INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INPUT OPERATION DETERMINATION METHOD, AND INPUT OPERATION DETERMINATION PROGRAM

• US 20110175831A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Homma, Fuminori, MIYAZAWA, Yusuke, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,633,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-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 and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a touch detection unit detecting touch of an instruction object on an operation surface; a proximity detection unit detecting proximity of the instruction object to the operation surface; and a control unit determining whether the touch of the instruction object is a predetermined input operation based on the detection result, which is obtained by the touch detection unit when the touch detection unit detects the touch of the instruction object, and at least one of the detection results, which are obtained by the proximity detection unit before and after the touch of the instruction object.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a touch detection unit detecting touch of an instruction object on an operation surface;

a proximity detection unit detecting proximity of the instruction object to the operation surface; and

a control unit determining whether the touch of the instruction object is a predetermined input operation based on the detection result, which is obtained by the touch detection unit when the touch detection unit detects the touch of the instruction object, and at least one of the detection results, which are obtained by the proximity detection unit before and after the touch of the instruction object.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the touch detection unit detects touch positions of the instruction object on the operation surface at a predetermined time interval, and

wherein the control unit determines whether the touch of the instruction object is a predetermined input operation based on the number of touch positions detected by the touch detection unit when the operation surface is touched with the instruction object.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the touch of the instruction object is a predetermined input operation based on a touch position of the instruction object detected by the touch detection unit and at least one of proximity positions of the instruction object detected by the proximity detection unit before and after the touch of the instruction object.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines whether the touch of the instruction object is a predetermined input operation based on a distance between two points of the touch position and the proximity position.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines whether the touch of the instruction object is a predetermined input operation based on an angle formed by straight lines passing through two points of the touch position and the proximity position.

6. An input operation determination method comprising the steps of:

detecting touch of an instruction object on an operation surface by a touch detection unit;

detecting proximity of the instruction object to the operation surface by a proximity detection unit; and

determining whether the touch of the instruction object is a predetermined input operation based on the detection result, which is obtained by the touch detection unit when the touch detection unit detects the touch of the instruction object, and at least one of the detection results, which are obtained by the proximity detection unit before and after the touch of the instruction object.

7. An input operation determination program causing an information processing apparatus to execute the steps of:

detecting touch of an instruction object on an operation surface by a touch detection unit;

detecting proximity of the instruction object to the operation surface by a proximity detection unit; and

determining whether the touch of the instruction object is a predetermined input operation based on the detection result, which is obtained in the step of detecting the touch when the touch of the instruction object is detected in the step of detecting the touch, and at least one of the detection results, which are obtained in the step of detecting the proximity before and after the touch of the instruction object in the step of detecting the proximity.