Information processing apparatus, information processing method and program

• US 9,645,704 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Narita, Tomoya, Kano, Ritsuko, Kasahara, Shunichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Phi
• Application Number:
  US13/220,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20120069043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 345173, 345589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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

Abstract

An method is provided for controlling devices. The method comprises detecting location of an operating member in non-contacting proximity to a non-contacting interface. The method further comprises changing selection among a plurality of data objects belonging to a group, based on a change in detected location of the operating member while in proximity to the interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

detect a location of an operating member in a non-contacting proximity to a non-contacting interface; and

change a selection among a plurality of data objects belonging to a group among a plurality of groups, based on a change in the detected location of the operating member while the operating member is kept in the non-contacting proximity to the non-contacting interface, each of the plurality of data objects representing a different content item,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to change a selection among the plurality of groups, based on a change in the detected location of the operating member while the operating member is kept in contact with the non-contacting interface,

wherein the change in the selection among the plurality of groups is based on a determined order.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising, a display device configured to perform both display functions and functions of the non-contacting interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

calculate a distance between the operating member and the non-contacting interface; and

detect a parameter for determination of an operational aspect based on the distance, wherein the parameter varies in response to the distance,

wherein the operational aspect comprises a determination of whether an operation of the operating member is a contact operation or a proximity operation.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the calculated distance indicates that the operating member is within a proximity region, the proximity region being a region that is a determined distance from the display device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to change the selection among the plurality of data objects, in an event the operating member is within the proximity region.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the calculated distance indicates that the operating member is within a contact region, the contact region being a region between a display face of the display device and the proximity region.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to change a selection among a plurality of groups of data objects, in an event the operating member is within the contact region.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

change a selection among a plurality of groups of data objects, in an event the operating member is placed in contact with the display face of the display device; and

detect a movement of the operating member according to a change in the detected location of the operating member while the operating member maintains contact with the display face.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to detect at least one of a direction of movement or a distance of movement of the operating member.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to prohibit changing of selections, in an event, the direction of movement of the operating member at an oblique angle with respect to a display face of the display device is detected.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

detect a first coordinate for the operating member; and

detect a second coordinate for the operating member after a change in the location of the operating member is detected.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to prohibit changing of a selection, in an event a difference between the first coordinate and the second coordinate is not greater than a threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute a determined process corresponding to a selected data object.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising, a display device configured to display the plurality of data objects according to a changed selection.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising, a display generator device configured to change a display of a selected data object to highlight the selected data object.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of groups includes a plurality of images and the one or more processors are further configured to:

change a selection of a target image of the plurality of images within the group while the operating member is moved in the non-contacting proximity to the non-contacting interface; and

change a selection of the target image among the plurality of groups while the operating member is moved in contact with the non-contacting interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more characters corresponding to a selected data object among the plurality of data objects is superimposed on a displayed plurality of data objects.

18. A method comprising:

detecting, by a processor, a location of an operating member in a non-contacting proximity to a non-contacting interface, wherein the detecting comprises calculating a distance between the operating member and the non-contacting interface;

changing, by the processor, a selection among a plurality of data objects belonging to a group among a plurality of groups, based on a change in the detected location of the operating member while the operating member is kept in the non-contacting proximity to the non-contacting interface; and

changing, by the processor, a selection among the plurality of groups, based on a change in the detected location of the operating member while the operating member is kept in contact with the non-contacting interface,

wherein the change in the selection among the plurality of groups is based on a determined order.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device having stored thereon, a set of computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform operations comprising:

detecting a location of an operating member in a non-contacting proximity to a non-contacting interface, wherein the detecting comprises calculating a distance between the operating member and the non-contacting interface;

changing a selection among a plurality of data objects belonging to a group among a plurality of groups, based on a change in the detected location of the operating member while the operating member is kept in the non-contacting proximity to the non-contacting interface; and

changing a selection among the plurality of groups, based on a change in the detected location of the operating member while the operating member is kept in contact with the non-contacting interface,

wherein the change in the selection among the plurality of groups is based on a determined order.