Apparatus and method for arranging emails in depth positions for display

• US 9,215,439 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sudo, Fukukyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hur, Ece
• Application Number:
  US13/537,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20130014024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 715/852, 715/836, 715/782, 715/848, 715/850
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/122 Improving the 3D impression of stereoscopic images by modifying image signal contents, e.g. by filtering or adding monoscopic depth cues H04N13/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing

Abstract

The information processing apparatus generates email information (or display contents) to be displayed on a display apparatus and outputs the generated email information to the display apparatus that is a 3D image display apparatus for displaying a 3D image observable by an observer on the basis of binocular parallax. The information processing apparatus updates the display contents to be displayed on the display apparatus in accordance with an operation input. The information processing apparatus outputs email information display (a first display state) or email information display (a second display state) from a display output block to the display apparatus. On the basis of an input operation, the information processing apparatus switches, through a switching block, a display state of the email information to be displayed on the display apparatus from the email information display (the first display state) to the email information display (the second display state).

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display output block configured to output email information display to a display apparatus on which a three-dimensional image is observable by an observer on the basis of binocular parallax;

an input block configured to receive a predetermined input operation; and

a switching block configured to switch, on the basis of said input operation, display states of said email information display from a first display state to a second display state differing from said first display state in a depth position in said display apparatus,

wherein said email information display is for displaying a plurality of email messages, and

wherein the information processing apparatus enables (i) a plurality of layers to be set, in which each layer corresponds to a respective depth position displayed in a depth direction from a viewing plane of the display apparatus, wherein a respective parallax amount is set between a left-eye image and a right-eye image corresponding to each layer, (ii) said plurality of email messages to be respectively arranged at the depth positions corresponding to attribute information of each email message, and (iii) said plurality of email messages respectively arranged at the depth positions to be respectively reallocated at reallocated depth positions with reference to a focused email message.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switching block uses a depth position of a focused display element in said second display state as the viewing plane.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switching block makes a depth position of a focused display element in said second display state substantially the same as a depth position of a periphery display section.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input block accepts a selective operation by a slide bar of a focused display element in said second display state.

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

said display output block outputs a main display for handling email and attached information display for displaying attached information associated with said main display as said email information display;

said input block has a positional information input block configured to enter positional information of said observer who makes observation on said display apparatus and a change detection block configured to detect a change in said positional information; and

said switching block switches display states of said attached information display from said first display state to said second display state on the basis of the detection of said change.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said attached information is operation information associated with an operation of said main display.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a gesture detection block configured to detect a selective operation associated with said operation information from a gesture made by said observer in said second display state.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said attached information is information associated with an email usage amount.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said attached information is not displayed in said first display state.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said main display and said attached information display are displayed on different faces of a display object made of a polyhedron.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, in switching from said first display state to said second display state, said switching block switches virtual viewpoints of a display object from a first virtual viewpoint to a second virtual viewpoint.

12. An image display apparatus comprising:

a three-dimensional image display block configured to display email information in a three-dimensional image observable by an observer on the basis of binocular parallax;

an input block configured to accept a predetermined input operation; and

a switching block configured to switch, on the basis of said input operation, display states of said email information display from a first display state to a second display state differing from said first display state in a depth position in said image display apparatus,

wherein said email information display is for displaying a plurality of email messages, and

wherein the image display apparatus enables (i) a plurality of layers to be set, in which each layer corresponds to a respective depth position displayed in a depth direction from a viewing plane of the image display apparatus, wherein a respective parallax amount is set between a left-eye image and a right-eye image corresponding to each layer, (ii) said plurality of email messages to be respectively arranged at the depth positions corresponding to attribute information of each email message, and (iii) said plurality of email messages respectively arranged at the depth positions to be respectively reallocated at reallocated depth positions with reference to a focused email message.

13. An information processing method comprising:

outputting email information display to a display apparatus on which a three-dimensional image is observable by an observer on the basis of binocular parallax;

receiving a predetermined input operation;

switching, on the basis of said input operation, display states of said email information display from a first display state to a second display state differing from said first display state in a depth position in said display apparatus, wherein said email information display is a plurality of email messages; and

enabling (i) a plurality of layers to be set, in which each layer corresponds to a respective depth position displayed in a depth direction from a viewing plane of the display apparatus, wherein a respective parallax amount is set between a left-eye image and a right-eye image corresponding to each layer, (ii) said plurality of email messages to be respectively arranged at the depth positions corresponding to attribute information of each email message, and (iii) said plurality of email messages respectively arranged at the depth positions to be respectively reallocated at reallocated depth positions with reference to a focused email message.