IP Library Granted Patent US 8,872,794
Granted Patent B2
US 8,872,794 · App. 13/562,815 · Granted Oct 28, 2014

Information processing apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,872,794
App. No.
13/562,815
Granted
Oct 28, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information processing apparatus including a touch panel that detects a non-contact operation of an operation element by detecting an electrostatic capacitance of an operation surface of the touch panel; and a controller that determines a distance between the operation surface and the operation element based on the detected electrostatic capacitance, and controls a predetermined operation of the information processing apparatus based on the determined distance.

Claims (35)

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a display that displays one or a plurality of objects;

a touch panel that detects a non-contact operation of an operation element by detecting an electrostatic capacitance of an operation surface of the touch panel; and

circuitry configured to

determine a distance between the operation surface and the operation element based on the detected electrostatic capacitance;

control the display to display an object corresponding to a distance within a first predetermined range among a plurality of individual objects on the display in a first display form different from display forms of the other individual objects when the determined distance of the non-contact operation is within the first predetermined range; and

control the display to display the object corresponding to a distance within a second predetermined range in a second display form different from the first display form when the determined distance of the non-contact operation is within the second predetermined range.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the touch panel is a projection-type electrostatic-capacitance touch panel.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the touch panel includes a substrate layer including an insulator film, an electrode layer arranged below the insulator film, and a control integrated circuit.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein

the touch panel includes a plurality of mosaic electrode patterns each including two layers of transparent electrodes in each of vertical and horizontal directions in the electrode layer.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the touch panel detects a contact operation of an operation element by detecting an electrostatic capacitance of the operation surface of the touch panel.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the touch panel detects a contact operation of an operation element by detecting an electrostatic capacitance of the operation surface of the touch panel, and

the circuitry is configured to fix the object for which the display form is changed in accordance with a non-contact operation when a contact operation is detected by the touch panel.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory that stores a plurality of thresholds for electrostatic capacitances corresponding to ranges of individual distances between the operation surface and the operating element.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein

the circuitry is configured to determine the distance between the operation surface and the operation element by comparing each of the thresholds stored in the memory with the detected electrostatic capacitance.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of vibration units provided at individual operation positions of the operation surface part, wherein the controller controls one of the plurality of vibration units corresponding to a position of the non-contact operation.

10. A method performed by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

displaying one of a plurality of objects;

detecting a non-contact operation of an operation element by detecting an electrostatic capacitance of an operation surface of a touch panel;

determining a distance between the operation surface and the operation element based on the detected electrostatic capacitance;

displaying an object corresponding to a distance within a first predetermined range among a plurality of individual objects on the display in a first display form different from display forms of the other individual objects when the determined distance of the non-contact operation is within the first predetermined range; and

displaying the object corresponding to a distance within a second predetermined range in a second display form different from the first display form when the determined distance of the non-contact operation is within the second predetermined range.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-program instructions, which when executed by an information processing apparatus, cause the information processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

detecting a non-contact operation of an operation element by detecting an electrostatic capacitance of an operation surface of a touch panel;

determining a distance between the operation surface and the operation element based on the detected electrostatic capacitance;

displaying an object corresponding to a distance within a first predetermined range among a plurality of individual objects on the display in a first display form different from display forms of the other individual objects when the determined distance of the non-contact operation is within the first predetermined range; and

displaying the object corresponding to a distance within a second predetermined range in a second display form different from the first display form when the determined distance of the non-contact operation is within the second predetermined range.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2019
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048691/0134 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2017
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 043943/0631 →
ASSIGNMENT OF PARTIAL RIGHTS Recorded Sep 3, 2014
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 033678/0089 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 3, 2014
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC.
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 033678/0139 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2012
From: TOKUTAKE, KENJI
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC.
Reel/Frame 029289/0176 →