SIMULATING PHYSICAL MATERIALS AND LIGHT INTERACTION IN A USER INTERFACE OF A RESOURCE-CONSTRAINED DEVICE

• US 20130332843A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: David J. Rempel, Imran Chaudhri, James Eric Mason, Jesse William Boettcher, Michael I. Ingrassia Jr
• Inventors: CHAUDHRI, Imran, BOETTCHER, Jesse William, INGRASSIA, Michael I. Jr., MASON, James Eric, DAVYDOV, Anton M., REMPEL, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 11,073,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/744
• 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 simulating light interaction and physical materials in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a resource-constrained device are provided. Simulating physical materials, such as glass and metal, in a GUI can allow a user to feel more natural in interacting with the GUI. The user experience can be further enhanced if the simulated physical materials in the GUI can interact with the device'"'"'s environment in a manner similar to how the actual physical materials would interact. However, continually polling various sensors can be resource-intensive, especially for resource-constrained mobile devices. Accordingly, a mobile device can intelligently determine whether to begin a reduced detail mode, and then render user interface objects in the reduced detail mode to conserve resources.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented graphical user interface method, comprising:

receiving sensor data from one or more sensors disposed within a mobile device;

determining, based on the sensor data, to begin a reduced detail mode; and

generating at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode, wherein the at least one graphical user interface object is generated based on additional sensor data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least one graphical user interface object includes simulating light interaction with the at least one graphical user interface object based on the additional sensor data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein simulating light interaction based on the additional sensor data includes simulating light interaction based on one or both of motion and orientation data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein simulating light interaction includes alpha compositing one or more light source layers, and wherein the one or more light source layers change based on one or both of motion and orientation data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on motion data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining includes determining a motion value based on the motion data and determining that the motion value is outside a predetermined range.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode includes selecting, from a set of at least first and second assets, the first asset, wherein the first asset is of lower quality than the second asset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode includes selecting, from a set of at least first and second rendering algorithms, a first rendering algorithm, wherein the first rendering algorithm is less computationally intensive than the second rendering algorithm.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first rendering algorithm includes selecting a pre-rendered asset and the second rendering algorithm includes rendering a three-dimensional asset.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode includes reducing one or both of a frequency of polling sensors and a frame rate.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode includes generating the at least one graphical user interface object based on a detail level.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the detail level based on a bell curve function of motion data.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by a mobile device having one or more sensors, cause the device to perform a method comprising:

receiving sensor data from the one or more sensors;

determining, based on the sensor data, to begin a reduced detail mode; and

generating at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode, wherein the at least one graphical user interface object is generated based on additional sensor data.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein generating the at least one graphical user interface object includes simulating light interaction with the at least one graphical user interface object based on the additional sensor data.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein simulating light interaction based on the additional sensor data includes simulating light interaction based on one or both of motion and orientation data.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein simulating light interaction includes alpha compositing one or more light source layers, and wherein the one or more light source layers change based on one or both of motion and orientation data.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the determining is based on motion data.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the determining includes determining a motion value based on the motion data and determining that the motion value is outside a predetermined range.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein generating the at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode includes selecting, from a set of at least first and second assets, the first asset, wherein the first asset is of lower quality than the second asset.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein generating the at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode includes selecting, from a set of at least first and second rendering algorithms, a first rendering algorithm, wherein the first rendering algorithm is less computationally intensive than the second rendering algorithm.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the first rendering algorithm includes selecting a pre-rendered asset and the second rendering algorithm includes rendering a three-dimensional asset.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein generating the at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode includes reducing one or both of a frequency of polling sensors and a frame rate.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein generating the at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode includes generating the at least one graphical user interface object based on a detail level.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, the method further comprising determining the detail level based on a bell curve function of motion data.

25. A mobile device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory;

one or more sensors; and

one or more programs stored in the memory, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving sensor data from the one or more sensors;

determining, based on the sensor data, to begin a reduced detail mode; and

generating at least one graphical user interface object in the reduced detail mode, wherein the at least one graphical user interface object is generated based on additional sensor data.