MOBILE TERMINAL AND 3D IMAGE CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120262398A1
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jonghwan, Krishna, Mohan, T.S., Bipin, Narayanappa, Ramdas
• Granted Patent: US 9,146,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

Disclosed are a mobile terminal for controlling a 3D image using proximity touch, and a 3D image controlling method thereof. Aligning, moving and re-aligning a specific 3D object inside a 3D object group are performed, through proximity hovering. And, depth of the 3D object is automatically controlled by the various operations. This may provide various 3D-related interfaces to a user.

Claims

1. A three dimensional (3D) image controlling method of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

hovering a 3D object of a first group through proximity gesture;

moving the hovered 3D object outside a proximity region of the first group;

moving the moved 3D object to a proximity region of a second group; and

controlling depth of the 3D object aligned in the second group according to a proximity distance to the proximity region of the second group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D object includes an icon, a gallery, a widget, a menu and an image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity gesture is proximity hovering.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D object has a different hovering speed according to a finger'"'"'s proximity distance and proximity speed, and the hovered 3D object displays information on the hovering.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying all 3D objects of the first group in an automatic circulating manner when the proximity gesture is maintained for a first time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hovered 3D object moves outside the proximity region through proximity short drag, and at the same time, is shifted to a rearmost side of the first group.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the 3D object having moved outside the proximity region is temporarily displayed on the corresponding position, and returns to the original position of the first group when the current screen changes into a home screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of moving the 3D object outside a proximity region of the first group includes:

holding the hovered 3D object for a particular time;

displaying a transparent screen if the hovered 3D object is maintained for a second time;

displaying all 3D objects of the first group on the transparent screen in an unfolding manner, in the form of 2D objects; and

moving the displayed 2D objects outside the transparent screen through drag.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the 3D object having moved outside the proximity region is displayed on the corresponding position in a fixed manner.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the transparent screens of the first and second groups are individually displayed.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein if the transparent screens of the first and second groups are displayed, the 2D objects move between the transparent screens through proximity touch &

drag.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying an option menu when the 3D object having moved outside the transparent screen of the first group is moved back into the transparent screen of the first group.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling depth of the 3D object includes:

widening a gap between 3D objects included in the second group according to a proximity distance;

guiding a position corresponding to depth of the hovered 3D object; and

controlling depth of the 3D object having moved to the guided position, and thereby re-aligning the 3D objects included in the second group.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling depth of the 3D object includes:

widening a gap between 3D objects included in the second group according to a proximity distance;

inserting the moved 3D object between the 3D objects having a widened gap therebetween; and

automatically controlling depth of the 3D object according to the insertion position, and thereby re-aligning the 3D objects included in the second group.

15. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display unit configured to display a plurality of groups having a plurality of 3D objects;

a sensing unit configured to sense proximity gesture with respect to a 3D object of a first group; and

a controller configured to move the 3D object outside a proximity region of the first group according to a sensed proximity gesture, and to align the 3D object with a second group by controlling depth of the 3D object according to a proximity distance to the proximity region of the second group, when the 3D object positioned outside the proximity region of the first group has moved to the to proximity region of the second group.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the 3D object includes an icon, a gallery, a widget, a menu and an image.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the proximity gesture is proximity hovering.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the 3D object has a different hovering speed according to a finger'"'"'s proximity distance and proximity speed, and the hovered 3D object displays information on the hovering.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the controller displays all 3D objects of the first group in an automatic circulating manner when the proximity gesture is maintained for a first time.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to move the hovered 3D object outside the proximity region when proximity short drag is input after proximity hovering has been sensed, and to shift the hovered 3D object to a rearmost side of the first group.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the 3D object having moved outside the proximity region is temporarily displayed on the corresponding position, and returns to the original position of the first group when a home screen is displayed.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to display all 3D objects of the first group on a transparent screen in an unfolding manner in the form of 2D objects if the 3D object is hovered for a second time, and is configured to move a specific 3D object outside the transparent screen through drag.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein if transparent screens of the first and second groups are displayed, the controller is configured to move the 2D object between the transparent screens through proximity touch &

drag.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to display an option menu when the 3D object having moved outside the transparent screen of the first group is moved back into the transparent screen of the first group.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to widen a gap between 3D objects included in the second group according to a proximity distance, configured to guide a position corresponding to depth of the hovered 3D object, and configured to control depth of the 3D object having moved to the guided position thereby to re-align the 3D objects included in the second group.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to widen a gap between 3D objects included in the second group according to a proximity distance, configured to insert the moved 3D object between the 3D objects having a widened gap therebetween, and configured to automatically control depth of the 3D object according to the insertion position.