Computer implemented display, graphical user interface, design and method including scrolling features

• US 8,245,155 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Takeshi, Nirei, Kenichi, Habara, Yasuhiro, Imamura, Makoto, Iriya, Shinichi, Ikeda, Takuo, Sato, Daisuke, Sakai, Ryutaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Belousov, Andrey
• Application Number:
  US12/242,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 715/835, 715/779, 715/833, 715/863
• US Class Current: 715/833
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a display unit and a control unit. The display unit is configured to display a dividing region dividing a main display region into two sub regions. The control unit is configured to control the display unit to display a plurality of icons in the dividing region, to change position of the dividing region in the main display region based on user input, and to display, when an icon of the plurality of icons is selected, information corresponding to the icon in at least one of the sub regions.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display a dividing region dividing a main display region into two sub regions;

a control unit, including a processor, configured to control said display unit to display a plurality of icons in said dividing region, to change position of said dividing region in said main display region based on user input, to display, when an icon of said plurality of icons is selected, information corresponding to said icon in at least one of the sub regions,

to automatically display a first set of widgets at a first time of a day each day and to automatically display a second set of widgets at a second time of day each day, the first set of widgets being different than the second set of widgets,

to display widget information including a plurality of widgets in one sub region of said two sub regions, and

to automatically move the dividing region to a location where every displayed widget is entirely visible when a user moves the dividing region to a location where one widget is only partially displayed; and

a detector configured to detect a gesture of a user with respect to said main display region,

wherein said control unit is configured to control said display unit to change information in said sub region based on said gesture,

wherein said control unit is configured to define a plurality of said widget information and said display unit is configured to display one widget information of said plurality of widget information in one sub region,

wherein said control unit is configured to control the display unit to display other widget information as a substitute for said one widget information when said detector is configured to detect a flick gesture by the user with respect to said one sub region.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is configured to control the display unit to display the plurality of widgets selected based on user input.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display unit is configured to display a plurality of buttons, each button corresponding to one widget information, and said control unit is configured to control, when said detector detects that one button is selected, the display unit to display other widget information corresponding to said selected button, as a substitute for said one widget information.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire current parameter information, wherein said control unit is configured to select said one widget information based on comparison result of said current parameter information and a plurality of predetermined parameter information which each correspond to a plurality of predetermined widget information.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said parameter information is time information and/or location information.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is configured to control the display unit to display one fixed information of a plurality of setting disable fixed information in an other sub region.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of icons represents a plurality of fixed information displayed in said sub region.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control unit is configured to move said dividing region to the top of said main display region and to display said one fixed information based on the detection of selection of the icon when said display unit displays said dividing region in the bottom of said main display region.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control unit is configured to control the display unit to display other fixed information as a substitute for said one fixed information based on the detection of a flick gesture by said user in said other sub region detected by said detector.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display unit is configured to display at least one widget including continuously updated information.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said display unit is configured to display at least one widget including continuously updated weather information.

12. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display unit is configured to display the first set of widgets related to traffic information at the first time early in a morning each day, and to display the second set of widgets related to sports information at the second time in an evening each day.