Information processing apparatus, control method of information processing apparatus, and transmission head-mount type display device

• US 9,046,685 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2012
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nakada, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Faulk, Devona
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEARD, CHARLES LLOYD
• Application Number:
  US13/398,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes an operation part and a display part to display an object selection image. The object selection image includes a position designation figure group including N (N is an integer of 3 or more) position designation figures which are arranged in a ring shape and on each of which one object can be arranged. In the object selection image, the display part rotates and moves the position designation figure group, together with the arranged objects, along a circumferential direction of the ring, and causes a specific position designation figure in the position designation figure group to be displayed to enable recognition that the object arranged on the specific position designation figure can be selected by an operation of the operation part.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an operation part; and

a display part to display an object selection image for selecting an object, wherein

the object selection image includes a position designation figure group including N (N is an integer of 3 or more) position designation figures which are arranged in a ring shape and to each of which one object of a plurality of objects can be assigned so that each of the position designation figures is either (i) an assigned position designation figure to which one of the objects is assigned or (ii) an unassigned position designation figure to which one of the objects is not assigned,

when the operation part receives a specified rotation instruction operation, in the object selection image, the display part

(i) rotates and moves the position designation figure group, together with any of the objects assigned to the position designation figures, along a circumferential direction of the ring by a rotation amount corresponding to the rotation instruction operation, and

(ii) causes a specific position designation figure, which is one of the assigned position designation figures and is positioned at a specific position in the position designation figure group corresponding to a stationary region where the rotation instruction operation causes movement of the position designation figure group to stop the specific position designation figure, to be displayed to enable recognition that the object assigned to the specific position designation figure can be selected by an operation of the operation part,

in the object selection image, the display part adjusts the rotation amount so that the unassigned position designation figure does not stop at the specific position and does not become the specific position designation figure, and

the number N of the position designation figures is unchanged when a previously unassigned one of the objects is assigned to one of the position designation figures.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the object selection image, the display part displays the specific position designation figure to be opaque, and displays the position designation figure other than the specific position designation figure to be semi-transparent.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in the object selection image, an imaginary plane including the ring is not parallel to an image plane of the object selection image, and the specific position is a position at a nearest side of the ring-shaped arrangement.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the object selection image, the display part displays the position designation figure positioned at a nearer side of the ring-shaped arrangement to be larger.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the object selection image, the display part displays a contour of at least one position designation figure to be more blurred than the position designation figure positioned at a nearer side of the ring-shaped arrangement.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the object selection image, an inclination of the imaginary plane with respect to the image plane of the object selection image is set at such an angle that at least a portion of at least one position designation figure positioned at a far side of the ring-shaped arrangement overlaps with the position designation figure positioned at a near side.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display part sets a plurality of position designation figure groups, and when the operation part receives a specified change-over instruction operation, in the object selection image, the display part changes the position designation figure group to be displayed to another position designation figure group.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display part sets an order to each of the plurality of the position designation figure groups, and each time the operation part receives a specified sequential change-over instruction operation, in the object selection image, the display part changes the position designation figure group to be displayed in accordance with the order.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when display of the position designation figure group is changed, if the position designation figure in which an object is not assigned to is positioned at the specific position in the position designation figure group to be newly displayed, the display part rotates and moves the position designation figure group along the peripheral direction of the ring so that the position designation figure in which the object is assigned to is positioned at the specific position.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the operation part receives a specified mode change-over instruction operation, the display part displays an object assignment image which is an image for assigning an object to the position designation figure and includes an assignment position designation figure group corresponding to the position designation figure group in the object selection image, and

when the operation part receives the specified rotation instruction operation, in the object assignment image, the display part rotates and moves the assignment position designation figure group, together with the object assigned to each of the position designation figures, along the circumferential direction of the ring by the rotation amount corresponding to the rotation instruction operation, and causes the specific position designation figure in the assignment position designation figure group to be displayed to enable recognition that the object can be assigned by the operation of the operation part.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

in the object assignment image, an imaginary plane including the ring is not parallel to an image plane of the object selection image, and

an inclination of the imaginary plane in the object assignment image with respect to the imaginary plane of the object assignment image is different from an inclination of the imaginary plane in the object selection image with respect to the image plane of the object selection image.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

in the object assignment image, the display part displays the specific position designation figure to be opaque, and displays the position designation figure other than the specific position designation figure to be semi-transparent, and

the inclination of the imaginary plane in the object assignment image with respect to the image plane of the object assignment image is set to such an angle that at least a portion of each of all the position designation figures does not overlap with the other position designation figure.

13. A control method of an information processing apparatus including an operation part and a display part to display an object selection image for selecting an object, the object selection image including a position designation figure group including N (N is an integer of 3 or more) position designation figures which are arranged in a ring shape and to each of which one object of a plurality of objects can be assigned so that each of the position designation figures is either (i) an assigned position designation figure to which one of the objects is assigned or (ii) an unassigned position designation figure to which one of the objects is not assigned, and the method comprising:

rotating and moving the position designation figure group, together with any of the objects assigned to the position designation figures, along a circumferential direction of the ring by a rotation amount corresponding to a rotation instruction operation in the object selection image when the operation part receives the specified rotation instruction operation; and

causing a specific position designation figure, which is one of the assigned position designation figures and is positioned at a specific position in the position designation figure group corresponding to a stationary region where the rotation instruction operation causes movement of the position designation figure group to stop the specific position designation figure, to be displayed to enable recognition that the object assigned to the specific position designation figure can be selected by an operation of the operation part, wherein

in the object selection image, the display part adjusts the rotation amount so that the unassigned position designation figure does not stop at the specific position and does not become the specific position designation figure, and

the number N of the position designation figures is unchanged when a previously unassigned one of the objects is assigned to one of the position designation figures.

14. A transmission head-mount type display device comprising:

an image display part that (i) includes an image light generation part to generate an image light representing an image, and a light guide part to guide the generated image light to eyes of a user, and (ii) causes the user to visually recognize a virtual image in a state where the device is mounted on a head of the user; and

an operation part, wherein

the image display part displays an object selection image including a position designation figure group including N (N is an integer of 3 or more) position designation figures which are arranged in a ring shape and to each of which one object of a plurality of objects can be assigned so that each of the position designation figures is either (i) an assigned position designation figure to which one of the objects is assigned or (ii) an unassigned position designation figure to which one of the objects is not assigned,

when the operation part receives a specified rotation instruction operation, in the object selection image, the image display part

(i) rotates and moves the position designation figure group, together with any of the objects assigned to the position designation figures, along a circumferential direction of the ring by a rotation amount corresponding to the rotation instruction operation, and

(ii) causes a specific position designation figure, which is one of the assigned position designation figures and is positioned at a specific position in the position designation figure group corresponding to a stationary region where the rotation instruction operation causes movement of the position designation figure group to stop the specific position designation figure, to be displayed to enable recognition that the object assigned to the specific position designation figure can be selected by an operation of the operation part,

in the object selection image, the display part adjusts the rotation amount so that the unassigned position designation figure does not stop at the specific position and does not become the specific position designation figure, and

the number N of the position designation figures is unchanged when a previously unassigned one of the objects is assigned to one of the position designation figures.