Information processing apparatus and image display method

• US 8,819,584 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Numazaki, Shunichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin, Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yi, Rinna
• Application Number:
  US12/954,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/800, 715/764, 715/815, 715/863, 345/173, 345/175
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/0488 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

In one embodiment, there is provided an information processing apparatus. The apparatus includes: a display on which a window is displayed; a touch screen on the display; a display controller configured to display an operation screen on the display such that the operation screen is superposed on the window, wherein the operation screen generates an operation command for operating the window, based on an input operation through the touch screen; and an operation execution module configured to execute the operation command for operating the window.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display comprising a touch screen and configured to display a window in the touch screen, wherein the window includes a first region of the window corresponding to a bar of the window and a second region of the window corresponding to a work region of the window;

a first display controller configured to display an icon configured to generate a window operation command for operating the window based on a first touch input detected in the first region of the window;

a second display controller configured to display a semitransparent window operation screen in an entire region of the second region of the window in response to a second touch input detected in the first region of the window such that the semitransparent window screen is superimposed on the entire region of the second region of the window, the second region being different from the first region, wherein the semitransparent window operation screen is configured to generate a plurality of window operation commands for operating the window based on a third touch input detected in the second region of the window, and the semitransparent window operation screen is partitioned into a plurality of regions, each corresponding to one of the window operation commands, and the size of each of the plurality of regions is larger than that of the icon displayed on the first region of the window; and

a window operation execution module configured to execute the window operation command for operating the window.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the semitransparent window operation screen is configured to generate the window operation command for resizing the window, and

wherein the window operation execution module is configured to send the window operation command for resizing the window, to an application starting up the window.

3. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the semitransparent window operation screen is configured to generate the window operation command for terminating an application starting up the window, and

wherein the window operation execution module is configured to send the window operation command to the application.

4. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the semitransparent window operation screen is configured to generate the window operation command for displaying a menu screen, wherein the menu screen indicates resizing the window or terminating an application starting up the window,

wherein the second display controller is configured to display the menu screen when the semitransparent window operation screen generates the window operation command, based on the input from the touch screen, and

wherein the window operation execution module is configured to send the window operation command to the application, based on a selected item from the menu screen.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second display controller is configured to hide the semitransparent window operation screen after displaying the semitransparent window operation screen for a given time.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein in receiving a window operation command for stopping the display of the semitransparent window operation screen while the semitransparent window operation screen is displayed, the second display controller hides the semitransparent window operation screen even before displaying the semitransparent window operation screen for the certain time.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of window operation commands of the semitransparent window operation screen include the window operation command of the icon of the first region of the window.

8. An image display method, comprising:

displaying a window in a region of a touch screen of a display, wherein the window includes a first region of the window corresponding to a bar of the window and a second region of the window corresponding to a work region of the window;

displaying an icon configured to generate a window operation command for operating the window based on a first touch input detected in the first region of the window;

displaying a semitransparent window operation screen in an entire region of the second region of the window in response to a second touch input detected in the first region of the window such that the semitransparent window operation screen in superimposed on the entire region of the second region of the window, the second region being different from the first region, wherein the semitransparent window operation screen is configured to generate a plurality of window operation commands for operating the window based on a third touch input detected in the second region of the window, and the semitransparent window operation screen is partitioned into a plurality of regions, each corresponding to one of the window operation commands, and the size of each of the plurality of regions is larger than that of the icon displayed on the first region of the window;

receiving a fourth touch input from the second region of the touch screen; and

executing the window operation commands of the semitransparent window operation screen based on the input from the second region.

9. The method of claim 8,

wherein the semitransparent window operation screen is configured to generate a window operation command for resizing the window, and

wherein the step of executing the window operation commands comprises sending the window operation command for resizing the window, to an application starting up the window.

10. The method of claim 8,

wherein the semitransparent window operation screen is configured to generate a window operation command for terminating an application starting up the window, and

wherein the step of executing the window operation commands comprises sending the window operation command to the application.

11. The method of claim 8,

wherein the semitransparent window operation screen is configured to generate a window operation command for displaying a menu screen, wherein the menu screen indicates resizing of the window or terminating of an application starting up the window,

wherein the step of displaying the semitransparent window operation screen comprises displaying the menu screen when the semitransparent window operation screen generates the window operation command, based on the input from the touch screen, and

wherein the step of executing the window operation commands comprises sending the window operation command to the application, based on an item selected from the menu screen.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the semitransparent window operation screen is hidden after the semitransparent window operation screen is displayed for a certain time.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein in receiving a window operation command for stopping the display of the semitransparent window operation screen while the semitransparent window operation screen is displayed, the semitransparent window operation screen is hidden even before the semitransparent window operation screen is displayed for the certain time.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of window operation commands of the semitransparent window operation screen include the window operation command of the icon of the first region of the window.