Information processing device having detector capable of detecting coordinate values, as well as changes thereof, of a plurality of points on display screen

• US 7,307,623 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Enomoto, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US10/374,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20040021644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-179, 178/18.01, 178/18.03
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Using a touch-panel capable of detecting coordinate values of a plurality of points, as well as changes therein, on the display screen, a data block as a target for the information processing is selected based on the coordinate values of a plurality of the points which are specified by the user on the display screen, and is then subjected to a predetermined processing. This allows the user to handle the data through an operation closely simulating actual motion in the real world.

Claims

1. An information processing device which comprises a display unit for outputting in a displayed form a plurality of data blocks respectively having a coordinate value on the display screen and a detector for detecting coordinate values of a plurality of points designated by the user on the display screen, comprising:

an information processing unit for specifying a data block as a target for the information processing from a plurality of the data blocks based on the coordinate values of a plurality of the points, and executes a predetermined processing for the specified data block;

wherein the information processing unit specifies, as a target for the information processing, a data block which falls within an area formed by a plurality of the points;

wherein the detector detects changes in the coordinate values caused by a moving operation of a plurality of the points; and

wherein the information processing unit displays the specified data block while deforming it based on changes in the coordinate values for a plurality of the points.

2. An information processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

the information processing unit displays the specified data block while moving it based on changes in the coordinate values for a plurality of the points.

3. An information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing unit determines the amount of deformation of the data block depending on variation in the coordinate values.

4. An information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing unit displays the data block while being deformed in a direction normal to the display screen.

5. An information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing unit copies the specified data block after designation of a plurality of the points is cancelled.

6. An information processing device which comprises a display unit for outputting in a displayed form a plurality of data blocks respectively having a coordinate value on the display screen and a detector for detecting a coordinate value of a point designated by the user on the display screen, comprising:

an information processing unit for specifying a plurality of data blocks which falls within a predetermined range centered round the point as a target for the information processing from a plurality of the data blocks and displaying the specified data blocks to be moved near the point caused by a designating operation of die point.

7. An information processing device according to claim 6, wherein:

the detector detects changes in the coordinate value caused by a moving operation of the point; and

the information processing unit displays the specified data block while moving it based on the change in the coordinate value for the point.

8. An information processing device according to claim 6 wherein the information processing unit copies the specified data block after designation of a plurality of the points is cancelled.

9. An information processing device which comprises a display unit for outputting in a displayed form a data block having a coordinate value on the display screen and a detector for detecting coordinate values of a plurality of points designated by the user on the display screen, and changes in the coordinate values caused by a moving operation of a plurality of the points, comprising;

an information processing unit for specifying a data block including coordinate values of a plurality of the points as a target for the information processing and dividing the specified data block into at least two data blocks as the distance between a plurality of the points reaches or exceeds a predetermined value as a result of the moving operation of a plurality of the points.

10. An information processing device which comprises a display unit for outputting in a displayed form a first data block and a second data block respectively having a coordinate value on the display screen and a detector for detecting coordinate values of two points designated by the user on the display screen and changes in the coordinate values caused by a moving operation of the two points, comprising:

an information processing unit for specifying the first data block including the coordinate value of one of the two points and the second data block including the coordinate value of the other point as a target for the information processing and synthesizing the specified data block as the distance between the two points falls to or shorter than a predetermined value as a result of the moving operation of the two points.

11. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

outputting in a displayed manner a plurality of data blocks respectively having a coordinate value on the display screen;

detecting coordinate values of a plurality of points designated by the user on the display screen;

specifying a data block as a target for the information processing from a plurality of the data blocks based on the coordinate values of a plurality of the points;

detecting changes in the coordinate values caused by a moving operation of a plurality of the points; and

executing a predetermined information processing for the specified data block;

wherein the specifying step has a sub-step of specifying, as a target for the information processing, a data block which falls within an area formed by a plurality of the points; and

wherein the information processing step has a sub-step of displaying the specified data block while deforming it based on changes in the coordinate values for a plurality of the points.

12. An information processing method according to claim 11,

wherein the information processing step has a sub-step of displaying the specified data block while moving it based on changes in the coordinate values for a plurality of the points.

13. An information processing method according to claim 11, wherein the information processing step has a sub-step of determining the amount of deformation of the data block depending on variation in the coordinate values.

14. An information processing method according to claim 11, wherein the information processing step has a sub-step of displaying the data block while deforming it in a direction normal to the display screen.

15. An information processing method according to claim 11, further comprising copying the specified data block after designation of a plurality of the points is cancelled.

16. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

outputting in a displayed manner a plurality of data blocks respectively having a coordinate value on the display screen;

detecting a coordinate value of a point designated by the user on the display screen;

specifying a plurality of data blocks which fall within a predetermined range centered round the point as a target from a plurality of the data blocks and displaying the specified data blocks to be moved near the point.

17. An information processing method according to claim 16, wherein:

the detecting operation further includes detecting changes in the coordinate value caused by a moving operation of the point; and

the specifying operation further includes displaying the specified data block while moving it based on the change in the coordinate value for the point.

18. An information processing method according to claim 16, further comprising copying the specified data block after designation of a plurality of the points is cancelled.

19. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

outputting in a displayed manner a data block having a coordinate value on the display screen;

detecting coordinate values of a plurality of points designated by the user on the display screen, and changes in the coordinate values caused by a moving operation of a plurality of the points;

specifying a data block including coordinate values of a plurality of the points as a target for the information processing; and

dividing the specified data block into at least two data blocks as the distance between a plurality of the points reaches or exceeds a predetermined value as a result of the moving operation of a plurality of the points.

20. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

outputting in a displayed manner a first data block and a second data block respectively having a coordinate value on the display screen;

detecting coordinate values of two points designated by the user on the display screen, and changes in the coordinate values caused by a moving operation of the two points;

specifying the first data block including the coordinate value of one of the two points and the second data block including the coordinate value of the other point as a target for the information processing; and

synthesizing the specified data block as the distance between the two points falls to or shorter than a predetermined value as a result of the moving operation of the two points.

21. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein an information processing program executed on a computer, wherein the information processing program comprises the steps of:

outputting in a displayed manner a plurality of data blocks respectively having a coordinate value on the display screen;

detecting coordinate values of a plurality of points designated by the user on the display screen;

specifying a data block as a target for the information processing from a plurality of the data blocks based on the coordinate values of a plurality of the points;

detecting changes in the coordinate values caused by a moving operation of a plurality of the points; and

executing a predetermined information processing for the specified data block;

wherein the specifying step has a sub-step of specifying, as a target for the information processing, a data block which falls within an area formed by a plurality of the points; and

wherein the information processing step has a sub-step of displaying the specified data block while deforming it based on changes in the coordinate values for a plurality of the points.

22. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 21,

wherein the information processing step has a sub-step of displaying the specified data block while moving it based on changes in the coordinate values for a plurality of the points.

23. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 21, wherein the information processing step has a sub-step of determining the amount of deformation of the data block depending on variation in the coordinate values.

24. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 21, wherein the information processing step has a sub-step of displaying the data block while deforming it in a direction normal to the display screen.

25. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 21, further comprising copying the specified data block after designation of a plurality of the points is cancelled.

26. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein an information processing program executed on a computer, wherein the information processing program comprises the steps of:

outputting in a displayed manner a plurality of data blocks respectively having a coordinate value on the display screen;

detecting a coordinate value of a point designated by the user on the display screen;

specifying a plurality of data blocks which falls within a predetermined range centered round the point as a target from a plurality of the data blocks and displaying the specified data blocks to be moved near the point.

27. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 26, wherein:

the detecting operation further includes detecting changes in the coordinate value caused by a moving operation of the point; and

the specifying operation further includes displaying the specified data block while moving it based on the change in the coordinate value for the point.

28. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 26, further comprising copying the specified data block after designation of a plurality of the points is cancelled.

29. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein an information processing program executed on a computer, wherein the information processing program comprises the steps of:

outputting in a displayed manner a data block having a coordinate value on the display screen;

detecting coordinate values of a plurality of points designated by the user on the display screen, and changes in the coordinate values caused by a moving operation of a plurality of the points;

specifying a data block including coordinate values of a plurality of the points as a target for the information processing; and

dividing the specified data block into at least two data blocks as the distance between a plurality of the points reaches or exceeds a predetermined value as a result of the moving operation of a plurality of the points.

30. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein an information processing program executed on a computer, wherein the information processing program comprises the steps of:

outputting in a displayed manner a first data block and a second data block respectively having a coordinate value on the display screen;

detecting coordinate values of two points designated by the user on the display screen, and changes in the coordinate values caused by a moving operation of the two points;

specifying the first data block including the coordinate value of one of the two points and the second data block including the coordinate value of the other point as a target for the information processing; and

synthesizing the specified data block as the distance between the two points falls to or shorter than a predetermined value as a result of the moving operation of the two points.