Information processing terminal

• US 7,230,605 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2002
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tajima, Shigeru, Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Jimmy H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TAMMY T
• Application Number:
  US10/250,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20040100441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/169, 345/156, 715/701, 715/702, 173/516, 273/148, 463/46, 463/47, 463/147, 463/38, 340/425.5
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 1/1694 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 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information processing terminal that makes it possible to implement a more preferable user interface. A user can input various processes by inclining a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) 1, while depressing a control button 14. For example, when a menu screen for selecting application programs is displayed on a display section, the user moves a cursor by inclining the PDA 1 to select an application program for execution. The PDA 1 generates a clicking feel (feedback) to the user every time it moves the cursor. The present invention is applicable to portable information terminals such as PDAs, and various remote controllers for televisions, game machines and the like.

Claims

1. An information processing terminal held and used by user'"'"'s hand, characterized by comprising:

execution means for executing a predetermined process;

displacement detection means for detecting a displacement of an attitude of a housing of said information processing terminal; and

vibration generation means for generating vibration to said housing when said displacement of the attitude detected by said displacement detection means exceeds a predetermined value,

wherein said displacement detection means detects an angular velocity with respect to a predetermined axis of said housing, and wherein said vibration generation means comprises a spindle that rotates to cancel the rotational angular velocity.

2. The information processing terminal according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising:

display means for displaying a plurality of items of information; and

display switching means for switching said information displayed by said display means in addition to the vibrations generated by said vibration generation means.

3. The information processing terminal according to claim 2, characterized by further comprising instruction means for instructing execution of said information switched by said display switching means,

wherein said execution means executes a process corresponding to said information instructed by said instruction means.

4. The information processing terminal according to claim 1, wherein said displacement detection means detects a displacement of a rotation with respect to a predetermined axis of said housing.

5. The information processing terminal according to claim 1, wherein said display switching means displays said information displayed by said display means in one of an enlarged and a reduced form.

6. The information processing terminal according to claim 1, wherein said vibration generation means is provided so as to project from said housing, and generates the vibrations transmitted to said user'"'"'s hand which touches said housing.

7. The information processing terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that said information processing terminal comprises an input device of another information processing apparatus, and by further comprising transmission means for transmitting an instruction to said another information processing apparatus.

8. The information processing terminal according to claim 7, characterized by further comprising receiving means for receiving a signal from said another information processing apparatus,

wherein said vibration generation means generates the vibrations to said housing according to said signal received by said receiving means.

10. The information processing terminal according to claim 1 wherein said spindle rotates rapidly for a predetermined period of time.

11. The information processing terminal according to claim 10, wherein said spindle rapidly stops rotating after the predetermined period of time.

9. An information processing method for an information processing terminal held and used by a user'"'"'s hand, characterized by comprising:

an execution step for executing a predetermined process;

a displacement detection step for detecting a displacement of an attitude of a housing of said information processing terminal; and

a vibration generation step for generating vibrations to said housing when said displacement of said attitude detected by processing of said displacement detection step exceeds a predetermined value,

wherein said displacement detection step includes the step of detecting an angular velocity with respect to a predetermined axis of said housing, and wherein said vibration generation step includes the step of rotating a spindle to cancel the rotational angular velocity.

12. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein said vibration generation step rotates said spindle rapidly for a predetermined period of time.

13. The information processing terminal according to claim 12, wherein said vibration generation step rapidly stops rotating said spindle after the predetermined period of time.