Information processing apparatus
View Patent ↗When a touch pad pointing device is tapped, the tapped position coordinate is detected and a predetermined function is performed based on the tapped coordinate. One of functions of a computer and a pointing function is allocated to a zone of the touch pad. When a zone of the touch pad is tapped, a notification based on the function allocated to the tapped zone is performed.
1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
an information processing unit having functions;
a display that displays a processing result of the information processing unit;
an input unit that has a touch panel including a pointing zone for specifying a point on the display and function selecting zones for selecting one of the functions of the information processing unit;
a function executing unit configured to execute one of the functions selected by the touch panel;
a pointing unit that displays a cursor at a point on the display specified by the touch panel; and
a notice unit configured to perform, when one of the function selecting zones touched, a notification.
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the notice unit generates different sounds depending on the tapped function selecting zone.
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the notice unit generates a sound specified for each user.
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the input unit has a second display; and
the notice unit displays an icon on the second display depending on the touched function selecting zone.
5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the notice unit displays an icon specified for each user.
6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the input unit has a second display with a backlight; and
the notice unit emits a backlight of a color depending on the touched function selecting zone.
7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the notice unit emits a backlight of a color specified for each user.
8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the function executing unit comprises a table defining functions allocated to zones and notification actions for the zones which are activated when the zones are touched.
9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the notification actions are temporary disabled upon a predetermined operation by a user.
10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the notification actions comprise a generation of a sound and a display of an icon.
11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an interrupting unit configured to interrupt an operation of the notice unit.
12. An operation assistance method for an information processing apparatus comprising an information processing unit having functions, a display which displays a processing result of the information processing unit, and an input unit that has a touch panel including a pointing zone for specifying a point on the display and function selecting zones for selecting one of the functions of the information processing unit, the method comprising:
executing one of the functions selected by the input unit;
displaying a cursor at a point on the display specified by the input unit; and
performing, when one of the function selecting zones of the input unit is touched, a notification.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the performing comprises performing different notifications for each user.
14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the performing comprises generating different sounds depending on the touched function selecting zone.