Apparatus and method of controlling three-dimensional motion of graphic object

• US 20070097114A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Min-chul, Seo, Young-wan
• Granted Patent: US 8,253,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for controlling a movement and rotation of a displayed three-dimensional graphic object using a user input, such as a click or slide on a touch pad. The apparatus for controlling a three-dimensional motion of a graphic object includes a touch pad which receives a user input by a touch, a position determining unit which determines a touch position of the user input on the touch pad, a path detecting unit which detects a slide path and a direction of the slide path based on the determined touch position, and a graphic object control unit which controls a three-dimensional motion of a graphic object according to the detected slide path.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling three-dimensional motion of a graphic object, the apparatus comprising:

a touch pad which receives a user input by a touch;

a position determining unit which determines a position of the user input on the touch pad;

a path detecting unit which detects a slide path based on the touch position determined by the position determining unit; and

a graphic object control unit which controls the three-dimensional motion of the graphic object according to the slide path detected by the path detecting unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional motion comprises a rotation of the graphic object according to the slide path if the touch is released.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional motion comprises a rotation of a graphic object disposed near a specified graphic object according to the slide path when the touch is released.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the slide path comprises at least one of a linear path and a curved path.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch pad is divided into six zones corresponding to six directions along three-dimensional axes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the three-dimensional motion comprises a rotation of the graphic object around an axis according to the slide path between two zones corresponding to two directions along one axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the three-dimensional motion comprises a rotation of a graphic object disposed near a specified graphic object according to the slide path.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the slide path comprises at least one of a linear path and a curved path.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a button input detecting unit which detects a button input generated by a touch release after the touch is made in a specified zone of the six zones.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional motion comprises a movement of the graphic object according to the button input.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, if a plurality of graphic objects exist, the three-dimensional motion comprises a movement of a focus of the plurality of graphic objects according to the button input.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display unit which displays the graphic object.

13. A method of controlling a three-dimensional motion of a graphic object, the method comprising:

receiving a user input by a touch;

determining a touch position of the user input;

detecting a slide path based on the touch position; and

controlling a three-dimensional motion of the graphic object according to the slide path.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the three-dimensional motion comprises a rotation of the graphic object according to the slide path when the touch is released.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the three-dimensional motion comprises a rotation of a graphic object disposed near a specified graphic object according to the slide path when the touch is released.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the slide path comprises at least one of a linear path and a curved path.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the touch pad is divided into six zones corresponding to six directions along three-dimensional axes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the three-dimensional motion comprises a rotation of the graphic object according to the slide path between two zones corresponding to two directions along one axis.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the three-dimensional motion comprises a rotation of a graphic object disposed near a specified graphic object according to the slide path between two zones corresponding to two directions along one axis.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the slide path comprises at least one of a linear path and a curved path.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising detecting a button input generated by a touch release after the touch is made in a specified zone of the six zones.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the three-dimensional motion comprises a movement of the graphic object according to the button input.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein, if a plurality of graphic objects exist, the three-dimensional motion comprises a movement of a focus of the plurality of graphic objects according to the button input.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying the graphic object.