Patent ID: 7574678
Filing Date: 2009-08-11
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An information processing apparatus that displays a plurality of selectable objects associated with processes to be selectively executed by a user on a display device, and that enables selection of a selectable object corresponding to a process desired by the user among the plurality of selectable objects by sequentially moving a pointer to a position corresponding to each of the plurality of selectable objects displayed on the display device according to a user operation, the information processing apparatus comprising: a selectable object storage unit that stores link information indicating a selectable object to which a pointer position is to be moved in accordance with the user operation, for each of the plurality of selectable objects, when the pointer is positioned thereat; a selectable object display unit that arranges all of the plurality of selectable objects whose link information is stored by the selectable object storage unit in a plurality of rows and columns in an order according to the link information included in each selectable object and that displays plurality of the selectable objects in a display area set on the display device; a movement operation detecting unit that detects whether a movement operating unit that inputs an instruction for moving the pointer position in the display area according to the user operation is operated; a pointer moving unit that moves the pointer position in accordance with the link information of a selectable object corresponding to a current pointer position, when a movement operation detecting unit detects an operation of the movement operating unit; a set operation detecting unit that detects whether a set operating unit for inputting, according to the user operation, an instruction for selecting the selectable object corresponding to the current pointer position and for executing a process associated with the selected selectable object is operated; and a selection process executing unit that executes the process associated with the selectable object corresponding to the pointer position, when the set operation detecting unit detects an operation of the set operating unit, wherein the movement operation detecting unit comprises: an initial operation detecting unit that detects whether the user initially operates the movement operating unit; and a continuous operation detecting unit that detects whether the movement operating unit is continuously operated, after the initial operation detecting unit detects that the user operates the movement operating unit, wherein the pointer moving unit comprises: an initial time pointer moving unit that moves the pointer to a position corresponding to another selectable object indicated by the link information of the selectable object corresponding to the current pointer position in accordance with a detected operation of the movement operating unit, when the initial operation detecting unit detects the operation of the movement operating unit; an end determining unit that determines whether the selectable object corresponding to the current pointer position is displayed at an end of the display area among the selectable objects displayed therein, when the continuous operation detecting unit detects a continuous operation of the movement operating unit; a continuous time pointer moving unit that moves the pointer to the position corresponding to another selectable object indicated by the link information of the selectable object corresponding to the current pointer position in accordance with a detected continuous operation of the movement operating unit, when the end determining unit determines that the selectable object corresponding thereto is not displayed at the end of the display area; and a continuous time pointer stopping unit that stops the pointer without moving from the current pointer position, when the end determining unit determines that the selectable object corresponding thereto is displayed at the end of the display area, wherein the selectable object storage unit stores link information that instructs the pointer to move through each of the plurality of selectable objects, and move from a selectable object positioned at one end in a row to a selectable object positioned at the other end in a different row according to the user operation; wherein when the initial time operation detecting unit detects an operation of the movement operating unit corresponding to a direction outside of the end at which the pointer is positioned in the display area, and when the pointer is currently positioned at a position corresponding to the selectable object displayed at one end of the display area, the initial time pointer moving unit moves the pointer to a position corresponding to a selectable object displayed at the other end of the display area in accordance with link information of a selectable object displayed at the one end; and wherein the end determining unit determines that the selectable object corresponding to the current pointer position is displayed at the end of the display area, when a direction from the current pointer position or a position of the selectable object corresponding thereto toward that of another selectable object indicated by the link information of the selectable object corresponding thereto is opposite in row and column directions to a direction of a detected continuous operation, when the continuous operation detecting unit detects the continuous operation of the movement operating unit.