Information processing apparatus and method, and program

• US 20070024594A1
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Music Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Music Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takatsuka, Susumu, Kinouchi, Takashi, Sakata, Junichiro, Asaka, Kotaro, Tsukazaki, Hideo, Ozawa, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

There is provided a content selection view in which the user can select a content intuitively and easily. When the user places a touch pen in touch with a touch panel in a position corresponding to a position P1 in a map and drags the touch pen along a locus to a position P2 with the touch pen being kept in touch with the touch panel, PD will judge that a grid is still an option. Thereafter, when the user takes the touch pen off the touch panel surface, the PD will select the grid corresponding to the position P2 where the touch pen has finally been in touch with the touch panel. The PD will output not only content data assigned to the selected grid but a sound corresponding, to predetermined content data even while the grid is still an option. The present invention is applicable to a portable recorder/player.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for making a predetermined operation in response to an operation made on a touch panel laminated on a display screen, the apparatus comprising:

a display controlling means for controlling the display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

a detecting means for detecting user'"'"'s touch on a touch panel;

a judging means for judging whether the user'"'"'s touch detected by the detecting means has been released or not;

a selecting means for selecting one of the items, corresponding to a position where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected by the detecting means just before and displayed by the display controlling means, in case it is determined by the judging means that the user'"'"'s touch has been released; and

a playing means for playing the content assigned to the item selected by the selecting means,

the playing means playing a predetermined content also in a period from the detection of the user'"'"'s touch by the detecting means until it is determined by the judging means that the user'"'"'s touch has been released.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined content may be a part or all of the content assigned to the item corresponding to the position where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected by the detecting means and displayed by the display controlling means in a period from the detection of the user'"'"'s touch by the detecting means until it is determined by the judging means that the user'"'"'s touch has been released.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined content is an effective sound.

4. An information processing method of making a predetermined operation in response to an operation made on a touch panel laminated on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

controlling the display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

detecting user'"'"'s touch on the touch panel;

judging whether the user'"'"'s touch detected in the detecting step has been released or not;

selecting one of the items, corresponding to a position where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected in the detecting step just before and displayed in the display controlling step, in case it is determined in the judging step that the user'"'"'s touch has been released; and

playing the content assigned to the item selected by the selecting means,

in the playing step, a predetermined content being played also in a period from the detection of the user'"'"'s touch in the detecting step until it is determined in the judging step that the user'"'"'s touch has been released.

5. A program for making a predetermined operation in response to an operation made on a touch panel laminated on a display screen, the program comprising the steps of:

controlling the display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

detecting user'"'"'s touch on the touch panel;

judging whether the user'"'"'s touch detected in the detecting step has been released or not;

selecting one of the items, corresponding to a position where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected in the detecting step just before and displayed in the display controlling step in case it is determined in the judging step that the user'"'"'s touch has been released; and

playing the content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step,

in the playing step, a predetermined content being played also in a period from the detection of the user'"'"'s touch in the detecting step until it is determined in the judging step that the user'"'"'s touch has been released.

6. An information processing apparatus for making a predetermined operation in response to an operation made on a touch panel laminated on a display screen, the apparatus comprising:

a display controlling means for controlling the display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

a detecting means for detecting user'"'"'s touch on the touch panel;

a judging means for judging whether the user'"'"'s touch detected by the detecting means has been released or not;

a selecting means for selecting one of the items, corresponding to a position where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected by the detecting means just before and displayed by the display controlling means, in case it is determined by the judging means that the user'"'"'s touch has been released, or all the items corresponding to an area surrounded by positions where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected by the detecting means and displayed by the display controlling means in a period from the detection of the user'"'"'s touch by the detecting means until it is determined by the judging means that the user'"'"'s touch has been released; and

a playing means for playing the content assigned to the item selected by the selecting means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a changeover means for changing the object to be selected by the selecting means from an item corresponding to the position where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected by the detecting means just before to an item corresponding to the area surrounded by positions where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected by the detecting means and displayed by the display controlling means in a period from the detection of the user'"'"'s touch by the detecting means until it is determined by the judging means that the user'"'"'s touch has been released.

8. An information processing method of making a predetermined operation in response to an operation made on a touch panel laminated on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

controlling the display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

detecting user'"'"'s touch on the touch panel;

judging whether the user'"'"'s touch detected in the detecting step has been released or not;

selecting one of the items, corresponding to a position where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected in the detecting step just before and displayed in the display controlling step, in case it is determined in the judging step that the user'"'"'s touch has been released, or all the items corresponding to an area surrounded by positions where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected in the detecting step and displayed in the display controlling step in a period from the detection of the user'"'"'s touch in the detecting step until it is determined in the judging step that the user'"'"'s touch has been released; and

playing the content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step.

