DISPLAY CONTROL APPARATUS, DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20100295806A1
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Homma, Fuminori, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Application Number:
  US12/779,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20100295806A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A display control apparatus is provided including a detection unit for detecting contact of an operation tool with a display surface of the display unit, a contact determination unit for determining contact state of the operation tool with the display surface based on a detection result, a contact mark display processing unit for displaying on the display unit a contact mark indicating a form of a contact area of the operation tool when the operation tool is determined to be in contact with the display surface, and a screen display processing unit for causing an object, the contact mark, and the pointer displayed in a predetermined display area to be displayed near the contact area of the operation tool when a predetermined state to start a change of display of the display unit is detected in the state in which the operation tool is in contact with the display surface.

Claims

1. A display control apparatus comprising:

a detection unit for detecting contact of an operation tool, with which a pointer indicating an input position of information is manipulated on a display unit, with a display surface of the display unit;

a contact determination unit for determining contact state of the operation tool with the display surface based on a detection result by the detection unit;

a contact mark display processing unit for displaying on the display unit a contact mark indicating a form of a contact area where the operation tool is in contact with the display surface, in the case where it is determined by the contact determination unit that the operation tool is in contact with the display surface; and

a screen display processing unit for causing an object, the contact mark, and the pointer displayed in a predetermined display area including at least the contact area to be displayed near the contact area of the operation tool, in the case where a predetermined state to start a change of display of the display unit is detected in the state in which the operation tool is in contact with the display surface,

wherein the contact mark display processing unit changes the form of the contact mark displayed on the display unit according to a change of the contact area where the operation tool touches the display surface.

2. The display control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the screen display processing unit detects, as the predetermined state, that the object is displayed in the contact area.

3. The display control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the screen display processing unit detects, as the predetermined state, that the operation tool is in contact with the display surface for more than a predetermined time.

4. The display control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the screen display processing unit scrolls the object, the contact mark, and the pointer displayed on the display unit by only a predetermined distance in the case where the predetermined state is detected.

5. The display control apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the screen display processing unit scrolls up the object, the contact mark, and the pointer displayed on the display unit to a position where the contact mark and the pointer are not overlapped.

6. The display control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the screen display processing unit enlarges and displays near the contact area the object, the contact mark, and the pointer displayed in the predetermined display area on the display unit in the case where the predetermined state is detected.

7. The display control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the contact mark display processing unit determines a position of the center of gravity of the contact mark corresponding to the center of gravity of the contact area of the operation tool, and

wherein the screen display processing unit displays the pointer at the closest position to the position of the center of gravity of the contact mark.

8. The display control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when it is determined by the contact determination unit that the operation tool is released from the display surface,

the contact mark display processing unit hides the contact mark which has been displayed on the display unit, and

the screen display processing unit restores the display which has been changed based on the predetermined state.

9. A display control method comprising the steps of:

detecting contact of an operation tool, with which a pointer indicating an input position of information is manipulated on a display unit, with a display surface of the display unit;

determining contact state of the operation tool with the display surface based on a detection result;

displaying on the display unit a contact mark indicating a form of a contact area where the operation tool is in contact with the display surface, in the case where it is determined that the operation tool is in contact with the display surface;

causing an object, the contact mark, and the pointer displayed in a predetermined display area including at least the contact area to be displayed near the contact area of the operation tool, in the case where a predetermined state to start a change of display of the display unit is detected in the state in which the operation tool is in contact with the display surface; and

changing the form of the contact mark displayed on the display unit according to a change of the contact area where the operation tool touches the display surface.

10. A computer program for causing a computer to function as a display control apparatus, comprising:

a contact determination means for determining contact state of an operation tool with a display surface based on a detection result by a detection unit which detects contact of the operation tool, with which a pointer indicating an input position of information is manipulated on a display unit, with the display surface of the display unit;

a contact mark display processing means for displaying on the display unit a contact mark indicating a form of a contact area where the operation tool is in contact with the display surface, in the case where it is determined by the contact determination means that the operation tool is in contact with the display surface; and

a screen display processing means for causing an object, the contact mark, and the pointer displayed in a predetermined display area including at least the contact area to be displayed near the contact area of the operation tool, in the case where a predetermined state to start a change of display of the display unit is detected in the state in which the operation tool is in contact with the display surface,

wherein the contact mark display processing means changes the form of the contact mark displayed on the display unit according to a change of the contact area where the operation tool touches the display surface.