Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a communication unit operable to communicate with one or more different information processing apparatuses and a server on a network;

an operation reception unit operable to receive an operation of a first user that selects data; and

a controller operable to control the communication unit to transmit the selected data to the server and transmit notification information to the one or more different information processing apparatuses, the notification information indicating transmission of the data to the server,

wherein the controller is operable to:

cause a plurality of user icons representing different users of the one or more different information processing apparatuses to be generated and displayed on a display device; and

group at least one pair of the plurality of user icons to generate a group icon based on a drag-and-drop operation of one of the plurality of user icons onto another of the plurality of user icons,

wherein the at least one pair of the plurality of user icons are separated from the group icon based on a predefined operation, wherein the predefined operation is a cursor shake operation over the group icon.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is operable to control the communication unit to transmit the notification information as one of electronic mail (e-mail) or an instant message.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more different information processing apparatuses comprise a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus,

wherein the controller is operable to cause a first user icon representing a user of the first information processing apparatus and a second user icon representing a user of the second information processing apparatus to be output, and

wherein the controller is operable to control, after a predetermined grouping operation of grouping the first user icon and the second user icon is input and when a drag-and-drop operation of a data icon, representative of the selected data, onto the grouped first user icon and second user icon is received, the communication unit to transmit the data to the server and the notification information to the first information processing apparatus and the second information processing apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the grouping operation is a drag-and-drop operation of the first user icon onto the second user icon.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the grouping operation is a drag-and-drop operation of the first user icon and the second user icon onto a predetermined area, and

wherein the controller is operable to control, after the drag-and-drop operation serving as the grouping operation is received and when a drag-and-drop operation of the data icon onto the predetermined area is received, the communication unit to transmit the data to the server and the notification information to the first information processing apparatus and the second information processing apparatus.

6. The information apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more different information processing apparatuses are operable to output a user icon representing the first user of the information processing apparatus, and

wherein the notification information comprises information for changing an output form of the user icon output in the one or more different information processing apparatuses.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the notification information comprises information for causing the one or more different information processing apparatuses to receive the data from the server based on a predetermined operation to the user icon with the changed output form by different users of the one or more different information processing apparatuses.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the communication unit to receive, from at least one of the one or more different information processing apparatuses, notification information indicating transmission of data from the at least one of the one or more different information processing apparatuses to the server, and the controller controls a change to an output form of one of the plurality of user icons when the notification information is received.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is operable to cause a data icon representative of the selected data to be displayed on the display device.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the controller is operable to cause a user icon representing a second user of the one or more different information processing apparatuses to be generated and displayed on the display device, and enable a drag-and-drop operation to be performed in which the first user is able to drag a data icon, representative of the selected data, to the user icon and drop the data icon thereon,

whereupon the communication unit causes the selected data represented by the data icon to be output to the server and the notification information to be transmitted to the one or more different information processing apparatuses independent of additional operation by the first user.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a user list is displayed corresponding to the group icon, wherein the user list comprises a setting to exclude at least one user corresponding to the group icon from the transmission of the selected data, wherein the user list is displayed in response to touching or placing a cursor on the group icon.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the setting comprises excluding the at least one user corresponding to the group icon from receiving the selected data.

13. An information processing method, said method comprising:

in an information processing apparatus capable of being connected to a network:

receiving an operation of a first user that selects data;

transmitting the selected data to a server on the network;

transmitting notification information to one or more different information processing apparatuses on the network, the notification information indicating transmission of the data to the server; and

causing a plurality of user icons representing different users of the one or more different information processing apparatuses to be generated and displayed on a display device,

grouping at least one pair of the plurality of user icons to generate a coupled user icon based on a drag-and-drop operation of one of the plurality of user icons onto another of the plurality of user icons; and

separating the at least one pair of the plurality of user icons from the coupled user icon based on a predefined operation, wherein the predefined operation is a cursor shake operation over the coupled user icon.

14. The information processing method according to claim 13 , further comprising determining whether the predefined operation on the coupled user icon is detected.

15. The information processing method according to claim 13 , further comprising determining whether a speed of the predefined operation on the coupled user icon exceeds a predetermined threshold and separating the coupled user icon when the speed exceeds the predetermined threshold.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage memory having stored thereon a program causing an information processing apparatus having a display device and being connectable to a network to perform:

receiving an operation of a user that selects data;

transmitting the selected data to a server on the network;

transmitting notification information to one or more different information processing apparatuses on the network, the notification information indicating transmission of the data to the server;

causing a plurality of user icons representing different users of the one or more different information processing apparatuses to be generated and displayed on a display device; and

grouping at least one pair of the plurality of user icons to generate a group icon based on a drag-and-drop operation of one of the plurality of user icons onto another of the plurality of user icons,

wherein the at least one pair of the plurality of user icons are separated from the group icon based on a predefined operation, wherein the predefined operation is a cursor shake operation over the group icon.

17. An information processing method, comprising:

in an information processing apparatus capable of being connected to a network:

receiving an operation of a first user that selects data;

transmitting the selected data to a server on the network;

transmitting notification information to one or more different information processing apparatuses on the network, the notification information indicating transmission of the data to the server;

causing a plurality of user icons representing different users of the one or more different information processing apparatuses to be generated and displayed on a display device;

determining whether a speed of a predefined operation on a group icon exceeds a predetermined threshold, the group icon comprising a grouping of at least one pair of the plurality of user icons; and

separating the at least one pair of the plurality of user icons from the group icon when the speed exceeds the predetermined threshold.