Information processing apparatus and information processing method

• US 8,416,204 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Narita, Tomoya, Miyazaki, Reiko, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, DUC Q
• Application Number:
  US12/503,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20100020048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345169-181
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

The present invention provides an information processing apparatus capable of displaying a plurality of elements at a display unit by being superimposed and selecting an arbitrary element rapidly and easily among the plurality of elements by the user and an information processing method. The information processing apparatus includes an input reception unit to which signals are input from a first operation unit and a second operation unit, and a display control unit by which a plurality of first elements and a plurality of second elements are displayed by being superimposed. The first elements are arranged to be selectable or movable in accordance with the input of the first operation unit on a virtual first layer and the second elements are arranged to be selectable or movable in accordance with the input of the second operation unit on a virtual second layer which differs from the first layer.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a first operation unit receiving external operation, the first operation unit being arranged on a first surface of the information processing apparatus;

a second operation unit receiving external operation, the second operation unit being different from the first operation unit and being arranged on a second surface of the information processing apparatus opposite to the first surface;

a scroll wheel receiving external operation, the scroll wheel being arranged at a side of the information processing apparatus;

an input reception unit receiving signals sent by the first operation unit, the second operation unit, and the scroll wheel; and

a display control unit controlling display of a plurality of first elements and a plurality of second elements, the first elements and the second elements being superimposed, the first elements being arranged to be selectable or movable on a first virtual layer in accordance with the signal sent by the first operation unit and movable in accordance with the signal sent by the scroll wheel, and the second elements being arranged to be selectable or movable on a second virtual layer differing from the first virtual layer in accordance with the signal sent by the second operation unit and movable in accordance with the signal sent by the scroll wheel.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first elements are a character string and the second elements are an image.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a layer which includes a group of the first elements is lower than a layer which includes the second elements.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first operation unit is a plane member which is arranged by being superimposed to the display unit.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first elements are a character string which indicates music information and the second elements are an image which indicates the music information.

6. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

receiving external operation by a first operation unit arranged on a first surface of an information processing apparatus;

receiving external operation by a second operation unit different from the first operation unit and arranged on a second surface of the information processing apparatus opposite to the first surface;

receiving external operation by a scroll wheel arranged at a side of the information processing apparatus;

receiving, by an input reception unit, signals sent by the first operation unit the second operation unit, and the scroll wheel; and

displaying a plurality of first elements and a plurality of second elements by a display control unit, the first elements and the second elements being superimposed, the first elements being arranged to be selectable or movable on a first virtual layer in accordance with the signal sent by the first operation unit and movable in accordance with the signal sent by the scroll wheel, and the second elements being arranged to be selectable or movable on a second virtual layer different from the first virtual layer in accordance with the signal sent by the second operation unit and movable in accordance with the signal sent by the scroll wheel.