Information processing apparatus and method, and recording medium

• US 20040048570A1
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oba, Haruo, Rekimoto, Junichi, Sugawara, Taku, Ayatsuka, Yuji, Matsushita, Nobuyuki, Inagaki, Takeo
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• 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 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program which allow a user to immediately and easily know whether or not transmission of desired data is completed and the direction of transmission of the data. Readers/writers 23-1 through 23-4 and RF tags 24-1 through 24-4 detect an electronic device which is placed adjacent thereto and the direction in which the electronic device is placed. The readers/writers 23-1 through 23-4 and the RF tags 24-1 through 24-4 obtain identification information of the electronic device when the electronic device placed adjacent thereto is detected. A communication unit 22 communicates with the electronic device over a network based on the identification information. A CPU 11 controls display so that an image corresponding to at least one of the communication status of data communicated over the network and the content of the data is displayed on an LCD 17 based on the direction in which the electronic device is placed. The present invention is applicable to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, a PDA, or a cellular telephone.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

detecting means for detecting an electronic device which is placed adjacent thereto, and for detecting the direction in which the electronic device is placed;

obtaining means for obtaining identification information of the electronic device when the electronic device placed adjacent thereto is detected by the detecting means;

communication means for communicating with the electronic device over a network based on the identification information; and

display control means for controlling display so that an image corresponding to at least one of the communication status of data communicated over the network and the content of the data is displayed based on the direction in which the electronic device is placed.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control means controls display so that the image is displayed in a manner corresponding to reception or transmission of the data.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display control means controls display so that the image is displayed in a manner corresponding to reception or transmission of the data when the communication of the data is completed.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display control means controls display so that, when the data is received, a display area of the image increases from the direction in which the electronic device is placed, and controls display so that, when the data is transmitted, the display area of the image decreases in the direction in which the electronic device is placed.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display control means controls display so that, when the data is received, the display area of the image increases by adding the received data, and controls display so that, when the data is transmitted, the display area of the image decreases by deleting the transmitted data from the image.

6. An information processing method comprising:

a detection step of detecting an electronic device which is placed adjacent, and detecting the direction in which the electronic device is placed;

an obtaining step of obtaining identification information of the electronic device when the electronic device placed adjacent is detected in the detection step;

a communication step of communicating with the electronic device over a network based on the identification information; and

a display control step of controlling display so that an image corresponding to at least one of the communication status of data communicated over the network and the content of the data is displayed based on the direction in which the electronic device is placed.

7. A recording medium having a program recorded therein, the program causing a computer to execute an information process including:

a detection step of detecting an electronic device which is placed adjacent thereto, and detecting the direction in which the electronic device is placed;

an obtaining step of obtaining identification information of the electronic device when the electronic device placed adjacent thereto is detected in the detection step;

a communication step of communicating with the electronic device over a network based on the identification information; and

a display control step of controlling display so that an image corresponding to at least one of the communication status of data communicated over the network and the content of the data is displayed based on the direction in which the electronic device is placed.