Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

• US 9,753,637 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyazawa, Yusuke, Homma, Fuminori, Sakata, Junichiro, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Karimi, Pegeman
• Application Number:
  US12/971,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20110157006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,454 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 345157, 345169, 345173, 345174, 178 1801- 1803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 detection section configured to detect an operating body in proximity to a display screen, an identification section configured to identify whether the operating body detected by the detection section is in proximity to a selection item included in the display screen, and a display control section configured to temporarily superimpose and display a region including selection item content of the selection item over a previously displayed display region when the identification section identifies the operating body as being in proximity to the selection item and configured to end a display of the region including the selection item content of the selection item when the detection section no longer detects the operating body as being in proximity to the display screen.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a detection section configured to detect an operating body in proximity to a display screen;

a specification section configured to specify a range of the display screen where the operating body detected by the detection section is in proximity;

an identification section configured to identify whether the operating body detected by the detection section is in proximity to a selection item included in the display screen; and

a display control section configured to temporarily superimpose and display a region including selection item content of the selection item over a previously displayed display region when the identification section identifies the operating body as being in proximity to the selection item and configured to end a display of the region including the selection item content of the selection item when the detection section no longer detects the operating body as being in proximity to the display screen,

wherein the identification section identifies whether the range specified by the specification section includes the selection item,

wherein the specification section specifies the range of the display screen by designating, as the range, all areas of the display screen where one or more portions of the operating body are within a proximity distance from the display screen, and

wherein each one of the detection section, the specification section, the identification section, and the display control section is implemented via at least one processor.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control section ends the display of the region including the selection item content of the selection item when the detection section detects the operating body as being in contact with the display screen.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control section displays a region including an enlarged display of the selection item content of the selection item when the identification section identifies the operating body as being in proximity to the selection item.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control section displays a region including a pull-down display of the selection item content of the selection item when the identification section identifies the operating body as being in proximity to the selection item.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control section displays a region including conversion content of the selection item when the identification section identifies the operating body as being in proximity to the selection item.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control section displays a region including content of a parent or child of the selection item when the identification section identifies the operating body as being in proximity to the selection item.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification section identifies that the detected operating body is in proximity to the selection item when the selection item is determined to be displayed within the specified range of the display screen.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification section identifies that the detected operating body is in proximity to the selection item when the selection item is determined to be displayed within the area of the display screen where the portions of the operating body are within the proximity distance from the display screen.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the display control section temporarily superimposes and displays the region including the selection item content of the selection item by superimposing and displaying the region including the selection item content of the selection item over an area of the display screen where an on-screen keyboard was previously displayed as the previously displayed display region.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control section temporarily superimposes and displays the region including the selection item content of the selection item by superimposing and displaying the region including the selection item content of the selection item over an area of the display screen where an on-screen keyboard was previously displayed as the previously displayed display region.

11. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

detecting an operating body in proximity to a display screen;

specifying a range of the display screen where the detected operating body is in proximity;

identifying whether the detected operating body is in proximity to a selection item included in the display screen;

identifying whether the specified range includes the selection item; and

superimposing and displaying selection item content of the selection item over a previously displayed display region when the operating body is identified as being in proximity to the selection item,

wherein the range of the display screen is specified by designating, as the range, all areas of the display screen where one or more portions of the operating body are within a proximity distance from the display screen.

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

detecting an operating body in proximity to a display screen;

specifying a range of the display screen where the detected operating body is in proximity;

identifying whether the detected operating body is in proximity to a selection item included in the display screen;

identifying whether the specified range includes the selection item; and

superimposing and displaying selection item content of the selection item over a previously displayed display region when the operating body is identified as being in proximity to the selection item,

wherein the range of the display screen is specified by designating, as the range, all areas of the display screen where one or more portions of the operating body are within a proximity distance from the display screen.