Information processing apparatus and method, and information processing program

• US 20020087747A1
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Soichi, Yamaguchi, Yoshihiro, Yamamoto, Takashi, Agata, Kenichi, Narukawa, Yoshitaka, Gomibuchi, Osamu, Hayashi, Kaoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,320,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Executing a desired processing immediately by a simple operation using a jog dial for example. The display unit (3) has a jog dial (4) (a first operating means) and a back button (5) (second operating means) provided vertically at the right upper corner thereof. The jog dial (4) can be rotated and pushed. The back button (5) is to undo an operation having been made by pushing the jog dial (4), and it is located near the jog dial (5).

Claims

1. An information processor for processing information signal based on an application program and displaying a result and process of the processing operation on a display unit, the apparatus comprising:

a first operating means which can be rotated and pushed;

a second operating means for undoing an operation once done by pushing the first operating means; and

a controlling means for monitoring the operated status of the first and second operating means and displaying an operation window corresponding to each of the operations made with the operating means on the display unit according to a status of the application program.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second operating means is located in the vicinity of the first operating means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means causes the display unit to display an operation guidance window for guiding how to operate an activated application program, and an operating launching window for launching an application program selected when there is no active application program.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the operation guidance window and operation launching window provides a two-step display in at least either a parent hierarchy or a child hierarchy.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the application program is activated, an application window is opened on the display unit and an indication that the application program is activated is displayed.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the second operating means is caused to make the undoing operation while the operation launching window is being displayed in the child hierarchy on the display unit, the controlling means restores the operation launching window to the parent hierarchical display.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the second operating means is caused to make the undoing operation while the operation launching window is being displayed in the parent hierarchy on the display unit, the controlling means closes the operation launching window and activates a current top application program on the display unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the second operating means is caused to make the undoing operation while the operation guidance window is being displayed in the child hierarchy on the display unit, the controlling means restores the operation guidance window to the parent hierarchical display.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the second operating means is caused to make the undoing operation while the operation guidance window is being displayed in the parent hierarchy on the display unit, the controlling means closes the operating guidance window and an active application program, and then displays the operation launching window on the display unit.

10. An information processing method for processing information signal based on an application program and displaying a result and process of the processing operation on a display unit, the method comprising steps of:

monitoring the operated status of a first operating means which can be rotated and pushed, and that of a second operating means which can undo an operation once done by pushing the first operating means; and

displaying an operation window corresponding to each of the operations made with the first and second operating means on the display unit.

11. An information processing program for processing information signal based on an application program and displaying a result and process of the processing operation on a display unit, the method comprising steps of:

monitoring the operated status of a first operating means which can be rotated and pushed, and that of a second operating means which can undo an operation once done by pushing the first operating means; and

displaying an operation window corresponding to each of the operations made with the first and second operating means on the display unit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the controlling means causes the display unit to display an operation guidance window for guiding how to operate an activated application program, and an operating launching window for launching an application program selected when there is no active application program.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each of the operation guidance window and operation launching window provides a two-step display in at least either a parent hierarchy or a child hierarchy.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when the application program is activated, an application window is opened on the display unit and an indication that the application program is activated is displayed.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein when the controlling means detects the second operated status of the operating means while the operation launching window is being displayed in the child hierarchy on the display unit, it restores the operation launching window to the parent hierarchical display.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein when the controlling means detects the second operated status of the operating means while the operation launching window is being displayed in the parent hierarchy on the display unit, it closes the operation launching window and activates a current top application program on the display unit.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein when the controlling means detects the second operated status of the operating means while the operation launching window is being displayed in the child hierarchy on the display unit, it restores the operation guidance window to the parent hierarchical display.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein when the controlling means detects the second operated status of the operating means while the operation launching window is being displayed in the child hierarchy on the display unit, it closes the operating guidance window and an active application program, and then displays the operation launching window on the display unit.

12. An information processor for processing information signal based on an application program and displaying a result and process of the processing operation on a display unit, the apparatus comprising:

an operating means which can be rotated and pushed; and

a controlling means for monitoring the operated status of the operating means and displaying an operation window corresponding to each of the operations made with the operating means on the display unit according to a status of the application program;

the controlling means detecting a first pushed status of the operating means, in which the operating means has not been pushed for a time longer than a predetermined length of time and a second pushed status of the operating means, in which the operating means has been pushed for the time longer than the predetermined length of time, as differentiated between them, and undoing an operation once done because the first pushed status has been detected when the second pushed status is detected.

20. An information processing method for processing information signal based on an application program and displaying a result and process of the processing operation on a display unit, the method comprising steps of:

monitoring whether an operating means which can be rotated and pushed has been operated;

receiving a notice of the monitoring that the operating means has been operated, and then differentiating between a first pushed status of the operating means, in which the operating means has not been pushed for a time longer than a predetermined length of time, and a second pushed status of the operating means, in which the operating means has been pushed for the time longer than the predetermined length of time;

effecting an operation based on a result of the differentiation; and

displaying a result of the operation based on the result of differentiation on the display unit.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein in the step of operation based on the result of differentiation, when the second pushed status is detected, an operation already done because the first pushed status has been detected is undone.

22. A program for processing information signal based on an application program and displaying a result and process of the processing operation on a display unit, the program comprising steps of:

monitoring whether an operating means which can be rotated and pushed has been operated;

receiving a notice of the monitoring that the operating means has been operated, and then differentiating between a first pushed status of the operating means, in which the operating means has not been pushed for a time longer than a predetermined length of time, and a second pushed status of the operating means, in which the operating means has been pushed for the time longer than the predetermined length of time;

effecting an operation based on a result of the differentiation; and

displaying a result of the operation based on the result of differentiation on the display unit.

23. The program according to claim 22, wherein in the step of operation based on the result of differentiation, when the second pushed status is detected, an operation already done because the first pushed status has been detected is undone.