Information processing apparatus and method of operating pointing device

• US 7,292,206 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Numano, Fujihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said; Mansour M.
• Application Number:
  US10/767,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20040239621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 12, 345/1.3, 345/2.1, 345 22- 23, 345 31- 32, 345 33- 34, 345156-163, 345/169, 345/172, 345173-175, 345901-903, 345211-213, 361/681, 361/686
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

An information processing apparatus comprises a first display device which displays a pointer, a second display device which displays a virtual screen including a screen of the first display device, and a display controller which moves the pointer to a pointed position in the virtual screen of the second display device.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first display device which displays a main operation screen;

a second display device which comprises a touch pad; and

a display controller which displays a pointer on the main operation screen, a position of the pointer being changed by the touch pad, the display controller configured to;

display a virtual screen including the main operation screen, and

chance a position of the main operation screen in the virtual screen based on a chance of the position of the pointer caused by the touch pad.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the position of the pointer is chanced to a position which is out of the main operation screen, the display controller changes the position of the main operation screen in the virtual screen to a position which is out of the main operation screen.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the position of the pointer has been changed, the display controller stops display of the virtual screen on the second display device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second display device has a switching function;

and

the display controller stops display of the virtual screen when the switching function is operated in a state where the virtual screen is displayed.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the position of the pointer is changed to a position which is out of the main operation screen, the display controller changes the position of the main operation screen in the virtual screen in accordance with relative positions of the virtual screen and the pointer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the position of the pointer is changed to a position which is out of the main operation screen, the display controller changes the position of the main operation screen in the virtual screen in such a manner that relative positions of the main operation screen and the pointer before the pointer has been changed is maintained.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the position of the pointer is changed to a position which is out of the main operation screen, the display controller changes the position of the main operation screen in the virtual screen so that the pointer is displayed at a fixed position in the main operation screen.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display controller makes the second display device display the virtual screen indicating the main operation screen in the virtual screen and the position of the pointer.

9. A control method for an information processing apparatus comprising a first display device which displays a main operation screen, a second display device which comprises a touch pad, and a display controller which displays a pointer on the main operation screen, a position of the pointer being chanced by the touch pad, comprising:

displaying a virtual screen including the main operation screen on the second display device; and

changing a position of the main operation screen in the virtual screen based on a change of the position of the pointer caused by the touch pad.

10. The control method according to claim 9, further comprising, when the position of the pointer is changed to a position which is out of the main operation screen, changing the position of the main operation screen in the virtual screen to a position which is out of the main operation screen.

11. The control method according to claim 9, further comprising, when the position of the pointer has been changed, stopping display of the virtual screen on the second display device.

12. The control method according to claim 9, wherein

the second display device has a switching function;

and further comprising;

stopping a display of the virtual screen when the switching function is operated in a state where the virtual screen is displayed.

13. The control method according to claim 9, further comprising, when the position of the pointer is changed to a position which is out of the main operation screen, changing the position of the main operation screen in the virtual screen in accordance with relative positions of the virtual screen and the pointer.

14. The control method according to claim 9, further comprising, when the position of the pointer is changed to a position which is out of the main operation screen, changing the position of the main operation screen in the virtual screen in such a manner that relative positions of the main operation screen and the pointer before the pointer has been changed is maintained.

15. The control method according to claim 9, further comprising, when the position of the pointer is changed to a position which is out of the main operation screen, changing the main operation screen in the virtual screen so that the pointer is displayed at a fixed position in the main operation screen.

16. The control method according to claim 9, further comprising making the second display device display the virtual screen indicating the main operation screen in the virtual screen and the position of the pointer.