INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD AND DISPLAY CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20090164936A1
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KAWAGUCHI, Kimitaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,631,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04801 Cursor retrieval aid, i.e. visual aspect modification, blinking, colour changes, enlargement or other visual cues, for helping user do find the cursor in graphical user interfaces
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a display control section for displaying a window showing a first icon and a second icon of a predetermined display size on a display screen. The display control section reduces the display size of at least either the first icon or the second icon so as not to overlap with each other if it determines that the icons overlap with each other when it alters a display area of the window being displayed on the display screen.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising

a display control section for displaying a window showing a first icon and a second icon of a predetermined display size on a screen of a display section, wherein

the display control section reduces the display size of at least either the first icon or the second icon so as not to overlap with each other in the case where it determines that the icons overlap with each other when it alters a display area of the window being displayed on the display screen.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising

a command input section for inputting a command to the window being displayed on the screen, wherein

the display control section alters the display area of the window in accordance with the command to the window input by way of the command input section.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

when a command for reducing the display size of the window is input by way of the command input section, the display control section alters the display area of the window by reducing the display size of the window in accordance with the command.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

when a command for changing the display size of the window is input by way of the command input section, the display control section shifts the display position of the window in accordance with the command, alters the display area of the window in the case where the window partly moves out of the display screen as a result of the shift of the display position, and in the case where it determines that at least either the first icon or the second icon moves out of the display area of the window as a result of the alteration of the display area, it moves the icon outside the display area back into the display area so as to be displayed.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

when a command for changing the display size of the window is input by way of the command input section, the display control section shifts the display position of the window in accordance with the command and in the case where the window partly moves out of the screen as a result of the shift of the display position, adjusts the display position of the window to make the window entirely to be displayed on the display screen.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising

a command assigning section for assigning a first command and a second command respectively to the first icon and the second icon, wherein

the command assigning section selects either the first command assigned to the first icon and the second command assigned to the second icon, making only the selected command effective, when the display size of either the first icon or the second icon is made smaller than a predetermined display size under the control of the display control section.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display control section reduces the display size of the first icon and the second icon without altering the size of the recognition regions for recognizing operations relative to the first icon and the second icon on the screen.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising

a priority defining section for defining priority for the first icon and the second icon relative to change of display size, wherein

the display control section reduces the display size of either the first icon or the second icon in accordance with the priority.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display control section has a first mode of altering the display area of the window and a second mode of not altering the display area of the window and alters the display area of the window being on the screen only in the first mode.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the command input section is a touch panel.

11. A display control method comprising:

a display step of causing a display control section to display a window showing a first icon and a second icon of a predetermined display size on a screen of a display section; and

an icon display size changing step of reducing the display size of at least either the first icon or the second icon in the case where the display control section determines that the icons overlap with each other when it alters the display area of the window being displayed on the display screen so as not to overlap with each other.

12. A display control program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute

a display step of causing a display control section to display a window showing a first icon and a second icon of a predetermined display size on a display screen;

and

an icon display size changing step of reducing the display size of at least either the first icon or the second icon so as not to overlap with each other in the case where the display control section determines that the icons overlap with each other when it alters the display area of the window being displayed on the screen.