User interface for processing data by utilizing attribute information on data

• US 8,234,581 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kake, Tomokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US12/018,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20080229222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-277, 715700-867, 700701-866, 709201-229, 705 50- 79, 345 30-111, 386 46-131, 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 718/101, 726/1, 342/450, 725/50, 1/1
• US Class Current: 715/764
• 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

A data processing apparatus including a data file storing section storing data files; a user interface section assigning first objects to respective data units, displaying the first objects on-screen, and accepting an operation on the data files in the form of an operation on the first objects, the data units each being a data file or a group of a plurality of data files stored in the data file storing section; a condition acquisition section acquiring a condition on attribute information attached to the data units, pertaining to contents of the data units; and a judgment section displaying on-screen a second object to which a function of searching for a data unit conforming to the condition is assigned, moving the second object within the screen according to an instruction from a user.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a data file storing section storing a plurality of data files;

a data unit comprising one or more data files from the plurality of data files;

one or more attributes associated with each data file of the plurality of data files;

a user interface section assigning a file object to the data unit, displaying the file object on a screen, and accepting an operating on the file object as an operation on the one or more data files in the data unit;

a condition acquisition section determining one or more conditions, respectively, of the one or more data files in the data unit from respective attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit; and

a judgment section;

assigning a searchable condition object to the one or more conditions determined, the searchable condition object being searchable for the one or more conditions;

displaying the searchable condition object on the screen;

moving the searchable condition object closer to the file object according to user input; and

judging whether, when the searchable condition object is moved within a vicinity of the file object, the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object,

wherein, when the searchable condition object is moved within the vicinity of the file object, the judgment section changes the shape of the file object or the shape of the searchable condition object to show attraction if the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object.

2. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judgment section determines an amount of change of the shape of the file object or the shape of the searchable condition object according to a distance between the file object and the searchable condition object.

3. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judgment section determines an amount of change of the shape of the file object or the shape of the searchable condition object according to a degree of similarity between the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object and the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object.

4. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judgment section determines an amount of change of the shape of the file object or the shape of the searchable condition object according to the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object, the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit, and the distance between the file object and the searchable condition object.

5. The data processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the judgment section moves the file object or the searchable condition object according to the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object, the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit, or the distance between the file object and the searchable condition object.

6. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the file object is represented by an icon for the data file or a folder containing the data file; and

the searchable condition object is represented by a pointer of a pointing device.

7. The data processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

when an icon is dragged by the pointing device, the condition acquisition section acquires one or more attributes associated with the data file or folder corresponding to the dragged icon as the condition; and

the judgment section judges the conformity or similarity to the condition based on a similarity between the one or more attributes acquired as the condition and the one or more attributes attached to the data file or folder corresponding to an icon displayed in the vicinity of the pointer.

8. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a collection section, which collects a data unit conforming or similar to the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object.

9. The data processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the collection section collects the data unit conforming or similar to the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object when the distance between the searchable condition object and the file object corresponding to the data unit falls below a predetermined threshold.

10. The data processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the collection section determines whether the collection section collects a data unit according to the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object, the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit, or the distance between the file object and the searchable condition object.

11. The data processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the collection section determines whether the collection section collects a data unit further according to moving speed of the searchable condition object.

12. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a data file storing section storing a plurality of data files;

a data unit comprising one or more data files from the plurality of data files;

one or more attributes associated with each data file of the plurality of data files;

a user interface section assigning a file object to the data unit, displaying the file object on a screen, and accepting an operating on the file object as an operation on the one or more data files in the data unit;

a condition acquisition section determining one or more conditions, respectively, of the one or more data files in the data unit from respective attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit; and

a judgment section;

assigning a searchable condition object to the one or more conditions determined, the searchable condition object being searchable for the one or more conditions;

displaying the searchable condition object on the screen;

moving the searchable condition object closer to the file object according to user input; and

judging whether, when the searchable condition object is moved within a vicinity of the file object, the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object,

wherein, when the searchable condition object is moved within the vicinity of the file object, the judgment section changes the shape of the file object or the shape of the searchable condition object to show repulsion if the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are not similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object.

13. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a data file storing section storing a plurality of data files;

a data unit comprising one or more data files from the plurality of data files;

one or more attributes associated with each data file of the plurality of data files;

a user interface section assigning a file object to the data unit, displaying the file object on a screen, and accepting an operating on the file object as an operation on the one or more data files in the data unit;

a condition acquisition section determining one or more conditions, respectively, of the one or more data files in the data unit from respective attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit;

a judgment section;

assigning a searchable condition object to the one or more conditions determined, the searchable condition object being searchable for the one or more conditions;

displaying the searchable condition object on the screen;

moving the searchable condition object closer to the file object according to user input; and

judging whether, when the searchable condition object is moved within a vicinity of the file object, the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object, and

a collection section, which collects a data unit conforming or similar to the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object,

wherein the collection section erases the file object corresponding to the data unit when collecting the data unit.

14. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a data file storing section storing a plurality of data files;

a data unit comprising one or more data files from the plurality of data files;

one or more attributes associated with each data file of the plurality of data files;

a user interface section assigning a file object to the data unit, displaying the file object on a screen, and accepting an operating on the file object as an operation on the one or more data files in the data unit;

a condition acquisition section determining one or more conditions, respectively, of the one or more data files in the data unit from respective attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit;

a judgment section;

assigning a searchable condition object to the one or more conditions determined, the searchable condition object being searchable for the one or more conditions;

displaying the searchable condition object on the screen;

moving the searchable condition object closer to the file object according to user input; and

judging whether, when the searchable condition object is moved within a vicinity of the file object, the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object, and

a collection section, which collects a data unit conforming or similar to the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object,

wherein the collection section displays how the file object corresponding to the data unit is taken into or merged into the searchable condition object when collecting the data unit.

15. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a data file storing section storing a plurality of data files;

a data unit comprising one or more data files from the plurality of data files;

one or more attributes associated with each data file of the plurality of data files;

a user interface section assigning a file object to the data unit, displaying the file object on a screen, and accepting an operating on the file object as an operation on the one or more data files in the data unit;

a condition acquisition section determining one or more conditions, respectively, of the one or more data files in the data unit from respective attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit;

a judgment section;

assigning a searchable condition object to the one or more conditions determined, the searchable condition object being searchable for the one or more conditions;

displaying the searchable condition object on the screen;

moving the searchable condition object closer to the file object according to user input; and

judging whether, when the searchable condition object is moved within a vicinity of the file object, the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object, and

a collection section, which collects a data unit conforming or similar to the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object,

wherein the collection section determines mode of display of the searchable condition object according to an amount of data units collected.

16. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a data file storing section storing a plurality of data files;

a data unit comprising one or more data files from the plurality of data files;

one or more attributes associated with each data file of the plurality of data files;

a user interface section assigning a file object to the data unit, displaying the file object on a screen, and accepting an operating on the file object as an operation on the one or more data files in the data unit;

a condition acquisition section determining one or more conditions, respectively, of the one or more data files in the data unit from respective attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit;

a judgment section;

assigning a searchable condition object to the one or more conditions determined, the searchable condition object being searchable for the one or more conditions;

displaying the searchable condition object on the screen;

moving the searchable condition object closer to the file object according to user input; and

judging whether, when the searchable condition object is moved within a vicinity of the file object, the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object, and

a collection section, which collects a data unit conforming or similar to the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object,

wherein the collection section collects data units automatically by moving the searchable condition object automatically according to a predetermined rule.

17. A data processing method comprising:

storing a plurality of data files and creating a data unit comprising one or more data files from the plurality of data files;

assigning a file object to the data unit, displaying the file object on-screen, and accepting an operating on the file object as an operation on the one or more data files in the data unit;

determining one or more conditions, respectively, of the one or more data files in the data unit from respective attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit;

assigning a searchable condition object to the one or more conditions determined, the searchable condition object being searchable for the one or more conditions;

displaying the searchable condition object on the screen and moving the searchable condition object closer to the file object according to user input;

judging whether, when the searchable condition object is moved within a vicinity of the file object, the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object; and

changing, when the searchable condition object is moved within the vicinity of the file object, the shape of the file object or the shape of the searchable condition object to show attraction if the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object.

18. A data processing program product embedded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, comprising:

a module for storing a plurality of data files and creating a data unit comprising one or more data files from the plurality of data files;

a module for assigning a file object to the data unit, displaying the file object on-screen, and accepting an operating on the file object as an operation on the one or more data files in the data unit;

a module for determining one or more conditions, respectively, of the one or more data files in the data unit from respective attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit;

a module for assigning a searchable condition object to the one or more conditions determined, the searchable condition object being searchable for the one or more conditions;

a module for displaying the searchable condition object on the screen and moving the searchable condition object closer to the file object according to user input; and

a module for judging whether, when the searchable condition object is moved within a vicinity of the file object, the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object,

wherein, when the searchable condition object is moved within the vicinity of the file object, the module for judging changes the shape of the file object or the shape of the searchable condition object to show attraction if the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium containing a data processing program for making a computer execute the functions of:

storing a plurality of data files and creating a data unit comprising one or more data files from the plurality of data files;

assigning a file object to the data unit, displaying the file object on-screen, and accepting an operating on the file object as an operation on the one or more data files in the data unit;

determining one or more conditions, respectively, of the one or more data files in the data unit from respective attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit;

assigning a searchable condition object to the one or more conditions determined, the searchable condition object being searchable for the one or more conditions;

displaying the searchable condition object on the screen and moving the searchable condition object closer to the file object according to user input;

judging whether, when the searchable condition object is moved within a vicinity of the file object, the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object, and

changing, when the searchable condition object is moved within the vicinity of the file object, the shape of the file object or the shape of the searchable condition object to show attraction if the one or more conditions of the searchable condition object are similar to the one or more attributes of the one or more data files in the data unit represented by the file object.