Graphical user interface for a mobile device

• US 7,007,242 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Suomela, Riku, Roykkee, Mika
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): THERIAULT, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US10/081,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/653, 345/659, 345/684, 715/834, 715/849, 715/851, 725/37, 725/44, 725/61
• US Class Current: 715/849
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• 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

The invention relates to a mobile device comprising a display. In order to offer a user a more extensive immediate overview over the information available to a specific topic, it is proposed that the mobile device comprises processing means for presenting on the display a three-dimensional polyhedron as graphical user interface. Different pieces of information that are to be presented to a user of the mobile device are associated to different facets of this polyhedron, and the visible facets of the polyhedron present at least a hint on a respectively associated piece of information to a user of the mobile device. It is further proposed that the mobile device comprises means for enabling a user to cause the processing means to rotate the facets of the presented polyhedron. The invention relates equally to a corresponding graphical user interface and to a corresponding method for presenting such a graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a display;

processing means for presenting on said display a three-dimensional polyhedron as graphical user interface, wherein different pieces of information that are to be presented to a user of said mobile device are associated exclusively to all visible facets of said polyhedron, and wherein said visible facets of said polyhedron present at least a hint on a respectively associated piece of information to a user of said mobile device; and

means for enabling a user to cause said processing means to rotate exclusively said visible facets of said presented polyhedron.

2. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said means for enabling a user to cause said processing means to rotate said facets of said polyhedron comprise input means enabling a user to inform said processing means about a desired rotation of said facets of said presented polyhedron.

3. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said means for enabling a user to cause said processing means to rotate said facets of said polyhedron comprise a movement detecting sensor, the output of said movement detecting sensor causing said processing means to rotate said facets of said presented polyhedron according to a detected movement of said mobile device.

4. A mobile device according to claim 3, wherein said means for enabling a user to cause said processing means to rotate said facets of said polyhedron comprise input means for enabling a user to enable/disable a rotation according to a detected movement of said mobile device.

5. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said processing means adapt the number of facets of said presented polyhedron to the number of different pieces of information that are to be presented to a user in a current status of said mobile device.

6. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said processing means associate said pieces of information that are to be presented to a user to visible facets of said polyhedron, and further pieces of information are associated to hidden facets of said presented polyhedron.

7. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said processing means, when caused to rotate said facets of said presented polyhedron, rotate said facets of said presented polyhedron in a continuous movement.

8. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said processing means, when caused to rotate said facets of said presented polyhedron, rotate said facets of said presented polyhedron in a discrete movement, such that always one of said facets is presented in plan view to a user.

9. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said different pieces of information represents a choice offered to a user, said mobile device further comprising input means for enabling a user to select a choice represented by a piece of information that is associated to a facet of said polyhedron, which facet is currently presented at least essentially in plan view to said user.

10. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said different pieces of information represents a choice offered to a user, said mobile device further comprising pointing means for enabling a user to select a choice represented by a piece of information that is associated to a visible facet of said polyhedron by pointing at said facet.

11. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said processing means present said three-dimensional polyhedron as a convex polyhedron.

12. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said processing means present said three-dimensional polyhedron as a concave polyhedron.

13. A graphical user interface for a mobile device, which graphical user interface is presented as a three-dimensional polyhedron on a display of said mobile device, wherein different pieces of information that are to be presented to a user of said mobile device are associated exclusively to all visible facets of said polyhedron, wherein visible facets of said polyhedron present at least a hint on a respectively associated piece of information to a user of said mobile device, and wherein said visible facets of said polyhedron can be caused by a user of said mobile device to rotate exclusively upon activation of a rotation enabling input device.

14. A graphical user interface according to claim 13, wherein the number of facets of said polyhedron depends on the number of different pieces of information that are currently to be presented to a user of said mobile device.

15. A graphical user interface according to claim 13, wherein said pieces of information that are to be presented to a user are associated to visible facets of said polyhedron, and further pieces of information are associated to hidden facets of said polyhedron.

