Information processing device, menu displaying method and program storing medium

• US 20030112279A1
• Filed: 10/30/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Irimajiri, Mayu
• Granted Patent: US 7,543,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

In the present invention, in the case of displaying a high-hierarchical menu and a lower-hierarchical menu corresponding to a high hierarchical menu on the display section 9, the high-hierarchical menu is displayed on the front side 50A of the virtual cubic menu 50 on the display section 9, and when it is recognized that the cubic menu 50 has been selected by the inputting operation, the cubic menu 50 is turned and the turning process is displayed with preset interpolation images and then the lower-hierarchical menu is displayed on the top side SOB after the cubic menu 50 is turned, thereby the visible continuousness of the change from the high-hierarchical menu to the lower-hierarchical menu can be maintained, thus making it possible to allow the user to easily recognize the change from the high-hierarchical menu to the lower-hierarchical menu.

Claims

1. An information processing device for executing prescribed processing corresponding an arbitrarily selected item, comprising:

display means for displaying a virtual polyhedron on a display section; and

control means for indicating a high-hierarchical menu on one side of said polyhedron, and when the high-hierarchical menu is selected by the inputting operation, turning said polyhedron and displaying the turning process with preset interpolation images, and then indicating a lower-hierarchical menu including said item corresponding to said high-hierarchical menu on another side of said polyhedron.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

said control means controls the display intervals and display time with plural pieces of said interpolation images when displaying said turning process with said interpolation images.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

said display means three-dimensionally displays a plurality of said polyhedrons which are cubic, in a circle;

and

said control means rotates the plurality of said polyhedrons in a circular manner in response to the rotation inputting operation of the rotation operating means to select an arbitrary polyhedron, and displays one side of said arbitrary polyhedron selected in the front row.

4. A menu display method of displaying a high-hierarchical menu and a lower-hierarchical menu including items corresponding to the high-hierarchical menu on a display section, comprising:

a high-hierarchical menu display step of indicating said high-hierarchical menu on one side of a virtual polyhedron on said display section;

a recognition step of recognizing that said high-hierarchical menu has been selected by the inputting operation;

an interpolation image display step of turning said polyhedron and displaying the turning process with preset interpolation images; and

a lower-hierarchical menu display step of indicating said lower-hierarchical menu on another side after said polyhedron is turned.

5. The menu display method according to claim 4, wherein

said interpolation image display step is to control the display intervals and display time with plural pieces of said interpolation images when said turning process is displayed with said interpolation images.

6. The menu display method according to claim 4, wherein

said high-hierarchical menu display step is to three-dimensionally display a plurality of said polyhedrons which are cubic, in a circle, to rotate the plurality of said polyhedrons in a circular manner in response to the rotation inputting operation of the rotation operating means in order to select an arbitrary polyhedron, and to display one side of said arbitrary polyhedron selected in the front row.

7. A program storage medium to make an information processing device execute a program comprising:

a high-hierarchical menu display step of indicating a high-hierarchical menu on one side of a virtual polyhedron on a display section;

a recognition step of recognizing that said high-hierarchical menu has been selected by the inputting operation;

an interpolation image display step of turning said polyhedron and displaying the turning process with preset interpolation images; and

a lower-hierarchical menu display step of indicating a lower-hierarchical menu including items corresponding to said high-hierarchical menu on another side after said polyhedron is turned.

8. The program storage medium according to claim 7, wherein

said interpolation image display step is to control the display intervals and display time with plural pieces of said interpolation images when said turning process is displayed with said interpolation images.

9. The program storage medium according to claim 7, wherein

said high-hierarchical menu display step is to three-dimensionally display a plurality of said polyhedrons which are cubic, in a circle, to rotate the plurality of said polyhedrons in a circular manner in response to the rotation inputting operation of the rotation operating means in order to select an arbitrary polyhedron, and to display one side of said arbitrary polyhedron selected in the front row.