INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20120236022A1
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: HOMMA, Fuminori, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,146,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• 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
• 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

A method is provided for generating notifications. The method comprises obtaining position information of an operating member. The method further comprises determining an operation area based on the position information. The method also comprises generating a notification when the determined operation area corresponds to an edge region of a surface of a device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processing unit configured to obtain position information of an operating member;

an area determination unit configured to determine an operation area of the apparatus based on the position information; and

an edge notification unit configured to generate a notification when the determined operation area corresponds to an edge region of a surface of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain the position information by detecting contact between the operating member and the surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain the position information by detecting non-contacting proximity of the operating member to the surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the area determination unit is configured to determine an operation area within a detection region of the surface having capability for detecting the operating member, the detection region comprising a central area of the surface, and an edge area located around the central area.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, comprising an operating unit configured to perform a predetermined operation according to movement of the operating member within the detection region.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the edge notification unit is configured to generate a notification to indicate that the operation member is no longer within the detection region when the operating member moves from the edge region to an area of the surface outside of the detection region.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operating unit is configured to maintain performance of the predetermined operation when the operating member is returned to the detection region within a predetermined time after the operating member is moved to an area of the surface outside of the detection region.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the edge notification unit is configured to generate a graphical indicator representing movement of the operating member.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising a display unit configured to display the indicator on a display based on detecting the operating member.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the display unit is configured to display the indicator at the center of the display.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the edge notification unit is configured to generate a graphical indicator having a changeable shape based on movement of the operating member.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display unit is configured to display a form of the displayed indicator based on the determined operation area of the operating member.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a display unit configured to display an icon, the icon being movable based on detected movement of the operating member.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the edge notification unit is configured to generate a notification comprising an emphasizing effect on the icon.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the emphasizing effect comprises at least one of a rotating effect, a wiggling effect, an outlining effect for outlining the icon, an enlarging effect, or a shrinking effect.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface is a surface of the apparatus that faces away from a user of the apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the surface is a back surface of the apparatus.

18. A method comprising:

obtaining position information of an operating member;

determining an operation area based on the position information; and

generating a notification when the determined operation area corresponds to an edge region of a surface of a device.

19. A tangibly embodied non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to perform a method, comprising:

obtaining position information of an operating member;

determining an operation area based on the position information; and

generating a notification when the determined operation area corresponds to an edge region of a surface of a device.

20. An apparatus comprising:

processing means for obtaining position information of an operating member;

area determining means for determining an operation area of the apparatus based on the position information; and

edge notifying means for generating a notification when the determined operation area corresponds to an edge region of a surface of the apparatus.