Information processing apparatus

• US 8,448,081 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohtake, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US13/044,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20110225535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/764, 715/765, 715/768, 715/773, 715/835, 715/864, 715/810, 715/815, 345/156, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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 reception module configured to receive an operation input by a user; and a display module configured to display key images for receiving the operation, wherein the display module is configured to operate to: display a first key image group comprising one or more key images, a second key image group comprising one or more key images in a first display mode, and a first display switching key image; and display the second key image group in a second display mode which is larger in size than the second key image group in the first display mode, without displaying the first key image group, when the operation on the first display switching key image is received by the reception module.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a reception module configured to receive an operation input; and

a display module configured to display key images for receiving the operation input, the display module

displaying a first key image group comprising one or more key images, a second key image group comprising one or more key images, and first and second display-switching-key images for respectively hiding the first and second key image groups, in a first display mode, and

displaying, while hiding one of the first and second key image groups upon selection of a corresponding one of the first and second display-switching-key images, a non-selected one of the first and second key image groups, in a second display mode to be enlarged more than the first display mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein, when the first or second key image group is not displayed, the display module displays a third or fourth display-switching-key image for respectively displaying the first or second key image group, instead of the first or second display-switching-key image.

3. The apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the display module displays the third or fourth display-switching-key image in a display form different from that of the first or second display-switching-key images.

4. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the display module

displays further a third key image group comprising one or more key images in the first display mode, and

displays, while hiding selected one of the first and second key image groups upon selection of corresponding one of the first and second display-switching-key images, at least one of remainder of the first to third key image groups, in a third display mode to be enlarged more than the first display mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 4,

wherein the display module displays

the first key image group comprising a function key image,

the second key image group comprising a numeral key image, and

the third key image group comprising a character input key image.

6. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the display module displays the first key image group at an upper position of the second key image group while arranging the first display-switching-key image at an upper position of the second-switching-key image, when displaying the first and second key image groups.

7. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the display module

displays the first display-switching-key image so as to be side by side with the first key image group, when displaying the first key image group, and

displays the second display-switching-key image so as to be side by side with the second key image group, when displaying the second key image group.

8. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein, when the reception module receives the operation input on the key image, the display module displays the operation-input-received key image in a display form different from that before the operation input is received.

9. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the reception module receives a touch operation input on an image being displayed by the display module,

the apparatus further comprising:

a vibration module configured to vibrate when the touch operation input received by the reception module is inputted on the key image.

10. The apparatus of claim 9,

wherein the vibration module generates different kinds of vibrations correspondingly with the key image on which the touch operation input is received.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an output module configured to output, when the reception module receives the operation input on the key image, a code corresponding to the operation-input-received key image toward an operating system.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein displaying the first key image group and the second key image group in the first display mode is done in a given display area, and displaying the non-selected one of the first and second key image groups in the second display mode is done in the given display area.