1. An information input apparatus comprising:
a light emitter for irradiating an object with light;
an area image sensor for outputting a difference between charges received by light-receiving cells arranged in an array pattern from a reflected light of the object caused by said light emitter irradiating the object with light;
a timing signal generator for generating a timing signal comprised of a pulse’signal or a modulation signal for controlling an intensity of light of said light emitter;
a control signal generator for generating a control signal for individually controlling light-receiving timings of the light-receiving cells of said area image sensor on the basis of the timing signal from said timing signal generator; and
image processing means for extracting a reflected light image of the object from the difference outputted from said area image sensor.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said area image sensor separately receives light in units of even lines or odd lines.
3. An information input apparatus comprising:
a timing signal generator for generating a timing signal comprised of a pulse signal or a modulation signal;
a light emitter for emitting light, an intensity of which changes on the basis of the timing signal from said timing signal generator;
first light-receiving section for receiving light emitted by said light emitter and reflected by an object in synchronism with the timing signal from said timing signal generator; and
second light-receiving section for receiving light other than the light emitted by said light emitter and reflected by the object.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:
first imaging means for imaging the object reflected light received by said first light-receiving means; and
second imaging means for imaging the light other than the object reflected light and received by said second light-receiving means.
5. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:
light splitting means for splitting light into the object reflected light and the light other than the object reflected light.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control signal generator selectively outputs a control signal for controlling said area image sensor to sense a reflected light image of the object, and a control signal for controlling said area image sensor to sense a light image by the light other than the reflected light.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:
a pass filter for passing only light emitted by said light emitter;
a cut filter for intercepting light emitted by said light emitter; and
means for selecting one of the two filters upon passing light to be sensed.
8. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:
a pass filter for passing only light emitted by said light emitter;
a cut filter for intercepting light emitted by said light emitter; and
switching means for selecting one of said pass filter and said cut filter in synchronism with the timing signal from said timing signal generator.
9. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:
light splitting section for splitting light into the object reflected light and the light other than the object reflected light;
a selector for selecting whether the light is to be passed or intercepted on optical paths of the split light beams; and
a synthesizing section for synthesizing the two light beams split by said light splitting section.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said light splitting section has an element for selecting one of a state wherein only a light source wavelength is passed and a state wherein only visible light is passed.
11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said light splitting section includes:
a first element for selecting one of a state wherein only a light source wavelength is passed and a state wherein all light components are passed; and
a second element for selecting one of a state wherein only visible light is passed and a state wherein all light components are passed.
12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light-receiving cells of said area image sensor include cells for sensing a reflected light image, and cells for sensing a light image other than the reflected light.
13. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the light-receiving cells of said area image sensor include cells for sensing a reflected light image, and cells for sensing a light image other than the reflected light.
14. An information input method comprising the steps of:
generating a pulse signal or modulation signal;
generating, on the basis of the pulse or modulation signal, a control signal for separately controlling light-receiving timings of light-receiving cells of an area image sensor for obtaining a difference between charges received by light-receiving cells which are arranged in an array pattern;
emitting light, an intensity of which changes on the basis of the generated control signal; and
detecting a light image reflected by an object of the emitted light.
15. An information input method comprising the steps of:
generating a pulse signal or modulation signal;
emitting light, an intensity of which changes on the basis of the pulse or modulation signal; and
receiving light reflected by an object of the emitted light and light other than the reflected light in synchronism with the pulse or modulation signal.
16. An article of manufacture comprising:
a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing an area image sensor for obtaining a difference between charges received by light-receiving cells which are arranged in an array pattern to be controlled, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate a pulse signal or a modulation signal;
computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate a control signal for separately controlling light-receiving timings of the light-receiving cells of said area image sensor on the basis of the pulse or modulation signal;
computer readable program code means for causing a computer to cause a light emitter to emit light, an intensity of which changes on the basis of the generated pulse signal or modulation signal; and
computer readable program code means for causing a computer to extract a light image reflected by an object of the emitted light from the difference outputted from said area image sensor.
