Information Processing Apparatus, Information Processing Method, and Computer Program

• US 20120056829A1
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KASAHARA, Shunichi, KANO, Ritsuko, NARITA, Tomoya
• Application Number:
  US13/212,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20120056829A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

The present disclosure provides an information processing apparatus including: a position information acquisition portion configured to acquire position information about an operating body relative to a display surface of a display portion displaying an object; and a display control portion configured such that if the operating body is positioned inside a proximate region between the display surface and a position withdrawn from the display surface by a predetermined distance, the display control portion displays the object in that position on the display portion which corresponds to the operating body.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a position information acquisition portion configured to acquire position information about an operating body relative to a display surface of a display portion displaying an object; and

a display control portion configured such that if said operating body is positioned inside a proximate region between said display surface and a position withdrawn from said display surface by a predetermined distance, said display control portion displays said object in that position on said display portion which corresponds to said operating body.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if said operating body is moved out of said proximate region, said display control portion hides said object displayed when said operating body was positioned inside said proximate region.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if said operating body is again positioned inside said proximate region before a predetermined time period elapses following the movement of said operating body out of said proximate region, said display control portion displays said object again in that position on said display portion which corresponds to said operating body in accordance with the position information about said operating body being again positioned inside said proximate region.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said position information acquisition portion is capable of acquiring the position information about a plurality of operating bodies;

based on the position information about a first operating body positioned inside said proximate region, said display control portion first displays said object in that position on said display portion which corresponds to said first operating body; and

if a second operating body is positioned inside said proximate region with said object being displayed on said display portion, said display control portion displays part of said object in that position on said display portion which corresponds to said second operating body, based on the position information about said second operating body.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said position information acquisition portion is capable of acquiring the position information about a plurality of operating bodies;

based on the position information about a first operating body positioned inside said proximate region, said display control portion first displays said object in that position on said display portion which corresponds to said first operating body; and

if a second operating body is positioned inside said proximate region while said first operating body is in contact with one of sub-objects making up said object, said display control portion displays a related object in that position on said display portion which corresponds to said second operating body, said related object being related to said sub-object in contact with said first operating body.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said position information acquisition portion is capable of acquiring the position information about a plurality of operating bodies;

based on the position information about a first operating body positioned inside said proximate region, said display control portion first displays a plurality of objects in those positions on said display portion which correspond to said first operating body; and

if a second operating body is positioned inside said proximate region with said plurality of objects being displayed on said display portion, said display control portion displays at least one of said plurality of objects in that position on said display portion which corresponds to said second operating body.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if said operating body is moved at speeds lower than a predetermined speed inside said proximate region, said display control portion moves the display position of said object in keeping with the movement of said operating body.

8. An information processing method comprising:

causing a position information acquisition portion to acquire position information about an operating body relative to a display surface of a display portion displaying an object; and

if said operating body is positioned inside a proximate region between said display surface and a position withdrawn from said display surface by a predetermined distance, then causing a display control portion to display said object in that position on said display portion which corresponds to said operating body.

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

a position information acquisition portion configured to acquire position information about an operating body relative to a display surface of a display portion displaying an object; and

a display control portion configured such that if said operating body is positioned inside a proximate region between said display surface and a position withdrawn from said display surface by a predetermined distance, said display control portion displays said object in that position on said display portion which corresponds to said operating body.