Systems and Methods of Using Motion Control to Navigate Panoramas and Virtual Tours

• US 20140089850A1
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TourWrist, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TourWrist, Inc.
• Inventors: Gorstan, Alexander I., Armstrong, Charles Robert, Lim, Kang S.
• Application Number:
  US13/934,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089850A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser

Abstract

A mobile device is configured to teleshift from a first lateral viewing perspective to a second lateral viewing perspective of a virtual tour object. The mobile device includes a sensor, a processor and a display. The sensor detects a teleshifting motion of the mobile device caused by a user, and the processor determines if a magnitude of the teleshifting motion is greater than a threshold. If the magnitude of the teleshifting motion is greater than the threshold, then the display teleshifts by transitioning from a first lateral viewing perspective to a second lateral viewing perspective of the virtual tour.

Claims

1. A computerized method for teleshifting from a first lateral viewing perspective to a second lateral viewing perspective of a virtual tour object, the method useful in association with a mobile device configured to be hand-held by a user, the teleshifting method comprising:

detecting a teleshifting motion of a mobile device configured to conduct a virtual tour for a user;

evaluating a magnitude of the teleshifting motion; and

if the magnitude of the teleshifting motion is greater than a threshold, then teleshifting from a first lateral viewing perspective to a second lateral viewing perspective, and wherein the first lateral viewing perspective and the second lateral viewing perspective are adjacent lateral viewing perspectives of the virtual tour.

2. The teleshifting method of claim 1 wherein the first lateral viewing perspective and the second lateral viewing perspective are adjacent lateral viewing perspectives of a virtual tour object.

3. The teleshifting method of claim 2 wherein the teleshifting includes teleturning from the first lateral viewing perspective to the second lateral viewing perspective, and wherein the first lateral viewing perspective and the second lateral viewing perspective are both positioned around the virtual tour object.

4. The teleshifting method of claim 1 wherein the teleshifting motion includes a flick.

5. The teleshifting method of claim 4 wherein detecting the flick includes detecting angular acceleration along a substantially vertical axis of the mobile device.

6. The teleshifting method of claim 5 wherein the flick is one of a left flick and a right flick.

7. The teleshifting method of claim 1 wherein the teleshifting motion includes a double flick.

8. The teleshifting method of claim 7 wherein detecting the double flick includes detecting angular acceleration along a substantially vertical axis of the mobile device.

9. The teleshifting method of claim 8 wherein the double flick is one of a left double flick and a right double flick.

10. The teleshifting method of claim 1 wherein the threshold is user adjustable.

11. A mobile device configured to teleshift from a first lateral viewing perspective to a second lateral viewing perspective of a virtual tour object, the mobile device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a teleshifting motion of the mobile device caused by a user;

a processor configured to determine if a magnitude of the teleshifting motion is greater than a threshold; and

a display configured to teleshift if the magnitude of the teleshifting motion is greater than the threshold, wherein the teleshifting causes the display to transition from a first lateral viewing perspective to a second lateral viewing perspective, and wherein the first lateral viewing perspective and the second video lateral viewing perspective are adjacent lateral viewing perspectives of the virtual tour.

12. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the first lateral viewing perspective and the second lateral viewing perspective are adjacent lateral viewing perspectives of a virtual tour object.

13. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the teleshifting includes teleturning from the first lateral viewing perspective to the second lateral viewing perspective, and wherein the first lateral viewing perspective and the second lateral viewing perspective are both positioned around the virtual tour object.

14. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the teleshifting motion includes a flick.

15. The mobile device of claim 14 wherein detecting the flick includes detecting angular acceleration along a substantially vertical axis of the mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the flick is one of a left flick and a right flick.

17. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the teleshifting motion includes a double flick.

18. The mobile device of claim 17 wherein detecting the double flick includes detecting angular acceleration along a substantially vertical axis of the mobile device.

19. The mobile device of claim 18 wherein the double flick is one of a left double flick and a right double flick.

20. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the threshold is user adjustable.

21. A computerized method for navigating a menu of a panorama, useful in association with a mobile device configured to be handheld by a user, the method comprising:

detecting a flicking motion of a mobile device configured to navigate a supplemental panoramic data menu for a user, and wherein the flicking motion is substantially around an axis substantially perpendicular to a display of the mobile device; and

evaluating a magnitude and a direction of the flicking motion, wherein;

if the magnitude of the flicking motion is greater than a threshold and is clockwise, then traversing along a first direction of the menu; and

if the magnitude of the flicking motion is greater than a threshold and is counter-clockwise, then traversing along a second direction of the menu.

22. A mobile device configured to navigate a menu of a panorama, the mobile device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a flicking motion of a user holding the mobile device, wherein the flicking motion is intended to navigate a supplemental panoramic data menu for the user, and wherein the flicking motion is substantially around an axis substantially perpendicular to a display of the mobile device; and

a processor configured to evaluate a magnitude and a direction of the flicking motion, wherein;

if the magnitude of the flicking motion is greater than a threshold and is clockwise, then traversing along a first direction of the menu; and

if the magnitude of the flicking motion is greater than a threshold and is counter-clockwise, then traversing along a second direction of the menu.