INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20110225535A1
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohtake, Toshifumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,448,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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 reception module configured to receive an operation input by a user; and a display module configured to display key images for receiving the operation, wherein the display module is configured to operate to: display a first key image group comprising one or more key images, a second key image group comprising one or more key images in a first display mode, and a first display switching key image; and display the second key image group in a second display mode which is larger in size than the second key image group in the first display mode, without displaying the first key image group, when the operation on the first display switching key image is received by the reception module.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an operation input by a user; and

a display configured to;

display, when in a first display mode, a first key image group comprising one or more key images, a second key image group comprising one or more key images, and a first display switching key image corresponding to an operation of switching the first key image group to be not displayed;

display, when in a second display mode, the second key image group larger in size than the second key image group in the first display mode, without displaying the first key image group; and

switch to the second display mode when the receiver receives the operation corresponding to the first display switching key image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to display a second display switching key image corresponding to an operation of displaying the first key image group, when the display is in a display mode in which the first key image group is not being displayed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first key image group comprises images of at least one of function keys and numeral keys, and wherein the second key image group comprises images of text input keys.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second display switching key image is different from the first display switching key image.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to:

display a third key image group and a third display switching key image corresponding to an operation of switching the third key image group to be not displayed;

display, when in a third display mode, the second key image group which is larger in size than the second key image group in the first display mode, without displaying at least one of the first key image group and the second key image group; and

switch to the third display mode when the receiver receives the operation corresponding to at least one of the first display switching key image and the second display switching key image.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the display is further configured to display the first key image group above the third key image group and to display the first display switching key image above the third display switching key image, when displaying both of the first key image group and the third key image group.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the display is further configured to display the first display switching key image beside the first key image group when the first key image group is being displayed, and to display the third display switching key image beside the third key image group when the third key image group is being displayed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the receiver receives an operation input by the user on one of the key images, the display displays the operated key image, to which the operation by the user is made in a display mode that is different from a display mode in which the operated key image was displayed before the reception of the operation.

9. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the receiver is configured to receive a touch operation on an image displayed by the display, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a vibrator configured to vibrate when the touch operation received by the reception module is an operation on a key image.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the vibrator is configured to vibrate in two or more different modes according to respective key images touch-operated.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an output configured to output, to an operating system, a code corresponding to an operated key image when the receiver receives an operation on the key image.