Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program for providing specific function based on rate of change of touch pressure intensity

• US 9,030,436 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US12/860,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Provided is an information processing apparatus including a pressure intensity detection unit that detects pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen, a change rate detection unit that detects a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the pressure intensity detected by the pressure intensity detection unit, and a function providing unit that provides a specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is high, and cancels an operation by the operating tool without providing the specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is low.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a pressure intensity detection unit that detects pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen;

a change rate detection unit that detects a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the pressure intensity detected by the pressure intensity detection unit;

an input pattern analysis unit that determines whether the rate of change of the pressure intensity is more than a threshold value, the threshold value being determined based on a pressure intensity change pattern of a previous operating tool operation;

a function providing unit that provides a specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is more than the threshold value, and cancels an operation by the operating tool without providing the specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is not more than the threshold value; and

an increase/decrease counter that counts, in a case the pressure intensity detected by the pressure intensity detection unit does not become zero, the number of times the pressure intensity drops below and then rises above a second threshold value,

wherein the function providing unit provides the specific function that is different depending on the number of times the pressure intensity drops below and then rises above the second threshold value.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when an update operation on display content of a first window displayed within the screen is performed by the operating tool,

the function providing unit

updates the display content of the first window in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is more than the first threshold value and the number of times counted by the increase/decrease counter is a first specific number,

displays display content after update on a second window different from the first window in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is more than the first threshold value and the number of times counted by the increase/decrease counter is a second specific number, and

cancels the update operation on the display content of the first window in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is not more than the first threshold value.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the function providing unit

enlarges and displays an image that is an enlargement target at a magnification that is different depending on the number of times counted by the increase/decrease counter, in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is more than the first threshold value, and

cancels an enlargement operation on the image that is an enlargement target in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is not more than the first threshold value.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position detection unit that detects a position of the operating tool pressing the screen; and

a movement detection unit that detects a movement of the operating tool based on information on the position detected by the position detection unit,

wherein, when selection of a character string is performed by the movement of the operating tool,

the function providing unit

performs processing regarding the character string selected during the movement of the operating tool, in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is more than the first threshold value after detection of a rest state or a near-rest state of the operating tool by the movement detection unit, and

cancels a processing operation regarding the character string selected during the movement of the operating tool in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity detected by the change rate detection unit is not more than the first threshold value after the detection of the rest state or the near-rest state of the operating tool.

5. An information processing method comprising:

detecting pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen;

detecting a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the detected pressure intensity;

determining whether the rate of change of the pressure intensity is more than a threshold value, the threshold value being determined based on a pressure intensity change pattern of a previous operating tool operation;

providing a specific function in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is more than the threshold value, and canceling an operation by the operating tool without providing the specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is not more than the threshold value; and

counting, in a case the detected pressure intensity does not become zero, the number of times the pressure intensity drops below and then rises above a second threshold value,

wherein the specific function is provided to be different depending on the number of times the pressure intensity drops below and then rises above the second threshold value.

6. The information processing method according to claim 5, further comprising:

performing, when an update operation on display content of a first window displayed within the screen is performed by the operating tool;

an updating of the display content of the first window in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is more than the first threshold value and the counted number of times is a first specific number;

a displaying of display content after update on a second window different from the first window in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is more than the first threshold value and the counted number of times is a second specific number; and

a canceling of the update operation on the display content of the first window in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is not more than the first threshold value.

7. The information processing method according to claim 5, further comprising:

enlarging and displaying an image that is an enlargement target at a magnification that is different depending on the counted number of times, in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is more than the first threshold value, and

canceling an enlargement operation on the image that is an enlargement target in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is not more than the first threshold value.

8. The information processing method according to claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a position of the operating tool pressing the screen;

detecting a movement of the operating tool based on information on the detected position; and

performing, when selection of a character string is performed by the movement of the operating tool;

a processing regarding the character string selected during the movement of the operating tool, in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is more than the first threshold value after detection of a rest state or a near-rest state of the operating tool, and

a canceling of a processing operation regarding the character string selected during the movement of the operating tool in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is not more than the first threshold value after the detection of the rest state or the near-rest state of the operating tool.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute an information processing method, the method comprising:

detecting pressure intensity of an operating tool pressing a screen;

detecting a rate of change of the pressure intensity based on information on the detected pressure intensity;

determining whether the rate of change of the pressure intensity is more than a threshold value, the threshold value being determined based on a pressure intensity change pattern of a previous operating tool operation;

providing a specific function in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is more than the threshold value, and canceling an operation by the operating tool without providing the specific function in a case the rate of change of the pressure intensity is not more than the threshold value; and

counting, in a case the detected pressure intensity does not become zero, the number of times the pressure intensity drops below and then rises above a second threshold value,

wherein the specific function is provided to be different depending on the number of times the pressure intensity drops below and then rises above the second threshold value.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

performing, when an update operation on display content of a first window displayed within the screen is performed by the operating tool;

an updating of the display content of the first window in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is more than the first threshold value and the counted number of times is a first specific number;

a displaying of display content after update on a second window different from the first window in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is more than the first threshold value and the counted number of times is a second specific number; and

a canceling of the update operation on the display content of the first window in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is not more than the first threshold value.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

enlarging and displaying an image that is an enlargement target at a magnification that is different depending on the counted number of times, in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is more than the first threshold value, and

canceling an enlargement operation on the image that is an enlargement target in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is not more than the first threshold value.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9,

wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a position of the operating tool pressing the screen;

detecting a movement of the operating tool based on information on the detected position; and

performing, when selection of a character string is performed by the movement of the operating tool;

a processing regarding the character string selected during the movement of the operating tool, in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is more than the first threshold value after detection of a rest state or a near-rest state of the operating tool, and

a canceling of a processing operation regarding the character string selected during the movement of the operating tool in a case the rate of change of the detected pressure intensity is not more than the first threshold value after the detection of the rest state or the near-rest state of the operating tool.