Information processing apparatus and information processing method

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a menu screen display unit configured to display a menu screen indicating a plurality of menus;

a game screen display unit configured, when an execution menu of a game application is selected in the menu screen, to display in full screen a game screen indicating an execution result of the game application;

an application screen display unit configured, when an execution menu of an application other than a game is selected in the menu screen, to display in full screen an application screen indicating an execution result of the application other than a game; and

a screen transition control unit configured to: (i) allow a direct transition from the game screen to the application screen when a predetermined first operation is performed while the game screen is displayed, and configured to allow a direct transition from the application screen to the game screen when a same predetermined first operation is performed while the application screen is displayed; (ii) allow a direct transition from the game screen to the menu screen when a predetermined second operation is performed while the game screen is displayed, and configured to allow a direct transition from the menu screen to the game screen when a same predetermined second operation is performed while the menu screen is displayed; (iii) allow a direct transition from the application screen to the menu screen when a same predetermined second operation is performed while the application screen is displayed, and configured to allow a direct transition from the menu screen to the application screen when a same predetermined second operation is performed while the menu screen is displayed,

wherein the information processing apparatus is a game device and the predetermined first operation is performed via a game controller.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when a menu for viewing information stored in a predetermined device is selected in the menu screen as an execution menu of an application other than a game, the application screen display unit displays, as the application screen, a browser screen for indicating the information acquired from the predetermined device in full screen.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, when the predetermined first operation is performed while the game screen is displayed after a browser screen for indicating information relating to the game application is displayed, the screen transition control unit allows a direct transition from the game screen to a browser screen for indicating information relating to the game application.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the application screen display unit displays a plurality of application screens indicating an execution result of a plurality of applications other than games while switching between/among the application screens in accordance with an operation by a user, and

wherein, when the predetermined first operation is performed while the game screen is displayed, the screen transition control unit allows a direct transition to an application screen that is most recently displayed among the plurality of application screens.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 ,

wherein every time a preset determination operation is performed in a given application screen among the plurality of application screens, the application screen display unit makes a transition to another application screen among the plurality of application screens that is linked to the given application screen having been displayed, and otherwise every time a predetermined cancellation operation is performed in the given application screen, the application screen display unit makes a backward transition one by one to other application screens among the plurality of application screens or to a menu screen that is a starting point of a transition to the given application screen having been displayed,

wherein, when a predetermined second operation is performed in the given application screen among the plurality of application screens, the screen transition control unit allows a transition from the screen to the menu screen even when the transition starting point of the application screen is not the menu screen, and

wherein, when the predetermined first operation is performed while a game screen is displayed after a transition from the given application screen among the plurality of application screens to the menu screen is made by the predetermined second operation and not after a transition from the given application screen among the plurality of application screens to the menu screen is made by the cancellation operation, the screen transition control unit allows a direct transition to the application screen where the predetermined second operation has been made.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the predetermined first operation and the predetermined second operation are operations made in a different manner via a same button.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus is physically separated from the controller by some distance.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus is physically separated from the controller by a distance of up to about three meters.

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

the predetermined first operation is defined as pressing a predetermined button on the controller;

pressing the predetermined button a first number of times while the game screen is displayed causes the direct transition from the game screen to the application screen; and

pressing the predetermined button a second number of times, different than the first number of times, while the application screen is displayed causes the direct transition from the application screen to the game screen.

10. An information processing method comprising:

displaying a menu screen indicating a plurality of menus;

displaying in full screen, when an execution menu of a game application is selected in the menu screen, a game screen indicating an execution result of the game application;

displaying in full screen, when an execution menu of an application other than a game is selected in the menu screen, an application screen indicating an execution result of the application other than a game;

allowing a direct transition from the game screen to the application screen when a predetermined first operation is performed while the game screen is displayed, and allowing a direct transition from the application screen to the game screen when a same predetermined first operation is performed while the application screen is displayed;

allowing a direct transition from the game screen to the menu screen when a predetermined second operation is performed while the game screen is displayed, and allowing a direct transition from the menu screen to the game screen when a same predetermined second operation is performed while the menu screen is displayed; and

allowing a direct transition from the application screen to the menu screen when a same predetermined second operation is performed while the application screen is displayed, and allowing a direct transition from the menu screen to the application screen when a same predetermined second operation is performed while the menu screen is displayed,

wherein the information processing method is carried out via a game device and the predetermined first operation is performed via a game controller.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium containing a computer program, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out actions, comprising:

displaying a menu screen indicating a plurality of menus;

displaying in full screen, when an execution menu of a game application is selected in the menu screen, a game screen indicating an execution result of the game application;

displaying in full screen, when an execution menu of an application other than a game is selected in the menu screen, an application screen indicating an execution result of the application other than a game;

allowing a direct transition from the game screen to the application screen when a predetermined first operation is performed while the game screen is displayed, and allowing a direct transition from the application screen to the game screen when a same predetermined first operation is performed while the application screen is displayed;

allowing a direct transition from the game screen to the menu screen when a predetermined second operation is performed while the game screen is displayed, and allowing a direct transition from the menu screen to the game screen when a same predetermined second operation is performed while the menu screen is displayed; and

allowing a direct transition from the application screen to the menu screen when a same predetermined second operation is performed while the application screen is displayed, and allowing a direct transition from the menu screen to the application screen when a same predetermined second operation is performed while the menu screen is displayed,

wherein the actions carried out via the computer in a game device and the predetermined first operation is performed via a game controller.