Information processing apparatus, control method therefor, and computer-readable memory

• US 6,963,349 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2000
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagasaki, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMJOO, MANUCHEHR
• Application Number:
  US09/619,540
• Time in Patent Office: 1,938 Days
• Field of Search: 345784-787, 345/973, 345/919, 345/781, 345/764, 345/778
• US Class Current: 345/649
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar

Abstract

A RAM stores a management table for making the indication state of an indicator in the display direction correspond to control information for controlling the operation an information processing apparatus for the indication state. A CPU detects the indication state of the indicator, and controls the operation of the information processing apparatus on the basis of control information of the management table corresponding to the detection result.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying information in a display region, wherein the display region has an adjustable orientation, and wherein the information displayed in the display region has an orientation controllable to correspond to the orientation of the display region;

input means affixed to the information processing apparatus for inputting directional information, wherein said input means is a jog dial switch or a shuttle switch;

designation means for designating a display orientation of the display region;

storage means for storing a management table for storing control signals, wherein said management table is indexed by directional information and display orientation; and

control means for controlling the scrolling of information displayed in the display region by selecting control signals stored in the management table corresponding to the directional information input by said input means and the display orientation designated by said designation means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display region has a rectangular shape, and can be oriented in a vertical direction for displaying a display window with a long side of the rectangle directed vertically, or in a horizontal direction for displaying the display window with the long side directed horizontally,

wherein, when said display region is oriented in a vertical direction, said control signals control a vertical scroll operation,

and wherein, when the display region is oriented in a horizontal direction, said control signals control a horizontal scroll operation.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display region has a rectangular shape, and can be oriented in a vertical direction for displaying a display window with a long side of the rectangle directed vertically, or in a horizontal direction for displaying the display window with the long side directed horizontally,

wherein, when the display region is oriented in a vertical direction, said control signals control a vertical scroll operation,

and wherein, when the display region is oriented in a horizontal direction, said control signals control a vertical scroll operation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 4, wherein said designation means includes a predetermined icon in the display region.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 4, wherein said control means comprises change means for changing the control signals stored in the management table by adjusting said input means.

4. An information processing apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying information in a display region, wherein the display region has an adjustable orientation, and wherein the information displayed in the display region has an orientation controllable to correspond to the orientation of the display region;

input means affixed to the information processing apparatus for inputting directional information, wherein said input means is a jog dial switch or a shuttle switch;

designation means for designating a display orientation of the display region;

storage means for storing a management table for storing control signals, wherein said management table is indexed by directional information and display orientation; and

control means for controlling a focusing operation to a plurality of focusing targets displayed in the display region by selecting control signals stored in the management table corresponding to the directional information input by said input means and the display orientation designated by the designation means.

14. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display region has a rectangular shape, and can be oriented in a vertical direction for displaying a display window with a long side of the rectangle directed vertically, or in a horizontal direction for displaying the display window with the long side directed horizontally,

wherein, when the display region is oriented in a vertical direction, said control signals control a vertical focusing operation, and

wherein, when the display region is oriented in a horizontal direction, said control signals control a horizontal focusing operation.

7. A control method for an information processing apparatus, said method comprising:

a display step of displaying information in a display region, wherein the display region has an adjustable orientation, and wherein the information displayed in the display region has an orientation controllable to correspond to the orientation of the display region;

an input step of inputting directional information using a jog dial or a shuttle switch affixed to the information processing apparatus;

a designation step of designating a display orientation of the display region;

a storage step of storing a management table for storing control signals, wherein the management table is indexed by directional information and display orientation; and

a control step of controlling the scrolling of information displayed in the display region by selecting control signals stored in the management table corresponding to the directional information input in the input step and the display orientation designated in the designation step.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the display region has a rectangular shape, and can be oriented in a vertical direction for displaying a display window with a long side of the rectangle directed vertically, or in a horizontal direction for displaying the display window with the long side directed horizontally,

wherein, when the display region is oriented in a vertical direction, said control signals control a vertical scroll operation,

and wherein, when the display region is oriented in a horizontal direction, the control signals control a horizontal scroll operation.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the display region has a rectangular shape, and can be oriented in a vertical direction for displaying a display window with a long side of the rectangle directed vertically, or in a horizontal direction for displaying the display window with the long side directed horizontally,

wherein, when the display region is oriented in a vertical direction, said control signals control a vertical scrolling operation,

and wherein, when the display region is oriented in a horizontal direction, said control signals control a vertical scroll operation.

10. An control method for an information processing apparatus, said method comprising:

a display step of displaying information in a display region, wherein the display region has an adjustable orientation, and wherein the information displayed in the display region has an orientation controllable to correspond to the orientation of the display region;

an input step of inputting directional information using a jog dial or a shuttle switch affixed to the information processing apparatus;

a designation step of designating a display orientation of the display region;

a storage step of storing a management table for storing control signals, wherein the management table is indexed by directional information and display orientation; and

a control step of controlling a focusing operation to a plurality of focusing targets displayed in the display region by selecting control signals stored in the management table corresponding to the directional information input in said input step and the display orientation designated in the designation step.

11. The method according to claim 7 or 10, wherein said designation step includes displaying a predetermined icon in the display region.

12. The method according to claim 7 or 10, wherein said control step comprises a change step of changing the control signals stored in the management table by adjusting the jog dial or shuttle.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the display region has a rectangular shape, and can be oriented in a vertical direction for displaying a display window with a long side of the rectangle directed vertically, or in a horizontal direction for displaying the display window with the long side directed horizontally, and

wherein, when the display region is oriented in a vertical direction, said control signals control a vertical focusing operation, and

wherein, when the display region is oriented in a horizontal direction, said control signals control a vertical focusing operation.

13. A computer-readable memory which stores program codes for controlling an information processing apparatus, said computer-readable memory comprising program codes of:

a display step of displaying information in a display region, wherein the display region has an adjustable orientation, and wherein the information displayed in the display region has an orientation controllable to correspond to the orientation of the display region;

an input step of inputting directional information using a jog dial switch or a shuttle switch affixed to the information processing apparatus;

a designation step of designating a display orientation of the display region;

a storage step of storing a management table for storing control signals, wherein said management table is indexed by directional information and display orientation; and

a control step of controlling the scrolling of information displayed in the display region by selecting control signals stored in the management table corresponding to the directional information input in said input step and the display orientation designated in said designation step.

16. A computer-readable memory for storing program code for controlling an information processing apparatus, said program code comprising:

code for a display step of displaying information in a display region, wherein the display region has an adjustable orientation, and wherein the information displayed in the display region has an orientation controllable to correspond to the orientation of the display region;

code for an input step of inputting directional information using a jog dial or a shuttle switch affixed to the information processing apparatus;

code for a designation step of designating a display orientation of the display region;

code for a storage step of storing a management table for storing control signals, wherein the management table is indexed by directional information and display orientation; and

code for a control step of controlling a focusing operation to a plurality of focusing targets displayed in the display region by selecting control signals stored in the management table corresponding to the directional information input in said input step and the display orientation designated in the designation step.