INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, DISPLAY METHOD, AND DISPLAY PROGRAM

• US 20110018827A1
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takaoka, Ryo, Terayama, Akiko, Wang, Qihong, Kasahara, Shunichi, Arai, Koji, Akagawa, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,001,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a position detecting section that detects a touch position of a pointing object on a display screen of a display section, a region detecting section that detects a region on the display screen which is hidden by the pointing object, and a control section that displays information associated with the touch position outside the region detected by the region detecting section, when the touch position is detected by the position detecting section.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a position detecting section that detects a touch position of a pointing object on a display screen of a display section;

a region detecting section that detects a region on the display screen which is hidden by the pointing object; and

a control section that displays information associated with the touch position outside the region detected by the region detecting section, when the touch position is detected by the position detecting section.

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

a determining section that determines whether the pointing object is a right hand of a user or an object operated with the right hand, or is a left hand of the user or an object operated with the left hand, on the basis of a tilt of the region detected by the region detecting section with respect to the display screen,

wherein the control section changes information to be displayed, in accordance with a result of determination by the determining section.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

a usage frequency is set for each piece of the information; and

the control section displays information with a higher usage frequency if it is determined by the determining section that the pointing object is a dominant hand of the user which is set in advance or an object operated with the dominant hand.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the touch position is moved while keeping the pointing object touching the display screen after displaying the information, the control section moves a display position of the information in accordance with movement of the touch position in such a way that its relative position with respect to the touch position does not change, and if it is determined that the moved display position of the information lies outside the display screen, the control section moves the display position of the information to a position inside the display screen and outside the region.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of pieces of information are associated with the touch position; and

the control section determines placement of the plurality of pieces of information on the display screen on the basis of a priority set for each of the plurality of pieces of information.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the region detecting section detects at least one of a region on the display screen which is in contact with the pointing object and a region on the display screen which is in proximity to the pointing object, as the region on the display screen which is hidden by the pointing object.

7. A display method comprising the steps of:

detecting a touch position of a pointing object on a display screen of a display section, by a position detecting section of an information processing apparatus;

detecting a region on the display screen which is hidden by the pointing object, by a region detecting section of the information processing apparatus; and

displaying information associated with the touch position outside the detected region when the touch position is detected, by a control section of the information processing apparatus.

8. A display program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute the steps of:

detecting a touch position of a pointing object on a display screen of a display section, by a position detecting section of the information processing apparatus;

detecting a region on the display screen which is hidden by the pointing object, by a region detecting section of the information processing apparatus; and

displaying information associated with the touch position outside the detected region when the touch position is detected, by a control section of the information processing apparatus.