9. A program for making a predetermined operation in response to an operation made on a touch panel laminated on a display screen, the program comprising the steps of:

controlling the display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

detecting user'"'"'s touch on the touch panel;

judging whether the user'"'"'s touch detected in the detecting step has been released or not;

selecting one of the items, corresponding to a position where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected in the detecting step just before and displayed in the display controlling step, in case it is determined in the judging step that the user'"'"'s touch has been released, or all the items corresponding to an area surrounded by positions where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected in the detecting step and displayed in the display controlling step in a period from the detection of the user'"'"'s touch in the detecting step until it is determined in the judging step that the user'"'"'s touch has been released; and

playing the content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step.

10. An information processing apparatus for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the apparatus comprising:

a display controlling means for controlling a display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

a selecting means for selecting an item displayed by the display controlling means in response to an user'"'"'s operation; and

an acquiring means for acquiring a related content having a predetermined relationship with a content assigned to the item selected by the selecting means,

the display controlling means displaying the item selected by the selecting means in the center of a circle or polygon set on the display screen while displaying a first related item having assigned thereto the related content acquired by the acquiring means on all or part of the circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of the polygon.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a detecting means for detecting user'"'"'s touch on a touch panel laminated on the display screen,

the selecting means selecting an item displayed on the display screen and having a content assigned thereto in response to the user'"'"'s touch detected by the detecting means.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the display controlling means indicates a line between the item and first related item or the line with at least one of an arrow, line pattern and color corresponding to the predetermined relation.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein in case the first related item displayed on all or part of the circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of the polygon, set on the display screen, the display controlling means displays an image of the first related item selected by the selecting means, moving from on all or part of the circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of polygon on the display screen to the display center, and an image of a second related item acquired by the acquiring means and have a related content having a predetermined relationship with the first related item, which image jumps from on the first related item displayed in the display center to a predetermined position on all or part of the circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of the polygon on the display screen.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the content is information on a list of plays made by any other user.

15. An information processing method of having a display screen display a predetermined image, the method including the steps of:

controlling the display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

selecting an item displayed in the display controlling step in response to an user'"'"'s operation; and

acquiring a related content having a predetermined relationship with a content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step,

in the display controlling step, the item selected in the selecting step being displayed in the center of a circle or polygon set on the display screen while a first related item having assigned thereto the related content acquired in the acquiring step is displayed on all or part of a circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of the polygon.

16. A program for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the program including the steps of:

controlling the display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

selecting an item displayed in the display controlling step in response to an user'"'"'s operation; and

acquiring a related content having a predetermined relationship with a content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step,

in the display controlling step, the item selected in the selecting step being displayed in the center of a circle or polygon set on the display screen while a first related item having assigned thereto the related content acquired in the acquiring step is displayed on all or part of a circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of the polygon.

17. An information processing apparatus for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the apparatus comprising:

an extracting means for extracting a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

a display controlling means for controlling the display screen to display an item having assigned thereto the content extracted by the extracting means in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen;

a selecting means for selecting an item displayed by the display controlling means in response to a user'"'"'s operation; and

a playing means for playing the content assigned to the item selected by the selecting means.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a detecting means for detecting user'"'"'s touch on a touch panel laminated on the display screen,

the selecting means selecting an item displayed on the display screen and having a content assigned thereto in response to the user'"'"'s touch detected by the detecting means.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the extracting means extracts a content of which at least two meta data have values within the predetermined range and the display controlling means controls the display screen to display the item having assigned thereto the content extracted by the extracting means in predetermined positions on the axes of at least two meta data on the display screen.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein in case a plurality of contents is extracted by the extracting means and assigned to an item, the plurality of contents is given predetermined priorities, respectively, in the order of predetermined values of the meta data of the plurality of contents and the playing means plays the plurality of contents assigned to the item selected by the selecting means in the order of their predetermined priorities.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the display controlling means controls the display screen to display the item having assigned thereto the content having the predetermined relationship with the item in a manner different from that for any other item.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein for the different manner of displaying, there is used at least one of flickering, color, figure, brightness and addition of a numeral.

23. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the display controlling means indicates a line between the items having assigned thereto contents having a predetermined relationship with the items or the line with at least one of an arrow, line pattern and color corresponding to the predetermined relation.

24. An information processing method of having a display screen display a predetermined image, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

controlling the display screen to display an item having assigned thereto the content extracted in the extracting step in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen;

selecting an item displayed in the display controlling step in response to a user'"'"'s operation; and

playing the content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step.

25. A program for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the program comprising the steps of:

extracting a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

controlling the display screen to display an item having assigned thereto the content extracted in the extracting step in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen;

selecting an item displayed in the display controlling step in response to a user'"'"'s operation; and

playing the content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step.

