CREATING A THREE DIMENSIONAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20140002457A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Embarcadero Technologies, Inc. (Idera, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarcadero Technologies, Inc. (Idera, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swindell, Michael L., Thomas, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/426
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/60 Shadow generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

Creating a three dimensional user interface. The interface comprising a three dimensional user interface control set in a scene in the interface, wherein the three dimensional user interface control comprises shading based on a virtual light source, a virtual camera, and based on a virtual depth of the three dimensional user interface control relative to the scene, wherein the three dimensional user interface control is a control for triggering an event. The interface further comprising a detector to detect a change in position of the device relative to the virtual light source and the virtual camera. The interface further comprising a rendering module to render the three dimensional user interface control and the scene in a new perspective with a change in the three dimensional effects based on the change in position of the device relative to the virtual light source and the virtual camera.

Claims

1. A computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embedded therein for a three dimensional interface executing at a display of a device comprising a processor and memory, the three dimensional interface comprising:

a virtual light source;

a virtual camera;

a three dimensional user interface control set in a scene in said three dimensional interface, wherein said three dimensional user interface control comprises three dimensional effects based on said virtual light source, said virtual camera, and based on a virtual depth of said three dimensional object relative to said scene, wherein said three dimensional user interface control is a user interface control for triggering an event;

a detector to detect a change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source and said virtual camera; and

a rendering module to render said three dimensional user interface control and said scene in a new perspective with a change in said three dimensional effects based on said change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source and said virtual camera.

2. The computer usable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said rending module is further to alter a characteristic of said three dimensional user interface control based on a detected interaction with said three dimensional user interface control.

3. The computer usable storage medium of claim 2 wherein said characteristic of said three dimensional user interface control is selected from a list of characteristics consisting of:

an alteration, a deformation, an animation, a movement, a change in position, and an execution of application logic.

4. The computer usable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of three dimensional user interface controls set in said scene in said three dimensional interface, wherein said plurality of three dimensional user interface controls comprise three dimensional effects based on said virtual light source, said virtual camera, and based on a virtual depth of said plurality of three dimensional user interface controls relative to said scene.

5. The computer usable storage medium of claim 4 wherein each of said plurality of three dimensional user interface controls have a different virtual depth and position relative to said scene.

6. The computer usable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said three dimensional user interface control, further comprises:

a plurality of attributes wherein each of said plurality of attributes have an initial condition set during a design of said three dimensional interface and wherein each of said plurality of attributes are further modified programmatically.

7. The computer usable storage medium of claim 6 wherein said plurality of attributes are selected from a list of characteristics consisting of:

text type, color, size, position, layout rules, style, and associated user interface events.

8. The computer usable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said detector receives input from an accelerometer and detects said change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source based on a gyration of said device.

9. The computer usable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said detector receives input from an image capturing device detects said change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source based on a movement of a user.

10. The computer usable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said scene comprise a background and a plurality of layers and depths upon which user interface controls can be placed.

11. The computer usable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said three dimensional user interface control casts a shadow on said scene and said rendering module is to change a position of said shadow on said scene based on said change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source and said virtual camera.

12. A method for displaying a three dimensional interface on a device:

displaying a scene on a display of said device;

displaying a three dimensional user interface control with three dimensional effects set in said scene on said display of said device, said three dimensional effects based on a virtual light source, a virtual camera, and a virtual depth of said three dimensional user interface control relative to said scene, wherein said three dimensional user interface control is a control for triggering an event;

detecting a change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source and said virtual camera;

dynamically changing said three dimensional effects based on said change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source and said virtual camera; and

dynamically changing an orientation of said virtual camera to change said displaying said scene and said displaying said three dimensional user interface control to a new perspective based on said change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source and said virtual camera.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

altering a characteristic of said three dimensional user interface control upon a detection of an interaction with said three dimensional user interface control.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said characteristic of said three dimensional user interface control is selected from a list of characteristics consisting of:

an alteration, a deformation, an animation, a movement, a change in position, and an execution of application logic.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of three dimensional user interface controls with three dimensional effects set in said scene on said display of said device, said three dimensional effects based on a virtual light source, a virtual camera, and a virtual depth of said three dimensional user interface control relative to said scene; and

dynamically changing a position of said three dimensional effects for each of said plurality of three dimensional user interface controls based on said change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source and said virtual camera.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein each of said plurality of three dimensional user interface controls have a different virtual depth relative to said scene.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said displaying said three dimensional user interface control casts a shadow on said scene, the method further comprising:

dynamically changing a position of said shadow based on said change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source and said virtual camera.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said three dimensional user interface control, further comprises:

a plurality of attributes wherein each of said plurality of attributes have an initial condition set during a design of said three dimensional interface and wherein each of said plurality of attributes are further modified programmatically.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said plurality of attributes are selected from a list of characteristics consisting of:

text type, color, size, position, layout rules, style, and associated user interface events.

20. A computer-usable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for providing tools to develop a three dimensional interface, said method comprising:

providing a catalogue of scenes and a catalogue of three dimensional user interface controls to create a three dimensional interface;

receiving a selection of a scene from said catalogue of scenes;

receiving a selection of a user interface control from said catalogue of three dimensional user interface controls and a placement of said user interface control in said scene wherein said user interface control is a control for triggering an event; and

rendering said three dimensional interface on a display of a device based on said selection of said scene and said selection of said user interface control such that said user interface control is displayed with three dimensional effects based on a virtual light source, a virtual camera, and a virtual depth of said three dimensional user interface control relative to said scene; and

dynamically changing said rendering said three dimensional interface to a new perspective based on a change in an orientation of said virtual camera.

21. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 20 wherein said rendering said three dimensional interface changes a position of said shading of said user interface control based on a detected change in position of said device relative to said virtual light source and said virtual camera.

22. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 20 wherein said rendering said three dimensional interface alters said user interface control upon a detection of an interaction with said user interface control.

23. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a plurality of user interface controls from said catalogue of three dimensional user interface controls;

rendering said three dimensional interface with said plurality of user interface controls with three dimensional effects based on a virtual light source, a virtual camera, and a virtual depth of said plurality of user interface controls relative to said scene.

24. The computer-usable storage medium of claim 20 wherein said rendering said three dimensional interface renders said user interface control with a shadow on said scene.

25. The computer usable storage medium of claim 20 wherein said user interface control, further comprises:

a plurality of attributes wherein each of said plurality of attributes have an initial condition set during a design of said three dimensional interface and wherein each of said plurality of attributes are further modified programmatically.

26. The computer usable storage medium of claim 25 wherein said plurality of attributes are selected from a list of characteristics consisting of:

text type, color, size, position, layout rules, style, and associated user interface events.