Electronic device and function assigning method

• US 8,990,730 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohashi, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, DAEHO D
• Application Number:
  US12/929,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20110102329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 715/827, 715/840, 715/847, 715/851
• US Class Current: 715/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters

Abstract

At step ST2, an assign key changing item is selected from menu items. At step ST3, an assign key to which a function is assigned is selected. At step ST4, a function to be assigned is selected. The selected function is assigned to the selected assign key. At step ST5, a setting result indication screen appears. When one of two paired functions is assigned, a message which prompts a user to assign the other function. After the message has appeared for a predetermined time, the latest assigned states appear. At step ST6, the latest assign key information is stored to a non-volatile memory. To quit an assigning process, a menu button 8 is pressed and the menu is closed (at step ST8).

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a hardware-embodied processing part configured to;

control a display of a plurality of items on a display;

assign a first function to a first key selected from a plurality of keys, the first function being associated with an item selected from the plurality of items; and

control a display of indication prompting an assignment of a second function to a second key from the plurality of keys automatically in response to the assignment of the first function to the first key, the second function being a correlated function to the first function, the second function also being associated with the item selected from the plurality of items.

2. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the second function is an opposite function of the first function.

3. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the first and second functions are paired functions, such that when the first function is assigned to the first key, the second assignment is automatically prompted to be an assignment of the second function to the second key.

4. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein a sequence of operations that a user has performed are stored and stored operations are assigned to one of the plurality of keys.

5. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein functions assigned to respective keys among the plurality of keys are exchanged with each other.

6. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys are mechanical keys.

7. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the display.

8. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processing part is further configured to change between an operation mode and a setting mode, the setting mode enabling the first and second assignments.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code, the program code being executable to perform operations comprising:

controlling a display of a plurality of items on a display;

assigning a first function to a first key selected from a plurality of keys, the first function being associated with an item selected from the plurality of items; and

controlling a display of indication prompting an assignment of a second function to a second key from the plurality of keys automatically in response to the assignment of the first function to the first key, the second function being a correlated function to the first function, the second function also being associated with the item selected from the plurality of items.

10. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 9, wherein the second function is an opposite function of the first function.

11. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 9, wherein the first and second functions are paired functions, such that when the first function is assigned to the first key, the second assignment is automatically prompted to be an assignment of the second function to the second key.

12. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 9, wherein a sequence of operations that a user has performed are stored and stored operations are assigned to one of the plurality of keys.

13. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 9, wherein functions assigned to respective keys among the plurality of keys are exchanged with each other.

14. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 9, wherein the plurality of keys are mechanical keys.

15. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise changing between an operation mode and a setting mode, the setting mode enabling the first and second assignments.

16. A method comprising:

controlling, by a processing unit, a display of a plurality of items on a display;

assigning, by the processing unit, a first function to a first key selected from a plurality of keys, the first function being associated with an item selected from the plurality of items; and

controlling, by the processing unit, a display of indication prompting an assignment of a second function to a second key from the plurality of keys automatically in response to the assignment of the first function to the first key, the second function being a correlated function to the first function, the second function also being associated with the item selected from the plurality of items.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the second function is an opposite function of the first function.

18. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the first and second functions are paired functions, such that when the first function is assigned to the first key, the second assignment is automatically prompted to be an assignment of the second function to the second key.

19. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein a sequence of operations that a user has performed are stored and stored operations are assigned to one of the plurality of keys.

20. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein functions assigned to respective keys among the plurality of keys are exchanged with each other.