INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20100037135A1
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takaoka, Ryo, Ozawa, Hiroyuki, Akagawa, Satoshi, IWASE, Ayako
• Application Number:
  US12/511,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20100037135A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 includes: touch screen means including a touch panel and a panel; and display control means for performing display control of displaying a symbol representing a first function in a first area of the touch screen means when the touch screen means detects that the first area is touched, whereas displaying a symbol representing a second function in a second area of the touch screen means when the touch screen means detects that the second area is touched with the first area remaining being touched.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

touch screen means including a touch panel and a panel; and

display control means for performing display control of displaying a symbol representing a first function in a first area of the touch screen means when the touch screen means detects that the first area is touched, whereas displaying a symbol representing a second function in a second area of the touch screen means when the touch screen means detects that the second area is touched with the first area remaining being touched.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display area of the touch screen means is divided into an upper right area, an upper left area, a lower right area, and a lower left area, and

the lower right area is the first area and the lower left area is the second area.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display control means performs the display control of displaying the symbol representing the first or second function when the first or second area remains being touched at least for a predetermined period.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display control means further performs the display control of deleting the displayed symbol representing the first function when a first deleting condition is satisfied, whereas deleting the displayed symbol representing the second function when a second deleting condition is satisfied.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the second deleting condition includes a condition that the symbol representing the first function is deleted.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first function is a set of a plurality of functions and the symbol representing the first function includes first function cards for the respective plurality of functions, each of the first function cards being an object mimicking a card representing a predetermined function, and

the second function is a set of a plurality of functions and the symbol representing the second function includes second function cards for the respective plurality of functions, each of the second function cards being an object mimicking a card representing a predetermined function.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6,

further comprising function setting means,

wherein when a card used to carry out a function setting operation is selected on the touch screen means from the plurality of first function cards and the plurality of second function cards and then a setting operation instructing the touch screen means to set a function identified by the card, the function setting means set the function, and

the display control means further performs the display control, when the setting operation is performed, of displaying an image in which the selected card is turned over on the touch screen means.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the setting operation is a finger'"'"'s single tapping operation performed on the selected card or an operation of narrowing the distance between two fingers that touch the selected card.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7,

further comprising touch panel means disposed on the opposite surface of the information processing apparatus to the surface on which the touch screen means is disposed,

wherein the setting operation is a finger'"'"'s single tapping operation performed on the touch panel means.

10. An information processing method used with an information processing apparatus including a touch screen formed of a touch panel and a panel, the method comprising the step of:

displaying a symbol representing a first function in a first area of the touch screen when the touch screen detects that the first area is touched, whereas displaying a symbol representing a second function in a second area of the touch screen when the touch screen detects that the second area is touched with the first area remaining being touched.

11. A program causing a computer controlling an information processing apparatus including a touch screen formed of a touch panel and a panel to carry out a control process including the step of:

displaying a symbol representing a first function of the information processing apparatus in a first area of the touch screen when the touch screen detects that the first area is touched, whereas displaying a symbol representing a second function of the information processing apparatus in a second area of the touch screen when the touch screen detects that the second area is touched with the first area remaining being touched.

12. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a touch screen unit including a touch panel and a panel; and

a display control unit configured to perform display control of displaying a symbol representing a first function in a first area of the touch screen unit when the touch screen unit detects that the first area is touched, whereas displaying a symbol representing a second function in a second area of the touch screen unit when the touch screen unit detects that the second area is touched with the first area remaining being touched.