INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20120054654A1
• Filed: 08/03/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: MIYAZAWA, Yusuke, Yamano, Ikuo
• Granted Patent: US 9,710,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 detects an interaction area of a position detection surface specified by a manipulation object. A focused target extraction unit that extracts at least some of a plurality of focused targets on the basis of the interaction area. A selection candidate extraction unit extracts a selection candidate from the plurality of focused targets, and a display displays at least some of the plurality of focused targets, and emphasizes the selection candidate. Furthermore, a method and non-transitory computer readable storage device cooperate to provide a corresponding process.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a specified region detection unit that detects an interaction area of a position detection surface specified by a manipulation object;

a focused target extraction unit that extracts at least some of a plurality of focused targets based on the interaction area;

a selection candidate extraction unit that extracts a selection candidate from the plurality of focused targets; and

a display that displays at least some of the plurality of focused targets, and emphasizes the selection candidate relative to other of the plurality of focused targets.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said display is incorporated into a wireless mobile terminal;

and

said plurality of focused targets include keys of a software keyboard.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 2,

wherein said plurality of focused targets are keys of the software keyboard that fall within a footprint of said interaction area.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 2,

the display displays the plurality of focused targets in a display area that does not overlap the keys of the wireless keyboard.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 2,

wherein said display displays the selection candidate as an emphasized alphanumeric character, as compared to other of plurality of focused candidates.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the emphasis on the selection candidate changes to a different alphanumeric character in response to said selection candidate extraction unit detecting a change in position of the manipulation object with respect to the interaction area.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 6,

where a proximity of the selection candidate to the different alphanumeric character is related to an amount of movement of the manipulation object with respect to the interaction area.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said display includes said position detection surface.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 8,

wherein said specified region detection unit detects pressure from said manipulation object when contacted by the manipulation object.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 8,

wherein said specified region detection unit is responsive to change in capacitance.

11. The information processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said selection candidate extraction unit selects the selection candidate by relative proximity to a central coordinate barycentric point caused by the manipulation object relative to the position detection surface.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said selection candidate is emphasized by at least one of an insertion-point cursor and bold text.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said display is incorporated into an electronic map device;

and

said plurality of focused targets include geographic features within a displayed geographic area.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 13,

wherein said selection candidate is emphasized by at least one of color, scale, pin and geometric marker.

15. The information processing apparatus of claim 2,

wherein when said manipulation object covers from sight one or more keys of the software keyboard, the display displays the at least some of the plurality of focused targets in a display region of said display that is not covered by said manipulation object.

16. An information processing method, comprising:

detecting an interaction area of a position detection surface specified by a manipulation object;

extracting with a computer processor at least some of a plurality of focused targets on the basis of the interaction area;

extracting a selection candidate from the plurality of focused targets; and

displaying on a display at least some of the plurality of focused targets, and emphasizing the selection candidate on the display relative to other of the plurality of focused targets.

17. The information processing method of claim 16,

wherein said display is incorporated into a wireless mobile terminal;

and

said plurality of focused targets include keys of a software keyboard.

18. The information processing method of claim 16,

wherein said display is incorporated into an electronic map device;

and

said plurality of focused targets include geographic features within a predetermined geographic area.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage device having stored therein computer readable instructions that when executed by a computer processor perform a process comprising:

detecting an interaction area of a position detection surface specified by a manipulation object;

extracting with the computer processor at least some of a plurality of focused targets on the basis of the interaction area;

extracting a selection candidate from the plurality of focused targets; and

displaying on a display at least some of the plurality of focused targets, and emphasizing the selection candidate on the display relative to other of the plurality of focused targets.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein

wherein said display is incorporated into a wireless mobile terminal;

and

said plurality of focused targets include keys of a software keyboard.