Information processing device and method

• US 6,567,068 B2
• Filed: 07/29/1997
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/902,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,121 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/162, 345/169, 345/172, 345/901
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

In an information processing device, when an operation button is pushed, a menu is displayed on the screen of an LCD. When the whole portable type information processing device (PDA) is rotated around the X-axis, the Y-axis or the Z-axis with the operation button being pushed, the rotation is detected by a triaxial gyro sensor, and on the basis of the detection result a cursor displayed on the screen is moved on the menu. By releasing the operation button when the cursor is located on a desired menu item, the selection of the menu item at which the cursor is located is settled, and the processing corresponding to the selected menu item is started.

Claims

1. An information processing device which is provided in a portable-size housing, comprising:

display means for displaying information including selection information;

detection means for detecting a rotation of the housing;

instructions means for providing instructions for the selection of specific selection information displayed on the display means based on the rotation detected by the detection means; and

processing means for processing the selection information which is selected by the instructing means, for controlling the display to display information associated with the selected selection information.

2. The information processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selection information is a menu, and wherein the processing means controls the display means to move the menu displayed on the display means on the basis of the instructions provided by the instruction means and the rotation detected by the detection means.

3. The information processing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the menu includes one or more items;

and

when an item is selected from the menu by the instructing means, the processing means performs processing relating to the selected item.

4. The information processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information displayed by the display means is a map view;

and

the selection information selected by the instructing means, and processed by the processing means causes the display to move the map view displayed on the display means on the basis of the rotation detected by the detection means.

5. The information processing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the selection information comprises areas from the plan map view, and wherein when the instructions means selects an area from the map view the processing means performs processing relating to the selected area.

6. The information processing device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising location detection means for detecting the current location of the device.

7. The information processing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the location detection means detects the current location of the device by using a Global Positioning System.

8. The information processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is designed in such a size as to be portable by one hand.

9. The information processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection means detects two components of rotation in two axial directions which are perpendicular to each other.

10. The information processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection means detects three components of rotation in three axial direction which are perpendicular to one another.

12. The information processing device of claim 1, wherein:

the information processing device is portable by a single hand; and

the instructing means may be controlled with a single finger or thumb of the single hand.

13. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein:

the menu comprises one or more items;

the processing means moves a cursor displayed on he display means from one item to another item of the menu based on the rotation detected by the detection means.

14. The information processing device of claim 4, wherein:

the information processing device is portable by a single hand; and

the instructing means may be controlled with a single finger or thumb of the single hand.

15. The information processing device of claim 4, wherein when no selection information has been selected by the instructing means, the map displayed on the display means is fixed according to the last selection information selected by the instructing means.

16. The information processing device of claim 4, wherein the display means is adapted to display a perspective view of the map from a view point selected by the instructing means.

17. The information processing device of claim 4, wherein the display means is adapted to display a bird'"'"'s-eye view of the map from a view point selected by the instructing means.

18. The information processing device of claim 4, wherein the display means displays a destination location based on instructions from the instructing means.

19. The information processing device of claim 4, wherein the display means displayed the map from a series of predetermined view points according to a set of prior instructions by the instructing means.

20. The information processing device of claim 4, wherein:

the instructing means is adapted to select a line of sight; and

the display means is adapted to display the map as a projection into a view plane perpendicular to the selected line of sight.

21. The information processing device of claim 6, wherein the display means displays the location of the device on the map view in accordance with the location detected by the location detection means.

22. The information processing device of claim 6, wherein the display means displays a destination location based on selection information by selected the instructing means.

28. The information processing device of claim 13, wherein when the cursor is located at a menu item, the item is emphasized.

29. The information processing device of claim 13, wherein:

when the cursor is located at a menu item, the instructing means may select the menu item; and

when the item is selected by the instructing means, the processing means performs processing relating to the selected menu item.

11. An information processing method for use in an information processing and display device which is provided in a portable-sized housing comprising the steps of:

displaying information including selection information;

detecting a rotation of the housing;

selecting desired selection information based upon the detected rotation;

performing processing relating to the selected selection information;

displaying information corresponding to the selected information.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the selection information is a menu;

the selecting step comprises selecting an item from the menu; and

the processing step comprises processing in accordance with the item selected from the menu.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the information displayed is a map view;

the selecting step comprises selecting an area of the map to display and selecting the view point from which to display the map.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the information processing device further comprises a location of the device.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein the information processing device is portable and sized to be held by a single hand.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the information processing device is configured to be controlled with a single finger or thumb of the single hand.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying a perspective view of the map.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying a bird'"'"'s-eye view of the map.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the selecting step comprises selecting a series of view points from which the may is to be displayed; and

the displaying step comprises displaying the map from each of the series of view points.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the selecting step comprises selecting a destination location; and

the displaying step comprises displaying the destination location on the map.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the displaying step comprises displaying the map from a range of view points, wherein each view point corresponds to a rotation angle of the housing detected in the detecting step.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the selecting step comprises selecting a line of sight; and

the displaying step comprises displaying the map as a projection into a view plane perpendicular to the line of sight.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein the location detection means comprises a GPS system.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying an area of the map corresponding to the location of the information processing device.

38. An information processing device, comprising:

a portable housing;

a monitor which is adapted to display information;

an angular velocity sensor which detects changes in the angular velocity of the housing, operates without reference to a direction of gravitational pull;

a control which is adapted to control the monitor and to select information displayed on the monitor, and which generates control signals; and

a processor which causes changes in the information displayed on the monitor after processing the control signals and the sensor signals.

