INFORMATION PROCESSING UNIT

• US 20090315867A1
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: SAKAMOTO, Naoko, HIROSE, Ryuichirou, OHASHI, Kazuya, UCHIYAMA, Katsuyoshi, MIYAGATA, Haruka
• Application Number:
  US12/487,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315867A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An information processing unit of the present invention includes a display control unit that causes an icon display area, in which a plurality of icons related to each other are grouped, to be displayed and an operation unit that receives various operations by a user. When the operation unit inputs a command for expanding or contracting the icon display area in a one-dimensional direction which is the same as an arrangement direction of the plurality of the icons in the icon display area, the display control unit causes the icon display area to be expanded or contracted in the one-dimensional direction. With such a configuration, the operability can be enhanced by shortening a time for searching for a desired icon.

Claims

1. An information processing unit that displays icons selected when predetermined processing is designated on a screen of a display unit, comprising:

a display control unit that causes an icon display area, in which a plurality of the icons related to each other are grouped, to be displayed and

an operation unit that receives various operations by a user,

wherein, when the operation unit inputs a command for expanding or contracting the icon display area in a one-dimensional direction which is the same as an arrangement direction of the plurality of the icons in the icon display area, the display control unit causes the icon display area to be expanded or contracted in the one-dimensional direction.

2. The information processing unit according to claim 1, comprising a second housing provided with the display unit and a first housing via a rotation shaft that opens or closes the second housing rotatably,

wherein the operation unit is placed in a vicinity of the rotation shaft in the first housing.

3. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit receives respective operations at positions corresponding to the plurality of the icons displayed in the icon display area.

4. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit includes a designation portion, which designates a display or a non-display of the icon display area on the screen, in at least one end portion of the arrangement direction of the plurality of the icons.

5. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein, when one of the grouped plurality of the icons is selected, the display control unit causes the plurality of the icons related to the one icon to be expanded and displayed adjacent to the one icon in the icon display area.

6. The information processing unit according to claim 5, comprising the grouped plurality of the icons in plural kinds, wherein the display control unit selects and displays a group to be displayed in the icon display area.

7. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the icons are a profile switching unit that specifies an operation environment in which the user operates the operation unit and displays a profile in accordance with the operation environment on the display unit.

8. The information processing unit according to claim 1, further comprising a second housing provided with a display device that displays a visual signal, a first housing provided with a signal input portion for inputting a signal to be displayed on the display device, and a rotation shaft that axially supports the second housing with respect to the first housing so as to open or close the second housing freely,

wherein the profile switching unit is a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of the profiles, and in a vicinity of the rotation shaft in the display device, the information processing unit includes an icon display area that displays the plurality of the icons in a row, and a contact operation portion that corresponds to positions of the plurality of the icons displayed on the icon display area and is placed between the single input portion in the second housing and the rotation shaft.

9. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the icons have a hierarchical structure.

10. The information processing unit according to claim 9, wherein, when the plurality of the icons have a hierarchical structure, the display control unit causes a predetermined mark to be displayed on an icon in an upper layer.

11. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein, when only a part of the plurality of the icons is capable of being displayed, the display control unit enables the icon display area to be displayed by scrolling.

12. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein, when the icon display area is contracted, the display control unit causes sizes of the icons displayed in the icon display area to be reduced.

13. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit causes variable setting information to be displayed on the icons.

14. The information processing unit according to claim 13, wherein the display control unit causes icons capable of changing setting contents of the setting information to be displayed.

15. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein, when the operation unit operates an arbitrary icon, the display control unit causes another icon related to the operated icon to be displayed.

16. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein, when arbitrary application software is operated so as to be activated by the operation unit, the display control unit causes an icon related to the application software to be displayed.

17. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the icons displayed in the icon display area are capable of being changed arbitrarily.

18. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein, when the operation unit operates an arbitrary icon continuously for a predetermined period of time, the display control unit causes the arbitrary icon to be capable of being dragged onto another icon.

19. The information processing unit according to claim 2, wherein the icon display area is displayed on a second display unit independent from the display unit, and the second display unit is placed so as to overlap the operation unit.