INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20110157078A1
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Homma, Fuminori, MIYAZAWA, Yusuke
• Application Number:
  US12/908,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20110157078A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a detection section configured to detect a proximity area of an operating body, and an issue section configured to issue a command for executing a predetermined operation according to a change in the proximity area detected by the detection section. The issue section issues the command when a degree of the change in the proximity area exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a detection section configured to detect a proximity area of an operating body; and

an issue section configured to issue a command for executing a predetermined operation according to a change in the proximity area detected by the detection section;

wherein the issue section issues the command when a degree of the change in the proximity area exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the detection section further detects a movement distance of the operating body, and

the issue section issues the command when the degree of the change in the proximity area exceeds the predetermined threshold value and the movement distance of the operating body exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

3. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising a display switch section configured to switch a display of a display screen according to the command issued by the issue section.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the issue section issues the command for causing the display switch section to switch the display of the display screen according to a movement direction of the operating body.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the issue section issues the command for causing the display switch section to switch the display screen according to the movement direction of the operating body, when the degree of the change in the proximity area exceeds the predetermined threshold value and a movement distance exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the issue section issues the command for causing the display switch section to switch the display screen according to the movement direction of the operating body, when the proximity area decreases below a second area after the proximity area has decreased below a first area and a movement distance of the operating body from a time point at which the proximity area has decreased below the first area to a time point at which the proximity area has decreased below the second area is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

7. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising:

an identification section configured to identify the operating body as executing a proximity operation when the proximity area of the operating body detected by the detection section is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value;

wherein the issue section issues the command when the operating body is identified as executing the proximity operation by the identification section.

8. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

detecting a proximity area of an operating body; and

issuing a command for executing a predetermined operation when a degree of a change in the detected proximity area exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

9. A program for causing a computer to function as an information processing apparatus comprising:

a detection section configured to detect a proximity area of an operating body; and

an issue section configured to issue a command for executing a predetermined operation according to a change in the proximity area detected by the detection section;

wherein the issue section issues the command when a degree of the change in the proximity area exceeds a predetermined threshold value.