Information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing system and information processing program

• US 20100127989A1
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Koshiyama, Atsushi, Oba, Haruo
• Granted Patent: US 8,115,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• 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 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a key operation section that has one or more operation keys arranged planarly, and outputs a key operation output corresponding to an operation of an operation key; a sensor that outputs a detection output corresponding to a distance of a detection target, spatially separated from a layout surface of the operation key, from the layout surface; a detection section that detects the distance of the detection target from the layout surface from the detection output from the sensor; and a control section that validates only the key operation output corresponding to the operation of the operation key and invalidates the detection output of the sensor when the detected distance is less than a predetermined distance, and executes a control function according to the distance detected by the detection section when the detected distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a key operation section that has one or more operation keys arranged planarly, and outputs a key operation output corresponding to an operation of an operation key;

a sensor that outputs a detection output corresponding to a distance of a detection target, spatially separated from a layout surface of the operation key of the key operation section, from the layout surface;

a detection section that detects the distance of the detection target from the layout surface from the detection output from the sensor; and

a control section that validates only the key operation output corresponding to the operation of the operation key and invalidates the detection output of the sensor when the distance detected by the detection section is less than a predetermined distance, and executes a control function according to the distance detected by the detection section when the detected distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor has a plurality of electrodes, and detects a distance between a plane containing the plurality of electrodes and the detection target spatially separated from the plane from a capacitance corresponding to the distance.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined distance is set to a value which invalidates a detection output from the sensor corresponding to a position of a hand of a user which is the detection target when the user performs an input operation with the operation key of the key operation section.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

a storage section that stores information on boundary values of a plurality of layers to which different functions are respectively assigned, and which are set according to different distances equal to or greater than the predetermined distance; and

a determination section that determines in which one of the plurality of layers the detection target is positioned, from the boundary values of the plurality of layers in the storage section and the distance detected by the detection section,

wherein the control section executes a process about the function assigned to that layer where the detection target is positioned, based on a determination result from the determination section.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor has a plurality of electrodes, and the detection output corresponding to a distance between a plane containing the plurality of electrodes and the detection target spatially separated from the plane is generated from capacitances of the plurality of electrodes corresponding to the distance.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor is capable of outputting a detection output according to a position of the detection target in a direction intersecting a direction of the distance,

the detection section detects the position of the detection target in the direction intersecting the direction of the distance from the detection output from the sensor, and

the control section performs a process for the control function based on the position of the detection target detected by the detection section.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sensor is capable of outputting a detection output according to a position of the detection target in the determined layer which intersects a direction of the distance,

the detection section detects the position of the detection target in the direction intersecting the direction of the distance from the detection output from the sensor, and

the control section detects a predetermined specific moving locus of the detection target in the determined layer as a decision input in controlling the function, based on the position of the detection target detected by the detection section.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control section detects a key operation output of a predetermined key operation on the key operation section as a decision input in the control function according to the distance detected by the detection section.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the distance detected by the detection section is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, the control section performs the control function according to the distance detected by the detection section, and detects a key operation output from the key operation section as related input to the control function.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor is provided between the key operation section and a wiring board which detects an operation of the operation key, thereby providing a single operation input section.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is a personal computer.

12. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus including a key operation section which has one or more operation keys arranged planarly, and outputs a key operation output corresponding to an operation of an operation key, a sensor, a detection section and a control section, the method comprising the steps of:

outputting by the sensor a detection output corresponding to a distance of a detection target, spatially separated from a layout surface of the operation key of the key operation section, from the layout surface;

detecting by the detecting section the distance of the detection target from the layout surface from the detection output from the sensor; and

controlling by the control section to validate only the key operation output corresponding to the operation of the operation key and invalidate the detection output of the sensor when the distance detected in the detection step is less than a predetermined distance, and execute a control function according to the distance detected by the detection section when the detected distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance.

13. An information processing system comprising:

an operation input device; and

an information processing apparatus which receives an output signal therefrom,

the operation input apparatus having

a key operation section that has one or more operation keys arranged planarly, and outputs a key operation output corresponding to an operation of an operation key; and

a sensor that outputs a detection output corresponding to a distance of a detection target, spatially separated from a layout surface of the operation key of the key operation section, from the layout surface,

the information processing apparatus having

a detection section that detects the distance of the detection target from the layout surface from the detection output from the sensor; and

a control section that validates only the key operation output corresponding to the operation of the operation key and invalidates the detection output of the sensor when the distance detected by the detection section is less than a predetermined distance, and executes a control function according to the distance detected by the detection section when the detected distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance.

14. An information processing program for allowing a computer included in an information processing apparatus which receives a detection output from an operation input section having a key operation section that has one or more operation keys arranged planarly, and outputs a key operation output corresponding to an operation of an operation key, and a sensor that outputs a detection output corresponding to a distance of a detection target, spatially separated from a layout surface of the operation key of the key operation section, from the layout surface to function as:

a detection section that detects the distance of the detection target from the layout surface from the detection output from the sensor; and

a control section that validates only the key operation output corresponding to the operation of the operation key and invalidates the detection output of the sensor when the distance detected by the detection section is less than a predetermined distance, and executes a control function according to the distance detected by the detection section when the detected distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance.