JP2011081646A - Information processor, information processing method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To decide a dominant hand of a user even without performing a plurality of operations to an information processor, and to change a state when receiving operation of the user according to the dominant hand. <P>SOLUTION: When a display terminal 1 is touched by a stylus pen 2, an inclination direction of the stylus pen 2 is detected. The display terminal 1 decides the dominant hand of the user by the detected inclination direction, and UI (User Interface) setting of the display terminal 1 is controlled according to the decided dominant hand. Thereby, the user can operate the display terminal 1 by a UI corresponding to the dominant hand without depending on the plurality of operations. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for performing processing in accordance with an instruction input by an operator.

Some information processing apparatuses perform processing according to an instruction when an instruction is input from a pen-type controller operated by a user. Normally, the user has a dominant hand, and the operator operates with the dominant hand. At this time, the operation is performed by arranging the instruction reception image displayed on the screen such as a GUI (Graphical User Interface) key. Comfort is different. For example, if a GUI key is displayed on the right edge of the screen and a left-handed user holds a pen in his left hand and tries to touch this GUI key, his arm is extended to the right edge of the screen and most of the screen is covered with the arm. Touching in a hidden state. In such a case, it is inconvenient because it is necessary to extend the arm over many distances compared to a right-handed user, and the display content on the screen cannot be seen with the arm. In spite of this situation, there are many right-handed users in general, so there are many information processing devices designed on the assumption.

For example, in Patent Document 1, in an information processing apparatus such as a ticket machine having a touch panel,
A technique is disclosed in which a user's dominant hand is determined based on the distribution state of a plurality of touches by the user on the initial screen, and the operation screen is changed and displayed according to the dominant hand.

JP 2006-330992 A

In the mechanism described in Patent Document 1 as described above, multiple touches are required on the initial screen, and it takes time to determine the dominant hand. In addition, since the initial screen itself until the dominant hand determination is not considered for the dominant hand, the user must touch the initial screen that is not suitable for the dominant hand, multiple times, There is a great burden on the user.
An object of the present invention is to determine a user's dominant hand without depending on a plurality of touch distributions on the information processing apparatus, and to change a mode when a user operation is accepted according to the dominant hand.

In order to achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a display surface on which an image is displayed,
An input surface that is superimposed on the display surface and receives an instruction of the user by an operator operated by the user; and a detecting unit that detects a tilt direction in which the operator is tilted with respect to the input surface. Determining means for determining a dominant hand when the user operates the operation element according to the tilt direction detected by the detecting means; and processing means for receiving a user instruction and performing processing according to the instruction. And a processing unit that changes a mode of accepting a user operation according to the user's dominant hand determined by the determination unit.
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to determine a user's dominant hand irrespective of multiple touch distribution with respect to information processing apparatus, and to change the aspect at the time of accepting a user's operation according to the dominant hand.

In the present invention, the processing means displays an instruction acceptance image, which is an image for accepting a user instruction, on the display surface, and an instruction that the operator specifies the instruction acceptance image and inputs to the input surface. The display position of the instruction reception image on the display surface may be changed according to the user's dominant hand that is received and determined by the determination unit.
According to this configuration, the display position of the instruction reception image that accepts the user's operation on the display surface corresponds to the determined user's dominant hand, and the operability when the user operates the information processing apparatus is improved.

In the present invention, comprising a plurality of operation keys for accepting instructions by the user's contact operation,
The processing means may be configured to change the content of an instruction received by each of the operation keys according to a user's dominant hand determined by the determination means.
According to this configuration, the instruction content received by the operation key corresponds to the determined user's dominant hand, and the operability when the user operates the information processing apparatus is improved.

In the present invention, the detection means may be configured to measure an acceleration in the operation element and detect the tilt direction based on the measured acceleration.
According to this configuration, the tilt direction is detected based on the acceleration of the operator operated by the user, the user's dominant hand is determined from the tilt direction, and the manner in which the user's operation is accepted is changed according to the dominant hand. It becomes possible.

In the present invention, the detection means detects positions of a plurality of different positions in the longitudinal direction of the operation element, and includes a first position included in the detected plurality of positions, and the input from the first position. The tilt direction of the operation element may be specified based on the positional relationship with the second position far from the surface.
According to this configuration, the tilt direction is detected based on the relationship between the first position and the second position in the operator operated by the user, the user's dominant hand is determined from the tilt direction, and the user's dominant hand is determined according to the dominant hand. It becomes possible to change the mode when accepting the operation.
The present invention can be conceptualized as an information processing method and program in addition to an information processing apparatus.

It is a block diagram showing the structure of the display system in 1st Embodiment. It is a top view showing the composition of the tablet in a display terminal. It is a block diagram showing the functional structure of the stylus pen in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates the positional relationship of the stylus pen 2 and a display terminal when it sees from the direction parallel to the display surface of a display terminal in 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode that the thumb instruction | indication mark was added to the grip part of the stylus pen. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode when a user puts the thumb on the thumb instruction mark and holds the stylus pen. It is a flowchart showing the procedure of the process performed in the display system in 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing the external appearance of a display terminal, and the mode of the screen display at the time of power activation. It is explanatory drawing showing the example of a screen display after login. It is a processing flow figure in a stylus pen at the time of detecting the inclination of a stylus pen in a 1st embodiment. It is a processing flow figure in a display terminal at the time of detecting the inclination of a stylus pen in a 1st embodiment. It is a block diagram showing the structure of the stylus pen in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates the positional relationship of a stylus pen and a display terminal in 2nd Embodiment. It is a processing flow figure at the time of detecting the inclination of a stylus pen in a 2nd embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode that the pen grip in the modification 1 was added to the grip part of the stylus pen. The display content in the case where the display terminal in the modification 4 cannot determine a user's dominant hand is represented.

The form for implementing this invention is divided and demonstrated to 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment.
(1) First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a display system 100 according to a first embodiment.
The display system 100 includes a display terminal 1 as an information processing apparatus and a stylus pen 2 as an operator. The display terminal 1 is a pen tablet, tablet PC (Personal C
omputer), a mobile phone, a portable game machine, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants). In FIG. 1, the structure of a pen tablet is illustrated as an example. This display terminal 1 has a CPU (Central Processing U).
nit) 10, ROM (Read Only Memory) 11, RAM (Random Access Memory) 12,
The terminal side communication part 13, the display body control part 14, the display body 140, the tablet control part 15, the tablet 150, the memory | storage part 16, the power supply control part 17, the battery 170, and the operation part 18 are provided. These components are connected to each other via a bus 19.

The ROM 11 stores a control program related to the display terminal 1. RAM 12 is C
It functions as a work area for PU10. The CPU 10 reads the control program stored in the ROM 11 and loads it into the RAM 12 and executes it, thereby controlling the display terminal 1 and realizing various functions such as a communication function, a display function, or an information processing function. The terminal-side communication unit 13 performs wireless communication with the stylus pen 2 under the control of the CPU 10 according to, for example, an IrDA (Infrared Data Association) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. The storage unit 16 is a nonvolatile storage unit such as a flash memory, and stores various types of information such as image data representing an image. The battery 170 is, for example, a battery. The power controller 17 controls the power supplied from the battery 170 to the display terminal 1.
The operation unit 18 includes a plurality of operation keys. When the operation unit 18 is pressed by the user, the operation unit 18 supplies the CPU 10 with a signal that detects the pressing.

The display body 140 is configured by a liquid crystal display, for example, and serves as a display surface on which an image is displayed. The display body control unit 14 displays an image such as a GUI on the display body 140 in accordance with a command from the CPU 10. Examples of the image displayed on the display 140 include an image relating to menu presentation and selection, an image having contents according to a user operation, and an image such as a document, a table, and a figure according to digital data. The tablet 150 is operated by the user with the stylus pen 2
This is an input surface for inputting an instruction when an instruction is given to the display terminal 1. The tablet 150 is arranged so as to overlap the display surface of the display body 140. The tablet 150 transmits the image displayed by the display body 140. Tablet control unit 1
5 generates position information indicating the position where the stylus pen 2 is touched on the tablet 150 and supplies the position information to the CPU 10.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the tablet 150 in the display terminal 1.
As shown in FIG. 2, the tablet 150 includes a plurality of x-axis detection electrodes 1 extending in the x-axis direction in order to detect a position in the x-axis direction at a location where the stylus pen 2 contacts the tablet 150.
50x and a plurality of y-axis detection electrodes 150 extending in the y-axis direction in order to detect positions in the y-axis direction
y are arranged so as to cross each other. Here, the x-axis direction is a left-right direction when the user views the display terminal 1 from a predetermined front side, and the y-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to the x-axis direction. Coils L are respectively arranged at locations where the x-axis detection electrode 150x and the y-axis detection electrode 150y intersect, and a magnetic field is formed on the surface of the tablet 150, respectively. When the user brings the stylus pen 2 close to the tablet 150, an electric current flows through the pen tip position detection electrode 24 (see FIG. 3) provided in the stylus pen 2 by the action of electromagnetic induction. This current generates a magnetic field at the pen tip position detection electrode 24 in the stylus pen 2 to emit an electromagnetic wave, which is detected by the coil L on the tablet 150 side. And the tablet control part 15 specifies the position of the x-axis direction of the coil L which detected the electromagnetic wave with the highest intensity | strength in the tablet 150, and the position of a y-axis direction, and those coordinates (X, Y) are CPU.
10 is supplied. The CPU 10 analyzes the contents of the user's instruction according to the coordinates (X, Y) and performs various processes according to the instruction. The origin of coordinates (X, Y) is the tablet 1
One of 50 corners, for example, the upper left corner when viewed from the front.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the stylus pen 2.
The stylus pen 2 is a means for giving instructions to the display terminal 1 via the tablet 150, and has a rod-like shape imitating a pen or pencil so that the user can easily hold it. The display terminal 1 determines the dominant hand of the user by detecting the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 with respect to the display surface when the user holds the stylus pen 2 in his hand. The stylus pen 2 includes a CPU 20, a ROM 21, a RAM 22, a pen side communication unit 23, and a pen tip position detection electrode 2.
4, acceleration sensor 25, nib switch 26, power supply control unit 27, and battery 270
Is provided. These components are connected to each other via a bus 28. The ROM 21 stores a control program related to the stylus pen 2. The RAM 22 functions as a work area for the CPU 20. The CPU 20 controls each component of the stylus pen 2 by reading a control program stored in the ROM 21, loading it into the RAM 22 and executing it. The pen-side communication unit 23 is controlled by the CPU 20 under the IrDA (Infrared Data As
sociation) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) standards, wireless communication is performed with the terminal-side communication unit 13 provided in the display terminal 1.

