INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20120146945A1
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyazawa, Yusuke, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Granted Patent: US 10,241,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a detection unit for detecting a contact operation and a pressure of an operating object on a contact operation surface, a display switching unit for switching display on a display screen according to the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit, and an execution unit for performing a predetermined process, in a case a predetermined operation of the operating object on the contact operation surface is detected by the detection unit while the display on the display screen is being switched by the display switching unit, according to the predetermined operation.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a detection unit for detecting a contact operation and a pressure of an operating object on a contact operation surface;

a display switching unit for switching display on a display screen according to the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit; and

an execution unit for performing a predetermined process, in a case a predetermined operation of the operating object on the contact operation surface is detected by the detection unit while the display on the display screen is being switched by the display switching unit, according to the predetermined operation.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display switching unit switches, according to the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit, display on the display screen corresponding to each of hierarchical levels allowing processing of a multi-level hierarchy to be performed, and

wherein, in a case the other operation of the operating object is detected by the detection unit while the display screen is being switched to display of one hierarchical level among the multi-level hierarchy by the display switching unit, the execution unit performs a process at the one hierarchical level according to the other operation.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the display switching unit

switches, in a case the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit increased, display to a display screen of a hierarchical level lower than the one hierarchical level displayed on the display screen, and

switches, in a case the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit decreased, display to a display screen of a hierarchical level higher than the one hierarchical level displayed on the display screen.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display switching unit causes a map display including hierarchical display indicating one or more multi-level hierarchy to be displayed on the display screen, and causes, according to the contact operation of the operating object detected by the detection unit, the map display including contents of the hierarchical display to be displayed on the display screen.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the display switching unit switches display contents of the hierarchical display included in the map display displayed on the display screen, according to the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display switching unit switches display while increasing transparency of display on the display screen before switching, according to the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display switching unit switches display while reducing a display size of the display screen before switching of the display screen, according to the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the execution unit performs a predetermined process, in a case a contact operation of another operating object different from the operating object which has pressed the contact surface is detected by the detection unit while display on the display screen is being switched by the display switching unit, according to the contact operation of the other operating object.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the execution unit performs a predetermined process, in a case the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold within a predetermined time while display on the display screen is being switched by the display switching unit, according to the contact operation of the operating object.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the detection unit detects turning of a housing, and

wherein the execution unit performs a predetermined process according to the turning of the housing in a case the turning of the housing is detected by the detection unit while display on the display screen is being switched by the display switching unit.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display switching unit changes a display colour of a position corresponding to a contact part on the contact operation surface according to the pressure of the operating object on the contact operation surface detected by the detection unit.

12. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

detecting a contact operation and a pressure of an operating object on a contact operation surface;

switching display on a display screen according to the pressure of the operating object which has been detected; and

performing a predetermined process, in a case a predetermined operation of the operating object on the contact operation surface is detected while the display on the display screen is being switched, according to the predetermined operation.

13. A program for causing a computer to function as an information processing apparatus including:

a detection unit for detecting a contact operation and a pressure of an operating object on a contact operation surface;

a display switching unit for switching display on a display screen according to the pressure of the operating object detected by the detection unit; and

an execution unit for performing a predetermined process, in a case a predetermined operation of the operating object on the contact operation surface is detected by the detection unit while the display on the display screen is being switched by the display switching unit, according to the predetermined operation.