INPUT CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20090293021A1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakai, Koichi, Kawai, Hideo, Nagai, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,276,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/862
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

An input control device for enabling the user to perform predetermined operation for an icon simply by performing move operation of a pointer without button operation is provided. An operation selection area generation section 167 generates position information of an area indicating operation corresponding to selection and activation of predetermined operation for an object to be selected, and a display section 15 displays an operation selection area based on the operation selection area position information. When an operation selection determination section 168 determines that a pointer arrives at the operation selection area, it instructs a control section 19 to execute operation for the icon corresponding to the operation selection area information. Upon reception of the instruction, the control section 19 activates and executes the operation corresponding to the operation selection area.

Claims

1. An input control device applied to an apparatus for specifying a predetermined position in a display section according to a pointer, the input control device comprising:

a pointer position determination section which generates pointer position information indicating a display position of the pointer in the display section based on operation information from an operation input section of the apparatus;

a match detection section which generates match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on an object to be selected based on the pointer position information and object-to-be-selected position information indicating the display position of the object to be selected by the pointer;

an operation selection area generation section which generates an operation selection area corresponding to selection of predetermined operation for the object to be selected in the display section based on the match detection information; and

an operation selection determination section which selects and activates an operation for the object to be selected corresponding to the operation selection area when the operation selection determination section determines that the pointer passes through the operation selection area based on the pointer position information and operation selection area position information indicating the generation position of the operation selection area.

2. The input control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a direction determination section which determines a move direction of the pointer until the pointer arrives at the object to be selected based on the pointer position information,

wherein the operation selection area generation section generates the operation selection area based on move direction information indicating the move direction.

3. The input control device according to claim 2, wherein the operation selection area generation section generates the operation selection area so as to avoid an advance prediction direction predicted from the move direction information.

4. The input control device according to claim 3, wherein the operation selection area generation section generates the operation selection area in a direction substantially at 90 degrees of the advance prediction direction.

5. The input control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation selection area generation section generates the operation selection area in a predetermined direction in the display section.

6. The input control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation selection area generation section generates the operation selection area contiguous to the object to be selected.

7. The input control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation selection area generation section generates at least two operation selection areas.

8. The input control device according to claim 7, wherein the at least two operation selection areas are different in operation to each other;

and

wherein the at least two operation selection areas are generated on opposite sides with respect to the object to be selected as the center.

9. The input control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation selection area generation section generates the operation selection area in the display section in a visible manner.

10. The input control device according to claim 9, wherein the operation selection area generation section generates at least two operation selection areas which are equal in size to each other;

and

wherein the two operation selection areas are generated on opposite sides with respect to the object to be selected as the center.

11. The input control device according to claim 9, wherein the operation selection area generation section generates at least two operation selection areas which are different in size to each other.

12. The input control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation selection area generation section generates the operation selection area which is located with respect to the center of the object to be selected as the reference.

13. The input control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation selection area generation section generates the operation selection area with respect to the pointer as the reference.

14. An apparatus comprising:

the input control device according to claim 1;

the display section; and

the operation input section.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the object to be selected is an icon;

and

wherein the operation selection area contains at least areas for performing an open operation and a drag operation for the icon.

16. A mobile terminal implemented as the apparatus according to claim 14.

17. A control method of an input control device applied to an apparatus for specifying a predetermined position in a display section according to a pointer, the control method comprising:

generating pointer position information indicating a display position of the pointer in the display section based on operation information from an operation input section of the apparatus;

generating match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on an object to be selected based on the pointer position information and object-to-be-selected position information indicating the display position of the object to be selected by the pointer;

generating an operation selection area corresponding to selection of predetermined operation for the object to be selected in the display section based on the match detection information; and

selecting and activating an operation for the object to be selected corresponding to the operation selection area when the operation selection determination section determines that the pointer passes through the operation selection area based on the pointer position information and operation selection area position information indicating the generation position of the operation selection area.

18. A program for operating an input control device applied to an apparatus for specifying a predetermined position in a display section according to a pointer, the program for causing the input control device to execute:

generating pointer position information indicating a display position of the pointer in the display section based on operation information from an operation input section of the apparatus;

generating match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on an object to be selected based on the pointer position information and object-to-be-selected position information indicating the display position of the object to be selected by the pointer;

generating an operation selection area corresponding to selection of predetermined operation for the object to be selected in the display section based on the match detection information; and

selecting and activating an operation for the object to be selected corresponding to the operation selection area when the operation selection determination section determines that the pointer passes through the operation selection area based on the pointer position information and operation selection area position information indicating the generation position of the operation selection area.