Information Processing Apparatus, Information Processing Method, and Program

• US 20110050630A1
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Tetsuo
• Granted Patent: US 9,030,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Provided is an information processing apparatus including a pressure intensity detection unit that detects pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen, a change rate detection unit that detects a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the pressure intensity detected by the pressure intensity detection unit, and a function providing unit that provides a specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is high, and cancels an operation by the operating tool without providing the specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is low.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a pressure intensity detection unit that detects pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen;

a change rate detection unit that detects a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the pressure intensity detected by the pressure intensity detection unit; and

a function providing unit that provides a specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is high, and cancels an operation by the operating tool without providing the specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is low.

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

an increase/decrease counter that counts, in a case the pressure intensity detected by the pressure intensity detection unit does not become zero but repeats increasing and decreasing, the number of repetitions of the increase and decrease,

wherein the function providing unit provides the specific function that is different depending on the number of the repetitions of the increase and decrease counted by the increase/decrease counter.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when an input operation of a character is performed by the operating tool,

the function providing unit

confirms the character input by the operating tool in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is high, and

cancels the input operation of the character in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is low.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein, when an update operation on display content of a first window displayed within the screen is performed by the operating tool,

the function providing unit

updates the display content of the first window in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is high and the number of the repetitions of the increase and decrease counted by the increase/decrease counter is a first specific number,

displays display content after update on a second window different from the first window in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is high and the number of the repetitions of the increase and decrease counted by the increase/decrease counter is a second specific number, and

cancels the update operation on the display content of the first window in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is low.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the function providing unit

enlarges and displays an image that is an enlargement target at a magnification that is different depending on the number of the repetitions of the increase and decrease counted by the increase/decrease counter, in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is high, and

cancels an enlargement operation on the image that is an enlargement target in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is low.

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

a position detection unit that detects a position of the operating tool pressing the screen; and

a movement detection unit that detects a movement of the operating tool based on information on the position detected by the position detection unit,

wherein, when selection of a character string is performed by the movement of the operating tool,

the function providing unit

performs processing regarding the character string selected during the movement of the operating tool, in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is high after detection of a rest state or a subtly-moving state of the operating tool by the movement detection unit, and

cancels a processing operation regarding the character string selected during the movement of the operating tool in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is low after the detection of the rest state or the subtly-moving state of the operating tool.

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

a light source that emits light from within the screen; and

an optical sensor that is capable of detecting intensity of light that is reflected by the operating tool pressing the screen at a time the light is emitted from the light source,

wherein the pressure intensity detection unit detects an area of the operating tool that strongly reflected the light emitted from the light source based on the intensity of light detected by the optical sensor, and detects the pressure intensity based on a size of the area.

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

a pressure sensor capable of detecting a pressure, the pressure sensor being provided on the screen,

wherein the pressure intensity detection unit detects the pressure intensity of the operating tool based on a level of the pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

9. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a pressure intensity detection unit that detects pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen;

a change rate detection unit that detects a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the pressure intensity detected by the pressure intensity detection unit; and

a function providing unit that provides a first function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is high, and provides a second function different from the first function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is low.

10. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

detecting pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen;

detecting a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the pressure intensity detected in the step of detecting pressure intensity; and

providing a specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected in the step of detecting a rate of change is high, and cancelling an operation by the operating tool without providing the specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is low.

11. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

detecting pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen;

detecting a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the pressure intensity detected in the step of detecting pressure intensity; and

providing a first function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected in the step of detecting a rate of change is high, and providing a second function different from the first function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is low.

12. (canceled)

13. A program for causing a computer to realize:

a pressure intensity detection function that detects pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen;

a change rate detection function that detects a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the pressure intensity detected by the pressure intensity detection function; and

a function providing function that provides a specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection function is high, and cancels an operation by the operating tool without providing the specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is low.

14. A program for causing a computer to realize:

a pressure intensity detection function that detects pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen;

a change rate detection function that detects a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the pressure intensity detected by the pressure intensity detection function; and

a function providing function that provides a first function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection function is high, and provides a second function different from the first function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is low.