SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTERFACE MANGEMENT

• US 20120284671A1
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: BAMFORD, Drew, BRINDA, David, COLE, Paul Kristopher, HUANG, Sheng-Hsin, RONG, Jye, CHEN, Hsu-Jung
• Application Number:
  US13/102,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284671A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/850
• 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Methods and systems for interface management are provided. First, a plurality of interfaces arranged in sequence is provided. The interfaces are placed in a circle across a 3D space to form a 3D object, and the interfaces include pages or menus. Then, a signal is received, and in response to the signal, the position of the 3D object viewed on a screen of the electronic device are adjusted, wherein the 3D object is located at a virtual distance behind and away from the screen, and the virtual distance are gradually varied.

Claims

1. A method for interface management, for use in an electronic device, comprising:

providing a plurality of interfaces arranged in sequence, wherein the interfaces are placed in a circle across a 3D space to form a 3D object, and the interfaces comprise pages or menus;

receiving a signal; and

in response to the signal, adjusting the position of the 3D object viewed on a screen of the electronic device, wherein the 3D object is located at a virtual distance behind and away from the screen, and the virtual distance varies gradually.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D object has a predefined axle, and the method further comprises a step of spinning the 3D object with respect to the predefined axle.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

spinning the 3D object with respect to the predefined axle for a specific period; and

after the specific period, stopping the spinning of the 3D object.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the signal comprises a movement on the screen, and the 3D object is spun in more circles when the velocity of the movement is high, and the 3D object is spun in less circles when the velocity of the movement is slow.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

before the spinning of the 3D object, displaying a first interface among the plurality of interfaces on the screen;

locating a second interface among the plurality of interfaces based on the signal; and

displaying the second interface after the spinning of the 3D object is stopped.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein a spinning velocity of the spinning of the 3D object is varied, and the spinning velocity of the spinning of the 3D object is from a first velocity, determined, based on the signal to 0.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the virtual distance is a first value, and during the spinning of the 3D object, the virtual distance varies gradually from the first value to a second value, determined, based on the signal, before finally returning back to the virtual distance of the first value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a browsing mode of the electronic device; and

accordingly adjusting the virtual distance.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the browsing mode is a portrait mode, the virtual distance is set to a first value, and when the browsing mode is a landscape mode, the virtual distance is set to a second value, in which the second value is greater than the first value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying a first interface on the screen when the browsing mode of the electronic device is the portrait mode, and displaying the first interface and displaying partials of two adjacent interfaces of the first interface on the screen when the browsing mode of the electronic device is the landscape mode.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

cropping a specific portion from a wallpaper according to the browsing mode of the electronic device; and

displaying the specific portion as background on the screen.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying an indicator showing a relative position of the first interface among the plurality of interfaces.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a gesture of an object on the screen, and the gesture comprises a distance, a velocity, or a contact time corresponding to the object on the screen.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective interface comprises at least one widget, at least one application icon, or at least one button.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective interface is implemented with multiple display layers, wherein a plurality of objects of the respective interface are deployed to be displayed in different display layers, such that a 3D visual effect can be viewed via the screen.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D object comprises a 3D polyhedron, or an interface circle.

17. A system for interface management for use in an electronic device, comprising:

a storage unit comprising a plurality of interfaces arranged in sequence, wherein the interfaces are placed in a circle across a 3D space to form a 3D object, and the interfaces comprise pages or menus;

a screen; and

a processing unit receiving a signal, in response to the signal, adjusting the position of the 3D object viewed on the screen, wherein the 3D object is located at a virtual distance behind and away from the screen, and the virtual distance are gradually varied.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the 3D object has a predefined axle, and the processing unit further spins the 3D object with respect to the predefined axle.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the signal comprises a movement on the screen, and the 3D object is spun in more circles when the velocity of the movement is high, and the 3D object is spun in less circles when the velocity of the movement is slow.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing unit further spins the 3D object with respect to the predefined axle for a specific period, and after the specific period, stops the spinning of the 3D object.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein before the spinning of the 3D object, the processing unit further displays a first interface among the plurality of interfaces on the screen, locates a second interface among the plurality of interfaces based on the signal, and displays the second interface on the screen after the spinning of the 3D object is stopped.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein a spinning velocity of the spinning of the 3D object is varied, and the spinning velocity of the spinning of the 3D object is from a first velocity, determined, based on the signal to 0.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the virtual distance is a first value, and during the spinning of the 3D object, the virtual distance varies gradually from the first value to a second value, determined, based on the signal, before finally returning back to the virtual distance of the first value.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing unit further detects a browsing mode of the electronic device, and accordingly adjusting the virtual distance.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein when the browsing mode is a portrait mode, the processing unit sets the virtual distance as a first value, and when the browsing mode is a landscape mode, the processing unit sets the virtual distance as a second value, in which the second value is greater than the first value.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing unit further displays a first interface on the screen when the browsing mode of the electronic device is the portrait mode, and displays the first interface and displays partials of two adjacent interfaces of the first interface on the screen when the browsing mode of the electronic device is the landscape mode.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the processing unit further crops a specific portion from a wallpaper according to the browsing mode of the electronic device, and displays the specific portion as background on the screen.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit further displays an indicator showing a relative position of the first interface among the plurality of interfaces.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the signal comprises a gesture of an object on the screen, and the gesture comprises a distance, a velocity, or a contact time corresponding to the object on the screen.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the respective interface comprises at least one widget, at least one application icon, or at least one button.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein the respective interface is implemented with multiple display layers, wherein a plurality of objects of the respective interface are deployed to be displayed in different display layers, such that a 3D visual effect can be viewed via the screen.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the 3D object comprises a 3D polyhedron, or an interface circle.

33. A machine-readable storage medium comprising a computer program, which, when executed, causes a device to perform a method for interface management, wherein the method comprises:

providing a plurality of interfaces arranged in sequence, wherein the interfaces are placed in a circle across a 3D space to form a 3D object, and the interfaces comprise pages or menus;

receiving a signal; and

in response to the signal, adjusting the position of the 3D object viewed on a screen of the electronic device, wherein the 3D object is located at a virtual distance behind and away from the screen, and the virtual distance are gradually varied.