Information viewing apparatus, control program and controlling method

• US 8,994,674 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Eguchi, Tatsuya, Shibata, Tetsuhiro, Suka, Tsutomu, Hyodo, Keiichiro, Inoue, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jansen, II, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/495,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20120319971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Disclosed is an information viewing apparatus, which makes it possible for the user to conduct operations for inputting information and establishing various kinds of functions only by conducting consecutive simplified operations from a multi-touchable touch panel. The apparatus includes a display section provided with a multi-touchable touch panel having first and second touch panels, and a control section that controls the display section. In a state that the display section is displaying a document, when detecting a predetermined dragging action, the control section makes the display section displays an inputting screen, which allows the user to conduct an inputting operation from the second touch panel, during a time when a touching status is maintained in such a manner that the inputting screen overlaps the document. When the touching status is released, the control section controls the display section so as to make the inputting screen evacuate from the document.

Claims

1. An information viewing apparatus, comprising:

a display section provided with a multi-touchable touch panel which generates signals when touched, wherein the multi-touchable touch panel is mounted over a display surface and configured to simultaneously detect;

a first touching operation performed by a user at a first touch position that is at a point of dragging origin located within a designating area at a periphery of a document display area in which a document is displayed, and

a second touching operation performed by the user at a second touch position,

wherein the first touch position is different than the second position, and

a processor that controls the display section based on signals outputted by the multi-touchable touch panel, the processor being configured to;

display the document onto the display surface of the display section;

cause the display section to display the designating area at the periphery of the document display area in which the document is displayed;

detect that a predetermined dragging action is the first touching operation at the first touch position by the user by dragging from the first touch position to a stop touch position,

cause the display section to display an inputting screen in which the user is able to conduct an inputting operation on the inputting screen as the second touching operation performed at the second touch position, the inputting screen displayed in such a manner that the inputting screen overlaps the document and cause the inputting screen to be continuously displayed while the user maintains contact with the stop touch position; and

control the information viewing apparatus display section so as to, when the user releases contact with the stop touch position, with which the user has kept touching after dragging from the first touch position to the stop touch position, cause the display section to evacuate the inputting screen from the document when the user releases contact with the stop position.

2. The information viewing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein, when determining that the predetermined dragging action, currently detected, is different from another dragging action for turning a page of the document, the processor makes the display section display the inputting screen in such a manner that the inputting screen overlaps the document.

3. The information viewing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the processor controls the display section so as to display the inputting screen at a position that is located on a side of the first touch position that is adjacent the stop touch position.

4. The information viewing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage section to store user'"'"'s information in regard to the user, therein;

wherein, based on the user'"'"'s information stored in advance in the storage section, the processor specifies a dominant hand of the user who currently performs the predetermined dragging action, and controls the display section so as to display the inputting screen at a position that is located on a side of the dominant hand of the user adjacent the stop touch position.

5. The information viewing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage section to store user'"'"'s information in regard to the user, therein;

wherein, when making the inputting screen evacuate from the document, the processor makes the storage section store either information, inputted into the inputted screen, or other information, established by operating the inputted screen, therein.

6. The information viewing apparatus of claim 5,

wherein, after making the inputting screen evacuate from the document, the processor controls the display section so as to display an icon for displaying the information or the other information onto the display section.

7. The information viewing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the inputting operation includes a movement across the inputting screen.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer executable program for implementing display controlling operations in an information viewing apparatus that includes a display section provided with a multi-touchable touch panel, the multi-touchable panel touch panel being mounted over a display surface and configured to simultaneously detect:

a first touching operation performed by a user at a first touch position that is at a point of dragging origin located within a designating area at a periphery of a document display area in which a document is displayed, and

a second touching operation performed by the user at a second touch position,

wherein the first touch position is different than the second touch position, the computer executable program being executable by a processor to cause the computer executable program to perform a process comprising;

displaying the document onto the display surface of the display section;

making the display section display the designating area within the periphery of the document display area in which the document is displayed,

detecting that a predetermined dragging action is the first touching operation at the first touch position by the user by dragging from the first touch position to a stop touch position;

