THREE-DIMENSIONAL USER INTERFACE FOR HEAD-MOUNTABLE DISPLAY

• US 20160370970A1
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Sophie, Chu, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 10,416,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for a user interface (UI) for a head-mountable display (HMD). The method includes generating three-dimensional content for display by the HMD. The method also includes identifying three-dimensional coordinates for UI elements of the UI that are associated with the three-dimensional content. The three-dimensional coordinates identified within an angular range for the UI that includes a viewable region of a user while wearing the HMD. Additionally, the method includes, in response to a user input, displaying the UI elements at the identified three-dimensional coordinates over the three-dimensional content. The method may further include, after displaying the UI elements, moving the display of the UI elements on the HMD in a direction corresponding to a movement direction of the HMD in response to detecting movement of the HMD corresponding to movement of a head of the user wearing the HMD.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a user interface (UI) for a head-mountable display (HMD), the method comprising:

generating three-dimensional content for display by the HMD;

identifying three-dimensional coordinates for UI elements of the UI that are associated with the three-dimensional content, the three-dimensional coordinates identified within an angular range for the UI that includes a viewable region of the HMD; and

in response to receiving an input, displaying the UI elements at the identified three-dimensional coordinates over the three-dimensional content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising after displaying the UI elements, moving the display of the UI elements on the HMD in a direction corresponding to a movement direction of the HMD in response to detecting movement of the HMD corresponding to a head movement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the angular range for the UI is a plane within the viewable region of the HMD that is wider than the viewable region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the UI elements are displayed on the HMD outside of the viewable region of the HMD.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed UI elements are one array of UI elements corresponding to one level in a nested set of arrays, the method further comprising displaying another array of UI elements corresponding to another level in the nested set of arrays in response to detecting an input corresponding to the other level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the one array of UI elements is a parent array of UI elements and the other array of UI elements is a child array of UI elements, and

displaying the other array of UI elements comprises displaying the child array of UI elements in a location on the HMD where the parent array of UI elements was displayed and moving the display of the parent array of UI elements to another location on the HMD in response to detecting the input corresponding to the other level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the HMD is a display for a mobile communication device,

the viewable region of the HMD is smaller than the display the mobile communication device, and

generating the three-dimensional content for display by the HMD comprises converting two dimensional content displayable by the display for the mobile communication device into the three-dimensional content for display on the HMD in the viewable region.

8. An apparatus for displaying a user interface (UI), the apparatus comprising:

a head-mountable display (HMD); and

at least one processor configured to;

generate three-dimensional content for display by the HMD;

identify three-dimensional coordinates for UI elements of the UI that are associated with the three-dimensional content, the three-dimensional coordinates identified within an angular range for the UI that includes a viewable region of the HMD; and

in response to receipt of an input, cause the HMD to display the UI elements at the identified three-dimensional coordinates over the three-dimensional content.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, after display of the UI elements, cause the HMD to move the display of the UI elements on the HMD in a direction corresponding to a movement direction of the HMD in response to detecting movement of the HMD corresponding to a head movement.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the angular range for the UI is a plane within the viewable region of the HMD that is wider than the viewable region.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the UI elements are displayed on the HMD outside of the viewable region of the HMD.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the displayed UI elements are one array of UI elements corresponding to one level in a nested set of arrays, and

the at least one processor is further configured to cause the HMD to display another array of UI elements corresponding to another level in the nested set of arrays in response to detecting an input corresponding to the other level.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the one array of UI elements is a parent array of UI elements and the other array of UI elements is a child array of UI elements, and

the at least one processor is configured to cause the HMD to display the child array of UI elements in a location on the HMD where the parent array of UI elements was displayed and move the display of the parent array of UT elements to another location on the HMD in response to detecting the input corresponding to the other level.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the HMD is a display for a mobile communication device,

the viewable region of the HMD is smaller than the display the mobile communication device, and

the at least one processor is configured to convert two dimensional content displayable by the display for the mobile communication device into the three-dimensional content for display on the HMD in the viewable region.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code for generating a display of a user interface (UI) for a head-mountable display (HMD) that, when executed by at least one processor, causes an electronic device to:

generate three-dimensional content for display by the HMD;

identify three-dimensional coordinates for UI elements of the UI that are associated with the three-dimensional content, the three-dimensional coordinates identified within an angular range for the UI that includes a viewable region of the HMD; and

in response to receipt of an input, cause the HMD to display the UI elements at the identified three-dimensional coordinates over the three-dimensional content.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising program code that that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the HMD to, after display of the UI elements, move the display of the UI elements on the HMD in a direction corresponding to a movement direction of the HMD in response to detection of movement of the HMD corresponding to a head movement.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the angular range for the UI is a plane within the viewable region of the HMD that is wider than the viewable region.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the UI elements are displayed on the HMD outside of the viewable region of the HMD.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the displayed UI elements are one array of UI elements corresponding to one level in a nested set of arrays, and

the computer-readable medium further comprises program code that that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the HMD to display another array of UI elements corresponding to another level in the nested set of arrays in response to detection of an input corresponding to the other level.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein:

the one array of UI elements is a parent array of UI elements and the other array of UI elements is a child array of UI elements, and

the program code that that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the HMD to display the other array of UI elements comprises the program code that that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the HMD to display the child array of UI elements in a location on the HMD where the parent array of UI elements was displayed and move the display of the parent array of UI elements to another location on the HMD in response to the detection of the input corresponding to the other level.