The nib position detection electrode 24 is a coil built in the vicinity of the nib of the stylus pen 2. As described above, when the stylus pen 2 touches the tablet 150, the pen tip position detection electrode 24 sends electromagnetic waves to the tablet 150 by electromagnetic induction to notify the position of the pen tip. The CPU 10 detects the position of the pen tip, analyzes the content of the user's instruction, and performs processing according to the instruction. The acceleration sensor 25 assists the CPU 10 in detecting a tilt direction that is a direction in which the stylus pen 2 is tilted with respect to the tablet 150. Here, the direction in which the stylus pen 2 is tilted is a direction in which the longitudinal direction of the stylus pen 2 (that is, the pen axis direction) is tilted with respect to the tablet 150. When the user holds the stylus pen 2 and gives an instruction to the tablet 150, the acceleration sensor 25 detects the direction of acceleration applied to the stylus pen 2. Accelerometer 25
The detected value is transmitted to the display terminal 1 by the pen side communication unit 23.

A tip of the stylus pen 2 is provided with a pen tip that is applied with an urging force by an elastic body (not shown) toward the head. The nib switch 26 is a pressure-sensitive device linked to the nib. When the pen tip switch 26 is in contact with an object and receives a force and is pushed toward the inside of the pen, the pen tip switch 26 detects the pushed force and outputs an ON signal. That is, when the user holds the stylus pen 2 and touches the tablet 150 with the pen tip, the pen tip switch 26 outputs an ON signal, and the stylus pen 2 is turned on. The battery 270 is a battery, for example. The power supply control unit 27 controls the power supplied from the battery 270 to the stylus pen 2.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the stylus pen 2 and the display terminal 1 when viewed from a direction parallel to the display surface of the display terminal 1. The relationship between the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 and the user's dominant hand will be described with reference to FIG.
The acceleration sensor 25 has two sensors that measure acceleration in different directions. Hereinafter, the sensors are referred to as sensors Sx and Sy. As shown in FIG. 4, when viewed from the pen axis direction, a certain direction is defined as an x-axis direction, and a direction orthogonal to the x-axis direction is defined as a y-axis direction. The acceleration sensor Sx measures acceleration in the x-axis direction. The acceleration sensor Sy measures acceleration in the y-axis direction. The x-axis direction is generally matched with the x-axis direction of the tablet 150, and the y-axis direction is roughly matched with the y-axis direction of the tablet 150. This will be described later. In FIG. 4, it is assumed that the user holds the stylus pen 2 in a state where the position of the pen clip 30 is always on the near side. Further, it is assumed that the display terminal 1 is placed in a place where the tablet 150 which is the input surface of the display terminal 1 is horizontal.

