the second hierarchical display image,

wherein each of the first hierarchical display image and the second hierarchical display image are related to a same hierarchical group, and

wherein the first hierarchical display image displays data of a first hierarchical level and the second hierarchical display image displays data of a second hierarchical level, the first hierarchical level being different from the second hierarchical level.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a processor of a computer causes the processor to execute a method, the method comprising:

detecting a first contact and a pressure of an operating object on a contact operation surface;

selecting at least a first item which is displayed on a first hierarchical display image when the pressure is detected;

executing a first process when the pressure of the operating object exceeds a first threshold but does not exceed a second threshold;

switching from the first hierarchical display image to a second hierarchical display image when the detected pressure of the operating object exceeds the first threshold and the second threshold;

performing, when the pressure of the operating object has exceeded the second threshold, a secondary process to select an item which is displayed on the second hierarchical display; and

performing, when the pressure of the operating object has exceeded the first threshold and a second contact of the operating object is detected, the secondary process to select at least an item which is displayed on the second hierarchical display image,

wherein each of the first hierarchical display image and the second hierarchical display image are related to a same hierarchical group, and

wherein the first hierarchical display image displays data of a first hierarchical level and the second hierarchical display image displays data of a second hierarchical level, the first hierarchical level being different from the second hierarchical level.