26. An information processing apparatus for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the apparatus comprising:

a selecting means for selecting an item displayed on the display screen and having an content assigned thereto in response to an user'"'"'s operation;

an acquiring means for acquiring a related content having a predetermined relationship with the content assigned to the item selected by the selecting means,

a first display controlling means for controlling a display screen to display the item selected by the selecting means in the center of a circle or polygon set on the display screen while displaying the related item having the related contents acquired by the acquiring means on all or part of a circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of the polygon;

an extracting means for extracting a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

a second display controlling means for controlling the display screen to display the item having assigned thereto the content extracted by the extracting means in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen; and

a display changeover means for making changeover between one view controlled by the first display controlling means and other controlled by the second display controlling means,

the first or second display controlling means controlling the display screen to display an image jumping from the one view to the other in case the one view is changed to the other by the display changeover means.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a detecting means for detecting user'"'"'s touch on a touch panel laminated on the display screen,

the selecting means selecting an item displayed on the display screen and having a content assigned thereto in response to the user'"'"'s touch detected by the detecting means.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the extracting means extracts a content of which at least two meta data have values within the predetermined range and the second display controlling means to controls the display screen to display the item having assigned thereto the content extracted by the extracting means in predetermined positions on the axes of at least two meta data on the display screen.

29. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the first or second display controlling means controls the display screen to display information on the content selected by the selecting means in the one view while being reflected on the other view in case the one view is changed to the other by the display changeover means.

30. An information processing method of having a display screen display a predetermined image, the method comprising:

a selecting step of selecting an item displayed on the display screen and having an content assigned thereto in response to an user'"'"'s operation;

an acquiring step of acquiring a related content having a predetermined relationship with the content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step;

a first display controlling step of controlling a display screen to display the item selected in the selecting step in the center of a circle or polygon set on the display screen while displaying the related item having the related contents acquired in the acquiring step on all or part of a circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of the polygon;

an extracting step of extracting a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

a second display controlling step of controlling the display screen to display the item having assigned thereto the content extracted in the extracting step in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen; and

a display changeover step of making changeover between one view controlled in the first display controlling step and other controlled in the second display controlling step,

in the first or second display controlling step, the display screen being controlled to display an image jumping from one view to another view in case the one view is changed to the other in the display changeover step.

31. A program for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the program comprising:

a selecting step of selecting an item displayed on the display screen and having an content assigned thereto in response to an user'"'"'s operation;

an acquiring step of acquiring a related content having a predetermined relationship with the content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step;

a first display controlling step of controlling a display screen to display the item selected in the selecting step in the center of a circle or polygon set on the display screen while displaying the related item having the related contents acquired in the acquiring step on all or part of a circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of the polygon;

an extracting step of extracting a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

a second display controlling step of controlling the display screen to display the item having assigned thereto the content extracted in the extracting step in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen; and

a display changeover step of making changeover between one view controlled in the first display controlling step and other controlled in the second display controlling step,

in the first or second display controlling step, the display screen being controlled to display an image jumping from the one view to the other in case the one view is changed to the other in the display changeover step.

32. An information processing apparatus for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the apparatus comprising:

an extracting means for extracting a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

a first display controlling means for controlling the display screen to display an item having assigned thereto the content extracted by the extracting means in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen;

a selecting means for selecting an item displayed on the display screen in response to user'"'"'s operation;

a playing means for playing a content assigned to the item selected by the selecting means;

a second display controlling means for controlling the display screen to display contents assigned to the item selected by the selecting means in the form of a list; and

a display changeover means for making changeover between a first view controlled by the first display controlling means and second view controlled by the second display controlling means,

the first display controlling means controlling the display screen to display an image jumping from the first view to the second in case the first mode is changed to the second by the display changeover means.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a detecting means for detecting user'"'"'s touch on a touch panel laminated on the display screen,

the selecting means selecting an item displayed on the display screen and having a content assigned thereto in response to the user'"'"'s touch detected by the detecting means.

34. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the extracting means extracts a content of which at least two meta data have values within the predetermined range and the first display controlling means controls the display screen to display the item having assigned thereto the content extracted by the extracting means in predetermined positions on the axes of at least two meta data on the display screen.

35. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein in case the first view is changed to the second view by the display changeover means, the second display controlling means displays contents in the order of the values of predetermined meta data of the contents in the form of a list when the first view is changed to the second view.

36. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the predetermined meta data is ranking information.

37. An information processing method for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the method comprising:

an extracting step of extracting a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

a first display controlling step of controlling the display screen to display an item having assigned thereto the content extracted in the extracting step in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen;

a selecting step of selecting an item displayed on the display screen in response to user'"'"'s operation;

a playing step of playing a content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step;

a second display controlling step of controlling the display screen to display contents assigned to the item selected in the selecting step in the form of a list; and

a display changeover step of making changeover between a first view controlled in the first display controlling step and second view controlled in the second display controlling step,

in the first display controlling step, the display screen being controlled to display an image jumping from the first view to the second one in case the first view is changed to the second in the display changeover step.

