Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program

• US 8,553,002 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Homma, Fuminori, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US13/166,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20120044170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/168, 345/173, 345/179, 345/174, 178/18.06, 178/19.03, 178/19.04
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

There is provided an information processing apparatus including a detection section configured to detect contact/proximity of an operating object with/to a display surface of a display section on which objects classified into groups in accordance with a relationship between the objects are displayed, a proximity determination section configured to determine a degree of proximity of the operating object to the display surface based on a detection result obtained by the detection section, and an operation-lock determination section configured, when the proximity determination section determines that the operating object touches the display surface, to disable an operation input to an object belonging to a group different from a group which an object that the operating object touches belongs to, until the operating object is positioned outside a proximity detection region, the proximity detection region being a region from the display surface to positions which are a predetermined distance away therefrom.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a detection section configured to detect contact of an operating object with and proximity of the operating object to a display surface of a display section on which objects classified into groups in accordance with a relationship between the objects are displayed;

a proximity determination section configured to determine a degree of proximity of the operating object to the display surface based on a detection result obtained by the detection section; and

an operation-lock determination section configured, when the proximity determination section determines that the operating object touches the display surface, to disable an operation input to an object belonging to a group different from a group which an object that the operating object touches belongs to, until the operating object is positioned outside a proximity detection region, the proximity detection region being a region from the display surface to positions which are a predetermined distance away therefrom.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when the proximity determination section determines that the operating object touches the display surface, the operation-lock determination section determines whether or not an operation input to an object that the operating object touches is disabled, and when the operation input to the object that the operating object touches is not disabled, the operation-lock determination section disables an operation input to an object belonging to a group different from the group which the object that the operating object touches belongs to.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a setting storage section configured to store a group which the object belongs to,

wherein the operation-lock determination section acquires, from the setting storage section, a group which an object that the operating object touches belongs to.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, in a case where an character input object belonging to a first group and an operation object belonging to a second group, which is for operating a screen currently being displayed, are displayed on the display section, and when the proximity determination section determines that the operating object touches the display surface, the operation-lock determination section detects which of the first group and the second group the operating object touches, and disables an operation input to an object belonging to a group different from a group which an object that the operating object touches belongs to.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, in a case where a scrollable region and link information associated with a predetermined process, which is included in the scrollable region, are displayed on the display section, and when the proximity determination section determines that the operating object touches the display surface, the operation-lock determination section detects which of an object in the scrollable region and an object in the link information the operating object touches, and disables an operation input to an object belonging to a group different from a group which an object that the operating object touches belongs to.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, in a case where a plurality of item selection objects classified into groups in accordance with a relationship of items to be selected are displayed on the display section, and when the proximity determination section determines that the operating object touches the display surface, the operation-lock determination section detects a group which the object that the operating object touches belongs to, and disables an operation input to an object belonging to a group different from the group which the object that the operating object touches belongs to.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, in a case where a plurality of scrollable regions belonging to different groups are displayed on the display section, and when the proximity determination section determines that the operating object touches the display surface, the operation-lock determination section detects, from among the plurality of scrollable regions, a first scrollable region corresponding to a position which the operating object touches, and disables an operation input to the scrollable region other than the first scrollable region.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a pressure detection section capable of detecting pressing force to the display surface,

wherein, when the pressure detection section detects pressing force equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the operation-lock determination section enables an operation input to the object, the operation input to which is disabled, even when the operating object is placed within the proximity detection region.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when there is the object, the operation input to which is disabled, and when an operation input to the object, the operation input to which is enabled, is not detected for a predetermined time period or longer, the operation-lock determination section enables the operation input to the object, the operation input to which is disabled, even when the operating object is placed within the proximity detection region.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object belonging to the group different from the group which the object that the operating object touches belongs to is displayed concurrently with the group which the object that the operating object touches belongs to.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation-lock determination section disables the operation input to the object belonging to the group different from the group which the object that the operating object touches belongs to only during the period during which the operating object is positioned within the proximity detection region.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the operation-lock determination section enables the operation input to the object belonging to the group different from the group which the object that the operating object touches belongs to when the operating object is positioned outside the proximity detection region.

13. An information processing method comprising:

detecting, by a detection section, contact of an operating object with and proximity of the operating object to a display surface of a display section on which objects classified into groups in accordance with a relationship between the objects are displayed;

determining, by a proximity determination section, a degree of proximity of the operating object to the display surface based on a detection result obtained by the detection section; and

disabling, when the proximity determination section determines that the operating object touches the display surface, an operation input to an object belonging to a group different from a group which an object that the operating object touches belongs to, until the operating object is positioned outside a proximity detection region, the proximity detection region being a region from the display surface to positions which are a predetermined distance away therefrom.

14. A computer program for causing a computer to function as an information processing apparatus which includes

a detection control section configured to cause a detection section to detect contact of an operating object with and proximity of the operating object to a display surface of a display section on which objects classified into groups in accordance with a relationship between the objects are displayed,

a proximity determination section configured to determine a degree of proximity of the operating object to the display surface based on a detection result obtained by the detection section, and

an operation-lock determination section configured, when the proximity determination section determines that the operating object touches the display surface, to disable an operation input to an object belonging to a group different from a group which an object that the operating object touches belongs to, until the operating object is positioned outside a proximity detection region, the proximity detection region being a region from the display surface to positions which are a predetermined distance away therefrom.