Offering Menu Items to a User

• US 20080172635A1
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ross, Andree, Theimer, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 8,136,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/826
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2213/04 Animation description language
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic device 1 offering a plurality of menu items to a user. In order to enable a user friendly selection of the menu items, the electronic device 1 comprises a screen 60, user input means 70, storing means 50 adapted to store parameters for a virtual model of a user and processing means 31. The processing means 31 are adapted to generate a visual representation of a virtual user model 61 on the screen 60 based on the stored parameters for the virtual model of a user, to cause a movement of a visually represented virtual user model 61 depending on a user input, to detect a movement of a visually represented virtual user model 61 that is associated to a particular menu item, which menu item is offered for any of a plurality of applications, and to call a function that is assigned to the particular menu item.

Claims

1. An electronic device offering a plurality of menu items to a user, comprising:

a screen;

a user input;

a memory configured to store parameters for a virtual model of a user; and

a processor configured to generate a visual representation of a virtual user model on said screen based on said parameters for said virtual model of a user stored in said memory, to cause a movement of a visually represented virtual user model depending on a user input via said user input, to detect a movement of a visually represented virtual user model that is associated to a particular menu item, which menu item is offered for any of a plurality of applications, and to call a function that is assigned to said particular menu item.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said memory is configured to store at least fixed parameters for a virtual model of a user.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said memory is configured to store parameters for a virtual model of a user that are changeable by a user via said user input.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein menu items are visually represented on said screen and wherein said processor is configured to detect a movement of a visually represented virtual user model that is associated to a particular menu item in case said visually represented virtual user model approaches a position on said screen at which said particular menu item is visually represented.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said memory is configured in addition to store parameters for a virtual model of at least one object representing one of said menu items, and wherein for offering a particular menu item to a user, said processor is configured in addition to generate a visual representation of a virtual object model on said screen based on stored parameters for a virtual model of an object representing said menu item.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said memory is configured in addition to store parameters for a virtual model of at least one user of another device that is associated to one of said menu items, and wherein for offering a particular menu item associated to a user of another device, said processor is configured in addition to generate a visual representation of a virtual user model on said screen based on stored parameters for said user of said other device.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said memory is configured to store a library of templates, each template comprising parameters for a virtual model of an object or a user associated to a possible menu item, and wherein said processor is configured to generate a visual representation of a virtual object or user model on said screen based on one of said templates stored in said memory, which template is selected depending on a menu item that is to be offered to a user.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor, wherein said processor is configured to take measurement data provided by said at least one sensor into account, when generating a visual representation of a virtual user model on said screen.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said processor is configured to take measurement data provided by said at least one sensor into account for at least one of an appearance of said visually represented virtual user model, a behavior of said virtual user model of said visually represented virtual user model, the selection of currently offered menu items and an appearance of an environment in which said visually represented virtual user model is presented on said screen.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8, further comprising an operating system, wherein said operating system is configured to forward measurement data provided by said at least one sensor to said processor.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a shortcut is defined for enabling a user to perform a movement of said visually represented virtual user model, which movement is associated to a particular menu item, in a single action by means of said user input.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said user input comprise means which are arranged at least one of to recall a preceding presentation on said screen when being selected by a user, and to cause a predefined presentation on said screen when being selected by a user.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a mobile electronic device.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a mobile communication device.

15. A method for enabling a user to select a menu item offered by an electronic device, said method comprising:

generating a visual representation of a virtual user model on said screen of said electronic device, based on stored parameters for a virtual model of a user;

causing said visually represented virtual user model to move in accordance with a user input via user input of said electronic device;

detecting a movement of a visually represented virtual user model that is associated to a particular menu item offered by said electronic device for any of a plurality of applications; and

calling a function that is assigned to said particular menu item.

16. A computer readable memory for storing software code for enabling a user to select a menu item offered by an electronic device, said software code realizing the following when running in a processing unit of said electronic device:

generating a visual representation of a virtual user model on a screen of said electronic device, based on stored parameters for a virtual model of a user;

causing said visually represented virtual user model to move in accordance with a user input via user input of said electronic device;

detecting a movement of a visually represented virtual user model that is associated to a particular menu item offered by said electronic device for any of a plurality of applications; and

calling a function that is assigned to said particular menu item.

17. (canceled)

18. An electronic device offering a plurality of menu items to a user, comprising:

means for providing a visual display;

means for providing user input;

means for storing parameters for a virtual model of a user; and

means for generating a visual representation of virtual user model on said means for providing a visual display based on said parameters for said virtual model of a user stored in said means for storing, to cause a movement of a visually represented virtual user model depending on a user input via said user input, to detect a movement of a visually represented virtual user model that is associated to a particular menu item, which menu item is offered for any of a plurality of applications, and to call a function that is assigned to said particular menu item.