Information processing apparatus, method, and program

• US 8,698,846 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takaharu, Yamamoto, Kazuyuki, Kabasawa, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shin, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/758,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20100271400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 345660-671, 345/581, 345/619, 345467-472, 3454721-4723, 382298-301, 715/863, 715/764, 715/765, 715/781, 715/788, 715/800, 715/801, 715848-852, 463 30- 39
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/373 for modifying the size of the graphic pattern

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a designation unit which designates an object, a sensing unit which senses a change which exceeds a threshold value in at least a part of the object when a user zooms in on the object, and a zoom unit which zooms in on the object at the zoom rate which is just less than that when there is a change that exceeds the threshold value in at least a part of the object if there is a change that exceeds the threshold value in at least a part of the object when the user zooms in on the object at the designated zoom rate, and which zooms in on the object if there is no change that exceeds the threshold value in at least a part of the object even when the user zooms in on the object at the designated zoom rate.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a detection unit operable to detect a remote control signal generated by an input device in response to the input device being manipulated using gestures in three-dimensional space;

an operation unit operable to receive information from the detection unit and to define a zoom rate based at least in part on the received information;

a display condition unit operable to enable the user to specify whether blurring of display information is permitted, the display information comprising an object;

a sensing unit operable to determine whether the defined zoom rate causes a value characterizing an extent to which at least part of the object is blurred to exceed a threshold value;

a zoom unit operable to;

zoom in on the object at a lesser zoom rate that is just less than the defined zoom rate and cause the object to be displayed at the lesser zoom rate, if it is determined that the value characterizing the extent to which at least part of the object is blurred exceeds the threshold value, and blurring of the display information is not permitted, and

zoom in on the object at the defined zoom rate and cause the object to be displayed at the defined zoom rate, if it is determined that blurring of the display information is permitted, or if it is determined that the value characterizing the extent to which at least part of the object is blurred does not exceed the threshold value.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the value characterizing the extent to which at least a part of the object is blurred relates to at least one of a number of strokes of a character of the object, an amount of space between lines of the object, and a distance of a contour of the object.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the object comprises an image of a face, the distance of the contour of the object comprises a distance of a contour of a predetermined region of the face, and the predetermined region of the face comprises a mouth region or a nose region.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lesser zoom rate, which is just less than the zoom rate when the object is blurred or has been made into a mosaic pattern, is determined by recognizing a character, a figure, or a face that is displayed on the object.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the zoom unit zooms in on a predetermined range based at least in part on a virtual point on a virtual plane to which a reference point corresponds if the reference point to be zoomed in on the object is designated.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein if end portions in upward, downward, left, and right directions of an enlarged range are positioned out of the virtual plane when the predetermined range around the virtual point is enlarged, the position of the virtual point in the virtual plane is corrected so that an image in the virtual plane is enlarged.

7. An information processing method for use in a system comprising a detection unit, a designation unit, an operation unit, a display condition unit, a sensing unit, and a zoom unit, the method comprising acts of:

detecting, by the detecting unit, a remote control signal generated by an input device in response to the input device being manipulated using gestures in three-dimensional space;

defining, by the operation unit, a zoom rate using information received from the detection unit;

receiving, by the display condition unit, an indication whether blurring of display information is permitted, the display information comprising an object;

determining, by the sensing unit whether the user having zoomed in on the object at a zoom rate designated by the user causes a value characterizing an extent to which at least part of the object is blurred to exceed a threshold value;

zooming in on the object using the zoom unit at a lesser zoom rate that is just less than the defined zoom rate and causing the object to be displayed at the lesser zoom rate, if it is determined that the value characterizing the extent to which at least part of the object is blurred exceeds the threshold value, and blurring of the display information is not permitted; and

zooming in on the object using the zoom unit at the defined zoom rate and causing the object to be displayed at the defined zoom rate, if it is determined that blurring of the display information is permitted, or if it is determined that the value characterizing the extent to which at least part of the object is blurred does not exceed the threshold value.

8. A tangible article of manufacture having instructions stored thereon which, when executed, perform a method comprising:

detecting a remote control signal generated by an input device in response to the input device being manipulated using gestures in three-dimensional space, the remote control signal comprising information;

defining a zoom rate based at least in part on the information included in the remote control signal;

enabling a user to specify whether blurring of display information is permitted, the display information comprising an object;

determining whether the defined zoom rate causes a value characterizing an extent to which at least part of the object is blurred to exceed a threshold value;

zooming in on the object at a lesser zoom rate which is just less than the defined zoom rate and causing the object to be displayed at the lesser zoom rate, if it is determined that the value characterizing the extent to which at least part of the object is blurred exceeds the threshold value, and blurring of the display information is not permitted; and

zooming in on the object at the defined zoom rate and causing the object to be displayed at the defined zoom rate, if it is determined that blurring of the display information is permitted, or if it is determined that the value characterizing the extent to which at least part of the object is blurred does not exceed the threshold value.