Mobile type image display device, method for controlling the same and information memory medium

• US 8,854,320 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirata, Shinichi, Osawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MISHLER, ROBIN J
• Application Number:
  US13/003,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,022 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 348/333
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Provide is a portable image display device which allows a user to perform many different operation inputs with ease. The portable image display device includes: a display screen having a substantially rectangular shape; and a plurality of touch sensors provided along at least two sides defining a circumference of the display screen, for each detecting a position touched by a finger of a user. The portable image display device changes an image displayed on the display screen in accordance with a combination of the positions of a plurality of the fingers which are respectively detected by the plurality of touch sensors.

Claims

1. A portable image display device, comprising:

a display screen having a substantially rectangular shape;

a plurality of touch sensors provided along at least two sides defining a circumference of the display screen, wherein each of the touch sensors is configured to detect a position touched by a finger of a user; and

a control section for changing an image displayed on the display screen in accordance with a combination of the positions of a plurality of the fingers which are respectively detected by the plurality of touch sensors;

wherein the control section acquires one or more coordinate value sequences, which include coordinate values indicating the positions detected at predetermined time intervals, from each of the plurality of touch sensors;

wherein the control section calculates an index value for each of the one or more coordinate value sequences, wherein each index value indicates a probability that its corresponding coordinate value sequence is generated by an operation input of the user; and

wherein the control section determines whether or not each of the one or more coordinate value sequences corresponds to a predetermined operation pattern based at least in part on the calculated index values.

2. The portable image display device according to claim 1, wherein the control section changes the image displayed on the display screen in accordance with a combination of movements of the respective positions of the plurality of the fingers which are detected by the plurality of touch sensors.

3. The portable image display device according to claim 2, wherein the control section changes the image displayed on the display screen in accordance with a combination of directions of the movements of the respective positions of the plurality of the fingers which are detected by the plurality of touch sensors.

4. The portable image display device according to claim 1, further comprising a plate-like casing having a substantially rectangular shape, wherein:

the display screen is provided to a front surface of the plate-like casing; and

each of the plurality of touch sensors is provided to a side surface of the plate-like casing.

5. A control method for a portable image display device comprising:

displaying an image on a display screen having a substantially rectangular shape;

detecting a position touched by a finger of a user by each of a plurality of touch sensors provided along at least two sides defining a circumference of the display screen;

changing the image displayed on the display screen in accordance with a combination of the positions of a plurality of the fingers which are respectively detected by the plurality of touch sensors;

acquiring one or more coordinate value sequences, which include coordinate values indicating the positions detected at predetermined time intervals, from each of the plurality of touch sensors;

calculating an index value for each of the one or more coordinate value sequences, wherein each index value indicates a probability that its corresponding coordinate value sequence is generated by an operation input of the user; and

determining whether or not each of the one or more coordinate value sequences corresponds to a predetermined operation pattern based at least in part on the calculated index values.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium, which stores a program for controlling a computer to function as a portable image display device, the program adapted to cause the computer to execute steps comprising:

displaying an image on a display screen having a substantially rectangular shape;

detecting a position touched by a finger of a user by each of a plurality of touch sensors provided along at least two sides defining a circumference of the display screen;

changing the image displayed on the display screen in accordance with a combination of the positions of a plurality of the fingers which are respectively detected by the plurality of touch sensors;

acquiring one or more coordinate value sequences, which include coordinate values indicating the positions detected at predetermined time intervals, from each of the plurality of touch sensors;

calculating an index value for each of the one or more coordinate value sequences, wherein each index value indicates a probability that its corresponding coordinate value sequence is generated by an operation input of the user; and

determining whether or not each of the one or more coordinate value sequences corresponds to a predetermined operation pattern based at least in part on the calculated index values.