DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20120017162A1
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KHOKHLOV, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A data processing apparatus executes one or more computer program applications. The data programming, apparatus is operable to display at least one resizable graphical element from a plurality of resizable graphical elements on a display and resize the at least one displayed graphical element in response to a resize control input from a user control. The data processing device is operable to switch between which of the plurality of graphical elements is displayed if the displayed graphical element is resized to be greater in size or to be less in size than one of a plurality of predetermined threshold sizes. Each of the plurality of graphical elements includes at least one graphical object or interface control different from the other graphical elements of the plurality of graphical elements and a greater a size of one of the plurality of predetermined threshold sizes, a greater a number of controls and/or graphical objects included in the graphical element that is displayed when the displayed graphical element is resized to exceed that predetermined threshold size.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus for running one or more computer program applications, the data programming apparatus being operable to display at least one resizable graphical element from a plurality of resizable graphical elements on a display and to resize the at least one displayed graphical element in response to a resize control input from a user control, wherein

the data processing apparatus is operable to switch between which of the plurality of graphical elements is displayed if the displayed graphical element is resized to be greater in size or to be less in size than one of a plurality of predetermined threshold sizes, and each of the plurality of graphical elements includes at least one graphical object or interface control different from the other graphical elements of the plurality of graphical elements, and

a greater a size of one of the plurality of predetermined threshold sizes, a greater a number of controls and/or graphical objects included in the graphical element that is displayed when the displayed graphical element is resized to exceed that predetermined threshold size.

2. A data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each graphical element is displayable on the display by virtue of one of a plurality of applications being run on the data processing apparatus and the data processing apparatus is arranged to switch between displaying the graphical elements by switching, in response to the resize control input, from running a first application generating a currently displayed graphical element to running a second application arranged to generate a second graphical element.

3. A data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processing apparatus is arranged to render each of the plurality of graphical elements on the display at substantially the same time and switch between displaying the graphical elements by displaying only graphical elements to be displayed as non-transparent.

4. A data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the data processing apparatus switches between displaying the graphical elements, the data processing apparatus is operable to retrieve data from a server to display in conjunction with at least one of the plurality of graphical elements.

5. A data processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the data is user data indicating previous activity of a user using the data processing device.

6. A data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processing apparatus is operable to substantially simultaneously display at least two of the graphical elements, and the data processing apparatus is arranged to switch from displaying any of the at least two graphical elements when that graphical element is resized.

7. A data processing apparatus for running one or more computer program applications, the data programming apparatus being operable to display at least one resizable graphical element from a plurality of resizable graphical elements on a display and to resize the at least one displayed graphical element in response to a resize control input from a user control, each graphical element including at least one of a plurality of graphical objects and interface controls, wherein

the data processing apparatus is operable to switch between which of the plurality of graphical elements is displayed if the displayed graphical element is resized to be greater in size or to be less in size than one of a plurality of predetermined threshold sizes, each of the plurality of graphical elements including at least one graphical object or interface control different from the other graphical elements of the plurality of graphical elements, at least two of the graphical objects and/or interface controls being associated with functions provided by at least two different computer applications.

8. A method of displaying resizable graphical elements on a display, the method comprising

resizing a graphical element displayed on the display in response to a resize control input from a user control, and

switching from displaying the graphical element to displaying another graphical element from a plurality of graphical elements if the resize control input is such that the graphical element is resized to be greater in size or to be less in size than one of a plurality of predetermined threshold sizes, each of the plurality of graphical elements including at least one graphical object or interface control different from the other graphical elements of the plurality of graphical elements wherein a greater a size of one of the plurality of predetermined threshold sizes, a greater a number of controls and/or graphical objects included in the graphical element that is displayed when the displayed graphical element is resized to exceed that predetermined threshold size.

9. A method according to claim 8, comprising

rendering all of the plurality of graphical elements on the display at substantially the same time and switching between displaying the graphical elements by displaying only one graphical user element at a time as non-transparent.

10. A method according to claim 8, comprising

running on the data processor one or more of a plurality of applications programs,

displaying each graphical element on the display in response to one of the plurality of applications programs, and the switching includes

switching, in response to the resize control input, from running a first applications program generating a currently displayed graphical element to running a second application generating a second graphical element.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the switching includes

retrieving data from a server to display in conjunction with at least one of the plurality of graphical elements.

12. A method according to claim 8, comprising

substantially simultaneously displaying at least two of the graphical elements, and the switching includes

switching from displaying any of the at least two graphical elements when that graphical element is resized.

14. A computer program providing computer executable instructions which when loaded onto a computer causes the computer to perform the method according to claim 8.

15. A data sub-carrier having a recording medium, the recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program according to claim 14.

13. A method of executing one or more computer program applications on a data processing apparatus, the method comprising

displaying at least one resizable graphical element from a plurality of resizable graphical elements on a display,

resizing the at least one displayed graphical element in response to a resize control input from a user control, each graphical element including at least one of a plurality of graphical objects and interface controls, and

switching between which of the plurality of graphical elements is displayed if the displayed graphical element is resized to be greater in size or to be less in size than one of a plurality of predetermined threshold sizes, each of the plurality of graphical elements including at least one graphical object or interface control different from the other graphical elements of the plurality of graphical elements, at least two of the graphical objects and/or interface controls being associated with functions provided by at least two different computer applications.