Information-processing apparatus and programs used in information-processing apparatus

• US 9,052,813 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wang, Jian, Sato, Takashi, Tamai, Hiroki, Nishimura, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Sanghyuk
• Application Number:
  US11/224,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20060071913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,555 Days
• Field of Search: 345/341, 345/157, 345/619, 345/754, 345/764, 345/856, 345173-183, 345684-688, 715/856, 715/238, 715784-788, 348/222, 348/333.05, 348/373
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The present invention improves operatability provided for the user as operatability to specify a display range in an information-processing apparatus employing an absolute coordinate input unit such as a touch panel. The information-processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention allows the user to select one of a plurality of input operation modes of the absolute coordinate input unit. One of the input operation modes is a specific mode allowing a display range to be moved to a desired position in a state where the highest resolution of a display unit integrated with the absolute coordinate input unit is lower than the resolution of an entire screen. The information-processing apparatus has a configuration in which, when an operation face of the absolute coordinate input unit is touched to carry out a drag operation in this specific mode, the distance of a movement made in the drag operation is detected, and the position of the display range is then changed by moving the display range by the detected distance.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display having a surface;

an input unit configured to receive input information based on a user operation of said surface of said display; and

a processing circuit configured to

determine a current display state each time an operation mode is changed by a user, the current display state being selected from among a panning state where an image is partially displayed on the display due to a resolution of the image being greater than a resolution of the display and a non-panning state where an image is entirely displayed on the display, the operation mode selected from at least a first mode, a second mode, or a third mode,

change the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode when a determination result indicates that the current display state is the non-panning state,

detect a movement of a user operation based on the received input information,

move an area where the displaying information is displayed based on the detected movement in the second mode,

change the operation mode from the first mode to the third mode when the determination result indicates that the current display state is the panning state,

recognize any tap operation on any part of the surface of the display in the first mode as an operation of a right button of a mouse, and

recognize any tap operation on any part of the surface of the display in the second mode as the operation of the left button of the mouse.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to change the operation mode based on a user operation on a predetermined area of said surface of said display.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing circuit is configured to change the operation mode in a cyclic manner.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

when a first element is displayed in the first mode and the operation mode is changed from the first mode to the second mode, the first element is changed to a second element.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an operation device arranged outside of said display, wherein

the processing circuit is configured to change the operation mode based on an operation of said operation device.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said operation circuit is a mechanical button.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a cursor is displayed as a first image in the first mode and as a second image in the second mode, the first image being different than the second image.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing circuit is configured to change the operation mode in a cyclic manner each time a user operates a single input element such that at least three operation modes are cycled through.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing circuit is configured to recognize a tap operation on the surface of the display in a hover mode as an operation of a right button of a mouse.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing circuit is configured to recognize a tap operation on every part of the surface of the display in the second mode or the third mode as the operation of the right button of the mouse.

11. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display having a surface, said display having a maximum resolution;

an input unit configured to receive input information based on a user operation of said surface of said display; and

a processing circuit configured to

control said display,

change an operation mode to a mode selected from at least a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode,

determine whether a current display state of the display is a panning state or a non-panning state each time an operation mode is changed by a user, the panning state being where information is partially displayed on the display due to a resolution of the information being greater than the maximum resolution of the display, and the non-panning state being where the information is entirely displayed on the display and maximum resolution of said display being higher than or equal to the resolution of information,

change the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode based on a predetermined user operation when the current display state of the display is the panning state,

move an area where the information is displayed based on the received input information when the information is displayed on a part of said display in the second mode,

change the operation mode from the second mode to the third mode when the resolution of information to be displayed is changed and the current display state of the display is the non-panning state,

recognize any tap operation on any part of the surface of the display in a right-click mode as an operation of a right button of a mouse, and

recognize any tap operation on any part of the surface of the display in a left-click mode as the operation of the left button of the mouse.

12. An information processing method comprising:

receiving input information from a user operation of a surface of a display;

determining, by a processing circuit, a current display state each time an operation mode is changed by a user, the current display state being selected from among a panning state where an image is partially displayed on the display due to a resolution of the image being greater than a resolution of the display and a non-panning state where an image is entirely displayed on the display, the operation mode selected from at least a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode;

changing, by the processing circuit, the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode when a determination result indicates that the current display state is the non-panning state;

detecting a movement of a user operation based on the received input information;

moving an area where the displaying information is displayed based on the detected movement in the second mode;

changing, by the processing circuit, the operation mode from the first mode to the third mode when the determination result indicates that the current display state is the non-panning state;

recognizing, by the processing circuit, any tap operation on any part of the surface of the display in a right-click mode as an operation of a right button of a mouse; and

recognizing, by the processing circuit, any tap operation on any part of the surface of the display in a left-click mode as an operation of a left button of the mouse.

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

changing, by the processing circuit, the operation mode based on a user operation on a predetermined area of said surface of said display.

14. The information processing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

changing, by the processing circuit, the operation mode in a cyclic manner.

15. The information processing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

changing, by the processing circuit, a first element to a second element when a first element is displayed in the first mode and the operation mode is changed from the first mode to the second mode.

16. The information processing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

changing, by the processing circuit, the operation mode based on an operation of an operation device arranged outside of said display.

17. The information processing method according to claim 16, wherein said operation device is a single mechanical button.

18. An information processing method comprising:

receiving input information based on a user operation to a surface of a display having a maximum resolution;

changing, by a processing circuit, an operation mode to a mode including at least a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode;

determine, by the processing circuit, whether a current display state of the display is a panning state or anon-panning state each time an operation mode is changed by a user, the panning state being where information is partially displayed on the display due to a resolution of the information being greater than the maximum resolution of the display, and the non-panning state being where the information is entirely displayed on the display and maximum resolution of said display being higher than or equal to the resolution of information;

changing, by the processing circuit, the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode based on a predetermined user operation when the current display state of the display is the panning state;

moving an area where the information is displayed based on the received input information when the information is displayed on a part of said display in the second mode;

changing, by the processing circuit, the operation mode from the second mode to the third mode when the resolution of information to be displayed is changed and the current display state of the display is the non-panning state;

recognizing, by the processing circuit, any tap operation on any part of the surface of the display in a right-click mode as an operation of a right button of a mouse; and

recognizing, by the processing circuit, any tap operation on any part of the surface of the display in a left-click mode as an operation of a left button of the mouse.

19. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an input detection unit configured to detect a touch operation performed on a display by a user; and

a processing circuit configured to

determine a current display state each time an operation mode is changed by a user, the current display state being selected from among a panning state where an image is partially displayed on the display due to a resolution of the image being greater than a resolution of the display and a non-panning state where an image is entirely displayed on the display, the operation mode selected from at least a first mode, a second mode, or a third mode,

change the operation mode for said display based on a user input,

change the current operation mode to an operation mode including at least a first tap operation mode, a second tap operation mode, and a pointer movement mode,

change the operation mode in a cyclic manner based on the user input by cycling through the at least three operation modes,

recognize any tap operation on any part of a surface of the display in a right-click mode as an operation of a right button of a mouse, and

recognize any tap operation on any part of the surface of the display in a left-click mode as an operation of a left button of the mouse.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

an operation key configured to change the operation mode when operated by the user.

21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said input detection unit is configured to detect a command by the user to change the operation mode.

22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said processing circuit is further configured to change the operation mode when a display mode of said display is changed.

23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

said first tap operation mode corresponds to a main-button click mode of a mouse, and said second tap operation mode corresponds to an auxiliary-button click mode of the mouse.