Information display apparatus, information display method, information display program, graphical user interface, music reproduction apparatus, and music reproduction program

• US 7,802,178 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Takuo, Furue, Nobuki, Tajika, Wataru, Kitao, Takashi, Kikuchi, Yuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mills; Frank D
• Application Number:
  US11/625,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20070176922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 715227-228, 715821-824, 715817-820
• US Class Current: 715/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an information display apparatus includes: candidate object display means configured to display selectable candidate objects in a first display layer; and selected object display processing means configured to display a selected object, which is selected by user from the candidate objects, in a second display layer, which is superposed over the first display layer.

Claims

1. An information display apparatus comprising:

means for displaying selectable candidate objects in a first display layer on a display; and

means for displaying a selected object, which is selected from the candidate objects, in a second display layer on the display, which is superposed over the first display layer,

wherein, when a scrolling operation is input, the means for displaying selectable candidate objects scrolls the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer in accordance with the scrolling operation, and the means for displaying a selected object continuously displays the selected object in the second display layer at a same position without regard to the scrolling operation.

2. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining whether an input operation is performed in relation to the first display layer and/or the second display layer,

wherein the means for displaying selectable candidate objects and the means for displaying a selected object exercise display control over the first display layer and/or the second display layer in accordance with the operation type determined by the means for determining.

3. The information display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when the means for determining determines that an input operation is performed in relation to the first display layer, the means for displaying a selected object maintains the display status of selected object in the second display layer.

4. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for displaying a selected object displays the second display layer in front of the first display layer on the display.

5. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for displaying a selected object displays the selected object in the second display layer in a manner different from the manner in which the candidate objects are displayed in the first display layer.

6. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a predefined collective processing operation is performed in relation to the second display layer, the means for displaying a selected object performs a predefined collective process on all selected objects displayed in the second display layer.

7. The information display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the means for displaying a selected object displays an icon for entering the predefined collective processing operation.

8. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for displaying selectable candidate objects scrolls the candidate objects displayed in the first layer vertically on the display in accordance with the scrolling operation, and

the means for displaying a selected object continuously displays the selected object in the second display layer at the same position without regard to the vertical scrolling operation of the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer on the display.

9. An information display method comprising:

displaying selectable candidate objects in a first display layer on a display;

displaying a selected object, which is selected from the candidate objects, in a second display layer on the display, which is superposed over the first display layer;

scrolling the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer in accordance with a scrolling operation, when the scrolling operation is input; and

continuously displaying a selected object in the second display layer at a same position without regard to the scrolling operation.

10. An information display method of claim 9, wherein scrolling the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer in accordance with a scrolling operation includes scrolling the candidate objects vertically on the display when the scrolling operation is input;

and

continuously displaying a selected object in the second display layer includes continuously displaying the selected object at the same position without regard to the vertical scrolling operation of the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer on the display.

11. A tangible computer-readable medium including an information display program, which when executed by an information processing apparatus causes the information processing apparatus to perform a process comprising:

displaying selectable candidate objects in a first display layer on a display;

displaying a selected object, which is selected from the candidate objects, in a second display layer on the display, which is superposed over the first display layer;

scrolling the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer in accordance with a scrolling operation, when the scrolling operation is input; and

continuously displaying a selected object in the second display layer at a same position without regard to the scrolling operation.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein scrolling the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer in accordance with a scrolling operation includes scrolling the candidate objects vertically on the display when the scrolling operation is input;

and

continuously displaying a selected object in the second display layer includes continuously displaying the selected object at the same position without regard to the vertical scrolling operation of the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer on the display.

13. A graphical user interface that presents selectable candidate objects and allows a user to select an object from the candidate objects, the graphical user interface comprising:

a display configured to display the candidate objects in a first display layer and display a selected object, which is selected from the candidate objects, in a second display layer, which is superposed over the first display layer; and

a processor configured to scroll the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer in accordance with a scrolling operation, when the scrolling operation is input, and continuously display a selected object in the second display layer at a same position without regard to the scrolling operation.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to scroll the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer vertically in accordance with the scrolling operation, and continuously display the selected object in the second display layer at a same position without regard to the vertical scrolling operation of the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer.

15. A music reproduction apparatus comprising:

means for displaying selectable candidate objects in a first display layer on a display;

means for displaying a selected object, which is selected from the candidate objects, in a second display layer on the display, which is superposed over the first display layer, wherein

when a scrolling operation is input, the means for displaying selectable candidate objects scrolls the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer in accordance with the scrolling operation, and the means for displaying a selected object continuously displays the selected object in the second display layer at a same position without regard to the scrolling operation;

means for creating a playlist in accordance with selected objects displayed in the second display layer; and

means for reproducing music in accordance with the playlist.

16. A tangible computer-readable medium including a music reproduction program, which when executed by a music reproduction apparatus, causes the music reproduction apparatus to perform a method comprising:

displaying selectable candidate objects in a first display layer;

displaying a selected object, which is selected from the candidate objects, in a second display layer, which is superposed over the first display layer;

scrolling the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer in accordance with a scrolling operation, when the scrolling operation is input;

continuously displaying a selected object in the second display layer at a same position without regard to the scrolling operation;

creating a playlist in accordance with selected objects displayed in the second display layer; and

reproducing music in accordance with the playlist.

17. An information display apparatus comprising:

a display configured to display selectable candidate objects in a first display layer, and a selected object, which is selected from the candidate objects, in a second display layer, which is superposed over the first display layer; and

a processor configured to scroll the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer in accordance with a scrolling operation, when the scrolling operation is input, and continuously display a selected object in the second display layer at a same position without regard to the scrolling operation.

18. A music reproduction apparatus comprising:

a display configured to display selectable candidate objects in a first display layer, and display a selected object, which is selected from the candidate objects, in a second display layer, which is superposed over the first display layer;

a processor configured to scroll the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer in accordance with a scrolling operation, when the scrolling operation is input, continuously display a selected object in the second display layer at a same position without regard to the scrolling operation, and create a playlist in accordance with selected objects displayed in the second display layer; and

a reproduction section that includes a speaker and is configured to reproduce music in accordance with the playlist.

19. The music reproduction apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to scroll the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer vertically in accordance with the scrolling operation, and continuously display the selected object in the second display layer at a same position without regard to the vertical scrolling operation of the candidate objects displayed in the first display layer.