Data processing

• US 7,443,385 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eastty, Peter Charles, Thorpe, Peter Damien, Sleight, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Henry N
• Application Number:
  US10/925,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20050024345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 345/180, 345/181, 345/170, 345172-175, 715/824, 715/716, 715/726, 715/732, 715/764, 715/772, 715/798, 715/800, 178 1801- 1807
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios

Abstract

Data processing apparatus comprises an array of user-operable controls, the controls being adjustable by movement of a user'"'"'s hand while touching a control; a detector for detecting when a user'"'"'s hand is touching a control; a display screen for displaying respective screen icons associated with the controls; and a display processor, responsive to a detection that a user'"'"'s hand is touching one of the controls, for altering the screen icon associated with that control.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a touch-sensitive display screen for displaying a set of screen icons associated respectively with an array of user-operable controls, said array of user-operable controls being adjustable by movement of a user'"'"'s hand on the touch-sensitive display screen while touching one of said controls,

wherein a particular position of a user'"'"'s hand on one of said controls adjusts a gain value relative to current levels and irrespective of the start position of the user'"'"'s hand on the touch-sensitive display screen;

a detector for detecting when the user'"'"'s hand is touching one of said controls; and

a display processor, responsive to a detection, such that when said user'"'"'s hand touches one of said controls, said screen icon associated with said control is enlarged and highlighted on said touch-sensitive display screen, thereby facilitating the user'"'"'s operation of said array of controls,

wherein when a pop-up icon, representing a control that was touched, is shifted diagonally downwards and to the right, by between 1 and 10 pixels, on the display screen, thereby indicating that the control is under adjustment, and

wherein particular areas are colored in different shades according to degrees of proximity of the user'"'"'s hand to these particular areas.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is an audio processing apparatus and said array of controls relates at least in part to a control of audio processing parameters.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, in which said screen icon relating to a control displays, at least an audio processing parameter associated with said control.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which said display processor is operable to change a display color of at least a part of said icon associated with said one of said controls.