INFORMATION-PROCESSING APPARATUS AND PROGRAMS USED IN INFORMATION-PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20110050616A1
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Takanori, Tamai, Hiroki, Sato, Takashi, Wang, Jian
• Granted Patent: US 9,342,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

Abstract

An information-processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention allows the user to select one of a plurality of input operation modes of the absolute coordinate input unit. One of the input operation modes is a specific mode allowing a display range to be moved to a desired position in a state where the highest resolution of a display unit integrated with the absolute coordinate input unit is lower than the resolution of an entire screen. The information-processing apparatus has a configuration in which, when an operation face of the absolute coordinate input unit is touched to carry out a drag operation in this specific mode, the distance of a movement made in the drag operation is detected, and the position of the display range is then changed by moving the display range by the detected distance.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display having a surface;

an input unit configured to receive input information based on a user operation of said surface of said display; and

a controller configured to determine a current display state each time an operation mode is changed by a user, the current display state being either a panning state where an image is partially displayed on the display due to a resolution of the image being greater than a resolution of the display or a non-panning state where an image is entirely displayed on the display, the operation mode selected from at least a first mode, a second mode, or a third mode, said controller configured to change the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode when a determination result indicates that the current display state is the non-panning state, said controller configured to detect a movement of a user operation based on the received input information and to move an area where the displaying information is displayed based on the detected movement in the second mode, and said controller configured to change the operation mode from the first mode to the third mode when the determination result indicates that the current display state is the panning state.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to change the operation mode based on a user operation on a predetermined area of said surface of said display.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to change the operation mode in a cyclic manner.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when a first element is displayed in the first mode and the operation mode is changed from the first mode to the second mode, the first element is changed to a second element.

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

an operation unit arranged outside of said display, wherein controller is configured to change the operation mode based on an operation of said operation unit.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said operation unit is a mechanical button.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a cursor is displayed as a first image in the first mode and as a second image in the second mode, the first image being different than the second image.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to change the operation mode in a cyclic manner each time a user operates a single input element such that at least three operation modes are cycled through.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display having a surface, said display having a maximum resolution;

an input unit configured to receive input information based on a user operation of said surface of said display; and

a controller configured to control said display, said controller configured to change an operation mode to a mode selected from at least a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode, the controller is configured to change the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode based on a predetermined user operation when the maximum resolution of said display is lower than a resolution of information currently displayed in the first mode, the controller is configured to move an area where the information is displayed based on the received input information when the information is displayed on a part of said display in the second mode, and the controller is configured to change the operation mode from the second mode to the third mode when the resolution of information to be displayed is changed, the maximum resolution of said display being higher than or equal to the changed resolution of information to be displayed.

8. An information processing method comprising:

receiving input information from a user operation of a surface of a display;

determining a current display state each time an operation mode is changed by a user, the current display state being either a panning state where an image is partially displayed on the display due to a resolution of the image being greater than a resolution of the display or a non-panning state where an image is entirely displayed on the display, the operation mode selected from at least a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode;

changing the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode when a determination result indicates that the current display state is the non-panning state;

detecting a movement of a user operation based on the received input information;

moving an area where the displaying information is displayed based on the detected movement in the second mode; and

changing the operation mode from the first mode to the third mode when the determination result indicates that the current display state is the non-panning state.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8, further comprising:

changing the operation mode based on a user operation on a predetermined area of said surface of said display.

10. The information processing method according to claim 9, further comprising:

changing the operation mode in a cyclic manner.

11. The information processing method according to claim 9, further comprising:

changing a first element to a second element when a first element is displayed in the first mode and the operation mode is changed from the first mode to the second mode.

12. The information processing method according to claim 9, further comprising:

changing the operation mode based on an operation of said operation unit arranged outside of said display.

13. The information processing method according to claim 12, wherein said operation unit is a single mechanical button.

14. An information processing method comprising:

receiving input information based on a user operation to a surface of a display having a maximum resolution;

changing an operation mode to a mode including at least a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode;

changing the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode based on a predetermined user operation when the maximum resolution of said display is lower than a resolution of information currently displayed in the first mode;

moving an area where the information is displayed based on the received input information when the information is displayed on a part of said display in the second mode;

changing the operation mode from the second mode to the third mode when the resolution of information to be displayed is changed, the maximum resolution of said display being higher than or equal to the changed resolution of information to be displayed.

17. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an input detection unit configured to detect a touch operation performed on a display by a user; and

a controller configured to change a current operation mode for said display based on a user input, the controller configured to change the current operation mode to an operation mode including at least;

a first tap operation mode, a second tap operation mode, and a pointer movement mode, and the controller is configured to change the current operation mode in a cyclic manner based on the user input by cycling through the at least three operation modes.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

an operation key configured to change the operation mode when operated by the user.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said input detection unit is configured to detect a command by the user to change the operation mode.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said controller further changes the current operation mode when a display mode of said display is changed.

21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first tap operation mode corresponds to a main-button click mode of a mouse and said second tap operation mode corresponds to an auxiliary-button click mode of the mouse.