Information processing apparatus and method for outputting a haptic guiding operation to a user

• US 10,585,544 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ooka, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Bycer, Eric J.
• Application Number:
  US15/405,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20170147070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3652 Guidance using non-audiovisual output, e.g. tactile, haptic or electric stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

An information processing apparatus that determines a direction to browsed next as a guiding direction with a location of content displayed by a display of the information processing apparatus as a reference location; determines a perceptual strength of each of a plurality of active elements disposed in different locations on or within a casing of the information processing apparatus based on the guiding direction; and controls each of the plurality of active elements based on the perceptual strengths.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a casing;

a display supported by the casing that displays a first portion of content within a display region;

a plurality of active elements disposed at different locations on or within the casing; and

a processor that

determines a guiding direction from a location of the first portion of the content displayed in the display region to a second location of a second portion of the content, the second portion of the content being outside of the display region;

determines a perceptual strength of each active element of the plurality of active elements based on the guiding direction; and

controls activation of the plurality of active elements based on the perceptual strengths so as to provide an active indication of the guiding direction towards the second location, wherein

the processor determines the guiding direction based on a first vector and a second vector,

the first vector being from a third location of the content to a second location,

the second vector being from the third location to the first location; and

the third location is outside of the first portion and the second portion.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether to perform a guiding operation based on a predetermined guiding condition.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory that stores predetermined guiding conditions corresponding to the content.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor determines whether to perform a guiding operation based on the predetermined guiding conditions stored in the memory.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the guiding direction by identifying a browsing start location within the content.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a user interface that receives a user input, wherein

the processor identifies the browsing start location based on a user input received at the user interface.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor identifies the browsing start location based on information accompanying the content.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether a guiding start location of the content is displayed on the display.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor determines to perform a guiding operation in response to determining that the guiding start location of the content is displayed on the display.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor identifies a guiding target location within the content.

11. The information processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor identifies the guiding target location based on information accompanying the content.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the guiding target location within the content identified by the processor is a location within the second portion of the content outside of the display region.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor determines the guiding target location within the content based on the identified target location within the content.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether to perform a guiding operation based on an initial setting regarding whether to perform the guiding operation.

15. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user setting as to whether to perform a guiding operation, wherein

the processor determines whether to perform the guiding operation based on the user input.

16. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the displayed content corresponds to at least one of newspaper content, map content, three-dimensional content and multi-layered content.

17. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of active elements are at least one of vibration elements, heating elements, contraction elements, and electrical stimulation elements.

18. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the perceptual active element includes at least three active elements disposed in different locations on or within the casing.

19. An information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus that includes a casing, a display and a plurality of active elements that are disposed at different locations on or within the casing, the method comprising:

controlling the display to display a first portion of content within a display region;

determining a guiding direction from a location of the first portion of the content displayed in the display region to a second location of a second portion of the content, the second portion of the content being outside of the display region;

determining a perceptual strength of each active element of the plurality of active elements based on the guiding direction; and

controlling activation of the plurality of active elements based on the perceptual strengths so as to provide an active indication of the guiding direction towards the second location, wherein

the guiding direction is determined based on a first vector and a second vector,

the first vector being from a third location of the content to a second location,

the second vector being from the third location to the first location, and

the third location is outside of the first portion and the second portion.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by an information processing apparatus that includes a casing, a display and a plurality of active elements that are disposed at different locations on or within the casing, cause the information processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

controlling the display to display a first portion of content within a display region;

determining a guiding direction from a location of the first portion of the content displayed in the display region to a second location of a second portion of the content, the second portion of the content being outside of the display region;

determining a perceptual strength of each active element of the plurality of active elements based on the guiding direction; and

controlling activation of the plurality of active elements based on the perceptual strengths so as to provide an active indication of the guiding direction towards the second location, wherein

the guiding direction k determined based on a first vector and a second vector,

the first vector being from a third location of the content to a second location,

the second vector being from the third location to the first location, and

the third location is outside of the first portion and the second portion.