METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20160041641A1
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spreadtrum Communications USA
• Original Assignee: Spreadtrum Communications USA
• Inventors: XIA, Lu, LIU, Haipeng
• Granted Patent: US 9,684,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures

Abstract

A method for providing a three-dimensional user interface includes generating an image of a three-dimensional scene according to a set of camera parameters. The three-dimensional scene includes a plurality of three-dimensional graphical elements. The three-dimensional graphical elements are associated with a plurality of applications stored on a computing device. The method further includes receiving a user input; adjusting the camera parameters according to the user input; and updating the image of the three-dimensional scene according to the adjusted camera parameters.

Claims

1. A method for providing a three-dimensional user interface, including:

generating an image of a three-dimensional scene according to a set of camera parameters, the three-dimensional scene including a plurality of three-dimensional graphical elements, the three-dimensional graphical elements being associated with a plurality of applications stored on a computing device;

receiving a user input;

adjusting the camera parameters according to the user input; and

updating the image of the three-dimensional scene according to the adjusted camera parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a theme to the three-dimensional scene.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a touch screen, and

the method further comprises displaying the image of the three-dimensional scene on the touch screen.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user input indicates a point of contact between a user and the touch screen, and

the method further comprises determining a set of screen coordinates for the point of contact, the screen coordinates being defined with respect to a screen coordinate system associated with the touch screen.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a motion of the point of contact based on the screen coordinates; and

adjusting the camera parameters according to the motion of the point of contact.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the camera parameters include a location and an orientation of a camera center.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a translation for the camera center based on the motion of the point of contact; and

applying the translation to the camera center.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining the translation based on one or more functional relationships between the translation and the motion of the point of contact.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a rotation for the camera center based on the motion of the point of contact; and

applying the rotation to the camera center.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the rotation based on one or more functional relationships between the rotation and the motion of the point of contact.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the rotation based on a multiplication of a factor and the motion of the point of contact.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the factor based on a screen resolution of the touch screen and a maximum allowable rotation for the camera center, the maximum allowable rotation corresponding to a maximum range of the user input.

13. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating images of the graphical elements according to the location and the orientation of the camera center;

selecting one of the graphical elements in response to the user input; and

displaying the image of the selected graphical element at a center of the touch screen.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selecting of one of the graphical elements further comprises:

determining screen coordinates for the images of the graphical elements; and

selecting one of the graphical elements by comparing the screen coordinates of the images of the graphical elements and the screen coordinates of the point of contact.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the selecting of one of the graphical elements further comprises selecting the graphical element having an image closer to the point of contact than the images of the other graphical elements.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting one of the graphical elements according to a priority list when two or more images of the graphical elements are at equal distances from the point of contact.

17. An apparatus for providing a three-dimensional user interface, comprising:

an input module for receiving a user input;

an output module for displaying an image of a three-dimensional scene;

a storage module for storing computer-executable instructions and a plurality of applications; and

a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions causing the processor to;

generate the image of the three-dimensional scene according to a set of camera parameters, the three-dimensional scene including a plurality of three-dimensional graphical elements, the three-dimensional graphical elements being associated with the applications stored in the storage medium;

adjust the camera parameters according to the user input; and

update the image of the three-dimensional scene according to the adjusted camera parameters.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is a handheld device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the handheld device includes a touch screen configured to provide the input module and the output module.

20. A computer-readable medium including instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for providing a three-dimensional user interface, the method comprising:

generating an image of a three-dimensional scene according to a set of camera parameters, the three-dimensional scene including a plurality of three-dimensional graphical elements, the three-dimensional graphical elements being associated with a plurality of applications stored on a computing device;

receiving a user input;

adjusting the camera parameters according to the user input; and

updating the image of the three-dimensional scene according to the adjusted camera parameters.