Information processing system and information processing method

• US 20100127970A1
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oba, Haruo, Koshiyama, Atsushi
• Application Number:
  US12/589,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20100127970A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An information processing system includes: a sensor unit that detects the three-dimensional position of an object according to variations of electrostatic capacitances; and a control unit that performs display dependent on the detected three-dimensional position at a position on a display unit determined with positions in directions orthogonal to a direction of separation in which the object and the sensor unit are located at a distance from each other.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a sensor unit that detects the three-dimensional position of an object according to variations of electrostatic capacitances; and

a control unit that performs display dependent on the detected three-dimensional position at a position on a display unit determined with positions in directions orthogonal to a direction of separation in which the object and the sensor unit are located at a distance from each other.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes a plurality of electrodes, and each of the electrodes outputs a signal based on an electrostatic capacitance dependent on the distance from the spatially separated object.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit has a flat plate, and the sensor unit is attached to the flat plate.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the display unit is formed with a flat panel mounted on the surface of the flat plate.

5. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor unit is attached to the front surface of the flat plate or the rear surface thereof, and detect the three-dimensional position of the object on the side of either the front surface of the flat plate or the rear surface thereof.

6. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein

based on the three-dimensional position of the object on the side of one of the front surface of the flat plate and the rear surface thereof, the display position on the display unit determined with the three-dimensional position is controlled;

and

based on the three-dimensional position of the object on the side of the other one of the front surface of the flat plate and the rear surface thereof, the display dependent on the three-dimensional position is controlled.

7. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein an entity including the flat plate is a table.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the display dependent on the detected three-dimensional position according to a position in the direction of separation in which the object and the sensor unit are located at a distance from each other.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the display dependent on the three-dimensional position of the object according to the positions in the directions that are orthogonal to the direction of separation in which the object and the sensor unit are located at a distance from each other, and that are components of the three-dimensional position of the object detected by the sensor unit.

10. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the display according to a motion made in one of the directions orthogonal to the direction of separation in which the object is located at a distance.

11. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit simultaneously detects the three-dimensional positions of a plurality of objects.

12. An information processing method to be implemented in an information processing system, comprising the steps of:

detecting the three-dimensional position of an object according to variations of electrostatic capacitances in a sensor unit; and

performing display dependent on the detected three-dimensional position at a position on a display unit determined with positions in directions orthogonal to a direction of separation in which the object and the sensor unit are located at a distance from each other.