Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9710159-B2
Application number	US-201113196963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2011
Priority date	Aug 25, 2010
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

An information processing apparatus detects an interaction area of a position detection surface specified by a manipulation object. A focused target extraction unit that extracts at least some of a plurality of focused targets on the basis of the interaction area. A selection candidate extraction unit extracts a selection candidate from the plurality of focused targets, and a display displays at least some of the plurality of focused targets, and emphasizes the selection candidate. Furthermore, a method and non-transitory computer readable storage device cooperate to provide a corresponding process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:
circuitry configured to
detect an interaction area of a position detection surface specified by a single static point of contact on the detection surface by a manipulation object;
calculate a predetermined shape as a region corresponding to the interaction area based on the single static point of contact,
determine a plurality of focused targets that overlap the predetermined shape;
display a subset of the plurality of focused targets determined based on a distance between each of the plurality of focused targets and a center of the predetermined shape, in a window that overlaps an input field and that has a same number of rows above and below boundaries of the input field, the window not overlapping the interaction area, the input field being separated from the interaction area, the subset of the plurality of focused targets being fewer than all of the plurality of focused targets;
determine a selection candidate from the plurality of focused targets; and
emphasize the selection candidate relative to others of the plurality of focused targets,
wherein the plurality of focused targets include alphanumeric characters,
said circuitry displays the selection candidate as an alphanumeric character emphasized, as compared to others of the plurality of focused targets, by at least one of an insertion-point cursor and bold text, and
the window in which the plurality of focused targets are displayed moves when the selection candidate is selected.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry is incorporated into a wireless mobile terminal; and
said plurality of focused targets include keys of a software keyboard.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said plurality of focused targets are keys in a row of the software keyboard that falls within the predetermined shape.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry displays the plurality of focused targets in a display area that does not overlap the keys of the wireless keyboard.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the emphasis on the selection candidate changes to a different alphanumeric character in response to said circuitry detecting a change in position of the manipulation object with respect to the interaction area.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a proximity of the selection candidate to the different alphanumeric character is related to an amount of movement of the manipulation object with respect to the interaction area.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry includes said position detection surface.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said circuitry detects pressure from said manipulation object when contacted by the manipulation object.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said circuitry is responsive to change in capacitance.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein when said manipulation object covers from sight one or more keys of the software keyboard, the circuitry displays the at least some of the plurality of focused targets in a display region of said display that is not covered by said manipulation object.

11. An information processing method, comprising:
detecting an interaction area of a position detection surface specified by a single static point of contact on the detection surface by a manipulation object;
calculating a predetermined shape as a region corresponding to the interaction area based on the single static point of contact;
determining with a computer processor a plurality of focused targets that overlap the predetermined shape;
displaying on a display a subset of the plurality of focused targets determined based on a distance between each of the plurality of focused targets and a center of the predetermined shape, in a window that overlaps an input field and has a same number of rows above and below boundaries of the input field, the window not overlapping the interaction area, the input field being separated from the interaction area, the subset of the plurality of focused targets being fewer than all of the plurality of focused targets;
determining with the computer processor a selection candidate from the plurality of focused targets; and
emphasizing the selection candidate on the display relative to others of the plurality of focused targets,
wherein the plurality of focused targets include alphanumeric characters,
the selection candidate is displayed as an alphanumeric character emphasized, as compared to others of the plurality of focused targets, by at least one of an insertion-point cursor and bold text, and
the window in which the plurality of focused targets are displayed moves when the selection candidate is selected.

12. The information processing method of claim 11 , wherein said display is incorporated into a wireless mobile terminal; and
said plurality of focused targets further include keys of a software keyboard.

13. The information processing method of claim 11 , wherein said display is incorporated into an electronic map device.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage device having stored therein computer readable instructions that when executed by a computer processor perform a process comprising:
detecting an interaction area of a position detection surface specified by a single static point of contact on the detection surface by a manipulation object;
calculating a predetermined shape as a region corresponding to the interaction area based on the single static point of contact;
determining with a computer a plurality of focused targets that overlap the predetermined shape;
displaying on a display a subset of the plurality of focused targets determined based on a distance between each of the plurality of focused targets and a center of the predetermined shape, in a window that overlaps an input field and that has a same number of rows above and below boundaries of the input field, the window not overlapping the interaction area, the input field being separated from the interaction area, the subset of the plurality of focused targets being fewer than all of the plurality of focused targets;
determining a selection candidate from the plurality of focused targets; and
emphasizing the selection candidate on the display relative to others of the plurality of focused targets,
wherein the plurality of focused targets include alphanumeric characters,
the selection candidate is displayed as an alphanumeric character emphasized, as compared to others of the plurality of focused targets, by at least one of an insertion-point cursor and bold text, and
the window in which the plurality of focused targets are displayed moves when the selection candidate is selected.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 14 , wherein said display is incorporated into a wireless mobile terminal; and
said plurality of focused targets further include keys of a software keyboard.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein within the window that overlaps the input field, a first subset of the plurality of focus targets are displayed above the input field, a second subset of the plurality of focus targets are displayed within the input field and a third subset of the plurality of focus targets are displayed below the input field.

17. The information processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry calcul

Assignees

• Miyazawa Yusuke
• Yamano Ikuo
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Miyazawa Yusuke
• Yamano Ikuo

Classifications

• G06F3/04886 Primary

  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 title

• G06F3/0233

  Character input methods · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title