Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

• US 9,262,040 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang-Hurst, Kathy
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, DOUGLAS M
• Application Number:
  US12/267,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,654 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a pressure detecting unit for detecting a magnitude of a contacting pressure of a contacted object with respect to an input device operated when physically contacted by the contacted object; and a changing unit for changing a display region displayed on a display device of predetermined information to be displayed on the display device according to an output signal output from the input device at a speed corresponding to the magnitude of the contacting pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to;

detect a magnitude of a contacting pressure of a contacted object with respect to an input device operated when physically contacted by the contacted object;

detect positions of the contacted object with respect to the input device;

detect a predetermined magnification pattern formed by a predetermined movement trajectory comprised of a plurality of continuous different positions of the contacted object detected by the circuitry;

start a first mode of either an enlargement mode or a reduction mode of a display magnification of predetermined information to be displayed on a display device in response to the detecting of the predetermined magnification pattern;

in the first mode, switch between the enlargement mode and the reduction mode in response to the detecting of the predetermined magnification pattern;

in the first mode, identify whether the started first mode is the enlargement mode or the reduction mode;

in the first mode, change, upon determination that the detected magnitude of contacting pressure is above a predetermined threshold greater than zero and a contacting position of the contacted object is not moving after the first mode has been set, a display region displayed on the display device of the predetermined information to be displayed on the display device by changing the display magnification of the predetermined information by either enlarging, in a case the first mode is identified to be the enlargement mode, or reducing, in a case the first mode is identified to be the reduction mode, the display magnification according to an output signal output from the input device at a speed corresponding to the magnitude of the contacting pressure detected by the circuitry;

increase a speed of enlarging, in the case the first mode is identified to be the enlargement mode, or reducing, in the case the first mode is identified to be the reduction mode, the display magnification of the predetermined information according to an increase in the magnitude of the contacting pressure detected by the circuitry; and

change, upon determination that the detected magnitude of contacting pressure is below the predetermined threshold and the contacting position of the contacted object is moving, the display region by moving a display range of the predetermined information without changing the display magnification of the predetermined information.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to increase a speed of moving the display range according to an increase in the magnitude of the contacting pressure detected by the circuitry when moving the display range of the predetermined information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch a scrolling direction from one direction to another direction in response to detecting a predetermined scroll pattern formed by the positions of the contacted object detected by the circuitry.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch between a scrolling mode and a scaling mode in response to detecting corresponding positions detected by the circuitry.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, for a single continuous input operation, the circuitry detects a time change of the magnitude of the contacting pressure and change the display magnification of the predetermined information based on the time change of the magnitude of the contacting pressure.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch a scrolling direction from one direction to another direction in response to detecting a predetermined scroll pattern formed by the positions of the contacted object detected by the circuitry, wherein

the predetermined magnification and scroll patterns are the same.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch a scrolling direction from one direction to another direction in response to detecting a predetermined scroll pattern formed by the positions of the contacted object detected by the circuitry, wherein

the predetermined magnification and scroll patterns are different.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch a scrolling direction to a first direction in response to detecting a first predetermined scroll pattern formed by the positions of the contacted object detected by the circuitry and to switch the scrolling direction to a second direction in response to detecting a second predetermined scroll pattern formed by the positions of the contacted object detected by the circuitry, wherein

the first and second predetermined scroll patterns are the same.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch a scrolling direction to a first direction in response to detecting a first predetermined scroll pattern formed by the positions of the contacted object detected by the circuitry and to switch the scrolling direction to a second direction in response to detecting a second predetermined scroll pattern formed by the positions of the contacted object detected by the circuitry, wherein

the first and second predetermined scroll patterns are different.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the circuitry is configured to switch to the enlargement mode in response to detecting a predetermined enlargement mode magnification pattern and to the reduction mode in response to detecting a predetermined reduction mode magnification pattern, and

the predetermined enlargement and reduction mode magnification patterns are the same.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the circuitry is configured to switch to the enlargement mode in response to detecting a predetermined enlargement mode magnification pattern and to the reduction mode in response to detecting a predetermined reduction mode magnification pattern, and

the predetermined enlargement and reduction mode magnification patterns are different.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined movement trajectory is substantially circular.

5. An information processing method comprising:

detecting a magnitude of a contacting pressure of a contacted object with respect to an input device operated by being physically contacted by the contacted object;

detecting positions of the contacted object with respect to the input device;

detecting a predetermined magnification pattern formed by a predetermined movement trajectory comprised of a plurality of continuous different positions of the contacted object;

starting, using circuitry, a first mode of either an enlargement mode or a reduction mode of a display magnification of predetermined information to be displayed on a display device in response to the detecting of the predetermined magnification pattern;

in the first mode, switching between the enlargement mode and the reduction mode in response to the detecting of the predetermined magnification pattern;

in the first mode, identifying, using the circuitry, whether the started first mode is the enlargement mode or the reduction mode;

in the first mode, changing, using the circuitry, upon determination that the detected magnitude of contacting pressure is above a predetermined threshold greater than zero and a contacting position of the contacted object is not moving after the first mode has been set, a display region displayed on the display device of the predetermined information to be displayed on the display device by changing the display magnification of the predetermined information by either enlarging, in a case the first mode is identified to be the enlargement mode, or reducing, in a case the first mode is identified to be the reduction mode, the display magnification according to an output signal output from the input device at a speed corresponding to the magnitude of the detected contacting pressure;

increasing, using circuitry, a speed of enlarging, in the case the first mode is identified to be the enlargement mode, or reducing, in the case the first mode is identified to be the reduction mode, the display magnification of the predetermined information according to an increase in the detected magnitude of the contacting pressure; and

changing, using the circuitry, upon determination that the detected magnitude of contacting pressure is below the predetermined threshold and the contacting position of the contacted object is moving, the display region by moving a display range of the predetermined information without changing the display magnification of the predetermined information.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor in an information processing apparatus causes the processor to execute a method comprising:

detecting a magnitude of a contacting pressure of a contacted object with respect to an input device operated by being physically contacted by the contacted object;

detecting positions of the contacted object with respect to the input device;

detecting a predetermined magnification pattern formed by a predetermined movement trajectory comprised of a plurality of continuous different positions of the contacted object;

starting a first mode of either an enlargement mode or a reduction mode of a display magnification of predetermined information to be displayed on a display device in response to the detecting of the predetermined magnification pattern;

in the first mode, switching between the enlargement mode and the reduction mode in response to the detecting of the predetermined magnification pattern;

in the first mode, identifying whether the started first mode is the enlargement mode or the reduction mode;

in the first mode, changing, upon determination that the detected magnitude of contacting pressure is above a predetermined threshold greater than zero and a contacting position of the contacted object is not moving after the first mode has been set, a display region displayed on the display device of the predetermined information to be displayed on the display device by changing the display magnification of the predetermined information by either enlarging, in a case the first mode is identified to be the enlargement mode, or reducing, in a case the first mode is identified to be the reduction mode, the display magnification according to an output signal output from the input device at a speed corresponding to the magnitude of the detected contacting pressure;

increasing a speed of enlarging, in the case the first mode is identified to be the enlargement mode, or reducing, in the case the first mode is identified to be the reduction mode, the display magnification of the predetermined information according to an increase in the detected magnitude of the contacting pressure; and

changing, upon determination that the detected magnitude of contacting pressure is below the predetermined threshold and the contacting position of the contacted object is moving, the display region by moving a display range of the predetermined information without changing the display magnification of the predetermined information.