Information processing apparatus, threshold value setting method, and threshold value setting program

• US 8,648,816 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• 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): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDIN, SHAHEDA A
• Application Number:
  US12/716,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20100225604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/87, 345/156, 345/104, 345/174, 340708-710, 340/721, 340/723, 340/5.83, 340/5.53, 178 181- 19, 178 1805- 1806, 382/124, 382/115, 382/299
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a recognition section which recognizes the shape of an object being in contact with an operation screen of an operating section; a pressure detecting section which detects the pressure of the object on the operation screen; a threshold value setting section which sets a threshold value of the pressure, which is a value for determining a pressure operation on the operation screen, on the basis of the shape of the object recognized by the recognition section; and a determination section which determines whether or not a pressure operation has been performed on the operation screen on the basis of the pressure detected by the pressure detecting section and the threshold value set by the threshold value setting section.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a recognition section which recognizes the shape of an object being in contact with an operation screen of an operating section on the basis of detected physical characteristics of the object;

a pressure detecting section which detects the pressure of the object on the operation screen;

a threshold value setting section which sets a threshold value of the pressure, which is a value for determining a pressure operation on the operation screen, on the basis of the shape of the object recognized by the recognition section; and

a determination section which determines whether or not a pressure operation has been performed on the operation screen on the basis of the pressure detected by the pressure detecting section and the threshold value set by the threshold value setting section,

wherein the recognition section recognizes the shape of the object on the basis of determinations, based on the detected physical characteristics of the object, of a thickness of the object, of whether the object is a fingertip, and of whether the object is a human thumb.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the shape of the object recognized by the recognition section this time is different from the shape of the object recognized by the recognition section last time, the threshold value setting section resets the threshold value on the basis of the shape of the object recognized by the recognition section this time.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a threshold value adjusting section which adjusts the threshold value according to the pressure of the object detected by the pressure detecting section after the threshold value is set by the threshold value setting section.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the threshold value adjusting section calculates a change rate of the pressure detected by the pressure detecting section when the pressure of the object detected by the pressure detecting section is smaller than the threshold value, and adjusts the threshold value according to the pressure at a point of time when the change rate has changed from plus to minus.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the threshold value adjusting section adjusts the threshold value when an overshoot characteristic is acquired from a change in the pressure detected by the pressure detecting section.

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

a storage section which stores a threshold value, which is selected on the basis of the pressure of the object that can be estimated from the shape of the object, for various shapes of the object,

wherein the threshold value setting section selects a threshold value, which corresponds to the shape of the object recognized by the recognition section, from a plurality of threshold values stored in the storage section and sets the selected threshold value as a threshold value of the pressure.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the recognition section recognizes the shape and the size of an object being in contact with the operation screen, and

the threshold value setting section detects the thickness of the object from the shape and size of the object recognized by the recognition section and sets the threshold value on the basis of the thickness.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the thickness of the object is a length of a short side of the object.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the threshold value setting section further sets the threshold value of the pressure on the basis of a shape of a contacting portion of the object in contact with the operation screen and a shape of an approach portion of the object that is in proximity to but not in contact with operation screen.

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

a control section configured to change a scroll speed of an image being displayed on a display screen associated with the operation screen,

wherein the control section changes the scroll speed of the image on the basis of the determination made by the determination section of whether or not the pressure operation has been performed.

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

a control section configured to change a scroll speed of an image being displayed on a display screen associated with the operation screen,

wherein the threshold value setting section sets a plurality of threshold values of the pressure,

wherein the determination section determines whether or not any one of a plurality of pressure operations has been performed on the operation screen on the basis of the pressure detected by the pressure detecting section and the plurality of threshold values set by the threshold value setting section, and

wherein the control section changes the scroll speed of the image on the basis of the determination made by the determination section of whether or not any one of the plurality of pressure operations has been performed.

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

a control section configured to change a speed of changing a size of an image being displayed on a display screen associated with the operation screen,

wherein the control section changes the speed of changing the size of the image on the basis of the determination made by the determination section of whether or not the pressure operation has been performed.

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

a control section configured to change a speed of changing a size of an image being displayed on a display screen associated with the operation screen,

wherein the threshold value setting section sets a plurality of threshold values of the pressure,

wherein the determination section determines whether or not any one of a plurality of pressure operations has been performed on the operation screen on the basis of the pressure detected by the pressure detecting section and the plurality of threshold values set by the threshold value setting section, and

wherein the control section changes the speed of changing the size of the image on the basis of the determination made by the determination section of whether or not any one of the plurality of pressure operations has been performed.

14. A threshold value setting method comprising the steps of:

recognizing, on the basis of detected physical characteristics of an object, the shape of the object being in contact with an operation screen of an operating section by means of a recognition section;

setting a threshold value of the pressure of the object on the operation screen, which is a value for determining a pressure operation on the operation screen, on the basis of the shape of the object recognized by the recognition section by means of a threshold value setting section; and

determining whether or not a pressure operation has been performed on the operation screen on the basis of the pressure of the object on the operation screen, which has been detected by the pressure detecting section, and the threshold value, which has been set by the threshold value setting section, by means of a determination section,

wherein the shape of the object is recognized on the basis of determinations, based on the detected physical characteristics of the object, of a thickness of the object, of whether the object is a fingertip, and of whether the object is a human thumb.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a threshold value setting program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

recognizing, on the basis of detected physical characteristics of an object, the shape of the object being in contact with an operation screen;

setting a threshold value of the pressure of the object on the operation screen, which is a value for determining a pressure operation on the operation screen, on the basis of the recognized shape of the object; and

determining whether or not a pressure operation has been performed on the operation screen on the basis of the pressure of the object on the detected operation screen and the set threshold value,

wherein the shape of the object is recognized on the basis of determinations, based on the detected physical characteristics of the object, of a thickness of the object, of whether the object is a fingertip, and of whether the object is a human thumb.