Patent ID: 9207864
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: A63F,G06F

Abstract:
1. An input device comprising: a display device placed with an information processing device in a housing in an integrated fashion; and a touch panel covering the display, the input device converting information on a point of contact with a finger or thumb of a hand that is detected by the touch panel into an operation made by a user and allows the information processing device to process the operation, wherein: the display device displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) screen image for user input operation as an on-screen display, wherein the GUI screen image includes at least a first GUI graphic and a second GUI graphic, representing at least a first GUI operation area and a second GUI operation area, and an output image generated as a result of information processing performed by the information processing device, such that a first GUI display mode is provided when the housing is in a vertically long orientation and a second GUI display mode is provided when the housing is in a horizontally long orientation, the first GUI display mode provides the GUI screen image for user input operation and the output image in separate, non-overlapping areas of a display screen, the second GUI display mode provides the GUI screen image for user input operation by at least partially overlapping the GUI screen image and the output image on the display screen, and respective GUI graphics being disposed in the GUI screen image in correspondence with a position of an index finger and a thumb of a user when the user holds the housing from both sides so that an index finger and a thumb are placed on the upper surface of the display device, opposite a middle finger that supports the housing from underneath, at least one of the GUI operation areas included in the GUI screen image in the second GUI display mode is a combined GUI image area formed by combining at least first and second GUI graphics representing at least first and second GUI operation areas, respectively, from the GUI screen image in the first GUI display mode, wherein: (i) the second GUI graphic includes a directional keys graphic that corresponds to the second GUI operational area, which includes directional keys, wherein a plurality of direction instruction keys are disposed on the circumference of a circle, (ii) the first GUI graphic includes a joystick graphic that corresponds to the first GUI operational area, which includes a pseudo-joystick receiving an input of an arbitrary direction and an arbitrary quantity, and (iii) the joystick graphic is disposed at the center of the directional keys graphic in the combined GUI image area, when the user selects the first GUI graphic within the combined GUI image area, the first GUI graphic representing the first GUI operation area is displayed in place of the combined GUI image area, and when the user selects the second GUI graphic within the combined GUI image area, the second GUI graphic representing the second GUI operation area is displayed in place of the combined GUI image area.