39. The information processing device of claim 38, wherein:

the housing is portable and may be held by a single hand; and

the control is controllable with a single finger or thumb of the single hand.

40. The information processing device of claim 38, wherein:

the displayed information is a menu of one or more items; and

the processor is configured to display a cursor on the monitor which moves from one item to another item of the menu based on the rotation detected by the angular velocity sensor.

41. The information processing device of claim 40, wherein when the cursor is located at an item, that item is emphasized.

42. The information processing device of claim 40, wherein:

when the cursor is located at a menu item, the control may select the control may select that item; and

when the item is in fact selected by the control, the processor performs processing relating to the selected item.

43. The information processing device of claim 38, wherein the information displayed on the display is cartographic information.

44. The information processing device of claim 38, wherein the angular velocity sensor is a gyroscopic sensor.

45. The information processing device of claim 43, wherein the cartographic information is displayed in a map view.

46. The information processing device of claim 43, wherein the control is adapted to control the display of the cartographic information.

47. The information processing device of claim 45, wherein when the control generates a control signal, the processor controls the monitor to display the map view in accordance with the sensor signals.

48. The information processing device of claim 45, wherein:

the control is adapted to select an area from the map view; and

when an area from the map view is selected by the control, the processor performs processing related to the selected area.

49. The information processing device of claim 45, further comprising a location detector which detects the location of the device and generates location signals.

50. The information processing device of claim 45, wherein the monitor displays the cartographic information as a perspective map view.

51. The information processing device of claim 45, wherein the monitor displays the cartographic information as a bird'"'"'s-eye map view.

52. The information processing device of claim 45, wherein the monitor displays the map view from a series of view points previously selected by the control.

53. The information processing device of claim 45, wherein the monitor displays a map projection onto a view plane perpendicular to a line of sight selected by the control.

54. The information processing device of claim 45, wherein the monitor displays a destination selected by the control.

55. The information processing device of claim 47, wherein the processor is configured such that, when the control ceases to generate a control signal, the processor controls the monitor to display a map view in accordance with the last sensor signal received by the processor prior to the cessation of control signal.

56. The information processing device of claim 49, wherein the location detector is a Global Positioning System detector.

57. The information processing device of claim 49, wherein the processor receives location signals from the location detector and controls the monitor to display an area of the map view corresponding to the location of the device.

58. The information processing device of claim 50, wherein the perspective view of the map is displayed from a view point selected by the control.

59. The information processing device of claim 51, wherein the bird'"'"'s eye view of the map is displayed from a view point selected by the control.

60. An information processing device, comprising:

a portable housing;

a monitor which is adapted to display information including cartographic information;

a vibration gyro sensor which detects rotation of the housing and which generates sensor signals;

a control which is adapted to control the monitor and to select displayed information, and which generates control signals; and

a processor which causes changes in the cartographic information displayed by the monitor after processing the control signals and the sensor signals.

61. The information processing device of claim 60, wherein:

the housing is portable and adapted to be held in a single hand; and

the control is adapted to be operable by a single finger or thumb of said single hand.

62. The information processing device of claim 60, wherein:

the displayed information includes a menu of one or more items; and

the processor is configured to move a cursor displayed on the monitor from one item to another item of the menu based on the rotation detected by the detection means and control signals generated by the control.

63. The information processing device of claim 60, wherein when the cursor is located at an item, the item is emphasized.

64. The information processing device of claim 60, wherein:

the processor is configured such that when the cursor is located at a menu item, the item may be selected by the control; and

when an item is selected by the control, the processor performs processing relating to the selected item.

65. The information processing device of claim 60, wherein the sensor is a gyroscopic sensor.

66. The information processing device of claim 60, wherein the cartographic information is displayed in a map view.

67. The information processing device of claim 60, wherein the control is adapted to control the cartographic information.

68. The information processing device of claim 66, wherein when the control generates control signals, the processor controls the map view displayed on the monitor in accordance with the sensor signals.

69. The information processing device of claim 66, wherein:

the control is adapted to select an area from the map view; and

when the control selects an area from the map view, the processor performs processing related to the selected area.

70. The information processing device of claim 66, further comprising a location detector which detects the location of the device and generates location signals.

71. The information processing device of claim 66, wherein the monitor displays a perspective view of the map.

72. The information processing device of claim 66, wherein the monitor displays a bird'"'"'-eye view of the map.

73. The information processing device of claim 66, wherein the monitor displays the map view from a series of view points previously selected by the control.

74. The information processing device of claim 66, wherein the monitor displays a map projection onto a view plane perpendicular to a line of sigh selected by the control.

75. The information processing device of claim 66, wherein the monitor displays an area of the map view corresponding to a destination selected by the control.

76. The information processing device of claim 68, wherein when the control ceases to generate said control signals, the processor controls the monitor to display a map view in accordance with the last sensor signal received by the processor prior to the cessation of said control signals.

77. The information processing device of claim 70, wherein the location detector is a Global Positioning System detector.

78. The information processing device of claim 70, wherein the processor receives location signals from the location detector and controls the monitor to display a portion of the map view corresponding to the location of the device.

79. The information processing device of claim 71, wherein the perspective view of the map is drawn from a view point selected by the control.

80. The information processing device of claim 72, wherein the bird'"'"'s eye view of the map is drawn from a view point selected by the control.