INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20110074687A1
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ito, Hitomi, Takaoka, Hideki
• Application Number:
  US12/889,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074687A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/008 using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted

Abstract

An information processing apparatus control method achieves an improvement in terms of operability for a visually-impaired user, and while doing so, facilitates operation aid by another user. A control method for controlling an information processing apparatus having a display unit equipped with a touch panel, and an operation unit equipped with a hard numeric keypad unit, includes: assigning a function to move a pointer displayed on the display unit, to the hard numeric keypad unit; and effecting control to display a numeric keypad on the display unit in a case where the function to move the pointer is assigned to the hard numeric keypad unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus having a display unit equipped with a touch panel and an operation unit equipped with a hard numeric keypad unit, comprising:

an assigning unit configured to assign to the hard numeric keypad unit a function to move a pointer displayed on the display unit; and

a display control unit configured to control the display unit so as to display the numeric keypad on the display unit in a case where the function to move the pointer is assigned to the numeric keypad unit by the assigning unit.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the assigning unit assigns the function to move the pointer, to the hard numeric keypad upon accepting an instruction to operate the information processing apparatus in a voice guidance mode.

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

a moving unit configured to move the pointer displayed on the display unit so as to cause it to trace a plurality of selection object items displayed on the display unit in response to the depression of the hard numeric keypad unit to which the function to move the pointer is assigned by the assigning unit.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the moving unit moves the pointer while skipping the selection object items of the plurality of selection object items set not to be pointed.

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

a setting unit configured to set a selection object item not to be pointed.

6. A control method for controlling an information processing apparatus having a display unit equipped with a touch panel, and an operation unit equipped with a hard numeric keypad unit, comprising:

assigning a function to move a pointer displayed on the display unit, to the hard numeric keypad unit; and

effecting control to display a numeric keypad on the display unit in a case where the function to move the pointer is assigned to the hard numeric keypad unit.

7. A computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program for controlling an information processing apparatus having a display unit equipped with a touch panel and an operation unit equipped with a hard numeric keypad unit, the computer program comprising:

a code to assign a function to move a pointer displayed on the display unit, to the hard numeric keypad unit; and

a code to effect control to display a numeric keypad on the display unit in a case where the function to move the pointer displayed on the display unit is assigned to the hard numeric keypad unit.