Information processing apparatus and display control program

• US 20060044283A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kashimoto, Shinichi, Nemoto, Hiroyuki, Eri, Michiaki
• Application Number:
  US11/086,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20060044283A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An information processing apparatus comprising a display unit which displays, on a display screen, a first display area displaying a first buttons and a second display area displaying a second buttons, a sensing unit which senses a touched position on the display screen, and a first display control unit which, when the first display area is touched, enlarging the size of each of the first buttons, expanding the size of the first display area such that the first buttons are arranged in the first display area, reducing the size of the second display area, and reducing the size of each of at least specific buttons of the second buttons such that the specific buttons are arranged in the reduced second display area.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display unit which displays, on a display screen, a first display area displaying first buttons and a second display area displaying second buttons;

a sensor which senses a touched position on the display screen; and

first display control means for, when the first display area is touched, enlarging a size of the first buttons, expanding a size of the first display area such that the enlarged first buttons are arranged in the first display area, reducing a size of the second display area, and reducing a size of at least specific buttons of the second buttons such that the specific buttons are arranged in the reduced second display area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for, when one of the enlarged first buttons is touched, executing a function assigned to the touched button.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication unit which executes wireless communication with an external apparatus, and wherein

the first buttons include numerical buttons which are used to input a number for designating a communication partner, and

the second buttons include function buttons which are used to control a function pertaining to the wireless communication.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising means for displaying, in the reduced second display area, an indicator indicating a present status of the wireless communication.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

second display control means for, when the second display area is touched, enlarging the size of each of the second buttons, and expanding the size of the second display area such that the enlarged second buttons are arranged in the second display area; and

third display control means for, when the size of the second display area is enlarged, reducing the size of the first display area, and reducing the size of each of the first buttons to arrange the first buttons in the first display area.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

means for storing attribute management information for designating one of first and second button groups to be displayed on the display screen as an operable button group;

means for, based on the attribute management information, displaying each button included in the one of the first and second button groups by a first size in a first display area on the display screen, and displaying each button included in other of the first and second button groups by a second size smaller than the first size in a second display area on the display screen; and

means for, when the second display area is touched, changing the attribute management information, and changing a button group designated as the operable button group from the one of the first and second button groups to the other.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means for, when one button of a button group designated as the operable button group is touched, executing a function assigned to the touched button.

8. A method of displaying information comprising:

displaying, on a display screen, a first display area displaying first buttons and a second display area displaying second buttons;

sensing a touched position on the display screen;

enlarging a size of the first buttons when the first display area is touched;

expanding a size of the first display area such that the enlarged first buttons are arranged in the first display area;

reducing a size of the second display area; and

reducing a size of at least specific buttons of the second buttons such that the specific buttons are arranged in the reduced second display area.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising executing a function assigned to the touched button when one of the enlarged first buttons is touched.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising executing wireless communication with an external apparatus, and wherein

the first buttons include numerical buttons which are used to input a number for designating a communication partner, and

the second buttons include function buttons which are used to control a function pertaining to the wireless communication.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying, in the reduced second display area, an indicator indicating a present status of the wireless communication.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

when the second display area is touched, enlarging the size of each of the second buttons, and expanding the size of the second display area such that the enlarged second buttons are arranged in the second display area; and

when the size of the second display area is enlarged, reducing the size of the first display area, and reducing the size of each of the first buttons to arrange the first buttons in the first display area.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

storing attribute management information for designating one of first and second button groups to be displayed on the display screen as an operable button group;

based on the attribute management information, displaying each button included in the one of the first and second button groups designated as the operable button group by a first size in a first display area on the display screen;

based on the attribute management information, displaying each button included in other of the first and second button groups by a second size smaller than the first size in a second display area on the display screen;

when the second display area is touched, changing the attribute management information; and

changing a button group designated as the operable button group from the one of the first and second button groups to the other.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, when one button of a button group designated as the operable button group is touched, executing a function assigned to the touched button.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the method is implemented as computer readable program code.

16. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display unit which displays, on a display screen, a first display area displaying first buttons and a second display area displaying second buttons; and

a sensor which senses a touched position on the display screen;

wherein when the touched position on the display screen is in the first display area, a size of the first buttons enlarges and a size of the first display area expands such that the enlarged first buttons are arranged in the first display area, and a size of the second display area reduces and a size of at least specific buttons of the second buttons reduces such that the specific buttons are arranged in the reduced second display area.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, when one of the enlarged first buttons is touched, a function assigned to the touched button is executed.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a wireless communication unit which executes wireless communication with an external apparatus, and wherein

the first buttons include numerical buttons which are used to input a number for designating a communication partner, and

the second buttons include function buttons which are used to control a function pertaining to the wireless communication.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising an indicator indicating a present status of the wireless communication displayed in the reduced second display area.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, when the touched position on the display screen is in the second display area, the size of each of the second buttons enlarges and the size of the second display area expands such that the enlarged second buttons are arranged in the second display area, and the size of the first display area reduces, and the size of each of the first buttons reduces such that the reduced first buttons are arranged in the first display area.