INFORMATION DISPLAY DEVICE, INFORMATION DISPLAY METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20120249455A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mashiko, Toshitake, Akiyama, Hiroaki, Ueda, Yuichi, Nakatsu, Yutaka, NAGATA, Satoshi, Moriai, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,208,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04801 Cursor retrieval aid, i.e. visual aspect modification, blinking, colour changes, enlargement or other visual cues, for helping user do find the cursor in graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A method is provided for displaying information. The method comprises displaying, on a touch screen, at least one representation of a geographic location. The method further comprises detecting contact between an operating member and a position on the touch screen; and displaying, based on the detected contact, information associated with the geographic location. The method still further comprises detecting removal of the operating member from the touch screen; and maintaining display of the geographic location information after detection of the removal.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information, comprising:

displaying, on a touch screen, at least one representation of a geographic location;

detecting contact between an operating member and a position on the touch screen;

displaying, based on the detected contact, information associated with the geographic location;

detecting removal of the operating member from the touch screen; and

maintaining display of the geographic location information after detection of the removal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

displaying, on the touch screen, a graphic identifying a device location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method comprises:

displaying, on the touch screen, distance information and direction information;

the distance information identifying a distance between the device location and the geographic location; and

the direction information identifying a direction of the geographic location with respect to the device location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location information comprises at least one of an information category, a name of the geographic location;

or

an address of the geographic location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location information is displayed on a portion of the touch screen, the portion comprising at least one input area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method comprises:

displaying, upon detecting contact between the operating member and the input area, an image associated with the geographic location.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the method comprises:

displaying, upon detecting contact between the operating member and the input area, a route to the geographic location.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the method comprises:

displaying, upon detecting contact between the operating member and the input area, a map; and

wherein the representation is displayed in substantially a center of the map.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

displaying a plurality of representations of geographic locations, wherein color saturations of the representations are based on a density of the representations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the representation is a first representation;

the geographic location is a first geographic location;

the position is a first position;

the geographic location information is first geographic location information; and

the method comprises;

displaying, on the touch screen, a second representation of a second geographic location;

detecting, while the first geographic location information is being displayed, contact between the operating member and a second position on the touch screen; and

displaying, based on the detected second position, second geographic location information associated with the second geographic location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method comprises:

defining a first region of the touch screen, the first region corresponding to the first representation;

defining a second region of the touch screen, the second region corresponding to the second representation;

assigning, if the first and second regions overlap, a first preference level to the first region and a second preference level to the second region;

displaying the first geographic location information if;

the detected first position is within the first region and outside of the second region;

or

the detected first position is within the first and second regions, and the first preference level is higher than the second preference level; and

shrinking, if the first geographic location information is being displayed, the first region.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises:

maintaining, if the detected second position is outside of the first and second regions, display of the first geographic location information; and

displaying the second geographic location information if;

the detected second position is within the second region and outside of the first region;

or

the detected second position is within the first and second regions, and the second preference level is higher than the first preference level.

13. An apparatus for displaying information, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor executing instructions stored in the memory to;

generate signals for displaying, on a touch screen, at least one representation of a geographic location;

detect contact between an operating member and a position on the touch screen;

generate signals for displaying, based on the detected contact, information associated with the geographic location;

detect removal of the operating member from the touch screen; and

maintain display of the geographic location information after detection of the removal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory to:

generate signals for displaying, on the touch screen, a graphic identifying a device location.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory to:

generate signals for displaying, on the touch screen, distance information and direction information;

the distance information identifying a distance between the device location and the geographic location; and

the direction information identifying a direction of the geographic location with respect to the device location.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the geographic location information is displayed on a portion of the touch screen, the portion comprising at least one input area.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory to:

generate signals for displaying, upon detecting contact between the operating member and the input area, an image associated with the geographic location.

18. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a method of displaying information, the method comprising:

displaying, on a touch screen, at least one representation of a geographic location;

detecting contact between an operating member and a position on the touch screen;

displaying, based on the detected contact, information associated with the geographic location;

detecting removal of the operating member from the touch screen; and

maintaining display of the geographic location information after detection of the removal.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the geographic location information is displayed on a portion of the touch screen, the portion comprising at least one input area.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method comprises:

displaying, upon detecting contact between the operating member and the input area, an image associated with the geographic location.