17. An article of manufacture comprising:
a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing an area image sensor for obtaining a difference between charges received by light-receiving cells which are arranged in an array pattern to be controlled, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate a pulse signal or a modulation signal;
computer readable program code means for causing a computer to cause a light emitter to emit light, an intensity of which changes on the basis of the pulse or modulation signal; and
computer readable program code means for causing a computer to cause the light-receiving cells to receive light reflected by an object of the emitted light and light other than the reflected light in synchronism with the pulse or modulation signal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A computer-implemented method for enabling users of computing devices to visually identify the relative trustworthiness of files without having to request separate trustworthiness evaluations of the files by displaying trustworthiness classifications for files as visually overlaid icons, at least a portion of the method being performed by at least one computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:
identifying, at a shell extension within a file manager installed on the computing device:
a first file;
a second file that performs a substantially similar function to the first file;
in response to identifying the first and second files, allowing a user of the computing device to visually compare the trustworthiness of the first and second files without requiring the user to request a separate evaluation of the files’ trustworthiness by:
identifying, at the shell extension:
a first file icon that graphically represents the first file within a file manager interface;
a second file icon that graphically represents the second file within the same file manager interface;
obtaining, at the shell extension:
a first trustworthiness classification assigned to the first file that identifies the trustworthiness of the first file;
a second trustworthiness classification assigned to the second file that identifies the trustworthiness of the second file;
visually overlaying, at the shell extension:
the first file icon with a first trustworthiness icon that graphically represents the trustworthiness classification assigned to the first file;
the second file icon with a second trustworthiness icon that graphically represents the second trustworthiness classification assigned to the second file.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and second trustworthiness classifications assigned to the first and second files indicate that at least one of:
the first or second file’s trustworthiness is unknown;
the first or second file is untrustworthy;
the first or second file is trustworthy.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,
wherein the first trustworthiness icon visually overlaid on the first file icon is juxtaposed with the second trustworthiness icon visually overlaid on the second file icon.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:
visually overlaying the first file icon with the first trustworthiness icon comprises generating a single overlaid file icon that comprises both the first file icon and the first trustworthiness icon;
visually overlaying the second file icon with the second trustworthiness icon comprises generating a single overlaid file icon that comprises both the second file icon and the second trustworthiness icon.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and second trustworthiness classifications assigned to the first and second files comprise information that identifies a reputation of the first or second file within a community.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first and second trustworthiness classifications assigned to the first and second files comprises receiving the first and second trustworthiness classifications from a reputation service.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first and second files comprises identifying files that are created as part of an installation process.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first and second files comprises identifying a directory comprising the first and second files and analyzing contents of the directory prior to causing the contents of the directory to be displayed within the file manager interface.
9. A system for enabling users of computing devices to visually identify the relative trustworthiness of files without having to request separate trustworthiness evaluations of the files by displaying trustworthiness classifications for files as visually overlaid icons, the system comprising:
an identification module, a classification module, and an overlay module collectively programmed to:
identify, at a shell extension within a file manager installed on a computing device;
a first file;
a second file that performs a substantially similar function to the first file;
in response to identifying the first and second files, allowing a user of the computing device to visually compare the trustworthiness of the first and second files without requiring the user to request a separate evaluation of the files’ trustworthiness by:
identifying, at the shell extension:
a first file icon that graphically represents the first file within a file manager interface on the computing device;
a second file icon that graphically represents the second file within the same file manager interface;
obtaining, at the shell extension:
a first trustworthiness classification assigned to the first file that identifies the trustworthiness of the first file;
a second trustworthiness classification assigned to the second file that identifies the trustworthiness of the second file;
visually overlaying, at the shell extension;
the first file icon with a first trustworthiness icon that graphically represents the first trustworthiness classification assigned to the first file;
the second file icon with a second trustworthiness icon that graphically represents the second trustworthiness classification assigned to the second file;
at least one processor configured to execute the identification module, the classification module, and the overlay module.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second trustworthiness classifications assigned to the first and second files indicate that at least one of:
the first or second file’s trustworthiness is unknown;
the first or second file is untrustworthy;
the first or second file is trustworthy.
11. The system of claim 9,
wherein the first trustworthiness icon visually overlaid on the first file icon is juxtaposed with the second trustworthiness icon visually overlaid on the second file icon.
12. The system of claim 9, wherein the overlay module:
visually overlays the first file icon with the first trustworthiness icon by generating a single overlaid file icon that comprises both the first file icon and the first trustworthiness icon;
visually overlays the second file icon with the second trustworthiness icon by generating a single overlaid file icon that comprises both the second file icon and the second trustworthiness icon.
13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second trustworthiness classifications assigned to the first and second files comprise information that identifies a reputation of the first or second file within a community.
14. The system of claim 9, wherein the classification module is further programmed to receive the first and second trustworthiness classifications from a reputation service.
15. The system of claim 9, wherein the shell extension is provided as part of a third-party software package.
16. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second trustworthiness classifications assigned to the first and second files are represented by a numeric score that identifies the first and second files’ trustworthiness.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:
identify, at a shell extension within a file manager installed on the computing device:
a first file;
a second file that performs a substantially similar function to the first file;
in response to identifying the first and second files, allowing a user of the computing device to visually compare the trustworthiness of the first and second files without requiring the user to request a separate evaluation of the files’ trustworthiness by:
identifying, at the shell extension;
a first file icon that graphically represents the first file within a file manager interface on the computing device;
a second file icon that graphically represents the second file within the same file manager interface;
obtaining, at the shell extension;
a first trustworthiness classification assigned to the first file that identifies the trustworthiness of the first file;
a second trustworthiness classification assigned to the second file that identifies the trustworthiness of the second file;
visually overlaying, at the shell extension;
the first file icon with a first trustworthiness icon that graphically represents the first trustworthiness classification assigned to the first file;
the second file icon with a second trustworthiness icon that graphically represents the second trustworthiness classification assigned to the second file.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first and second trustworthiness classifications assigned to the first and second files indicate that at least one of:
the first or second file’s trustworthiness is unknown;
the first or second file is untrustworthy;
the first or second file is trustworthy.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium of claim 17,
wherein the first trustworthiness icon visually overlaid on the first file icon is juxtaposed with the second trustworthiness icon visually overlaid on the second file icon.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium of claim 17, wherein:
the first file icon is visually overlaid with the first trustworthiness icon by generating a single overlaid file icon that comprises both the first file icon and the first trustworthiness icon;
the second file icon is visually overlaid with the second trustworthiness icon by generating a single overlaid file icon that comprises both the second file icon and the second trustworthiness icon.