INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, OPERATION PREDICTION METHOD, AND OPERATION PREDICTION PROGRAM

• US 20110175832A1
• Filed: 01/03/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Homma, Fuminori, MIYAZAWA, Yusuke, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,446,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a touch detection unit detecting touch of an instruction object on an operation surface; a proximity detection unit detecting proximity of the instruction object to the operation surface; and a control unit detecting movement of the instruction object on or to the operation surface based on the detection result of the touch detection unit and the detection result of the proximity detection unit and starting a process corresponding to an input operation predicted from the detected movement of the instruction object.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a touch detection unit detecting touch of an instruction object on an operation surface;

a proximity detection unit detecting proximity of the instruction object to the operation surface; and

a control unit detecting movement of the instruction object on or to the operation surface based on the detection result of the touch detection unit and the detection result of the proximity detection unit and starting a process corresponding to an input operation predicted from the detected movement of the instruction object.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit predicts that an input operation is performed by the instruction object, when the detected movement of the instruction object is predetermined movement.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit predicts that an input operation of touching the operation surface with the instruction object is performed, when the detected movement of the instruction object is the predetermined movement.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines the predetermined movement based on a movement speed and a movement direction of the instruction object.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit predicts that the input operation of touching the operation surface with the instruction object is performed, when the instruction object approaches the operation surface in a direction perpendicular to the operation surface at a speed equal to or faster than a predetermined speed.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit predicts that an input operation of flicking the operation surface with the instruction object is performed when the instruction object approaches the operation surface in an inclination direction of the operation surface at a speed equal to or faster than a predetermined speed.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines whether the movement of the instruction object is predetermined movement, based on the movement speed and the movement direction of the instruction object and a distance between the instruction object and the operation surface.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit predicts that the input operation of touching the operation surface with the instruction object is performed, when the distance between the instruction object and the operation surface is equal to or less than a predetermined distance and the movement speed of the instruction object in a direction parallel to the operation surface is equal to or less than a predetermined speed.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit starts background processing among processes corresponding to the input operation, when predicting that the input operation is performed.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit stops the background processing when the background processing starts and then a predetermined period elapses, but the predicted input operation is not performed.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit performs processing other than the background processing, when the predicted input operation is performed.

12. An operation prediction method comprising the steps of:

detecting touch of an instruction object on an operation surface by a touch detection unit;

detecting proximity of the instruction object to the operation surface by a proximity detection unit; and

detecting movement of the instruction object on or to the operation surface based on the detection result of the touch detection unit and the detection result of the proximity detection unit and starting a process corresponding to an input operation predicted from the detected movement of the instruction object.

13. An operation prediction program causing an information processing apparatus to execute the steps of:

detecting touch of an instruction object on an operation surface by a touch detection unit, and detecting proximity of the instruction object to the operation surface by a proximity detection unit; and

detecting movement of the instruction object on or to the operation surface based on the detection result of the step of detecting the touch and the proximity of the instruction object, and starting a process corresponding to an input operation predicted from the detected movement of the instruction object.