Information processing method and apparatus and medium

• US 6,710,771 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Yuichiro, Kohno, Tetsuya, Sato, Soichi, Yamaguchi, Yoshihiro, Suzuki, Jun, Ueno, Yoshifumi, Hasegawa, Tota
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/570,005
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 345/159, 345/169, 345/339, 345/348, 345/352, 345/353, 345/703, 345/710, 345/712, 345/808, 345/819, 345/830, 345/184, 345/705, 345/834, 345/156, 345/168, 345/172, 345/810, 345/785, 345/684, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/572, 455/574, 455/566
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/902 Menu display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar

Abstract

An information processing method and apparatus free from a defect in a conventional system that complicated processing operations need to be executed before a user selects a desired application program on a task bar equipped with a start menu button and starts the selected program. A jog dial related application declares to a jog dial state monitor program 54C that it (application) itself is a jog dial related application. The jog dial state monitor program 54C then adds the application software to a list of the jog dial related applications. The display of the jog dial menu is then set to a display proper to the application and apprised to the user in the form of a jog dial guide. The jog dial related application advises the illustration of the jog dial operation in the current state to the jog dial state monitor program 54C in the form of a letter string.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

actuating means including a jog dial having a first actuating portion associated with a rotating operation and a second operating portion associated with movement actuation in one translational direction; and

control means for monitoring the state of said actuating means and for executing a pre-set processing operation in meeting with each actuation;

said control means switching an actuating window associated with said actuating means in at least two modes responsive to the state of an application program;

wherein said two modes are a guide state mode showing a guide state of guiding the operation of an activated application program and a launcher state mode showing a launcher state launching an application program for selection in the absence of an activated application program;

wherein said guide state mode and said launcher state mode are operable for a number of application programs by using said jog dial and an input device and wherein said guide state mode and said launcher state mode are operable for a number of application programs by using only said jog dial; and

wherein said jog dial has a one-touch actuating function to automatically cause a sequence of operations including startup of a pre-set application or a pre-set operation to commence from a power saving mode state by touching said jog dial only once.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, if the activated application program corresponds to said actuating means, said control means displays an operating guide proper to an application on said actuating window by a notification from said application program.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, if the activated application program does not correspond to said actuating means, said control means displays a previously set predetermined operation on said actuating window to execute an operation in agreement with said display.

4. An information processing method comprising:

a controlling step of monitoring the state of actuating means including a jog dial having a first actuating portion associated with a rotating operation and a second operating portion associated with movement actuation in one translational direction and for executing a pre-set processing operation in meeting with each actuation;

said control step switching an actuating window in at least two modes responsive to the state of an application program;

wherein said two modes are a guide state mode showing a guide state of guiding the operation of an activated application program and a launcher state mode showing a launcher state launching a application program for selection in the absence of an activated application program;

wherein said guide state mode and said launcher state mode are operable for a number of application programs by using said jog dial and an input device and wherein said guide state mode and said launcher state mode are operable for a number of application programs by using only said jog dial; and

wherein said jog dial has a one-touch actuating function to automatically cause a sequence of operations including startup of a pre-set application or a pre-set operation to commence from a power saving mode state by touching said jog dial only once.

5. The information processing method according to claim 4 wherein, if the activated application program corresponds to said actuating means, said control step displays an operating guide proper to an application on said actuating window by a notification from said application program.

6. The information processing method according to claim 4 wherein, if the activated application program does not correspond to said actuating means, said control means displays a previously set predetermined operation on said actuating window to execute an operation in agreement with said display.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

actuating means including a jog dial being movable in a rotating direction and a translational direction; and

control means for monitoring the state of said actuating means and for executing a pre-set processing operation in accordance with therewith,

wherein said apparatus is operable in at least two modes including a guide state mode which causes a guide state for guiding an operation of an application program to be displayed on a display device and a launcher state mode which causes a desired application program to be launched,

wherein said guide state mode and said launcher state mode are operable for a number of application programs by using said jog dial and an input device and wherein said guide state mode and said launcher state mode are accessible for a number of application programs by using only said jog dial; and

wherein said jog dial has a one-touch actuating function to automatically cause a sequence of operations including startup of a pre-set application or a pre-set operation to commence from a power saving mode state by touching said jog dial only once.

8. A method for processing information obtained by use of a processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

using an actuating means including a jog dial being movable in a rotating direction and a translational direction; and

monitoring the state of said actuating means and executing a pre-set processing operation in accordance with therewith,

wherein said two modes are a guide state mode which causes a guide state for guiding an operation of an application program to be displayed on a display device and a launcher state mode which causes a desired application program to be launched,

wherein said guide state mode and said launcher state mode are operable for a number of application programs by using said jog dial and an input device and wherein said guide state mode and said launcher state mode are accessible for a number of application programs by using only said jog dial; and

wherein said jog dial has a one-touch actuating function to automatically cause a sequence of operations including startup of a pre-set application or a pre-set operation to commence from a power saving mode state by touching said jog dial only once.