Apparatus, system, method, and program for processing information

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a sensor for generating a sensor output signal responsive to the three-dimensional coordinate position of a detection target in a monitor space by detecting a capacitance in the monitor space, and outputting the sensor output signal, a position detector for detecting the three-dimensional coordinate position of the detection target in the monitor space from the sensor output signal of the sensor, a storage unit for storing coordinate information identifying a three-dimensional space region set in the monitor space, a determining unit for determining whether the three-dimensional coordinate position of the detection target in the monitor space is contained in the three-dimensional set space region, based on the three-dimensional coordinate position of the detection target detected by the position detector and the coordinate information stored on the storage, and an output unit for outputting determination results of the determining unit.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An information processing system comprising circuitry configured to execute a control process in response to a detection of a contact between a first object and a second object which is a 3D object placed in a monitor space, the detection of the contact being performed regardless of whether or not the second object is touch-sensitive,
 wherein, the circuitry executes a first control process when the contact occurs in a first area in the monitor space, and executes a second control process, which is different from the first control process, when the contact occurs in a second area in the monitor space which is different from the first area in the monitor space.   
     
     
         3 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry determines a 3D coordinate position of the first object. 
     
     
         4 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the circuitry detects the contact based on the 3D coordinate position of the first object and information of a 3D space region related to the second object. 
     
     
         5 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the first object comprises at least one of a hand and a finger. 
     
     
         6 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the control process comprises a process of controlling a display interface. 
     
     
         7 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the first control process comprises a process of controlling the display interface to display a first image, and the second control process comprises a process of controlling the display interface to display a second image. 
     
     
         8 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the control process comprises executing an application program associated with the contact. 
     
     
         9 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the application program comprises an image viewer. 
     
     
         10 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the control process changes when the second object changes. 
     
     
         11 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the control process changes when the height of the second object changes. 
     
     
         12 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry executes a third control process in response to a predetermined gesture related to the first object. 
     
     
         13 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the third control process comprises terminating display of an image. 
     
     
         14 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined gesture comprises moving the first object in a horizontal direction. 
     
     
         15 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the control process comprises providing notification by at least one of sound and light. 
     
     
         16 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry detects that the contact occurs when the first object and the second object come within a predetermined distance of each other. 
     
     
         17 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the second object comprises a hard object. 
     
     
         18 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the second object comprises an elastic object. 
     
     
         19 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the second object is deformable. 
     
     
         20 . The information processing system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the second object comprises a virtual object. 
     
     
         21 . An information processing method comprising executing a control process in response to a detection of a contact between a first object and a second object which is a 3D object placed in a monitor space, the detection of the contact being performed regardless of whether or not the second object is touch-sensitive,
 wherein, a first control process is executed when the contact occurs in a first area in the monitor space, and a second control process, which is different from the first control process, is executed when the contact occurs in a second area in the monitor space which is different from the first area in the monitor space.   
     
     
         22 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer-readable program for implementing an information processing method, the method comprising executing a control process in response to a detection of a contact between a first object and a second object which is a 3D object placed in a monitor space, the detection of the contact being performed regardless of whether or not the second object is touch-sensitive,
 wherein, a first control process is executed when the contact occurs in a first area in the monitor space, and a second control process, which is different from the first control process, is executed when the contact occurs in a second area in the monitor space which is different from the first area in the monitor space.