Method for navigation and selection at a terminal device

• US 20040233160A1
• Filed: 03/02/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Jonsson, Bjorn, Nerbrant, Per-Olof, Chincholle, Didier
• Granted Patent: US 7,365,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for navigation and selection in an information space at least partly displayed on a display screen at a mobile terminal device. The information space contains selectable information objects properties. The terminal device has motion-sensing means for control of the displayed information and of object selection. An information object may represent an information space whereby object properties determine display, navigation, and selection characteristics. In particular, a terminal device motion along a predefined axis affects a type of projection for mapping the information onto a display screen and, simultaneously, a scale factor.

Claims

1. A method for navigation and selection of information at a terminal device, having a display, input means, processing means, motion sensing means, communication means, and memory means, characterized by the steps of:

loading the memory means with an information part representable as a displayed at least one information object,

varying, by first motions of the device relative a reference position, the representation of the displayed at least one information object in dependence of thereto associated object properties,

determining a displayed selection tool the type of which depends on the object properties of the at least one information object, and selecting an information object by second motions of the device.

2. The method of claim 1 characterized in that said first motions relate to a number of degrees of freedom characterizing the at least an information object.

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2 characterized in that said representation of at least an information object corresponds to a sphere displayed as a conical projection of the sphere.

4. The method of claim 3 characterized in that moving the device along a predefined z-axis causes a variation of the type of projection corresponding to a variation of an angle φ

(510) and a simultaneous variation of a magnification property of the sphere.

5. The method of claim 3 characterized in that a initial projection is a planar projection corresponding to φ

=π

/2 (510) and the magnification is such that the planar projection lies within the physical limits of the display screen.

6. The method of claim 4 characterized in that moving the terminal device along said z-axis in a direction towards the sphere a limiting value φ

=0 (510), corresponding to a cylindrical projection, and a limiting maximum magnification are simultaneously approached.

7. The method of claim 1 characterized in that said displayed at least an information object represents a book for reading comprising a plurality of pages of information and said controlling corresponds to either turning book pages or zooming a book page.

8. The method according to claim 7 characterized in that a continued said zooming a book page reaching a limit value the type of representation changes to the RSVP format.

13. The method of claim 1 characterized in that said step of controlling by first motions involves the additional steps of:

establishing, in response to a motion of the terminal device corresponding to information outside the current range of loaded information and prior to said step of loading, communication with a remote information source and transfering from the terminal device motion parameters and a type of projection,

preparing at said information source a download file in dependence of the motion parameters and a type of projection,

downloading the download file to the device and displaying at least part thereof according to said type of projection.

14. The method according to claim 13 characterized by said loading being in dependence of the geographical position of the device and by the further steps of:

calibrating the device in a North-South direction,

directing the device in a certain direction and displaying information objects representative of physical objects and their relative distance along a line in the certain direction,

performing a zooming operation along the certain direction for selection of a desired one of said information objects.

9. A method at a terminal device, having a display screen and motion sensing means, for navigation in an information space containing objects with associated properties said information space partly displayed on the display screen according to a type of projection characterized in that a movement of the terminal device along a predefined direction causes, in dependence of said properties, a variation of said type of projection and a simultaneous variation of a display scale factor.

10. The method of claim 9 characterized in that the type of projection corresponds to a sphere projected for display as a conical projection.

11. The method of claim 10 characterized in that moving the terminal device along said predefined direction towards the sphere a limiting value φ

=0 (510), corresponding to a cylindrical projection, and a limiting magnification are simultaneously approached.

12. The method of claim 9 or claim 10 characterized in that an initial projection is a planar projection corresponding to φ

=π

/2 (510) and the intial magnification is such that the planar projection lies within the physical limits of the display screen.

15. A device for navigation and selection of information, having a display, input means, processing means, motion sensing means, communication means, and memory means, characterized by:

means for loading the memory means with an information part representable as a displayed at least one information object,

means for controlling, by first motions of the device relative a reference position, the displayed representation of the at least one information object in dependence thereto associated object properties,

means for determining a displayed selection tool the type of which depends on the properties of the at least one information object, and selecting an information object by second motions of the device causing an object and the selection tool to overlap at least partly.

16. The device according to claim 15 characterized by said means for controlling affecting parameters corresponding to degrees of freedom of the at least one information object.

17. The device according to claim 15 or 16 characterized by the at least one information object being a sphere displayed as a conical projection and said means for controlling causes a simultaneous variation of an angle φ

(510) and a magnification factor.

18. The device of claim 15 characterized by:

means for establishing communication with a remote information source in response to a motion of the terminal corresponding to information outside the current range of loaded information,

means at the remote information source for preparing a download file in dependence of information provided in said communication relating to motion parameters and a type of projection,

means for downloading the download file to the device.