Information processing apparatus and display control method of the same information processing apparatus

• US 6,392,638 B2
• Filed: 01/13/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Muraoka, Jochiku, Hanajima, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/229,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20020008691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/173, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.02, 178/18.03, 178/19.01, 178/19.02, 178/19.03, 178/19.04
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The present invention discloses an information processing apparatus comprising a display device to display images and a touch panel device to output signals for a depressing position and a depressing pressure. The images of the icons that are displayed are changed depending on the output from the touch panel device. The composite icon display control is determined for the depressing pressure level information as the comparison result of the depressing pressure and reference depressing pressure and depressing position change information as the monitoring result of depressing position in addition to the depressing position information of the touch panel device. When the touch panel is depressed with a weak pressure, the icon corresponding to the depressing position is displayed in the highlight display mode. In addition, when the touch panel is depressed with a higher pressure to move the depressing position corresponding to the knob of an icon of the varying device such as a slide volume having the knob, both knob position and amount of control of the varying device change following the movement of the depressing position.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus including a display device for displaying images in relation to the predetermined processes among a plurality of different processes and a touch panel device for outputting a depressing position signal indicating the depressing position on the touch panel and a depressing pressure signal indicating the depressing pressure on the touch panel in view of respectively executing a plurality of processes explained above depending on said depressing position signal and said depressing pressure signal, comprising:

comparing means for comparing said depressing pressure indicated by said depressing pressure signal from said touch panel device with the reference depressing pressure;

propagating means for propagating a surface elastic wave, and then comparing successively generated surface elastic waves to detect said depressing position by a change in said surface elastic wave;

monitoring means for monitoring change of the depressing position indicated by said depressing position signal depending on said depressing position signal from said touch panel device;

processing means for selecting and processing the process to be executed among a plurality of said processes depending on an output of said touch panel device, an output of said comparing means and an output of said monitoring means; and

display control means for modifying said display image displayed on said display device depending on an output of said touch panel device, an output of said monitoring means and said process selected by said processing means.

2. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes a luminance processing means for controlling said display control means, when an output is generated from said touch panel device, to increase the luminance and maintains such luminance until the next change for the image corresponding to the depressing position among said images displayed on said display device when an output of said comparing means indicates that said depressing pressure signal is smaller than said reference depressing pressure and an output of said monitoring means indicates that there is no change in said depressing position.

3. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes a varying device control means for controlling said display control means to display on said display device a typical image of the varying device including a control knob indicating the setting position for amount of control, controlling said display control means, when said touch panel device generates an output, so that said knob displayed on said display device changes following said depressing position when an output of said comparing means indicates that said depressing pressure signal is smaller than said reference depressing pressure and an output of said monitoring means indicates that said depressing position changes continuously, next outputting a control amount signal indicating the amount of control corresponding to the setting position where said change disappears when an output of said monitoring means indicates that there is no change of said setting position and an output of said comparing means indicates that said depressing pressure signal is larger than said reference depressing pressure, and controlling said display control means so that said knob displayed on said display device changes following said depressing position and also outputting a control amount signal indicating amount of control which changes following the setting position of said knob when an output of said comparing means indicates that said depressing pressure signal is larger than said reference depressing pressure and said monitoring means indicates that said depressing position changes continuously.

4. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depressing surface of said touch panel device is transparent and is laid on the display surface of said display device.

5. An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises a memory for storing program data for a plurality of processes and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for controlling execution of a plurality of processes on the basis of an output of said touch panel device, an output of said comparing means and a program data of said memory.

6. A method of controlling display of an information processing apparatus comprising a display device to display images in relation to the predetermined process among a plurality of different processes and a touch panel device to output a depressing position signal indicating the depressing position on the touch panel and a depressing pressure signal indicating the depressing pressure for the touch panel in view of executing a plurality of different processes depending on said depressing position signal and said depressing pressure signal, comprising:

comparing step for comparing said depressing pressure indicated by said depressing pressure signal from said touch panel device with the reference depressing pressure;

propagating step for propagating a surface elastic wave; and

then comparing successively generated surface elastic waves to detect said depressing position by a change in said surface elastic wave;

monitoring step for monitoring change of the depressing position indicated by said depressing position signal depending on said depressing position signal form said touch panel device; and

luminance processing step for executing the process to control said display device, on the occasion that said touch panel has generated an output, to increase the luminance and maintain such luminance until the next change for the image corresponding to the depressing position among the images in relation to said predetermined process indicated on said display device when the result of said comparing step indicates that said depressing pressure signal is smaller than said reference depressing pressure and when the result of said monitoring step indicates that said depressing position does not change.

7. A method of controlling display of an information processing apparatus including a display device for displaying images in relation to the predetermined processes among a plurality of different processes and a touch panel device to output a depressing position signal indicating the depressing position on the touch panel and a depressing pressure signal indicating the depressing pressure for the touch panel in view of executing a plurality of different processes depending on said depressing position signal and said depressing pressure signal, comprising:

comparing step for comparing said depressing pressure indicated by said depressing pressure signal from said touch panel device with the reference depressing pressure;

propagating step for propagating a surface elastic wave; and

then comparing successively generated surface elastic waves to detect said depressing position by a change in said surface elastic wave;

monitoring step for monitoring change of the depressing position indicated by said depressing position signal depending on said depressing position signal form said touch panel device; and

varying device control processing step for controlling said device to display on said display device to display on said display device a typical image of the varying device including a control knob indicating the setting position for amount of control, controlling said display device, when said touch panel device generates an output, so that said setting position of said knob displayed on said display device changes following said depressing position when the result of said comparing step indicates that said depressing position signal is smaller than said reference depressing pressure and the result of said monitoring step indicates that said depressing position changes continuously, next outputting a control amount signal indicating the amount of control corresponding to the setting position where said change disappears when the result of said monitoring step indicates that there is no change of said setting position and the result of said comparing step indicates that said depressing pressure signal is larger than said reference depressing pressure, and controlling said display device so that said knob displayed on said display device changes following said depressing position and also outputting a control amount signal indicating amount of control which changes following the setting position of said knob when the result of said comparing step indicates that said depressing pressure signal is larger than said reference depressing pressure and the result of said monitoring step indicates that said depressing position changes continuously.