Operation control apparatus, operation control method, and computer program

• US 8,633,906 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Homma, Fuminori, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): GIESY, ADAM
• Application Number:
  US12/821,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20110001694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

Abstract

An operation control apparatus is provided which includes a detection unit for detecting contact of an operation tool with a display surface of a display unit, a contact determination unit for determining a contact state of the operation tool with the display surface based on the detection result by the detection unit, a contact area recognition unit for recognizing, in the case where it is determined by the contact determination unit that the operation tool is in contact with the display surface, a contact area where the operation tool is in contact with the display surface, and an operation determination unit for determining, from a plurality of operation processing associated with an act of the operation tool in contact with the display surface, an operation processing to be executed, based on a size of the contact area recognized by the contact area recognition unit.

Claims

1. An operation control apparatus comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect contact of an operation tool with a display surface of a display unit;

a contact determination unit configured to determine a contact state of the operation tool with the display surface based at least in part on the detection result by the detection unit;

a contact area recognition unit configured to recognize, when the contact determination unit determines that the operation tool is in contact with the display surface, a contact area on which the operation tool contacts the display surface; and

an operation determination unit configured to determine, from a plurality of operation processing that are associated with an act of the operation tool in contact with the display surface, an operation processing to be executed, based at least in part on a size of the contact area recognized by the contact area recognition unit, the operation determination unit being configured to determine to execute scroll processing for scrolling a screen displayed on the display unit if the size of the contact area is less than a size threshold value and to determine to execute cursor movement processing for moving a cursor indicating a display position on the display unit if the size of the contact area is greater than the size threshold value.

2. The operation control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a speed calculation unit configured to calculate a moving speed of the operation tool based on the detection result by the detection unit,

wherein the operation control unit is configured to cause the cursor movement processing to be executed, even if the size of the contact area is smaller than the size threshold value, when the moving speed of the operation tool becomes greater than a predetermined speed.

3. The operation control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation determination unit is configured to, when the scroll processing is to be executed, executes the scroll processing until the operation tool is released from the display surface.

4. The operation control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the size of the contact area is an area of the contact area.

5. The operation control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the size of the contact area is a length of the contact area in a predetermined direction.

6. An operation control method, comprising acts of:

detecting contact of an operation tool with a display surface of a display unit;

determining a contact state of the operation tool with the display surface based at least in part on the detection result;

recognizing, when the operation tool is in contact with the display surface, a contact area on which the operation tool contacts the display surface; and

determining, from a plurality of operation processing that are associated with an act of the operation tool in contact with the display surface, an operation processing to be executed, based at least in part on a size of the recognized contact area, the determining comprising determining to execute scroll processing for scrolling a screen displayed on the display unit if the size of the contact area is less than a size threshold value and determining to execute cursor movement processing for moving a cursor indicating a display position on the display unit if the size of the contact area is greater than the size threshold value.

7. At least one storage device having encoded thereon instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a method for causing the computer to function as an operation control apparatus, the method comprising acts of:

determining, based at least in part on a detection result by a detection unit for detecting contact of an operation tool with a display surface of a display unit, a contact state of the operation tool with the display surface;

recognizing, when the operation tool is in contact with the display surface, a contact area on which the operation tool contacts the display surface; and

determining, from a plurality of operation processing that are associated with an act of the operation tool in contact with the display surface, an operation processing to be executed, based at least in part on a size of the recognized contact area, the determining comprising determining to execute scroll processing for scrolling a screen displayed on the display unit if the size of the contact area is less than a size threshold value and determining to execute cursor movement processing for moving a cursor indicating a display position on the display unit if the size of the contact area is greater than the size threshold value.