16. A graphical user interface according to claim 13, wherein said facets of said polyhedron rotate in a continuous movement upon an initiation by a user of said mobile device.

17. A graphical user interface according to claim 13, wherein said facets of said polyhedron rotate in a discrete movement upon an initiation by a user of said mobile device, such that always one of said facets is presented in plan view to said user.

18. A graphical user interface according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said different pieces of information represents a choice offered to a user, and wherein a choice represented by a piece of information that is associated to a facet of said polyhedron, which facet is currently presented at least essentially in plan view to a user, can be selected by said user of said mobile device.

19. A graphical user interface according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said different pieces of information represents a choice offered to a user, and wherein a choice represented by a piece of information that is associated to a facet of said polyhedron can be selected by said user of said mobile device by pointing at said facet with pointing means.

20. A graphical user interface according to claim 13, wherein said three-dimensional polyhedron is presented as a convex polyhedron.

21. A graphical user interface according to claim 13, wherein said three-dimensional polyhedron is presented as a concave polyhedron.

34. The method of claim 13 wherein the rotation enabling input device is a joystick, on or more buttons or a movement detection sensor.

22. A method for presenting a graphical user interface on a display of a mobile device, said method comprising:

associating different pieces of information that are to be presented to a user of said mobile device exclusively to all visible facets of a three-dimensional polyhedron;

presenting said three-dimensional polyhedron on said display as graphical user interface in a way that visible facets of said polyhedron present at least a hint on a respectively associated piece of information to a user of said mobile device; and

rotating exclusively said visible facets of said polyhedron upon an initiation by a user of said mobile device of a rotation enabling input device.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein said step of rotating said facets of said polyhedron upon an initiation by a user of said mobile device comprises detecting an input by a user to said mobile device via input means and rotating said facets of said presented polyhedron according to said detected input.

24. A method according to claim 22, wherein said step of rotating said facets of said polyhedron upon an initiation by a user of said mobile device comprises detecting a movement of said mobile device by a user and rotating said facets of said presented polyhedron according to a detected movement of said mobile device.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein said step of rotating said facets of said polyhedron upon an initiation by a user of said mobile device comprises determining whether a rotation is enabled or disabled by a user, said facets being rotated only in case it is determined that a rotation is currently enabled by a user.

26. A method according to claim 22, wherein said step of associating different pieces of information to different facets of a three-dimensional polyhedron is preceded by a step of determining the number of facets of said polyhedron based on the number of different pieces of information that are to be presented to a user.

27. A method according to claim 22, wherein said pieces of information are associated to visible and to hidden facets of said polyhedron, and wherein rotating said facets of said polyhedron is performed by a further step of rotating visible facets.

28. A method according to claim 22, wherein said facets of said presented polyhedron are rotated upon an initiation by a user of said mobile device in a continuous movement.

29. A method according to claim 22, wherein said facets of said presented polyhedron are rotated upon an initiation by a user of said mobile device in a discrete movement, such that always one of said facets is presented in plan view to a user.

30. A method according to claim 22, wherein at least one of said different pieces of information represents a choice offered to a user, said method comprising processing upon an initiation by said user a choice represented by a piece of information that is associated to a facet which is currently presented at least essentially in plan view to said user.

31. A method according to claim 22, wherein at least one of said different pieces of information represents a choice offered to a users said method comprising processing upon an initiation by said user a choice represented by a piece of information that is associated to a facet, wherein said initiation by said user comprises pointing at said facet with pointing means.

32. A method according to claim 22, wherein said three-dimensional polyhedron is presented as a convex polyhedron.

33. A method according to claim 22, wherein said three-dimensional polyhedron is presented as a concave polyhedron.

35. The method of claim 22 wherein the rotation enabling input device is a joystick, on or more buttons or a movement detection sensor.