Information processing apparatus and method of controlling the same

• US 20030210285A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Numano, Fujihito
• Application Number:
  US10/425,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210285A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/856
• 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 1/169 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 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An information processing apparatus comprises a first display, a pointing device having a second display, an operation input controller which reflects a pointing operation of the pointing device to a mouse pointer displayed on the first display, and a first entire screen display controller which displays on the second display a first image of a virtual screen which is larger that a screen of the first display.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first display;

a pointing device having a second display;

means for reflecting a pointing operation of the pointing device to a pointer displayed on the first display; and

means for displaying a first image of a virtual screen on the second display.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for selectively activating one of the reflecting means and the means for displaying the first image on the second display.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying the first image on the first display.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for panning an area of the first display on the first image.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

means for selectively activating one of the means for displaying the first image on the second display and the panning means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying on the second display a second image of a virtual screen including a window of an application program; and

means for reflecting a drag operation of the window on the second image to an image displayed on the first display.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

means for selectively activating one of the means for displaying the second image on the second display and the means for reflecting the drag operation.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an external display terminal to which an external display can be connected; and

means for displaying on the second display a third image of a virtual screen including screens of the first display and the external display.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for panning an area of the first display on the third image.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for displaying on the second display a fourth image of a virtual screen including a window of an application program; and

means for reflecting a drag operation of the window on the fourth image to an image displayed on the first display.

11. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first display;

a pointing device having a second display;

means for reflecting a pointing operation of the pointing device to a pointer displayed on the first display;

means for displaying on the second display an image of a virtual screen including a window of an application program;

means for panning an area of the first display on the image of the virtual screen;

means for reflecting a drag operation of the window on the image of the virtual screen to an image displayed on the first display; and

means for selectively activating one of the means for displaying the image on the second display, the panning means, and the means for reflecting the drag operation.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising an external display terminal to which an external display can be connected, and wherein the means for displaying the image on the second display displays on the second display an image of a virtual screen including screens of the first display and the external display and a window of an application program.

13. A control method for an information processing apparatus which comprises a first display, a pointing device having a second display, the method comprising:

reflecting a pointing operation of the pointing device to a pointer displayed on the first display; and

displaying a first image of a virtual screen on the second display.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

panning an area of the first display on the first image; and

selectively activating one of the first image displaying and the panning.

15. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

displaying on the second display a second image of a virtual screen including a window of an application program;

dragging the window on the second image and reflecting a drag operation to an image displayed on the first display; and

selectively activating one of the second image displaying and the dragging.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

displaying on the second display a third image of a virtual screen including screens of the first display and an external display.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

panning an area of the first display on the third image.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

displaying on the second display a fourth image of a virtual screen including a window of an application program; and

dragging the window on the fourth image and reflecting a drag operation to an image displayed on the first display.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

reflecting the drag operation to an image displayed on the first display.