THREE-DIMENSIONAL, MULTI-DEPTH PRESENTATION OF ICONS ASSOCIATED WITH A USER INTERFACE

• US 20120192114A1
• Filed: 01/20/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: DeLuca, Michael Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,582,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/848
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A three-dimensional display presents a plurality of icons that are associated with a user interface. These icons include at least a first icon presented at a first depth of presentation and at least a second icon presented at a second, different depth of presentation. By one approach this first icon is available for interaction by an input component of the user interface while the second icon is unavailable for interaction by the input component of the user interface. The aforementioned first depth of presentation may be substantially coincide with a surface, for example, a touch-sensitive display, of the corresponding electronic device. So configured, the first icon (which is presently available for selection) appears at a depth that coincides with that surface. This approach can serve to facilitate three-dimensional presentation of an icon based on whether it is available for interaction via an input component of a user interface.

Claims

1. A method in an electronic device having a three-dimensional display, the method comprising:

presenting via the three-dimensional display a plurality of icons associated with a user interface of the electronic device, the plurality of icons including a first icon presented at a first depth of presentation and a second icon presented at a second depth of presentation different from the first depth of presentation;

wherein the first icon at the first depth of presentation is available for interaction by an input component of the user interface; and

wherein the second icon at the second depth of presentation is unavailable for interaction by the input component of the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input component provides for interaction with icons that are presented at the first depth of presentation, and the input component does not provide for interaction with icons that are presented at depths of presentation other than the first depth of presentation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input component comprises at least one of a touch-sensitive display, a mouse, a touchpad, a track pad, an electronic pen, and a user interface glove.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interface has a second input component for further facilitating the user interface, the second input component comprising at least one of a keypad, a keyboard, and a button.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first depth of presentation substantially coincides with a surface of the electronic device such that the first icon that is available for interaction by the input component appears at a depth that coincides with the surface.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the surface comprises a touch-sensitive surface, and the touch-sensitive surface is the input component of the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting via the three-dimensional display the plurality of icons comprises:

presenting a third icon at a third depth of presentation; and

wherein ones of the plurality of icons at other than the first depth of presentation are unavailable for interaction by the input component of the user interface.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first depth of presentation appears between the second depth of presentation and the third depth of presentation.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

permitting via the user interface movement of at least one of the plurality of icons from other than the first depth of presentation to the first depth of presentation, thereby causing said at least one of the plurality of icons to become available for interaction by the input component of the user interface.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving via the user interface a user interface gesture; and

moving the second icon from the second depth of presentation to the first depth of presentation, thereby causing the second icon to become available for interaction by the input component of the user interface.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

moving the first icon from the first depth of presentation to the second depth of presentation, thereby causing the first icon to become unavailable for interaction by the input component of the user interface.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of icons comprises a three-dimensional image.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional display comprises a stereoscopic display.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving via the input component a user interface gesture indicative of a selection of the first icon; and

invoking a process associated with the first icon.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a control circuit;

a user interface;

a three-dimensional display operably coupled to the control circuit;

wherein the control circuit is configured to use the three-dimensional display to present a virtual three-dimensional scene comprising a plurality of icons, including at least a first icon presented at a first depth of presentation and a second icon presented at a second depth of presentation, where the first and second depths of presentation are different from one another;

wherein the first icon at the first depth of presentation is available for interaction by an input component of the user interface; and

wherein the second icon at the second depth of presentation is unavailable for interaction by the input component of the user interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus comprises a portable electronic device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the three-dimensional display comprises, at least in part, a touch-sensitive display.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the first depth of presentation at least substantially coincides with the touch-sensitive display such that the user-selectable icons that are available for interaction by the input component appear at a depth that coincides with the touch-sensitive display.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the control circuit is configured to permit movement of the plurality of icons amongst the depths of presentation to thereby select which of the plurality of icons are available for interaction by the input component of the user interface.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a second input component of the user interface, wherein the second input component is capable of detecting a change;

wherein the control circuit is configured to move ones of the plurality of icons amongst the depths of presentation in response to a detected change at the second input component.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second input component of the user interface comprises at least one of a button, key, scroll wheel, track pad, touch pad, touch-sensitive surface, camera, accelerometer, gyroscope, and proximity sensor.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first icon and second icon comprises a three-dimensional image.