Information Processing Apparatus, Information Processing Method and Computer Program

• US 20100066695A1
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: MIYAZAKI, Reiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,471,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• 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 3/04886 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 according to the present invention comprises a display unit for displaying thereon a plurality of input regions operated by an operating body, a detection unit for detecting an approach distance between the operating body and a surface of the display unit, and a region control unit for, when the operating body approaches one of the input regions within a predetermined distance, enlarging the input region which the operating body approaches, and moving at least one of the input regions such that the adjacent input regions do not overlap each other. The input region is enlarged and an overlap between the input regions is avoided so that a user can easily select a desired input region, thereby preventing erroneous selection of other input region.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display unit for displaying thereon a plurality of input regions operated by an operating body;

a detection unit for detecting an approach distance between the operating body and a surface of the display unit; and

a region control unit for enlarging the input region which the operating body approaches and moving at least one of the input regions such that the adjacent input regions do not overlap each other when the operating body approaches one of the input regions within a predetermined distance.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the region control unit comprises:

a size decision unit for deciding a size of the input region after being changed depending on the approach distance of the operating body; and

an ideal position calculation unit for calculating an ideal position where the adjacent input regions having a changed size do not overlap each other.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ideal position calculation unit comprises:

an overlap avoidance region decision unit for deciding an overlap avoidance region for avoiding an overlap with the other input regions in the input region having a changed size;

a pair decision unit for deciding a pair of the adjacent input regions;

an ideal relative position decision unit for deciding an ideal relative position where the corresponding overlap avoidance regions do not overlap each other for the pair of input regions; and

an ideal position decision unit for minimizing a difference between a present relative position of the corresponding overlap avoidance region and the ideal relative position and calculating the ideal position.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the ideal relative position decision unit, when a present position of the overlap avoidance region corresponding to the paired input region does not overlap, assumes the present position of the overlap avoidance region as the ideal relative position, and

when the present position of the overlap avoidance region corresponding to the paired input region overlaps, assumes the position to which one of the overlap avoidance regions is moved in a reference line direction connecting the centers of the overlap avoidance regions so as not to overlap the other overlap avoidance region as the ideal relative position.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the size decision unit optimizes an enlargement factor of the input regions such that all the input regions are within a predetermined range.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a prediction unit for predicting input information to be input by a user,

wherein the region control unit changes a display of the input region based on predictive input information as the input information predicted by the prediction unit.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the prediction unit analyzes already-input information already input from the input regions and predicts the input region to be operated next for inputting the predictive input information as a subsequently-operated region, and

the region control unit changes a display of the predicted subsequently-operated region.

8. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of input regions operated by an operating body on a display unit;

detecting an approach distance between the operating body and a surface of the display unit; and

enlarging the input region which the operating body approaches and moving at least one of the input regions such that the adjacent input regions do not overlap each other when the operating body approaches one of the input regions within a predetermined distance.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein the step of moving at least one of the input regions comprises the steps of:

deciding a size of the input region changed depending on the approach distance of the operating body; and

calculating an ideal position where the adjacent input regions having a changed size do not overlap each other.

10. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the step of calculating an ideal position comprises the steps of:

deciding an overlap avoidance region where an overlap with the other input region is avoided for the changed size of the input region;

deciding a pair of the adjacent input regions;

deciding an ideal relative position where the corresponding overlap avoidance regions do not overlap each other for the pair of input regions; and

minimizing a difference between a present relative position of the corresponding overlap avoidance region and the ideal relative position and calculating the ideal position.

11. The information processing method according to claim 10, wherein the step of deciding an ideal relative position,

when a present position of the overlap avoidance region corresponding to the paired input region does not overlap, assumes the present position of the overlap avoidance region as the ideal relative position, and

when the present position of the overlap avoidance region corresponding to the paired input region overlaps, assumes the position to which one of the overlap avoidance regions is moved in a reference line direction connecting the centers of the overlap avoidance regions so as not to overlap the other overlap avoidance region as the ideal relative position.

12. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the step of deciding a changed size of the input region optimizes an enlargement factor of the input regions such that all the input regions are within a predetermined range.

13. The information processing method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of predicting input information to be input by a user,

wherein the region control step changes a display of the input region based on predictive input information as the predicted input information.

14. The information processing method according to claim 13, wherein the predicting step analyzes already-input information already input from the input regions and predicts the input region to be operated next for inputting the predictive input information as a subsequently-operated region, and

the step of moving at least one of the input regions changes a display of the predicted subsequently-operated region.

15. A computer program for causing a computer to function as:

display means for displaying a plurality of input regions operated by an operating body on a display unit;

detection means for detecting an approach distance between the operating body and a surface of the display unit; and

region control means for enlarging the input region which the operating body approaches and moving at least one of the input regions such that the adjacent input regions do not overlap each other when the operating body approaches one of the input regions within a predetermined distance.