INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS HAVING A CONTACT DETECTION UNIT CAPABLE OF DETECTING A PLURALITY OF CONTACT POINTS, STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING PROGRAM RECORDED THEREON, AND OBJECT MOVEMENT METHOD

• US 20140333580A1
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: ISONO, Kazuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,933,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An information processing apparatus has a display unit operable to display an object, a contact detection unit operable to detect a plurality of contact points on the display unit, and a control unit operable to control the object displayed on the display unit so as to be movable with use of the contact detection unit. When the control unit detects contact with a display range of the object displayed on the display unit with use of the contact detection unit, detects contact with an active range of a display screen other than the display range of the object, and further detects a movement instruction to the object, then the control unit controls the object so as to be movable within the active range. Thus, use of a contact detection unit capable of a plurality of contact points permits a user'"'"'s intuitive operation.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display unit operable to display objects;

a contact detection unit operable to detect a plurality of contact points and their positions on the display unit; and

a control unit operable to detect change of the positions of the contact points and to move the objects on the display unit according to the change of the positions of the contact points,

wherein, in a case of displaying a matrix area and at least one of the objects on the matrix area, and detecting a first contact on one of the objects and change of a position thereof and a second contact on the matrix area, the control unit controls the one of the objects to move in range of matrix area.

2. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein, in a case of detecting no contact to the object, the control unit further controls to arrange the object at a position as indicated by the matrix area.

3. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the matrix area is displayed as a plurality of indexes for determination of positioning on the matrix area.

4. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the object as a visible object displayed on an upper layer of the matrix area or a visible object displayed such that the object is overlaid on the matrix area.

5. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the control unit sets the object as a visible object displayed on an upper layer of the matrix area or a visible object displayed such that the object is overlaid on the matrix area.

6. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the control unit sets the object as a visible object displayed on an upper layer of the matrix area or a visible object displayed such that the object is overlaid on the matrix area.

7. A computer-readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon for executing a procedure with a control unit, the procedure comprising:

detecting a first contact point in a matrix area on a display screen other than a display range of an object displayed on a display unit with use of a contact detection unit;

detecting a second contact point in the display range of the object with use of the contact detection unit; and

controlling the object so as to be movable within the matrix area when a movement instruction to the object is detected.

8. An object movement method, comprising:

detecting a first contact point in a matrix area on a display screen other than a display range of an object displayed on a display unit with use of a contact detection unit;

detecting a second contact point in the display range of the object with use of the contact detection unit; and

controlling the object so as to be movable within the matrix area when a movement instruction to the object is detected.