INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM

• US 20100182231A1
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Naoaki, MORIMIYA, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,698,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a sensor portion, a judgment portion, and an output portion. The sensor portion detects three-dimensional coordinates designated by a spatially-apart detection target object. The judgment portion determines an area designated in advance, that includes the three-dimensional coordinates detected by the sensor portion. The output portion outputs, based on a result of the judgment by the judgment portion, audio corresponding to audio information from a position corresponding to at least two-dimensional coordinates out of the three-dimensional coordinates.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a sensor means for detecting three-dimensional coordinates designated by a spatially-apart detection target object;

a judgment means for judging an area designated in advance, that includes the three-dimensional coordinates detected by the sensor means; and

an output means for outputting, based on a result of the judgment by the judgment means, audio corresponding to audio information from a position corresponding to at least two-dimensional coordinates out of the three-dimensional coordinates.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the output means is capable of outputting, based on the result of the judgment by the judgment means, the audio corresponding to the audio information from a position corresponding to the three-dimensional coordinates.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the sensor means is capable of detecting the three-dimensional coordinates designated by a hand of a user as the detection target object,

the information processing apparatus further comprising

an estimation means for estimating a position of the user based on the three-dimensional coordinates detected by the sensor means,

wherein the output means outputs the audio corresponding to the audio information from a position corresponding to the position of the user estimated by the estimation means.

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

a storage means for storing the audio information for each of a plurality of layers set in accordance with a distance from a sensor surface of the sensor means,

wherein the output means judges, based on the result of the judgment by the judgment means, a layer to which the three-dimensional coordinates detected by the sensor means belong and outputs the audio information that is stored by the storage means and corresponds to the judged layer.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the output means specifies, based on the result of the judgment by the judgment means, a layer that the detection target object has passed and a layer that the detection target object has reached, and mixedly outputs stored audio information corresponding to the layer that the detection target object has passed and stored audio information corresponding to the layer that the detection target object has reached.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the storage means stores the audio information for each area set in each of the plurality of layers,

wherein the output means specifies, based on the result of the judgment by the judgment means, an area of the layer that the detection target object has passed and an area of the layer that the detection target object has reached, and mixedly outputs stored audio information corresponding to the area of the layer that the detection target object has passed and stored audio information corresponding to the area of the layer that the detection target object has reached.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising

a coordinate adjustment means for adjusting the three-dimensional coordinates as a detection output within a predetermined time range based on a predetermined function using a current detection output and a previous detection output from the sensor means,

wherein the output means changes audio information to be used based on the three-dimensional coordinates adjusted by the coordinate adjustment means.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an image display means; and

an effect impartment means for imparting, when the result of the judgment by the judgment means indicates that the three-dimensional coordinates are included in the area designated in advance, a predetermined effect to a video signal supplied to the image display means in accordance with a predetermined physics model using the three-dimensional coordinates.

9. An information processing method, comprising the steps of:

detecting, by a sensor means, three-dimensional coordinates designated by a spatially-apart detection target object;

judging, by a judgment means, an area designated in advance, that includes the three-dimensional coordinates detected in the detection step; and

outputting, by an output means, based on a result of the judgment in the judgment step, audio corresponding to audio information from a position corresponding to at least two-dimensional coordinates out of the three-dimensional coordinates.

10. An information processing program causing a computer mounted on an information processing apparatus to execute the steps of:

detecting, by a sensor means, three-dimensional coordinates designated by a spatially-apart detection target object;

judging, by a judgment means, an area designated in advance, that includes the three-dimensional coordinates detected in the detection step; and

outputting, by an output means, based on a result of the judgment in the judgment step, audio corresponding to audio information from a position corresponding to at least two-dimensional coordinates out of the three-dimensional coordinates.

11. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a sensor portion to detect three-dimensional coordinates designated by a spatially-apart detection target object;

a judgment portion to determine an area designated in advance, that includes the three-dimensional coordinates detected by the sensor portion; and

an output portion to output, based on a result of the judgment by the judgment portion, audio corresponding to audio information from a position corresponding to at least two-dimensional coordinates out of the three-dimensional coordinates.