Each sensor Sx, Sy measures the acceleration in the positive direction and the negative direction about the x-axis and y-axis shown in FIG. 4 at each sampling time, and outputs the detected value (ax, ay). ax is the acceleration in the x-axis direction, and ay is the acceleration in the y-axis direction. In FIG. 4, when the axial direction of the stylus pen 2 is perpendicular to the tablet 150 as in the state (a), the detection values of the acceleration sensor 25 are ax = 0 and ay = 0. . On the other hand, when the user tries to touch the tablet 150 with the stylus pen 2 with the right hand, the axial direction of the stylus pen 2 is the positive axis of the x axis with respect to the tablet 150 as in the state (b). It is in a state tilted in the direction. At this time, since the stylus pen 2 moves so as to transition from the state (a) to the state (b) according to the user's operation, the detected value ax of the acceleration sensor 25 is a positive value “+ xR”. Is detected. On the other hand, when the user holds the stylus pen 2 with the left hand, the axial direction of the stylus pen 2 is inclined to the negative direction of the x axis with respect to the tablet 150, and the detection value ax of the acceleration sensor 25 is negative. The value “−xL” is detected.

As described above, the detection value of the acceleration sensor 25 is transmitted to the display terminal 1 through the pen side communication unit 23. The display terminal 1 receives the detection value of the acceleration sensor 25 by the terminal side communication unit 13. When the detected value ax exceeds the positive threshold value, the CPU 10 in the display terminal 1 detects that the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 is on the right side, and determines that the user is right-handed. On the other hand, when the detected value ax exceeds the negative threshold, the CPU 10 detects that the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 is the left side, and determines that the user is left-handed. If this threshold is set appropriately, the influence of acceleration caused by subtle shaking of the stylus pen 2 linked to the movement of the user's hand is excluded,
It is possible to successfully extract the acceleration that contributes to the determination of the dominant hand. As described above, the display terminal 1 detects the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 based on whether or not the value detected by the acceleration sensor 25 in the stylus pen 2 exceeds the positive and negative thresholds, and further controls the user's dominant hand. judge. That is, the CPU 10 functions as a detection unit that detects a tilt direction in which the stylus pen 2 is tilted with respect to the tablet 150, and the user operates the stylus pen 2 according to the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2. It functions as a determination means for determining the dominant hand of time.

However, in order to determine the dominant hand by this method, the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction defined for the acceleration sensor 25 must substantially coincide with the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction of the tablet 150. In FIG. 4, it is assumed that the user holds the stylus pen 2 in a state where the position of the pen clip 30 is always on the near side. However, in practice, the user does not always hold the stylus pen 2 with the pen clip 30 positioned at the front side, for example, with the pen clip 30 positioned at the back as viewed from the user. There may be a stylus pen 2. At this time, the positive and negative directions of the x-axis and y-axis in the stylus pen 2 and the x-axis and y-axis defined in the acceleration sensor 25 are reversed, and the right and left dominant hand is determined to be reversed. Therefore, a device for guiding the grip of the stylus pen 2 is provided.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a thumb instruction mark 31 for determining the thumb position is added to the grip portion of the stylus pen 2 as an example of a device for guiding the grip of the stylus pen 2. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation where the user holds the stylus pen 2 with the thumb placed on the thumb instruction mark 31, and FIG. 6A shows the case where the stylus pen 2 is held with the left hand. FIG. 6B shows a case where the stylus pen 2 is held with the right hand. Thus, the user holds the stylus pen 2 so that the thumb is placed on the thumb instruction mark 31. In this way, the orientation of the pen clip 30 in the stylus pen 2 when viewed from the user is fixed to the front side as viewed from the user, and the orientation of the stylus pen 2 is also fixed. Thereby, the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction in the acceleration sensor 25 substantially coincide with the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction in the tablet 150, and the dominant hand is not erroneously determined.

Next, an operation when the display terminal 1 is touched with the stylus pen 2 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing executed in the display system 100.
When the display terminal 1 is powered on, the CPU 10 of the display terminal 1 displays a login screen on the display body 140 (step S1).

Here, FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of the display terminal 1 and an example of a screen display when the power is turned on.
In the display terminal 1, operation keys to which the same function is assigned on the left and right are arranged one by one on the left and the right so that they can be used properly by the user's dominant hand. More specifically,
A left operation key 40 is disposed on the left side of the display terminal 1, and a right operation key 41 is disposed on the right side of the display terminal 1.
Is arranged. These operation keys constitute the operation unit 18 described above. When the display terminal 1 is turned on, on the screen of the display terminal 1, instruction reception images G1 and G2 (hereinafter, GUI parts G1 and G2) which are images for receiving an instruction to select a login user.
Is displayed.

