INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20100146462A1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishizawa, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,413,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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 having a touch-sensitive panel and processing a gesture input performed via the touch-sensitive panel accepts an instruction from a user for transitioning from a first processing state to a second processing state; sets a number of gesture-input-based operations in accordance with the instruction accepted; and executes corresponding processing as a gesture input in the second processing state with regard to gesture inputs of the number of operations set. The information processing apparatus executes corresponding processing as a gesture input in the first processing state with regard to a gesture input after the gesture inputs of the number of operations have been performed.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, which has a touch-sensitive panel, for processing a gesture input performed via the touch-sensitive panel, said apparatus comprising:

an acceptance unit configured to accept from a user, in a first processing state, an instruction to transition to a second processing state;

a setting unit configured to set a number of gesture-input-based operations in accordance with the instruction accepted by said acceptance unit; and

a processing unit configured to execute, after the instruction has been accepted by said acceptance unit, corresponding processing as a gesture input in the second processing state with regard to gesture inputs of the number of operations set by said setting unit, and to execute corresponding processing as a gesture input in the first processing state with regard to a gesture input after the gesture inputs of the number of operations have been performed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acceptance unit accepts a numerical value as the instruction;

and

said setting unit sets the numerical value, which has been received by said acceptance unit, to the number of operations.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit generates replicated images of an object in a number equivalent to the number of operations in accordance with acceptance of the instruction by said acceptance unit, displays the replicated images on a display screen simultaneously or one after another, and accepts one gesture input at a time with regard to each of the replicated images.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a canceling unit configured to reduce the number of operations by discarding the replicated images, without applying processing to the object, in accordance with a prescribed gesture input with respect to the replicated images.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a quitting unit configured to quit the second processing state, before gesture inputs of the number of operations are accepted, in accordance with a prescribed instruction input.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said processing unit displays the plurality of replicated images on the display screen while shifting the replicated images and an image of a separate object;

and

the prescribed gesture input in said canceling unit is an operation for aligning the replicated images with the image of the separate object.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said processing unit displays the plurality of replicated images on the display screen while shifting them and, in a case where a gesture input has been performed with respect to one of the plurality of replicated images shifted and displayed, applies processing corresponding to this gesture input to this one replicated image and to all of replicated images being displayed in superimposed form on top of the one replicated image.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said processing unit displays a numerical value that has been accepted by said acceptance unit and decrements the displayed numerical value whenever a gesture is input.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing state is a state in which image advance processing for viewing images by gesture input is executed;

and

the second processing state is a state in which processing for allocating images by gesture input is executed.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing state is a state in which processing for performing a selection as to whether or not an image is saved is executed;

and

the second processing state is a state in which processing for appending metadata to an image by gesture input is executed.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information processing apparatus constitutes at least part of a digital camera;

the instruction is a designation of number of people at which shooting is started, in a self-timer that utilizes image recognition processing in the digital camera;

the second processing state is a state in which processing for setting a layout of the number of people, which has been designated by the instruction, by gesture input is executed; and

the first processing state is a state in which processing for designating position of a focal point by gesture input is executed.

12. An information processing method, which has a touch-sensitive panel, for processing a gesture input performed via the touch-sensitive panel, said method comprising:

an acceptance step of accepting from a user, in a first processing state, an instruction to transition to a second processing state;

a setting step of setting a number of gesture-input-based operations in accordance with the instruction accepted by said acceptance step; and

a processing step of executing, after the instruction has been accepted at said acceptance step, corresponding processing as a gesture input in the second processing state with regard to gesture inputs of the number of operations set at said setting step, and executing corresponding processing as a gesture input in the first processing state with regard to a gesture input after the gesture inputs of the number of operations have been performed.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method set forth in claim 12.