Information processing apparatus and method, and information processing program

• US 7,320,112 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 01/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Soichi, Narukawa, Yoshitaka, Gomibuchi, Osamu, Hayashi, Kaoru, Yamaguchi, Yoshihiro, Yamamoto, Takashi, Agata, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ke; Peng
• Application Number:
  US09/947,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,323 Days
• Field of Search: 345708-713, 345/802, 345744-747, 345828-831, 345794-796
• US Class Current: 715/831
• 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 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 3/0481 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

Abstract

Executing a desired processing immediately by a simple operation using a jog dial for example. The display unit (3) has a jog dial (4) (a first operating means) and a back button (5) (second operating means) provided vertically at the right upper corner thereof. The jog dial (4) can be rotated and pushed. The back button (5) is to undo an operation having been made by pushing the jog dial (4), and it is located near the jog dial (5).

Claims

1. An information processor for processing information signals, the apparatus comprising:

an operating mechanism configured to select one of a plurality of operations when rotated and then pushed; and

a controlling mechanism configured to monitor the operated status of the operating mechanism and to open an operation window, displaying each of the plurality of operations, according to the operated status of the operating mechanism, wherein

the controlling mechanism is configured to detect a first pushed status of the operating mechanism, in which the operating mechanism has been pushed less than a predetermined length of time, and a second pushed status of the operating mechanism, in which the operating mechanism has been pushed for longer than the predetermined length of time,

the controlling mechanism is configured to undo an operation previously selected by the first pushed status when the second pushed status is detected, and said operating mechanism is not rotated between when the first pushed status and the second pushed states are detected,

the controlling mechanism is configured to detect the rotation and changes a menu item, and

upon detecting the first push status, the controlling mechanism is configured to cause a display of an operation guidance window configured to guide use of an active application program, and to cause a display of an operation launching window configured to launch an application program when there is no active application program.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the operation guidance window and operation launching window provides a two-step display in at least either a parent hierarchy or a child hierarchy.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when an application program is activated, an application window is opened and an indication that the application program is activated is displayed.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the controlling mechanism detects the second pushed status of the operating mechanism while the operation launching window is being displayed in the child hierarchy, the controlling mechanism restores the operation launching window to the parent hierarchy.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the controlling mechanism detects the second pushed status of the operating mechanism while the operation launching window is being displayed in the parent hierarchy, the controlling mechanism closes the operation launching window and activates a current top application program.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the controlling mechanism detects the second pushed status of the operating mechanism while the operation launching window is being displayed in the child hierarchy, the controlling mechanism restores the operation guidance window to the parent hierarchy.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the controlling mechanism detects the second pushed status of the operating mechanism while the operation launching window is being displayed in the child hierarchy, the controlling mechanism closes the operation guidance window and an active application program, and then displays the operation launching window.