Information processing apparatus, program, and operation control method

1. An electronic device comprising:

a touch screen;

a pressure sensitive sensor configured to detect pressure applied by a first user input of a manipulation object performed on the touch screen; and

circuitry configured to

determine which of two or more input states the first user input belongs to by comparing the detected pressure with a threshold value;

determine that a second user input performed after the first user input belongs to a first input state when the detected pressure is determined to be equal to or less than the threshold value; and

determine that a third user input performed after the first user input belongs to a second input state when the detected pressure is determined to be more than the threshold value, wherein

a number of candidate selectable items that are user-selectable in the first input state is less than a number of candidate selectable items that are user-selectable while in the second input state.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the circuitry configured to enable a limitation in the first input state.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein

the information processing apparatus is one of a personal computer, a smart phone, a music player, a game terminal or a digital household appliance.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the display to display a screen corresponding to at least one of a web browser, a digital album, a document editor, an email client, a content player or a game application.

5. A method performed by an electronic device including a touch screen and a pressure sensitive sensor configured to detect pressure applied by user input of a manipulation object performed on the touch screen, the method comprising:

determining which of two or more input states a first user input belongs to by comparing the detected pressure with a threshold value;

determining that a second user input performed after the first user input belongs to a first input state when the detected pressure is determined to be equal to or less than the threshold value; and

determining that a third user input performed after the first user input belongs to a second input state when the detected pressure is determined to be more than the threshold value, wherein

a number of candidate selectable items that are user-selectable in the first input state is less than a number of candidate selectable items that are user-selectable while in the second input state.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

enabling a limitation in the first input state.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein

the information processing apparatus is one of a personal computer, a smart phone, a music player, a game terminal or a digital household appliance.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-program instructions, which when executed by an electronic device including a touch screen and a pressure sensitive sensor configured to detect pressure applied by user input of a manipulation object performed on the touch screen, cause the electronic device to:

determine which of two or more input states a first user input belongs to by comparing the detected pressure with a threshold value;

determine that a second user input performed after the first user input belongs to a first input state when the detected pressure is determined to be equal to or less than the threshold value; and

determine that a third user input performed after the first user input belongs to a second input state when the detected pressure is determined to be more than the threshold value, wherein

a number of candidate selectable items that are user-selectable in the first input state is less than a number of candidate selectable items that are user-selectable while in the second input state.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the computer-program instruction, which when executed by the electronic device, causes the electronic device to:

enable a limitation in the first input state.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein

the information processing apparatus is one of a personal computer, a smart phone, a music player, a game terminal or a digital household appliance.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the computer-program instruction, which when executed by the electronic device, causes the electronic device to:

control the display to display a screen corresponding to at least one of a web browser, a digital album, a document editor, an email client, a content player or a game application.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to determine a subsequent user input is performed in response to a pressure decrease after the third user input is determined to be in the second input state.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the subsequent user input includes a dragging operation.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry causes a different GUI to be displayed when in the second input state than when in the first input state.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 : wherein the GUI includes a slider and a knob of the slider is displayed larger in the first input state than in the second input state.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the number of candidate items in the first input state is at least two.

17. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is configured to disable the limitation in the second input state.

18. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one candidate selectable items is a parameter setting.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the circuitry is configured to control an operation of the information processing apparatus based on the parameter setting.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the operation is a zoom operation and the parameter setting is a zoom ratio.