INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, AND SWITCHING DEVICE

• US 20170097719A1
• Filed: 10/05/2016
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tasuku Kohara
• Inventors: KOHARA, Tasuku
• Granted Patent: US 10,212,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An information processing device includes a touchscreen that includes a first surface that outputs images and detects an input to the first surface, a sensor that detects whether a switching device is mounted an the touchscreen, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to control a display state of the touchscreen based on a detection result of the sensor so that the touchscreen outputs in a first display mode when the switching device is not mounted on the touchscreen, and the touchscreen outputs in a second display mode when the switching device is mounted on the touchscreen.

Claims

1. An information processing device, comprising:

a touchscreen that includes a first surface that outputs images and detects an input to the first surface;

a sensor that detects whether a switching device is mounted on the touchscreen; and

processing circuitry configured to control a display state of the touchscreen based on a detection result of the sensor so that

the touchscreen outputs in a first display mode when the switching device is not mounted on the touchscreen, and

the touchscreen outputs in a second display mode when the switching device is mounted on the touchscreen.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry controls the touchscreen so that, when outputting in the second display mode, the output images are formatted according to an arrangement of a plurality of switches on the switching device and a position of the switching device on the touchscreen.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the switching device includes an identifier, and

the sensor detects whether the switching device is mounted on the touchscreen according to whether the sensor recognizes the identifier.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the switching device includes a plurality of identifiers,

when the sensor detects that the switching device is mounted on the touchscreen, the sensor also detects an orientation of the switching device by recognizing respective positions of the plurality of identifiers, and

the processing circuitry recognizes the orientation of the switching device based on the orientation detected by the sensor, and formats the output images according to the orientation of the switching device.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor detects a placement error of the switching device upon the touchscreen, and

the processing circuitry controls the touchscreen to output the images to indicate the placement error.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the switching device outputs an electrostatic charge to the first surface of the touchscreen in response to each depression of a plurality of the switches of the switching device, and

the touchscreen detects the electrostatic charge, output by the switching device, as the input.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the switching device outputs a mechanical force to the first surface of the touchscreen in response to each depression of a plurality of the switches of the switching device, and

the touchscreen detects the mechanical force, output by the switching device, as the input.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

when in the first display mode, the touch screen outputs the images in a first area encompassing the first surface,

when in the second display mode and the touchscreen is mounted on a portion of the first surface, the touch screen outputs the images in a second area of the first surface, and

the second area being smaller than the first area and being adjacent to the portion of the first surface in which the switching device is mounted.

9. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein when in the second display mode, the second area is larger when the touchscreen is mounted in a portrait orientation than when the touchscreen is mounted in a landscape orientation.

10. A switching device, comprising;

a mechanically depressible switch; and

a pin configured for mounting the switching device onto a touchscreen of an information processing device, wherein

the switching device outputs a detectable change to the touchscreen in response to each depression of the mechanically depressible switch.

11. The switching device according to claim 10, wherein the switching device is configured to mount at a plurality of orientations onto the touchscreen.

12. The switching device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a second pin, wherein

both the pin and the second pin are configured for mounting the switching device at a plurality of orientations onto the touchscreen.

13. The switching device according to claim 10, wherein the switching device outputs an electrostatic charge to the touchscreen in response to depression of the mechanically depressible switch.

14. The switching device according to claim 10, wherein the switching device outputs a mechanical force to the touchscreen in response to depression of the mechanically depressible switch.

15. The switching device according to claim 10, further comprising a second mechanically depressible switch.

16. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a senor of an information processing device, whether a switching device is mounted onto a touchscreen of the information processing device;

controlling, by processing circuitry of the information processing device when a detection result of the sensor indicates that the switching device is not mounted on the touchscreen, the touchscreen to output images in a first display mode; and

controlling, by the processing circuitry when the detection result of the sensor indicates that the switching device is mounted on the touchscreen, the touchscreen to output the images in a second display mode.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing circuitry, the touchscreen so that when the touchscreen outputs in the second display mode, the images are formatted according to an arrangement of a plurality of switches on the switching device and a position of the switching device on the touchscreen.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein

the switching device includes an identifier, and

the method further comprises detecting, by the sensor, the switching device is mounted on the touchscreen according to whether the sensor recognizes the identifier.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein

the switching device outputs an electrostatic charge to the touchscreen in response to each depression of a plurality of the switches of the switching device, and

the method further comprises detecting the electrostatic charge output by the switching device.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein

the switching device outputs a mechanical force to the touchscreen in response to each depression of a plurality of the switches of the switching device, and

the method further comprises detecting the mechanical force output by the switching device.