Anchored Navigation In A Three Dimensional Environment On A Mobile Device

• US 20100045666A1
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kornmann, David, Birch, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/546,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045666A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

This invention relates to anchored navigation in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method navigates a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen. A first user input is received indicating that a first object is approximately stationary on a touch screen of the mobile device. A second user input is received indicating that a second object has moved on the touch screen. An orientation of the virtual camera of the virtual camera is changed according to the second user input.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen, comprising:

(a) receiving a first user input indicating that a first object is approximately stationary on a touch screen of the mobile device;

(b) receiving a second user input indicating that a second object has moved on the touch screen; and

(c) changing an orientation of the virtual camera according to the second user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving (a) comprises receiving the first user input

indicating that a first finger is approximately stationary on the touch screen, and

wherein the receiving (b) comprises receiving the second user input indicating that a second finger has moved on the touch screen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving (b) includes receiving a direction of the second finger'"'"'s motion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the changing (c) includes changing a yaw of the virtual camera when the direction is toward the left or right side of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the changing (c) includes changing a pitch of the virtual camera when the direction is toward the top or bottom of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(d) receiving an orientation of the mobile device from an accelerometer of the mobile device; and

(e) changing an orientation of the virtual camera according to the orientation of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the changing (c) comprises changing the orientation of the virtual camera when a position of the first finger is initially below a position of the second finger, further comprising:

(d) determining a target location in the three dimensional environment; and

(e) changing a position of the virtual camera according to the second user input when the position of the first finger is above the position of the second finger, wherein a distance between the target location and the position of the virtual camera stays approximately constant.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) determining an axis of the virtual camera based on the first user input, and

wherein the changing (c) comprises rotating the virtual camera about the axis.

9. A system for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device, comprising:

a touch receiver that receives a first user input indicating that a first object is approximately stationary on a touch screen of the mobile device and receives a second user input indicating that a second object has moved on the touch screen; and

a look around module that changes an orientation of the virtual camera according to the second user input.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second objects are fingers.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second user input includes a direction of the second finger'"'"'s motion.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the look around module changes a yaw of the virtual camera when the direction is toward the left or right side of the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the look around module changes a pitch of the virtual camera when the direction is toward the top or bottom of the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an accelerometer that receives an orientation of the mobile device from an accelerometer of the mobile device; and

a navigation module that changes an orientation of the virtual camera according to the orientation of the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the look around module changes the orientation of the virtual camera when a position of the first finger is above a position of the second finger, further comprising:

a target module that determines a target location in the three dimensional environment; and

a helicopter module that changes a position of the virtual camera according to the second user input when the position of the first finger is below the position of the second finger, wherein a distance between the target location and the position of the virtual camera stays approximately constant.

16. A computer-implemented method for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen, comprising:

(a) receiving a first user input indicating that a first object is approximately stationary on a touch screen of the mobile device;

(b) receiving a second user input indicating that a second object has moved on the touch screen;

(c) determining a target location in the three dimensional environment; and

(d) changing a position of the virtual camera according to the second user input, wherein a distance between the target location and the position of the virtual camera stays approximately constant.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiving (a) comprises receiving the first user input

indicating that a first finger is approximately stationary on the touch screen, and

wherein the receiving (b) comprises receiving the second user input indicating that a second finger has moved on the touch screen.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving (b) includes receiving a direction of the second finger'"'"'s motion.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the changing (d) includes changing an azimuth relative to a vector directed upwards from the target when the direction is toward the left or right of the mobile device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the changing (d) includes changing a tilt relative to a vector directed upwards from the target when the direction is toward the top or bottom of the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(e) receiving an orientation of the mobile device from an accelerometer of the mobile device; and

(f) changing a position of the virtual camera according to the second orientation of the mobile device, wherein a distance between the target location and the position of the virtual camera stays approximately constant.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the changing (d) comprises changing the position of the virtual camera when the position of the first finger is initially above the position of the second finger, further comprising:

(e) changing an orientation of the virtual camera according to the second user input when the position of the first finger is below the position of the second finger.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining (c) comprises determining the target location based on a position of the first finger on the touch screen.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the determining (c) further comprises damping the target location when the position of the first finger is close to the horizon.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining (c) comprises determining:

(i) extending a ray based on a position of the virtual camera and a position of the finger; and

(ii) intersecting the ray with a three dimensional model in the three dimensional environment to determine the target location.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(e) determining a speed to move for the virtual camera based on the second input; and

wherein the changing (d) comprises changing the position of the virtual camera at the speed determined in (e) after movement of the second object is complete.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

(f) slowing the virtual camera gradually.

