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

• US 20120256856A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SUZUKI, Seiji, NODA, Takuro, YAMANO, Ikuo
• Application Number:
  US13/436,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20120256856A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method is provided for issuing a command for executing a process according to a selected input. The method comprises receiving input data corresponding to operating member inputs from a plurality of input units. The method further comprises selecting one of the inputs based on priorities assigned to the input units. The method also comprises issuing a command for executing a process according to the selected input.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processing unit configured to receive input data corresponding to operating member inputs from a plurality of input units; and

an execution unit configured to;

select one of the inputs based on priorities assigned to the input units; and

issue a command for executing a process according to the selected input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a storing unit for storing priorities assigned to the input units.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the assigned priorities are based on the positions of the input units.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the assigned priorities are based on the likelihoods of intentional inputs being received at the positions of the input units.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein input units on a side of the apparatus facing a user are assigned higher priorities than input units on a side facing away from a user.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input units comprise a touch-sensitive input unit, and a nontouch-sensitive hardware input unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the nontouch-sensitive hardware input unit is assigned a higher priority than the touch-sensitive input unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive input data corresponding to simultaneous inputs received from a first input unit and a second input unit from among the plurality of input units.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the execution unit is configured to issue a command for pausing a first process corresponding to input data received from the first input unit, and issue a command for executing a second process corresponding to input data received from the second input unit, based on the priorities assigned to the first and second input units.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the execution unit is configured to issue a command to resume execution of the first process when the processing unit stops receiving input data corresponding to input from the second input unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the execution unit is configured to issue a command for executing in parallel a first process according to the first input unit and a second process according to the second input unit, when the first process does not conflict with the second process.

12. A method comprising:

receiving input data corresponding to operating member inputs from a plurality of input units;

selecting one of the inputs based on priorities assigned to the input units; and

issuing a command for executing a process according to the selected input.

13. 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:

receiving input data corresponding to operating member inputs from a plurality of input units;

selecting one of the inputs based on priorities assigned to the input units; and

issuing a command for executing a process according to the selected input.

14. An apparatus comprising:

processing means for receiving input data corresponding to operating member inputs from a plurality of input units; and

execution means for;

selecting one of the inputs based on priorities assigned to the input units; and

issuing a command for executing a process according to the selected input.