38. A program for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the program comprising:

an extracting step of extracting a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

a first display controlling step of controlling the display screen to display an item having assigned thereto the content extracted in the extracting step in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen;

a selecting step of selecting an item displayed on the display screen in response to user'"'"'s operation;

a playing step of playing a content assigned to the item selected in the selecting step;

a second display controlling step of controlling the display screen to display contents assigned to the item selected in the selecting step in the form of a list; and

a display changeover step of making changeover between a first view controlled in the first view controlling step and second view controlled in the second display controlling step,

in the first display controlling step, the display screen being controlled to display an image jumping from the first view to the second in case the first mode is changed to the second in the display changeover step.

39. An information processing apparatus for making a predetermined operation in response to an operation made on a touch panel laminated on a display screen, the apparatus comprising:

a display controller to control a display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

a detector to detect user'"'"'s touch on a touch panel;

a judging unit to judge whether the user'"'"'s touch detected by the detector has been released or not;

a selector to select one of the items, corresponding to a position where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected by the detector just before and displayed by the display controller, in case it is determined by the judging unit that the user'"'"'s touch has been released; and

a player to play the content assigned to the item selected by the selector,

the player playing a predetermined content also in a period from the detection of the user'"'"'s touch by the detector until it is determined by the judging unit that the user'"'"'s touch has been released.

40. An information processing apparatus for making a predetermined operation in response to an operation made on a touch panel laminated on a display screen, the apparatus comprising:

a display controller to control a display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

a detector to detect user'"'"'s touch on a touch panel;

a judging unit to judge whether the user'"'"'s touch detected by the detector has been released or not;

a selector to select one of the items, corresponding to a position where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected by the detector just before and displayed by the display controller, in case it is determined by the judging unit that the user'"'"'s touch has been released, or all the items corresponding to an area surrounded by positions where the user'"'"'s touch has been detected by the detector and displayed by the display controller in a period from the detection of the user'"'"'s touch by the detector until it is determined by the judging unit that the user'"'"'s touch has been released; and

a player to play the content assigned to the item selected by the selector.

41. An information processing apparatus for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the apparatus comprising:

a display controller to control a display screen to display items having predetermined contents assigned thereto, respectively;

a selector to select an item displayed by the display controller in response to an user'"'"'s operation; and

an acquisition unit to acquire a related content having a predetermined relationship with a content assigned to the item selected by the selector,

the display controller being adapted to display the item selected by the selector in the center of a circle or polygon set on the display screen while displaying a first related item having assigned thereto the related content acquired by the acquisition unit on all or part of the circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of the polygon.

42. An information processing apparatus for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the apparatus comprising:

an extraction unit to extract a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

a display controller to control a display screen to display an item having assigned thereto the content extracted by the extraction unit in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen;

a selector to select an item displayed by the display controller in response to a user'"'"'s operation; and

a player to play the content assigned to the item selected by the selector.

43. An information processing apparatus for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the apparatus comprising:

a selector to select an item displayed on a display screen and having an content assigned thereto in response to an user'"'"'s operation;

an acquisition unit to acquire a related content having a predetermined relationship with the content assigned to the item selected by the selector,

a first display controller to control a display screen to display the item selected by the selector in the center of a circle or polygon set on the display screen while displaying the related item having the related contents acquired by the acquisition unit on all or part of a circumference of the circle or on all or part of the periphery of the polygon;

an extraction unit to extract a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

a second display controller to control the display screen to display the item having assigned thereto the content extracted by the extraction unit in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen; and

a display changeover unit to make changeover between one view controlled by the first display controller and other controlled by the second display controller,

the first or second display controller being adapted to control the display screen to display an image jumping from the one view to the other in case the one view is changed to the other by the display changeover unit.

44. An information processing apparatus for having a display screen display a predetermined image, the apparatus comprising:

an extraction unit to extract a content of which at least one meta data has a value within a predetermined range;

a first display controller to control a display screen to display an item having assigned thereto the content extracted by the extraction unit in a predetermined position on the axis of at least the one meta data on the display screen;

a selector to select an item displayed on the display screen in response to user'"'"'s operation;

a player to play a content assigned to the item selected by the selector;

a second display controller to control the display screen to display contents assigned to the item selected by the selector in the form of a list; and

a display changeover unit to make changeover between a first view controlled by the first display controller and second view controlled by the second display controller,

the first display controller being adapted to control the display screen to display an image jumping from the first view to the second in case the first mode is changed to the second by the display changeover unit.