Information processing apparatus, program, and control method

• US 9,098,248 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Seiji, Miyazawa, Yusuke, Okumura, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zheng, Xuemei
• Application Number:
  US13/212,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20120056830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a display, a touch panel, a sensor, and a controller. The display has a screen. The touch panel is configured to detect contact. The sensor is configured to detect an inclination. The controller is configured to determine whether contact is detected by the touch panel, and control display of an image displayed on the screen based on the inclination detected by the sensor in a period of time from detection of contact by the touch panel to release of the contact.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a display having a screen;

a detection unit configured to detect inputs by a user;

a sensor configured to detect an inclination; and

a controller configured to determine whether an input is detected by the detection unit, and rotating display of a first image displayed on the screen in a first display mode into a second image displayed on the screen in a second display mode based on the inclination detected by the sensor in a period of time from detection of input by the detection unit to release of the input,

wherein the first image and the second image include a selection item,

wherein if the input is detected in the first display mode, the first image switches to the second image by gradually emerging on the screen when the inclination becomes larger than a first predetermined threshold,

wherein the controller further includes a third display mode in which the second image is displayed on the screen, and is configured to be capable of switching the second display mode to the third display mode,

wherein the controller determines whether the input is released in the second display mode, determines whether an angle of the inclination at a time when the input is released is greater than a second predetermined threshold, and switches from the second display mode to the third display mode in a case where the angle of the inclination is greater than the second predetermined threshold, and

wherein in a case where the angle of the inclination at the time when the input is released is less than the first predetermined threshold, the controller switches the second display mode to the first display mode.

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

the selection item is a selection item of content,

the first image is a content selection image containing the selection item of the content, and

the second image is a reproduction image of the content.

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

the controller starts to reproduce the content in accordance with the inclination obtained after the input is detected in the second display mode.

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

the selection item is a selection item of character information,

the first image is an image containing the selection item of the character information, and

the second image is an image containing information associated with the character information.

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

the controller controls the display such that a three-dimensional display object is displayed in a rotational manner in accordance with the inclination obtained after the input is detected.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the three-dimensional display object has a plurality of surfaces, and includes different icons on at least two of the plurality of surfaces.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the controller controls the display such that the three-dimensional display object is displayed in a rotational manner based on information on displacement of a contact position or a proximity position detected by the detection unit.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect inclination of a touch panel.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the detection unit is physically separated from the display.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect inclination of a feature of a user.

11. The information processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the feature of the user is at least one of a face, finger, thumb, and hand of the user.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection unit is configured to detect contact.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection unit is configured to detect proximity.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises a touch panel configured to detect contact or proximity as the inputs by the user.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a processor of an image processing apparatus causes the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining whether an input is detected by a detection unit; and

rotating display of a first image displayed on the screen in a first display mode into a second image displayed on the screen in a second display mode based on an inclination detected by a sensor in a period of time from detection of the input by the detection unit to release of the input,

wherein the first image and the second image include a selection item,

wherein if the input is detected in the first display mode, the first image switches to the second image by gradually emerging on the screen when the inclination becomes larger than a first predetermined threshold,

wherein a third display mode in which the second image is displayed on the screen as a result of switching the second display mode to the third display mode,

wherein if the input is released in the second display mode and if an angle of the inclination at a time when the input is released is greater than a second predetermined threshold, switching from the second display mode to the third display mode, and

wherein if the angle of the inclination at the time when the input is released is less than the first predetermined threshold, switching the second display mode to the first display mode.

16. A control method, comprising:

determining whether an input is detected by a detection unit; and

rotating display of a first image displayed on the screen in a first display mode into a second image displayed on the screen in a second display mode based on an inclination detected by a sensor in a period of time from detection of the input by the detection unit to release of the input,

wherein the first image and the second image include a selection item, and

wherein if the input is detected in the first display mode, the first image switches to the second image by gradually emerging on the screen when the inclination becomes larger than a first predetermined threshold,

wherein a third display mode in which the second image is displayed on the screen as a result of switching the second display mode to the third display mode,

wherein if the input is released in the second display mode and if an angle of the inclination at a time when the input is released is greater than a second predetermined threshold, switching from the second display mode to the third display mode, and

wherein if the angle of the inclination at the time when the input is released is less than the first predetermined threshold, switching the second display mode to the first display mode.