Returning to the description of FIG. 7, the CPU 10 waits for the tablet 150 to be touched by the stylus pen 2 (step S2). The content of the touch that the CPU 10 waits in step S2 is to touch one of the GUI components G1 and G2 of the selected login user with the stylus pen 2 held by the user. For example, it is assumed that the user touches the GUI part G1 shown in FIG. 8 with the stylus pen 2 held in the dominant hand. When the stylus pen 2 is touched on the GUI part G1, the stylus pen 2 measures acceleration by the acceleration sensor 25. The detected value is transmitted to the display terminal 1, and the CPU 10 in the display terminal 1 detects the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 from the detected value (step S3). The process flow for detecting the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 in step S3 will be described in detail later.

The CPU 10 of the display terminal 1 determines the user's dominant hand based on the detected tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 (step S4). The CPU 10 functions as a determination unit that determines the user's dominant hand based on the detected tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 11. In step S4, UI (User Interface) control after login is performed depending on whether the user's dominant hand is determined to be left or right. here,
The UI is means for accepting an operation by a user, and indicates both a GUI component displayed on the screen and the operation keys 40 and 41 provided in the display terminal 1. The UI control means that the arrangement of the GUI parts and the operation keys 40 and 41 are changed to a mode according to the user's dominant hand. More specifically, when determining that the user's dominant hand is right-handed, the CPU 10 sets the UI to be right-handed (step S5). If it is determined that the user's dominant hand is left-handed, the UI is set to be left-handed (step S6). Then, the CPU 10 performs screen display and operation key control using the set UI (step S).
7). Thereafter, the CPU 10 receives an instruction from the user through this UI, and performs processing corresponding to the instruction, for example, display and editing of various images, or switching of images.

Here, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a screen display example after login, FIG. 9A shows a screen display example when the user is determined to be right-handed, and FIG. The example of a screen display when a user is determined to be left-handed is shown.
As shown in FIG. 9A, when the user is determined to be right-handed, the scroll bar 45, which is a GUI component, is the same side as the dominant hand as viewed from the user, that is, the right side that is the hand holding the stylus pen 2. Placed in. Further, even if the right operation key 41 provided in the display terminal 1 is invalidated and the user presses the right operation key 41, the CPU 10 does not operate the right operation key 41.
Ignore the signal from, and do not perform processing to respond to this pressing operation. If the user is right-handed, the user's right hand holds the stylus pen 2, and the possibility of operating the right operation key 41 close to the right hand is small. This is because the possibility of operation is high. On the other hand, if the user is determined to be left-handed, the GUI
Key arrangement and operation key control are the opposite of right-handed. Specifically, FIG. 9 (b)
As shown in FIG. 4, the scroll bar 45 that is a GUI component is arranged on the same side as the dominant hand as viewed from the user, that is, on the left side that is the hand side with the stylus pen 2. Display terminal 1
The left operation key 40 provided in is invalidated.

As described above, the CPU 10 is an instruction receiving image for receiving a user instruction.
Regarding the display of the UI parts, the GUI parts are displayed on the display body 140, and the instruction that the stylus pen 2 designates the GUI parts and inputs to the tablet 150 is accepted. At this time, depending on the determined user's dominant hand, Change the display position of the GUI component. CPU 10
With respect to the control of the plurality of operation keys 40 and 41 that accept instructions by the user's contact operation, the contents of the instructions that each operation key should accept are changed according to the determined user's dominant hand. That is, the CPU 10 is a processing unit that receives a user instruction and performs a process according to the instruction, and functions as a processing unit that changes a mode when a user operation is received according to a user's dominant hand.

Next, details of the stylus pen tilt direction detection (step S3) described with reference to FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing processing in the stylus pen 2 when detecting the tilt of the stylus pen 2.
When the user contacts the tablet 150 with the stylus pen 2, the stylus pen 2 is turned on by the pen tip switch 26 of the stylus pen 2 (step S10). Next, the acceleration sensor 25 detects acceleration (step S11). The detected value is transmitted from the pen side communication unit 23 to the display terminal 1 (step S12).

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing processing in the display terminal 1 when detecting the tilt of the stylus pen 2.
CPU10 of the display terminal 1 receives the said detected value transmitted from the pen side communication part 23 of the stylus pen 2 by the terminal side communication part 13 (step S15). Next, the CPU 10 determines whether ax included in the received detection value is positive or negative (step S16). For example, ax
Is positive, the CPU 10 determines that the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 is the right direction (step S17). If ax is a negative value, the CPU 10 sets the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 to the left direction. Determination is made (step S18).

