Information processor, information processing method, and computer program

• US 8,952,931 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2014
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kazuyuki, Kano, Ritsuko, Narita, Tomoya, Kasahara, Shunichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSARIO, NELSON M
• Application Number:
  US14/264,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20140232687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 287 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:

circuitry configured to

identify a position of a manipulation body in a horizontal and vertical direction in relation to a detector and a distance between the manipulation body and the detector based on an output of the detector;

control a 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 change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over a predetermined period of time based on the output of the detector after the first object has been highlighted on the display;

execute a first process corresponding to the first object when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than a threshold value; and

execute a second process corresponding to the first object when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display to change a form or shape of an image displayed on the display based on the determined change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display to change a depth of an image displayed on the display based on the determined change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry 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 change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to compare the determined change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time to the threshold value.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display to indicate that an object is placed in a selected state when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value, and determine to not place the object in the selected state when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than the threshold value.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to execute a program corresponding to the first object as the first process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than the threshold value, and display information related to the first object as the second process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display to toggle between display screens when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than the threshold value, and not toggle between displays when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to execute a program corresponding to the first object as the first process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value, and control the display to display more detailed information about the first object as the second process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than the threshold value.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display to indicate that an object is placed in a selected state when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than the threshold value, and determine to not place the object in the selected state when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value.

11. 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 detector, and the circuitry 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 detector.

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

identifying, by circuitry of the information processing apparatus, a position of a manipulation body in a horizontal and vertical direction in relation to a detector and a distance between the manipulation body and the detector based on an output of the detector;

controlling, by the circuitry, a 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 circuitry, a change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over a predetermined period of time based on the output of the detector after the first object has been highlighted on the display;

determining, by the circuitry, to execute a first process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than a threshold value; and

determining, by the circuitry, to execute a second process corresponding to the first object when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value.

13. The information processing method of claim 12, further comprising:

executing a program corresponding to the first object as the first process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than the threshold value; and

displaying information related to the first object as the second process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value.

14. The information processing method of claim 12, further comprising:

executing a program corresponding to the first object as the first process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value; and

displaying more detailed information about the first object as the second process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than the threshold value.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer program instructions, which when executed by an information processing apparatus, further cause the information processing apparatus to:

execute a program corresponding to the first object as the first process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than the threshold value; and

display information related to the first object as the second process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer program instructions, which when executed by an information processing apparatus, further cause the information processing apparatus to:

execute a program corresponding to the first object as the first process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value; and

display more detailed information about the first object as the second process when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater 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:

identify a position of a manipulation body in a horizontal and vertical direction in relation to a detector and a distance between the manipulation body and the detector based on an output of the detector;

control a 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 change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over a predetermined period of time based on the output of the detector after the first object has been highlighted on the display;

execute a first process corresponding to the first object when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is greater than a threshold value; and

execute a second process corresponding to the first object when the change in distance between the manipulation body and the detector over the predetermined period of time is less than the threshold value.