Display control device, method, program, and integrated circuit

Abstract

The display control device is a display control device which receives a signal from the operating device having a touchpad and generates screen data to be displayed on a screen, the display control device including: a touch information detecting unit ( 201 ) which detects touch information including position information about a position on the touchpad that is touched with a finger of a user during operation of the touchpad; a direction determining unit ( 203 ) which determines a direction intended by the user, using a characteristic which is indicated by the touch information detected by the touch information detecting unit ( 201 ) and which results from the operation on the touchpad with the finger; and a screen data generating unit ( 205 ) which generates the screen data depending on the direction determined by the direction determining unit ( 203 ).

1 . A display control device which receives a signal from an operating device having a touchpad and generates screen data to be displayed on a screen, said display control device comprising:
 a touch information detecting unit configured to detect touch information including position information about a position on the touchpad that is touched with a finger of a user during operation of the touchpad;   an application monitoring unit configured to monitor a start of an application;   a direction determining unit configured to determine, when the application monitored by said application monitoring unit starts, a direction intended by the user, using a characteristic which is indicated by the touch information detected by said touch information detecting unit and which results from a structure of the finger; and   a screen data generating unit configured to generate the screen data depending on the direction determined by said direction determining unit.   
     
     
         2 . The display control device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said screen data generating unit is configured to change a cursor indicating a pointing position on the screen, depending on whether said direction determining unit has or has not determined the direction, and generate screen data indicating whether said direction determining unit has or has not determined the direction.   
     
     
         3 . The display control device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said direction determining unit is configured to determine, using the characteristic, the direction that is an upward, downward, left, or right direction on the touchpad as viewed by the user.   
     
     
         4 . The display control device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said direction determining unit is configured to determine, using the characteristic, the direction that is a direction of the operating device.   
     
     
         5 . The display control device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a touch information accumulation unit configured to accumulate a plurality of touch information items including the touch information detected by said touch information detecting unit,   wherein said direction determining unit is configured to determine the direction using the characteristic indicated by the touch information items accumulated by said touch information accumulation unit.   
     
     
         6 . The display control device according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein said direction determining unit is configured to determine the direction using the characteristic that is a shape of a trajectory formed by a transition indicated by a plurality of position information items in the touch information items.   
     
     
         7 . The display control device according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein said direction determining unit is configured to determine the direction such that (i) when the trajectory is convex, a convex side of the trajectory is an upper side or (ii) when the trajectory is concave, a concave side of the trajectory is a lower side.   
     
     
         8 . The display control device according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein said direction determining unit is configured to determine the direction using the characteristic that is a distribution indicated by a plurality of position information items in the touch information items.   
     
     
         9 . The display control device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a cursor position determining unit configured to determine a display position of a cursor indicating a pointing position on the screen, from the position information in the touch information detected by said touch information detecting unit,   wherein said cursor position determining unit is configured to determine the display position depending on the direction determined by said direction determining unit, and   said screen data generating unit is configured to generate the screen data for displaying the cursor at the display position determined by said cursor position determining unit.   
     
     
         10 . The display control device according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein said cursor position determining unit is configured to correct, when the direction determined by said direction determining unit is different from a predetermined direction for the operating device, the display position determined by the position information and the predetermined direction, to determine the display position.   
     
     
         11 . The display control device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 an alert data generating unit configured to generate alert data for notifying the user of an alert,   wherein said alert data generating unit is configured to generate the alert data when the direction determined by said direction determining unit is different from a predetermined direction for the operating device.   
     
     
         12 . A display control method for receiving a signal from an operating device having a touchpad, and generating screen data to be displayed on a screen, said display control method comprising:
 detecting touch information including position information about a position on the touchpad that is touched with a finger of a user during operation of the touchpad;   monitoring a start of an application;   determining, when the application monitored in said monitoring starts, a direction intended by the user, using a characteristic which is indicated by the touch information detected in said detecting and which results from a structure of the finger; and   generating the screen data depending on the direction determined in said determining.