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 is detected by the first pen touch when the user starts the operation of the display terminal 1, and the dominant hand of the user is determined by the detected tilt direction of the stylus pen 2. Determined. Then, the UI of the display terminal 1 is controlled according to the determined user's dominant hand. With such a series of controls, the user can operate the display terminal 1 with UI settings according to his / her dominant hand. Further, according to the first embodiment, the pen touch required for the user to operate the display terminal 1 with the UI setting according to his / her dominant hand is required at least once. Therefore, the display terminal 1 with the UI setting not according to the dominant hand is required. The number of operations can be reduced. Thus, according to the first embodiment, when the user operates the display terminal 1 with a UI that does not respond to the dominant hand, the user operates the display terminal 1 without inconvenience that the screen is hidden by the user's hand. The effect that the convenience and operativity at the time of doing increase can be show | played.

Next, a second embodiment will be described.
(2) Second Embodiment The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the method of detecting the tilt direction of the stylus pen. In the second embodiment, since the configuration of the display terminal 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, description of the configuration of the display terminal 1 is omitted.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the stylus pen 2a in the second embodiment. Since the CPU 20, ROM 21, RAM 22, pen side communication unit 23, pen tip switch 26, power supply control unit 27, battery 270, and bus 28 in FIG. 12 are the same as those in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted. The stylus pen 2a uses the pen tip position detection electrode 24 and the pen center position detection electrode 50 as positions of a plurality of different positions in the longitudinal direction of the operation element.
With. The pen tip position detection electrode 24 is disposed in the vicinity of the pen tip of the stylus pen 2a, and the pen center position detection electrode 50 is disposed at a substantially central position in the longitudinal direction of the stylus pen 2a. That is, the pen tip position detection electrode 24 is arranged on one side in contact with the tablet 150 in the longitudinal direction of the stylus pen 2a. Further, the pen center position detection electrode 50 is disposed on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the stylus pen 2 a when viewed from the position of the pen tip position detection electrode 24. That is, the second position where the pen center position detection electrode 50 is disposed.
Is located farther from the tablet 150 which is the input surface than the first position where the pen tip position detection electrode 24 is disposed. These are configurations for assisting the CPU 10 in detecting the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 a with respect to the tablet 150.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the stylus pen 2 and the display terminal.
Here, it is assumed that the display terminal 1 is placed in a place where the tablet 150 as an input surface is horizontal. FIG. 13A illustrates a state in which the stylus pen 2 a touches the tablet 150 from a direction parallel to the surface of the tablet 150. FIG. 13B shows a state in which the stylus pen 2a touches the tablet 150 from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the tablet. When the user holds the stylus pen 2a with the left or right hand and touches the tablet 150 with the stylus pen 2a, the coordinates obtained from the pen tip position detection electrode 24 and the pen center position detection electrode 50 are specified. More specifically, the tablet 15
A magnetic field is formed on the surface of the tablet 150 by the coil L arranged at 0, and when the tablet 150 is touched by the stylus pen 2a, the pen tip position detection electrode 24 and the pen center position detection electrode 50 are applied from the coil L. Current flows. In response to this current, a magnetic field is generated at the pen tip position detection electrode 24 and the pen center position detection electrode 50, and the pen tip position detection electrode 2.
4 and the pen center position detection electrode 50 emit an electromagnetic wave to the tablet 150 (coil L). The display terminal 1 detects the position of the coil L in response to the electromagnetic wave, and thereby the coordinates of the position where the perpendicular line dropped from the pen tip position detection electrode 24 and the pen center position detection electrode 50 to the tablet 150 intersects the tablet ( Hereinafter, the designated coordinates are obtained.

Here, the designated coordinate obtained from the pen tip position detection electrode 24 is P1, and the designated coordinate obtained from the pen center position detection electrode 50 is P2. The upper left corner of the tablet 150 is the origin of the x and y axes. For example, when the stylus pen 2a is held with the right hand and the tablet 150 is touched, the positional relationship between the x coordinate of the designated coordinate P1 and the x coordinate of the designated coordinate P2 is P2> P1, as shown in FIG. . On the other hand, when holding the stylus pen 2a in the left hand, P
1> P2. In this way, the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2a is detected based on the magnitude of the indicated coordinates of the two pen tip position detection electrodes 24 and the pen center position detection electrode 50, particularly the x coordinate, and the user's dominant hand is determined.