making the display section display an inputting screen in response to detection of the predetermined dragging action to conduct an inputting operation on the inputting screen as the second touching operation performed at the second touch position, the inputting screen displayed in such a manner that the inputting screen overlaps the document and is continuously displayed while the user maintains contact with the stop touch position; and

controlling the information viewing apparatus display section so as to, when the user releases contact with the stop touch position which the user has kept touching after dragging from the first touch position to the stop touch position, make the inputting screen evacuate from the document when the user releases contact with the stop position.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein, when the predetermined dragging action, currently detected, is different from another dragging action for turning a page of the document, the display section is made to display the inputting screen in such a manner that the inputting screen overlaps the document.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the display section is controlled so as to display the inputting screen at a position that is located on a side of the first position that is adjacent the stop touch position.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, the process further comprising:

storing user'"'"'s information in regard to the user into a storage section;

wherein, based on the user'"'"'s information stored in advance in the storage section, a dominant hand of the user, who currently performs the predetermined dragging action, is specified, and the display section is controlled so as to display the inputting screen at a position that is located on a side of the dominant hand of the user adjacent the stop touch position.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, the process further comprising:

storing user'"'"'s information in regard to the user into a storage section;

wherein, when the inputting screen is made to evacuate from the document, either information inputted into the inputted screen, or other information established by operating the inputted screen, is stored into the storage section.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein, after the inputting screen is made to evacuate from the document, the display section is controlled so as to display an icon for displaying the information or the other information onto the display section.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8,

wherein the inputting operation includes a movement across the inputting screen.

15. A controlling method to be employed in an information viewing apparatus, including a display section provided with a multi-touchable touch panel, the multi-touchable panel touch panel being mounted over a display surface and configured to simultaneously detect:

a first touching operation performed by a user at a first touch position that is at a point of dragging origin located within a designating area at a periphery of a document display area in which a document is displayed, and

a second touching operation performed by the user at a second touch position,

wherein the first touch position is different than the second touch position, and the controlling method controlling a processor to control the display section based on signals outputted by the multi-touchable touch panel, the controlling method comprising;

displaying the document onto the display surface of the display section;

making the display section display the designating area within the periphery of the document display area in which the document is displayed,

detecting that a predetermined dragging action on the touch panel at the first touch position from a point of dragging origin located within the designating area in the periphery of the document display area within which the document is displayed to a stop touch position by the user, wherein the predetermined dragging action is the first touching operation; and

making the display section display an inputting screen in response to detection of the predetermined dragging action to conduct an inputting operation on the inputting screen as the second touching operation performed at the second touch position, the inputting screen displayed in such a manner that the inputting screen overlaps the document and is continuously displayed while the user maintains contact with the stop touch position; and

controlling the information viewing apparatus display section so as to, when the user releases contact with the stop touch position which the user has kept touching after dragging from the first touch position to the stop touch position, make the inputting screen evacuate from the document when the user releases contact with the stop position.

16. The controlling method of claim 15, wherein, when the predetermined dragging action, currently detected, is different from another dragging action for turning a page of the document, the display section is made to display the inputting screen in such a manner that the inputting screen overlaps the document.

17. The controlling method of claim 15,

wherein the display section is controlled so as to display the inputting screen at a position that is located on a side of the first position that is adjacent the stop touch position.

18. The controlling method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing user'"'"'s information in regard to the user into a storage section;

wherein, based on the user'"'"'s information stored in advance in the storage section, a dominant hand of the user, who currently performs the predetermined dragging action, is specified, and the display section is controlled so as to display the inputting screen at a position that is located on a side of the dominant hand of the user adjacent the stop touch position.

19. The controlling method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing user'"'"'s information in regard to the user into a storage section;

wherein, when the inputting screen is made to evacuate from the document, either information inputted into the inputted screen, or other information established by operating the inputted screen, is stored into the storage section.

20. The controlling method of claim 19,

wherein, after the inputting screen is made to evacuate from the document, the display section is controlled so as to display an icon for displaying the information or the other information onto the display section.

21. The controlling method of claim 19,

wherein the inputting operation includes a movement across the inputting screen.