Information processing apparatus, information processing method and computer program

• US 9,569,106 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Reiko
• Primary Examiner(s): MERCEDES, DISMERY E
• Application Number:
  US14/498,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20150012875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An information processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a display unit for displaying thereon a plurality of input regions operated by an operating body, a detection unit for detecting an approach distance between the operating body and a surface of the display unit, and a region control unit for, when the operating body approaches one of the input regions within a predetermined distance, enlarging the input region which the operating body approaches, and moving at least one of the input regions such that the adjacent input regions do not overlap each other. The input region is enlarged and an overlap between the input regions is avoided so that a user can easily select a desired input region, thereby preventing erroneous selection of other input region.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

control a displaying of a plurality of display objects that are each operable by an operating body, and

detect, as an operation interaction upon a select display object selected from the plurality of display objects, a movement of the operating body in relation to a position corresponding to a display location of the select display object,

wherein the select display object is controlled to be displayed as relatively enlarged when the operation interaction is detected upon the select display object, and each of the plurality of display objects are positioned so that adjacent display objects do not overlap one another,

wherein the plurality of display objects comprises a first display object type as a display object which is selected by the operation interaction and relatively enlarged for display, a second display object type as a display object which is moved from an original position prior to the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object type to a relocation position after the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object type, and a third display object type as a display object which is not changed from before the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object to after the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object type.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the select display object is relatively enlarged by enlarging the select display object relative to other display objects of the plurality of display objects.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the select display object is relatively enlarged by reducing a size of display objects surrounding the select display object.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry detects, as the operation interaction upon the select display object, a contact or approach made by the operating body in relation to the position corresponding to the display location of the select display object.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gesture includes a touching contact made by the operating body at the position corresponding to the display location of the select display object.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gesture includes a tap operation made by the operating body at the position corresponding to the display location of the select display object.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry detects, as the operation interaction upon the select display object, a contact or approach made by the operating body in relation to the position corresponding to the display location of the select display object.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the gesture includes a touching contact made by the operating body at the position corresponding to the display location of the select display object.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the gesture includes a tap operation made by the operating body at the position corresponding to the display location of the select display object.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of display objects are displayed as a plurality of icons.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

decide a size of the plurality of display objects after relative enlargement has been carried out, based on an approach distance between the operating body and the position corresponding to the display location of the select display object, and

calculate ideal positions of the plurality of display objects where the adjacent display objects do not overlap each other after relative enlargement has been carried out.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

decide an overlap avoidance region that enables any one of the display objects to avoid overlapping any other one of the display objects after relative enlargement has been carried out,

decide a pair of the adjacent display objects,

decide ideal relative positions for the pair of the adjacent display objects so that the corresponding overlap avoidance regions do not overlap, and

calculate the ideal relative positions so as to minimize a difference between present relative positions of the corresponding overlap avoidance regions and the ideal relative positions.

13. An information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

when a present position of the overlap avoidance region corresponding to the paired display object does not overlap, the present position of the overlap avoidance region is assumed to be the ideal relative position, and

when the present position of the overlap avoidance region corresponding to the paired display object overlaps, the position to which one of the overlap avoidance regions is moved in a reference line direction connecting the centers of the overlap avoidance regions so as not to overlap the other overlap avoidance region is assumed to be the ideal relative position.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to optimize an enlargement factor of the display objects such that all the display objects are within a predetermined range.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to predict input information to be input by a user,

wherein a display of the display object is changed based on predictive input information as the predicted input information.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

analyze past input information that has already been inputted from the display objects,

predict the display object to be operated next for inputting the predictive input information as a next operation region, and

change a display of the predicted next operation region.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein display objects adjacent to the select display object are concurrently moved so as to avoid overlap therebetween.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of display objects are displayed to be positioned within at least one of a home screen, a music player, an image viewer and a web browser.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a touch panel configured to detect at least one of a touching contact and an approach made by a gesture of the operation interaction.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the touch panel comprises a capacitance touch sensor.

21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the touch panel comprises an optical touch sensor.

22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of display objects are displayed upon a liquid crystal display.

23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each display object of the plurality of display objects corresponds to a respective input region.

24. An information processing method, executed via at least one processor, the method comprising:

controlling a displaying of a plurality of display objects that are each operable by an operating body; and

detecting, as an operation interaction upon a select display object selected from the plurality of display objects, a movement of the operating body in relation to a position corresponding to a display location of the select display object,

wherein when the operation interaction is detected upon the select display object, relatively enlarging the select display object and displaying each of the plurality of display objects at respective display locations such that adjacent display objects do not overlap one another, and

wherein the plurality of display objects comprises a first display object type as a display object which is selected by the operation interaction and relatively enlarged for display, a second display object type as a display object which is moved from an original position prior to the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object type to a relocation position after the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object type, and a third display object type as a display object which is not changed from before the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object to after the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object type.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute an information processing method, the method comprising:

controlling a displaying of a plurality of display objects that are each operable by an operating body; and

detecting, as an operation interaction upon a select display object selected from the plurality of display objects, a movement of the operating body in relation to a position corresponding to a display location of the select display object,

wherein when the operation interaction is detected upon the select display object, relatively enlarging the select display object and displaying each of the plurality of display objects at respective display locations such that adjacent display objects do not overlap one another, and

wherein the plurality of display objects comprises a first display object type as a display object which is selected by the operation interaction and relatively enlarged for display, a second display object type as a display object which is moved from an original position prior to the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object type to a relocation position after the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object type, and a third display object type as a display object which is not changed from before the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object to after the relative enlargement of the display object of the first display object type.