IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND IMAGE DISPLAY PROGRAM

• US 20100123734A1
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Akagawa, Satoshi, Furue, Nobuki, Iwase, Ayako, OZAWA, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,063,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/346 for systems having a bit-mapped display memory

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes an image display device, a pointed-position detecting section configured to accept a pointing operation from a user via an operating surface provided on a display screen of the image display device, and detect and output a position pointed by the pointing operation, a storing section configured to store image data, and a display control section configured to display on the image display device an image according to the image data. When the pointing operation is made on the operating surface by the user, the display control section starts an image display process on the image display device in a manner according to the pointing operation which is determined on the basis of a detection output from the pointed-position detecting section, and continues the display process when pointing on the operating surface continues successively from the pointing operation on the operating surface.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image display device;

pointed-position detecting means for accepting a pointing operation from a user via an operating surface provided on a display screen of the image display device, and detecting and outputting a position pointed by the pointing operation on the operating surface;

storing means for storing image data; and

display control means for displaying on the image display device an image according to the image data stored by the storing means,

wherein when the pointing operation is made on the operating surface by the user, the display control means starts a display process of an image on the image display device in a manner according to the pointing operation made by the user which is determined on the basis of a detection output from the pointed-position detecting means, and continues the display process when pointing on the operating surface continues successively from the pointing operation on the operating surface.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the display process performed in a manner according to an operation is one of a scrolling process of a display image, an enlarged display process of the display image, a reduced display process of the display image, a fast-forward playback process of a moving image, and a fast-reverse playback process of the moving image.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

measuring means for measuring, when the pointing operation is made on the operating surface by the user, a duration of pointing according to the pointing operation on the operating surface,

wherein the display control means changes display modes when the duration of pointing according to the pointing operation measured by the measuring means exceeds a predetermined threshold.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

one of the display modes is a display mode in which, when the display process that is being performed is a scrolling process of a display image, the scrolling process is performed after displaying a plurality of reduced images on the display screen.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

one of the display modes is a display mode in which, when the display process that is being performed is a scrolling process of a display image, the scrolling process is performed after displaying information related to a date related to the display image, a plurality of reduced images, and information related to an attribute of the display image, in different display areas.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the pointing operation made on the operating surface of the pointed-position detecting means is a tracing operation or a pinch operation;

the image processing apparatus further comprises

distance detecting means for detecting a distance of the tracing operation or the pinch operation on the basis of a detection output from the pointed-position detecting means,

time provision means for providing time information, and

speed detecting means for detecting a speed of the tracing operation or the pinch operation on the basis of the detection output from the pointed-position detecting means, and the time information from the time provision means; and

the display control means controls a manner of display of an image by the display process on the basis of one or both of the distance of the tracing operation or the pinch operation which is detected by the distance detecting means, and the speed of the tracing operation or the pinch operation which is detected by the speed detecting means.

7. An image display method comprising the steps of:

accepting a pointing operation from a user via pointed-position detecting means, the pointed-position detecting means being configured to have an operating surface provided on a display screen of an image display device, accept the pointing operation from the user, and detect and output a position pointed by the pointing operation on the operating surface; and

display control means starting a display process of an image on the image display device when the pointing operation is made on the operating surface by the user in the accepting step, in a manner according to the pointing operation made by the user which is determined on the basis of a detection output from the pointed-position detecting means, and continuing the display process when pointing on the operating surface continues successively from the pointing operation on the operating surface, the display control means being configured to display on the image display device an image according to image data stored by storing means.

8. An image display program for causing a computer incorporated in an imaging processing apparatus to execute the steps of:

accepting a pointing operation from a user via pointed-position detecting means, the pointed-position detecting means being configured to have an operating surface provided on a display screen of an image display device, accept the pointing operation from the user, and detect and output a position pointed by the pointing operation on the operating surface; and

display control means starting a display process of an image on the image display device when the pointing operation is made on the operating surface by the user in the accepting step, in a manner according to the pointing operation made by the user which is determined on the basis of a detection output from the pointed-position detecting means, and continuing the display process when pointing on the operating surface continues successively from the pointing operation on the operating surface, the display control means being configured to display on the image display device an image according to image data stored by storing means.

9. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image display device;

a pointed-position detecting section configured to accept a pointing operation from a user via an operating surface provided on a display screen of the image display device, and detect and output a position pointed by the pointing operation on the operating surface;

a storing section configured to store image data; and

a display control section configured to display on the image display device an image according to the image data stored by the storing section,

wherein when the pointing operation is made on the operating surface by the user, the display control section starts a display process of an image on the image display device in a manner according to the pointing operation made by the user which is determined on the basis of a detection output from the pointed-position detecting section, and continues the display process when pointing on the operating surface continues successively from the pointing operation on the operating surface.