IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20130311952A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Maiko
• Granted Patent: US 10,185,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/849
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/183 On-screen display [OSD] information, e.g. subtitles or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters

Abstract

A control unit, method and computer program product cooperate to provide a controllable depth of display of at least a part of a graphical user interface. Moreover, the control unit includes a control circuit that controls a depth display of an icon, which may be a user-selectable icon, as part of the graphical user interface. The control circuit changes the depth of display of the icon when an object is detected as approaching the display. In this way, a user is provided with visual feedback when the user is interacting with the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A control unit comprising:

a control circuit that controls a depth display of a part of a graphical user interface displayed on a display, said control circuit changes the depth of display of the part when an object is detected as approaching the display.

2. The control unit of claim 1, wherein

the control unit changes the depth of display by lessening the depth of display.

3. The control unit of claim 1, wherein

the part is an icon displayed on the display.

4. The control unit of claim 3, wherein the icon is a user-selectable icon and the control circuit changes the depth of display in response to the object being detected as being within a predetermined distance from the icon.

5. The control unit of claim 3, wherein

the control circuit changes the icon from a first state to a second state when the object is detected as being within a predetermined distance of the display, said second state causing the icon to be perceived visually at a different distance than for the first state.

6. The control unit of claim 1, further comprising

a sensor that detects when the object is a predetermined distance from the display.

7. The control unit of claim 6, wherein

the sensor is an electrostatic capacitance sensor that is included as an integral part of said display.

8. The control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

the display, said display being a 3-dimensional display.

9. The control unit of claim, 8, wherein

said 3-dimensional display includes a left image and a right image.

10. The control unit of claim 1, wherein

the control circuit changes a parallax of the part so as to create a visually perceptual change in display depth of the part.

11. The control unit of claim 1, wherein

the part of the graphical user interface is an icon, and the control circuit

changes the depth of display of the part when the object is a first distance from the display, and

executes a function associated with the icon when the object is detect as being within a second distance from the display, said second distance being less than the first distance.

12. The control unit of claim 11, wherein

the control circuit changes a color of the icon when the object is within the second distance of the display.

13. The control unit of claim 11, wherein

the control circuit causes the icon to gradually disappear in response to the object being detected as being within the second distance and triggering an execution of the function.

14. A display control method comprising:

displaying a part of a graphical user interface on a display;

detecting an object approach the display;

controlling with a control circuit a depth display of the part of a graphical user interface, said controlling includes changing the depth of display of the part.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the controlling includes changing the depth of display by lessening the depth of display.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein

the part is an icon displayed on the display.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein

the icon is a user-selectable icon, and

the controlling changes the depth of display in response to the object being detected as being within a predetermined distance from the icon.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein

the controlling includes changing the icon from a first state to a second state when the object is detected as being within a predetermined distance of the display, said second state causing the icon to be perceived visually at a different distance than for the first state.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising

detecting with a sensor when the object is a predetermined distance from the display.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage device having computer readable instructions that when executed by a processing circuit implement a display control method, said method comprising:

displaying a part of a graphical user interface on a display;

detecting an object approach the display;

controlling with a control circuit a depth display of the part of a graphical user interface, said controlling includes changing the depth of display of the part.