FIG. 14 is a process flow diagram when detecting the tilt of the stylus pen in the second embodiment.
The subject of the processing in FIG. 14 is the CPU 10 of the display terminal 1. When the user touches the tablet 150 that is the input surface of the display terminal 1 with the stylus pen 2a, the CPU 10 acquires the indicated coordinates P1 of the pen tip position detection electrode 24 (step S20). Next, the CPU 10
Acquires the indicated coordinate P2 of the pen center position detection electrode 50 (step S21). Next, C
The PU 10 determines the magnitude relationship between P1 and P2 (step S22). When P1 <P2, the CPU 10 determines that the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2a is the right direction (step S23).
. On the other hand, when the relative relationship of the detected coordinates is P1> P2, the CPU 10 determines that the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 is the left direction (step S24). The processing flow after detecting the tilt is the first
The UI is controlled in the display terminal 1 according to the detected tilt direction. As described above, the second embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

The above embodiment may be modified as follows.
(3) Modification (3-1) Modification 1
In the first embodiment, the thumb instruction mark 31 is used as a means for guiding a user to hold the stylus pen 2 in order to fix the orientation of the stylus pen 2. The method for fixing the orientation of the stylus pen 2 is not limited to this. For example, the stylus pen 2 is shaped according to the shape of the user's hand so that the user can guide the direction in which the stylus pen 2 is held. May be.
FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the stylus pen 2 is provided with a pen grip 60 that matches the shape of the user's hand. When the user holds the stylus pen 2 in accordance with the pen grip 60, the orientation of the stylus pen 2 is fixed. As a result, the axial direction of the acceleration sensor 25 incorporated in the stylus pen 2 is fixed.
The operation element that the user operates with the hand is not limited to a bar-like shape that simulates a pen or pencil such as the stylus pen 2, and the user can operate it with the hand in the longitudinal direction. What is necessary is just to have. The direction in which the operation element is inclined with respect to the input surface such as the tablet 150 may be a direction in which the longitudinal direction of the operation element is inclined with respect to the tablet 150 as the input surface.

(3-2) Modification 2
A specific method for detecting the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 with respect to the tablet 150 is not limited to the examples described in the first and second embodiments.
In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the display terminal 1 is placed in a place where the tablet 150 which is the input surface of the display terminal 1 is horizontal, but the place where the tablet 150 which is the input surface is not horizontal. Even when the display terminal 1 is placed on the screen, the following may be performed so that the tilt direction can be detected normally. That is, the display terminal 1 also includes an acceleration sensor such as the acceleration sensor 25 described above, and each of these acceleration sensors detects the acceleration in the stylus pen 2 and the acceleration in the display terminal 1. CPU 10
Detects the inclination direction of the stylus pen 2 with respect to the input surface by calculating the difference between the acceleration in the stylus pen 2 and the acceleration in the display terminal 1.
In the second embodiment, the arrangement of the two position detection electrodes provided in the stylus pen 2 is the pen tip and the center of the pen. However, the arrangement is not limited to the above, and the two position detection electrodes are not limited to the above. Need only be arranged at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the stylus pen 2. For example, one of the position detection electrodes may be provided at the pen tip, and the other may be provided at a location closer to the pen tip than the pen center position. Alternatively, one of the position detection electrodes may be provided at the pen tip, and the other may be provided at a location away from the pen tip from the pen center position.
However, there are certain limitations on the arrangement of the two position detection electrodes. As each position detection electrode is arranged farther from the pen tip in the longitudinal direction of the stylus pen 2, when the user touches the tablet 150 with the stylus pen 2, the position detection electrode is connected to the tablet 1.
The distance up to 50 becomes longer. If this distance exceeds the upper limit of the distance necessary to generate electromagnetic induction between the coil L in the tablet 150 and each of the position detection electrodes, electromagnetic induction does not occur. Cannot be detected. From the above, the two position detection electrodes are arranged at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the stylus pen 2, and the positions of the position detection electrodes are arranged so as to generate an electromagnetic induction phenomenon with the tablet 150. It only has to be.
Further, the number of position detection electrodes is not limited to one, and may be plural.

(3-3) Modification 3
In the first and second embodiments, the timing when the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 is detected and the user's dominant hand is determined based on the detected tilt direction is the first time after the display terminal 1 is turned on. However, the timing is not limited to this. After the first pen touch, the user's dominant hand may be determined from the detected tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 at a fixed timing, or the user's dominant hand may be continuously determined. Thus, for example, when a right-handed user is operating the display terminal 1 with a right-handed UI, and another left-handed user operates the display terminal 1 to change another left-handed user who has changed the operation. User can display terminal 1 with UI according to his / her dominant hand
Can be operated.