28. A system for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device, comprising:

a touch receiver that receives a first user input indicating that a first object is approximately stationary on a touch screen of the mobile device and a second user input indicating that a second object has moved on the touch screen;

a target module that determines a target location in the three dimensional environment; and

a helicopter module that changes a position of the virtual camera according to the second user input, wherein a distance between the target location and the position of the virtual camera stays approximately constant.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the first and second objects are fingers.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the second user input includes a direction of the second finger'"'"'s motion.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the helicopter module changes an azimuth relative to a vector directed upwards from the target when the direction is toward the left or right of the mobile device.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the helicopter module changes a tilt relative to a vector directed upwards from the target when the direction is toward the top or bottom of the mobile device.

33. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

an accelerometer that receives an orientation of the mobile device the mobile device; and

a navigation module that changes a position of the virtual camera according to the second user input, wherein a distance between the target location and the position of the virtual camera stays approximately constant.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the helicopter module changes the position of the virtual camera when the position of the first finger is above the position of the second finger, and further comprising:

a helicopter module that changes an orientation of the virtual camera according to the second user input when the position of the first finger is below the position of the second finger.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the target module determines the target location based on a position of the first finger on the touch screen.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the target module damps the target location when the position of the first finger is close to the horizon.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein the target module extends a ray based on a position of the virtual camera and a position of the finger and intersects the ray with the three dimensional environment to determine the target location.

38. A computer-implemented method for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen, comprising:

(a) receiving a first user input indicating that a first object is approximately stationary on a touch screen of the mobile device;

(b) receiving a second user input indicating that a second object has moved on the touch screen;

(c) determining a target location in the three dimensional environment;

(d) changing a tilt value of the virtual camera relative to a vector directed upwards from the target location; and

(e) changing an azimuth value of the virtual camera relative to the vector directed upwards from the target location.

39. A computer-implemented method for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen, comprising:

(a) receiving a first user input indicating that a first object has touched a first point on a touch screen of a mobile device;

(b) receiving a second user input indicating that a second object has touched a second point on the touch screen after the first object touched the first point on the screen; and

(c) determining a navigation mode from a plurality of navigation modes based on the position of the first point relative to the second point.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the determining (c) comprises determining the navigation mode from the plurality of navigation modes, wherein the plurality of navigation modes includes a first navigation mode that changes the virtual camera'"'"'s position and a second navigation mode that changes the virtual camera'"'"'s orientation.

41. A computer-implemented method for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen, comprising:

(a) receiving a first user input indicating that a first object has touched a first point on a touch screen of a mobile device;

(b) receiving a second user input indicating that a second object has touched a second point on the touch screen after the first object touched the first point on the screen; and

(c) determining a navigation mode from a plurality of navigation modes based on the position of the first point relative to the second point.

42. A computer-implemented method for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen, comprising:

(a) receiving a user input indicating that two objects have touched the touch screen of a mobile device and the two objects have moved on the touch screen approximately the same distance in approximately the same direction;

(b) determining motion data representing motion of the two objects on the touch screen; and

(c) changing an orientation of the virtual camera according to the motion data determined in (b).

43. The method of claim 42, the determining (b) comprises determining vector representing motion of the two objects on the touch screen.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the changing (c) comprises:

(i) changing a yaw of the virtual camera based on a component of the vector in on a left-right axis of the mobile device.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the changing (c) further comprises:

(ii) changing a pitch of the virtual camera based on a component of the vector in on an up-down axis of the mobile device.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein further comprising:

(d) changing a pitch of the virtual camera based on an orientation of the mobile device.