Information processor, information processing method, and computer program

• US 8,736,575 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kasahara, Shunichi, Yamamoto, Kazuyuki, Kano, Ritsuko, Narita, Tomoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSARIO, NELSON M
• Application Number:
  US13/220,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20120056850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/179, 345/679, 345/680, 345/684, 715/763, 715/764, 715/765
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An information processing apparatus including a detector that detects movement of a manipulation body in a vertical direction in relation to a display, and a processor that determines a speed of movement of the manipulation body based on an output of the detector, and determines a process to be executed based on the determined speed of movement.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a detector configured to detect a position of a manipulation body in a horizontal direction in relation to a display and movement of the manipulation body in a vertical direction in relation to the display; and

a processor configured to

control the display to highlight a first object of a plurality of objects displayed on the display based on the detected position of the manipulation body;

determine a speed of movement of the manipulation body in the vertical direction in relation to the display based on an output of the detector after the first object has been highlighted on the display;

compare the determined speed of movement to a predetermined threshold value;

execute a process corresponding to the first object regardless of a position of the manipulation body after the detected vertical movement when the speed of movement is greater than the threshold value; and

execute a process corresponding to one of the plurality of objects displayed on the display at a position corresponding to a detected position of the manipulation body after the detected vertical movement when the speed of movement is less than the threshold value.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to detect a distance between a surface of the display and the manipulation body, and a contact position of the manipulation body on the surface of the display.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine the speed of movement based on a difference between a first time corresponding to when the detector detects the manipulation body at a predetermined distance from the surface of the display and a second time corresponding to when the detector detects that the manipulation body makes contact with the surface of the display.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine the speed of movement based on a difference between a first time corresponding to when the detector detects that the manipulation body makes contact with the surface of the display and a second time corresponding to when the detector detects the manipulation body at a predetermined distance from the surface of the display.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is an electrostatic touch panel configured to detect a value of electrostatic capacitance based on a distance between the manipulation body and a surface of the display.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to determine a distance between the surface of the display and the manipulation body by comparing the value of electrostatic capacitance detected by the electrostatic touch panel to stored electrostatic capacitance values associated with respective distance information.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to change a form or shape of an image displayed on the display based on the determined speed of movement.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to change a vertical depth of an image displayed on the display based on the determined speed of movement.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to change a form or shape of an image displayed on the display in a linear relationship corresponding to the determined speed of movement.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute a first process when the speed of movement is greater than the threshold value, and execute a second process when the speed of movement is less than the threshold value.

11. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute a process corresponding to a selected object when the speed of movement is greater than the threshold value, and display information related to the process corresponding to the selected object when the speed of movement is less than the threshold value.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute a process corresponding to a selected object when the speed of movement is less than the threshold value, and control the display to display more detailed information about the selected object when the speed of movement is greater than the threshold value.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to indicate that a selected object is placed in a selected state when the speed of movement is greater than the threshold value, and determine to not place the selected object in the selected state when the speed of movement is less than the threshold value.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to indicate that a selected object is placed in a selected state when the speed of movement is less than the threshold value, and determine to not place the selected object in the selected state when the speed of movement is greater than the threshold value.

15. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to detect movement of a manipulation body in an oblique direction in relation to the display, and the processor is configured to determine a process to be executed based on whether the detected movement of the manipulation body is in a vertical or oblique direction in relation to the display.

16. An information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting, by a detector of the information processing apparatus, a position of a manipulation body in a horizontal direction in relation to a display and movement of the manipulation body in a vertical direction in relation to the display;

control, by a processor, the display to highlight a first object of a plurality of objects displayed on the display based on the detected position of the manipulation body;

determining, by the processor, a speed of movement of the manipulation body in the vertical direction in relation to the display based on an output of the detector after the first object has been highlighted on the display;

comparing, by the processor, the determined speed of movement to a predetermined threshold value;

executing, by the processor, a process corresponding to the first object regardless of a position of the manipulation body after the detected vertical movement when the speed of movement is greater than the threshold value and

executing, by the processor, a process corresponding to one of the plurality of objects displayed on the display at a position corresponding to a detected position of the manipulation body after the detected vertical movement when the speed of movement is less than the threshold value.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by an information processing apparatus, cause the information processing apparatus to perform an information processing method comprising:

detecting a position of a manipulation body in a horizontal direction in relation to a display and movement of the manipulation body in a vertical direction in relation to the display;

determining a speed of movement of the manipulation body in the vertical direction in relation to the display based on an output of the detector after the first object has been highlighted on the display;

comparing, by the processor, the determined speed of movement to a predetermined threshold value;

executing a process corresponding to the first object regardless of a position of the manipulation body after the detected vertical movement when the speed of movement is greater than the threshold value; and

executing a process corresponding to one of the plurality of objects displayed on the display at a position corresponding to a detected position of the manipulation body after the detected vertical movement when the speed of movement is less than the threshold value.