(3-4) Modification 4
In the first and second embodiments, it is assumed that a series of processes in which the user's dominant hand is determined from the tilt direction of the stylus pen 2 is normally performed. However, the acceleration or instruction when detecting the tilt direction is assumed. The coordinates may belong to a boundary region for determining right-handedness and left-handedness, and the following may be performed in case the user's handedness cannot be determined. That is, when the display terminal 1 cannot determine the user's dominant hand when the user touches the tablet 150 with the stylus pen 2 held by the user's dominant hand, a message indicating that the dominant hand cannot be determined on the screen. In addition to displaying, a GUI component for selecting right-handed or left-handed may be displayed. FIG. 16 shows the screen display contents when the display terminal 1 cannot determine the user's dominant hand. GU selected by the user
The display terminal 1 controls UI setting according to the contents of the I component.

(3-5) Modification 5
In the first and second embodiments, the pen tip switch 26 is employed for ON / OFF management of the switch in the stylus pen 2, but a power key may be provided in the stylus pen 2 instead. In this case, the power key may be disposed anywhere in the longitudinal direction of the stylus pen 2.

(3-6) Modification 6
The content of the UI control is not limited to the examples described in the first and second embodiments, and may be anything that changes the manner in which a user operation is accepted. For example, the UI control of the GUI part may be any one that changes the display position of the GUI part on the display body 140 to a position corresponding to the dominant hand. Further, the UI control of the operation keys 40 and 41 is not limited to changing the validity and invalidity of the operation keys 40 and 41, but may be any one that changes the content of the instruction received by the operation keys 40 and 41. For example, when the dominant hand is on the right, the right operation key 41 is in charge of frequently used functions, and the left operation key 40 is in charge of functions that are not frequently used.

1 ... display terminal, 2 ... stylus pen, 10, 20 ... CPU, 21 ... ROM, 12, 22 ... R
AM, 13 ... terminal side communication unit, 14 ... display body control unit, 140 ... display body, 15 ... tablet control unit, 150 ... tablet, 150x ... x-axis detection electrode, 150y ... y-axis detection electrode, 16 ... storage unit, 17, 27 ... Power supply control unit, 170,270 ... Battery, 18 ... Operation unit, 19, 2
8 ... bus, 23 ... pen side communication unit, 24 ... pen tip position detection electrode, 25 ... acceleration sensor, 2
6 ... pen tip switch, 30 ... pen clip, 31 ... thumb indication mark, 40 ... left operation key, 41 ... right operation key, 45 ... scroll bar, 50 ... pen center position detection electrode, 60 ... pen grip, L ... coil

Claims (7)

A display surface on which an image is displayed;
An input surface that is superimposed on the display surface and in which an instruction of the user is input by an operator operated by the user;
Detecting means for detecting a tilt direction in which the operation element is tilted with respect to the input surface;
Determining means for determining a dominant hand when the user operates the operation element according to the inclination direction detected by the detecting means;
Processing means for receiving a user instruction and performing processing in accordance with the instruction, the processing means changing a mode when accepting a user operation according to a user's dominant hand determined by the determination means An information processing apparatus characterized by that. The processing means includes
An instruction acceptance image, which is an image for accepting a user instruction, is displayed on the display surface, and an instruction that is input to the input surface by the operator specifying the instruction acceptance image is accepted.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display position of the instruction acceptance image on the display surface is changed according to a user's dominant hand determined by the determination unit. It has a number of operation keys that accept instructions from the user's contact action,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit changes a content of an instruction received by each of the operation keys according to a user's dominant hand determined by the determination unit. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit measures an acceleration in the operator and detects the tilt direction based on the measured acceleration. 5. . The detection means includes
The position of a plurality of different locations in the longitudinal direction of the operation element is detected, and a first position included in the detected plurality of positions and a second position farther from the input surface than the first position. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an inclination direction of the operation element is specified based on a positional relationship. An information processing method in an information processing apparatus having a display surface on which an image is displayed and an input surface that is superimposed on the display surface and on which an instruction of the user is input by an operator operated by the user,
Detecting a tilt direction which is a direction in which the operation element is tilted with respect to the input surface;
Determining a user's dominant hand according to the detected tilt direction;
Changing the mode of accepting the user's operation according to the determined user's dominant hand, receiving the user's instruction in the aspect, and performing a process according to the instruction. Processing method. A computer of an information processing apparatus having a display surface on which an image is displayed and an input surface that is superimposed on the display surface and on which an instruction of the user is input by an operator operated by the user,
Detecting means for detecting a tilt direction in which the operation element is tilted with respect to the input surface;
Determination means for determining a user's dominant hand according to the tilt direction detected by the detection means;
A processing means for receiving a user instruction and performing a process according to the instruction, the processing means changing a mode of accepting a user operation according to the user's dominant hand determined by the determination means A program to make it work.

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