INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20120176336A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Eiju, Ohashi, Yoshinori, Kinoshita, Akihiko
• Granted Patent: US 10,042,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4854 for modifying image parameters, e.g. image brightness, contrast

Abstract

[Object] To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for enabling a user to easily and accurately determine an operation state of the apparatus.

[Solution] An information processing apparatus includes a display panel 101a, a touch panel 101b for detecting a finger moving on the display panel, and a control unit 103 for designating a predetermined moving direction Dd and determining an operation state of the apparatus based on a difference between the designated moving direction Dd and a moving direction Da of the finger moving on the display panel according to the designation. When the apparatus is operated with either hand, a difference due to a finger used for the operation easily occurs between the designated moving direction and the moving direction of the finger due to a structure of the hand. When the apparatus is operated with both hands, a difference due to fingers used for the operation hardly occurs between the designated moving direction and the moving direction of the finger. An operation state of the apparatus can be determined based on the difference between the moving directions.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display panel;

a detection unit for detecting a finger moving on the display panel; and

a determination unit for designating a predetermined moving direction and determining an operation state of the apparatus based on a difference between the designated moving direction and a moving direction of a finger moving on the display panel according to the designation.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit designates multiple mutually-different moving directions, and determines an operation state of the apparatus based on a difference between each of the designated moving directions and each moving direction of a finger moving on the display panel according to the designation.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit designates multiple mutually-orthogonal moving directions.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display control unit for controlling the display of the display panel according to a determination result of an operation state.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines an operation state in which one hand holds and operates the apparatus, and an operation state in which one hand holds the apparatus and the other hand operates the apparatus.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the determination unit determines an operation state in which the left hand holds and operates the apparatus, and an operation state in which the right hand holds and operates the apparatus.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit finds the moving direction of a finger based on a coordinate difference between a moving start point and a moving end point of the finger moving on the display panel according to the designation.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined moving direction is designated as any of the upper direction, the lower direction, the left direction and the right direction relative to the display panel.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the determination unit designates a moving direction on the display panel, and finds a moving direction of a finger based on a moving trajectory of the finger continuously detected on the display panel according to the designation.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the determination unit designates two or more points by which a moving direction on the display panel can be specified, and finds a moving direction of a finger based on moving coordinates of the finger discretely detected between one point and the other point on the display panel according to the designation.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, which is an apparatus operable with either hand.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, which is a remote controller for operating an electronic device.

13. An information processing method by an information processing apparatus, comprising:

designating a predetermined moving direction; and

determining an operation state of the apparatus based on the designated moving direction and a moving direction of a finger moving on a display panel according to the designation.

14. A program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

designating a predetermined moving direction; and

determining an operation state of the apparatus based on the designated moving direction and a moving direction of a finger moving on a display panel according to the designation.