Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

• US 9,411,503 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Takuo, Akagawa, Satoshi, Asai, Satoshi, Kitao, Takashi, Li, Dan, Mugura, Kazuto, Nishimura, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATHEWS, CRYSTAL
• Application Number:
  US12/487,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20100013780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,608 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1811, 715/808, 715/843, 715/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An information processing device includes: a main unit to be held; a display unit provided on the main unit such that an information display screen is positioned on a front face thereof, to display information on the information display screen; a touch position detection unit to detect a touch position on the information display screen, and generate touch position detection data represented in terms of coordinates based on two axes intersecting at the detected touch position; and a control unit to display predetermined information on the information display screen, in the event of detecting that the touch position on the information display screen is being continually displaced from within a predetermined region on the information display screen in a predetermined first diagonal direction as to two directions following the two axes, based on the touch position detection data generated by the touch position detection unit.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising:

a housing configured to be held by a user;

a display provided on said housing such that an information display screen is positioned on a front face of said housing, said display configured to display information on said information display screen; and

circuitry configured to;

detect a touch position on said information display screen of said display when the user starts a touch operation on said information display screen;

generate touch position detection data represented in terms of coordinates;

determine whether a displacement distance in a predetermined first diagonal Direction exceeds a predetermined comparative reference displacement distance,

wherein the displacement distance is calculated, according to said touch position detection data, between a start position of the touch operation and an end position of the touch operation when the user continually displaces said touch position on said information display screen of said display along a single convex arc from a touch operation start area toward a touch operation end area within a predetermined region on said information display screen;

determine whether a touch operation duration time of being continually displaced along the single convex arc from the touch operation start area toward the touch operation end area exceeds a predetermined comparative reference time; and

display, only when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, predetermined information on said information display screen according to said touch position detection data generated by said circuitry, wherein

the predetermined region on said information display screen corresponds to a sweepable range of the user.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, said circuitry displays display indicators indicating items of a processing menu as said predetermined information on said predetermined region on said information display screen, and

when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction fails to exceed the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time fails to exceed the predetermined comparative reference time, said circuitry determines said touch position to be a position of another touch operation including a tap operation and a long hold operation.

3. The information processing device according claim 2, wherein when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, said circuitry displays the display indicators so as to be moved in said first diagonal direction from the side of said predetermined region on said information display screen of said display.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein

when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, said circuitry detects whether or not said touch position is being displaced in said first diagonal direction from within said predetermined region at the edge of said information display screen at a comparative reference speed or faster,

when said touch position is being displaced in said first diagonal direction from within said predetermined region at the edge of said information display screen at a comparative reference speed or faster, said circuitry displays said display indicators being moved in said first diagonal direction from within said predetermined region at a final display position, and

when said touch position is being displaced in said first diagonal direction from within said predetermined region at the edge of said information display screen at a comparative reference speed or faster, said circuitry displays said display indicators so as to be moved in said first diagonal direction from within said predetermined region at a speed following that of the displacement of said touch position.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein

when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, said circuitry detects that said touch position is being displaced in said first diagonal direction from within said predetermined region at the edge of said information display screen and accordingly displaying said display indicators at said final display position, and

wherein said circuitry determines whether a second displacement distance in a predetermined second diagonal direction opposite to said first diagonal direction exceeds predetermined comparative reference displacement distance, wherein the second displacement distance is calculated, according to said touch position detection data, between a start position of the touch operation and an end position of the touch operation when the user continually displaces said touch position on said information display screen of said display along a single convex arc from the touch operation end area toward the touch operation start area within the predetermined region on said information display screen, and

said circuitry determines whether a second touch operation duration time of being continually displaced along the single convex arc from the touch operation end area toward the touch operation start area in said predetermined second diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, and

when the second displacement distance in the predetermined second diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the second touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, said circuitry moves said display indicators at said final display position within said information display screen of said display, to said predetermined region side of said information display screen so as to be removed.

6. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, said circuitry displays one or a plurality of said display indicators on the course of displacement of said touch position on said information display screen of said display.

7. The information processing device according to claim 6, herein when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, said circuitry displays one or a plurality of said display indicators on said information display screen of said display, at a size corresponding to the length of the course of displacement of said touch position.

8. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, said circuitry displays one or a plurality of said display indicators within a fan-shaped region specified by the course of displacement of said touch position said information display screen of said display.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8, wherein when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, said circuitry displays one or a plurality of said display indicators on said information display screen of said display, at a size corresponding to the area of a display region.

10. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein when said housing is being held by a hand of the user in such a state that the portion of a palm of the hand that is at the base of a thumb of the user is pressed against one side face of the housing and the palm of the hand cradles the back face of the housing such that fingers other than the thumb of the user are pressed against the other side face of the housing, when said touch position is determined to be continually displaced along said single convex arc from within said predetermined region provided in a corner of said information display screen of said display at the side where the little finger of said hand holding said housing is situated, which is said edge thereof, said circuitry displays said display indicators on said information display screen of said display.

11. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, while sequentially switching and displaying a plurality of information generated hierarchically on said information display screen of said display, said circuitry displays, on said information display screen of said display, said predetermined information corresponding to a hierarchical level of said information displayed on said information display screen of said display at the time of said detection.

12. The information processing device according to claim 11, wherein when the circuitry temporarily detects that said touch position within said predetermined region on said information display screen of said display, said circuitry executes processing corresponding to temporary detection of said touch position within said predetermined region.

13. The information processing device according to claim 12, wherein when the circuitry temporarily detects that said touch position within said predetermined region on said information display screen of said display, said circuitry displays, instead of said predetermined information displayed on said information display screen of said display at the time of temporarily detecting said touch position within said predetermined region, information of a higher hierarchical level than that of said predetermined information.

14. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

detect a dominant hand;

change the position of said predetermined region within said information display screen of said display, in accordance with said dominant hand detected by said circuitry; and

re-stipulate said first diagonal direction.

15. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

detect a holding orientation of said housing;

change the position of said predetermined region within said information display screen of said display, in accordance with said holding orientation detected by said circuitry; and

re-stipululate said first diagonal direction.

16. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to display the predetermined information on said information display screen of said display, based on a detection that said touch position on said information display screen of said display is being continually displaced along said single convex arc, a display orientation of the information display screen, and a speed of the continual displacement along said single convex arc.

17. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the entire concave side of the single convex arc faces one lower corner of the display,

the single convex arc starts from a first edge of the display and ends at a second edge of the display that is perpendicular to the first edge, and

the predetermined first diagonal direction is the only one of the two directions that causes the predetermined information to be displayed.

18. An information processing met of an information processing device, the information processing method comprising:

detecting a touch position on a display provided on a housing configured to be held by a user such that an information display screen is positioned on a front face of said housing when the user starts a touch operation on said information display screen;

generating touch position detection data represented in terms of coordinates;

determining, by circuitry of the information processing device, whether a displacement distance in a predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds a predetermined comparative reference displacement distance,

wherein the displacement distance is calculated, according to said touch position detection data, between a start position of the touch operation and an end position of the touch operation when the user continually displaces said touch position on said information display screen of said display along a single convex arc from a touch operation start area toward a touch operation end area within a predetermined region on said information display screen;

determine, by the circuitry, whether a touch operation duration time of being continually displaced along the single convex arc from the touch operation start area toward the touch operation end area exceeds a predetermined comparative reference time; and

displaying, by the circuitry only when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, predetermined information on said information display screen according to said generated touch position detection data, wherein

the predetermined region on said information display screen corresponds to a sweepable range of the user.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein

the entire concave side of the single convex arc faces one lower corner of the display,

the single convex arc starts from a first edge of the display and ends at a second edge of the display that is perpendicular to the first edge, and

the predetermined first diagonal direction is the only one of the two directions that causes the predetermined information to be displayed.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions which, when executed by circuitry of an information processing device, causes the information processing device to:

detect a touch position on a display provided on a housing configured to be held by a user such that an information display screen is positioned on a front face of said housing when the user starts a touch operation on said information display screen;

generate touch position detection data represented in terms of coordinates;

determine whether a displacement distance in a predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds a predetermined comparative reference displacement distance,

wherein the displacement distance is calculated, according to said touch position detection data, between a start position of the touch operation and an end position of the touch operation when the user continually displaces said touch position on said information display screen of said display along a single convex arc from a touch operation start area toward a touch operation end area within a predetermined region on said information display screen;

determine whether a touch operation duration time of being continually displaced along the single convex arc from the touch operation start area toward the touch operation end area exceeds a predetermined comparative reference time; and

display, only when the displacement distance in the predetermined first diagonal direction exceeds the predetermined comparative reference displacement distance and the touch operation duration time exceeds the predetermined comparative reference time, predetermined information on said information display screen according to said generated touch position detection data, wherein

the predetermined region on said information display screen corresponds to a sweepable range of the user.