ELECTRONIC DEVICE, COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD AND COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20120056833A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• 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: NARITA, Tomoya, Kano, Ritsuko, Kasahara, Shunichi
• Application Number:
  US13/223,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20120056833A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An interface is provided that employs systems and methods for detecting non-contact motion and contact motion of an operation member. The interface detects non-contact motion of an operation member and determines whether the member has crossed a boundary. In response to detecting that the operation member has crossed a boundary, the interface may initiate the execution of a process. This process may be the display of a second boundary, or some other process. The interface may also detect contact motion of the operation member and initiate execution of a process based on the contact motion.

Claims

1. An electronic device, the device comprising:

a processor;

a display; and

an interface configured to

detect non-contact motion of an operation member,

determine, from the detected motion, whether the member crosses a first boundary defined by the display, and

initiate execution of a first process by the processor, when it is determined that the member crosses the first boundary.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first boundary is associated with an object on the display.

3. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the object is an indicator of a numeric value.

4. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein the first process comprises changing the numeric value.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to:

determine from the detected motion, a direction of movement of the member when the member crosses the first boundary; and

initiate execution of the first process based upon the determined direction.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first boundary is defined by a line segment on the display.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first boundary and a plurality of boundaries are defined by a polygon on the display.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to determine a change in proximity of the operation member with respect to the interface.

9. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the interface is configured to initiate a second process upon detection of an increased proximity and a third process upon detection of a decreased proximity.

10. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein:

the first boundary is associated with a displayed object; and

one of the second process or the third process comprises changing the displayed object.

11. The device as recited in claim 9, wherein the second process comprises displaying a plurality of boundaries defined by a polygon.

12. The device as recited in claim 11, wherein the interface is configured to:

determine whether the member crosses a boundary defined by the polygon; and

initiate execution of a fourth process by the processor, when it is determined that the member crosses a boundary defined by the polygon.

13. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the interface is configured to:

determine a side of the polygon defining the boundary that the member crosses; and

initiate execution of the fourth process based on the determined side.

14. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first process comprises scrolling.

15. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first process comprises displaying a menu.

16. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first process comprises cancelling a menu.

17. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first process comprises selecting a menu item.

18. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first process comprises displaying an object defining a second boundary.

19. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first process comprises generating a control signal.

20. The device as recited in claim 19, wherein the interface is configured to:

consecutively display an object defining a new boundary when it is determined that the member crosses a previous boundary.

21. The device as recited in claim 20, wherein the control signal is based on the number of consecutively displayed objects defining boundaries that the member crosses.

22. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to:

detect contact motion of the member;

determine, from the detected contact motion, whether the member crosses a first boundary; and

initiate execution of a second process by the processor, when it is determined that the member crosses the first boundary.

23. A method comprising:

detecting non-contact motion of an operation member;

determining, from the detected motion, whether the member crosses a first boundary defined by a display; and

initiating execution of a first process by a processor, when it is determined that the member crosses the first boundary.

24. A tangibly embodied non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for a user interface, the method comprising:

detecting non-contact motion of an operation member;

determining, from the detected motion, whether the member crosses a first boundary defined by a display; and

initiating execution of a first process by a processor, when it is determined that the member crosses the first boundary.