Electronic device, method of displaying display item, and search processing method

• US 8,866,855 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Funabashi, Yoshimitsu, Kunieda, Shunsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTTRAM, ALAN T
• Application Number:
  US13/744,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 345/672, 345/677, 707/722, 707/723, 707/731, 707/732, 715/783
• US Class Current: 345/672
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

An acquisition unit acquires a content image corresponding to content. A content image display unit arranges a plurality of content images side by side in a display screen image, and a related information display unit displays information related to an arranged content image. A first reception unit acquires a first moving instruction for the content images arranged side by side, and a second reception unit acquires a second moving instruction for the content images arranged side by side. The content image display unit moves the content images according to a moving instruction acquired by the first reception unit or the second reception unit. A related information display unit displays different types of related information when the first reception unit acquires the first moving instruction and when the second reception unit acquires the second moving instruction.

Claims

1. An electronic device having a communication function comprising:

a memory unit configured to store content data;

a communication unit configured to connect to a server;

a reception unit configured to receive a content search instruction;

a search processing unit configured to search the memory unit and allow the server to perform a search via the communication unit, in accordance with the search instruction received by the reception unit; and

a display control unit configured to display a search result of the memory unit and a search result of the server in different display areas, wherein the display control unit has;

a content screen display unit configured to generate a first screen image for displaying content stored in the memory unit or a second screen image for displaying content stored in the server; and

a display area determination unit configured to determine a display area for the search result of the memory unit and a display area for the search result of the server,

wherein the reception unit receives the search instruction when the first screen image or the second screen image is being displayed, and wherein the display area determination unit determines the display area for the search result of the memory unit and the display area for the search result of the server according to a screen image shown when the reception unit received the search instruction.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display area determination unit sets the display area for the search result of the memory unit to be at a position that allows for easier visual recognition compared to that of the display area for the search result of the server when the reception unit receives the search instruction when the first screen image is being displayed and sets the display area for the search result of the server to be at a position that allows for easier visual recognition compared to that of the display area for the search result of the memory unit when the reception unit receives the search instruction when the second screen image is being displayed.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display area determination unit sets the display area for the search result of the memory unit to be larger than the display area for the search result of the server when the reception unit receives the search instruction when the first screen image is being displayed and sets the display area for the search result of the server to be larger than the display area for the search result of the memory unit when the reception unit receives the search instruction when the second screen image is being displayed.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the display control unit has a search result display unit configured to line up the search result of the memory unit and the search result of the server in the respective display areas, and

wherein the search result display unit lines up the search result of the memory unit in first order and the search result of the server in second order different from the first order.

5. A search processing method comprising:

connecting to a server;

receiving a content search instruction at a reception unit;

searching a memory unit for storing content data and allowing the connected server to perform a search, in accordance with the received search instruction;

generating a first screen image for displaying content in a memory unit or a second screen image for displaying content stored in the server;

determining a display area for a search result of the memory unit and a display area for the search result of the server according to a screen image shown when the reception unit received the search instruction; and

displaying a search result of the memory unit and a search result of the server in different display areas,

wherein the receiving step includes receiving the content search instruction when the first screen image or the second screen image is being displayed, and

wherein the determining step includes determining the display area for the search result of the memory unit and the display area for the search result of the server according to a screen image shown when the content search instruction is received during the receiving step.

6. A computer program embedded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, comprising:

a module configured to connect to a server;

a module configured to receive a content search instruction;

a module configured to search a memory unit for storing content data and to allow the connected server to perform a search, in accordance with the received search instruction; and

a module configured to generate a first screen image for displaying content in the memory unit or a second screen image for displaying content stored in the server, determine a display area for a search result of the memory unit and a display area for the search result of the server according to a screen image shown when the search instruction is received, and display a search result of the memory unit and a search result of the server in different display areas,

wherein the module configured to receive operates to receive the content search instruction when the first screen image or the second screen image is being displayed, and

wherein the module configured to determine operates to determine the display area for the search result of the memory unit and the display area for the search result of the server according to a screen image shown when the content search instruction is received by the module configured to receive.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon the program according to claim 6.