Multi-planar three-dimensional user interface

• US 7,178,111 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fong, Jeffrey C., Gibson, Mark R., Ostojic, Bojana, Sands, Kort Danner, Glein, Christopher Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tan; Alvin H
• Application Number:
  US10/909,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 715/848, 715/810, 715/811, 715/815, 715/836, 715/825, 715/841, 715/782, 715/821, 725/37, 725/39, 725/40, 725/46, 725/52
• US Class Current: 715/848
• 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
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A 10-Foot media user interface is herein described. A computer user interface may be designed for primary use as a 10-Foot user interface, where a user controls the computer using a remote control device, instead of as a traditional 2-Foot user interface where the user controls the computer using keyboard and mouse from directly in from of the computer. The 10-Foot user interface uses 3D space and animations to more clearly indicate navigation and selection of items in the user interface to the controlling user. Use of three-dimensional space also increases the display screen real estate that is available for content items, and allows the media user interface to move unselected items out of primary view of the user. The user interface may animate movement in three-dimensions to allow the user to more easily conceptually follow navigation of the user interface.

Claims

1. A method for displaying content a user through a user interface, comprising steps of:

displaying on a display device connected to a data processing device on which the user interface is rendered a first plurality of selectable menu items in a single simulated plane in a three-dimensional graphical space, said first plurality of menu items selectable by the user using a remote control device;

responsive to the user selecting one of the first plurality of selectable menu items, displaying the selected one menu item on a simulated first plane in the three-dimensional graphical space, and displaying the first plurality of selectable menu items other than the one selected item on a simulated second plane in the three-dimensional graphical space, wherein the first plane has a more prominent display position than the second plane;

pivoting the first plane on a first hinge axis; and

pivoting the second plane on a second hinge axis.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plane having a more prominent display position than the second plane comprises the first plane being in front of the second plane in the three dimensional graphical space as viewed by a user of the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the first plane a second plurality of menu items corresponding to the selected one item.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second plurality of menu items comprise items of a context menu corresponding to the selected one item.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the selected one item comprises a type of media, and the second plurality of menu items comprise a list of most recently used media of the selected one type of media.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the second plurality of menu items comprises a sub-menu underneath the selected one menu item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hinge axis has a different location in the three-dimensional space than the second hinge axis.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second hinge axes are on substantially opposite sides of the display device in an X-dimension of the three dimensional space.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising simulating pushing the second plane back in a Z-dimension of the three-dimensional space as compared to the first plane.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising pulling the first plane forward in the Z-dimension.

11. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

12. A data processing system, comprising:

a remote control device for controlling the data processing system;

a data processor configured to provide a three-dimensional user interface on a display device connected to the data processing system by executing computer executable software modules stored in a memory of the data processing system; and

the memory storing computer executable software modules, comprising;

a user interface software module configured to provide the user interface in a three-dimensional space displayed on the display device, said user interface including a plurality of menus navigable by a user using the remote control device; and

an animation module which, under control of the user interface software module, provides a sequence of frames of an animation when the user selects one of a plurality of menu items from a first menu of the plurality of menus, wherein the animation sequence splits the plurality of menu items between a first plane and a second plane and animates the first and second planes moving away from each other in the three-dimensional space, wherein the animation module pivots the first plane on a first hinge axis, and wherein the animation module pivots the second plane on a second hinge axis.

13. The data processing device of claim 12, wherein the selected one menu item is on the first plane and the plurality of menu items other than the selected one menu item are on the second plane.

14. The data processing device of claim 12, wherein the first plane has a more prominent display position than the second plane.

15. The data processing device of claim 14, wherein the first plane having a more prominent display position than the second plane comprises placing the first plane in front of the second plane in the three dimensional graphical space as viewed by a user of the user interface.

16. The data processing device of claim 12, wherein the first and second hinge axes are on substantially opposite sides of the display device in an X-dimension of the three dimensional space.

17. The data processing device of claim 12, wherein the first hinge axis has a different location in the three-dimensional space than the second hinge axis.

18. The data processing device of claim 12, wherein the animation module pushes the second plane back in a Z-dimension of the three-dimensional space as compared to the first plane.

19. The data processing device of claim 12, wherein the animation module pulls the first plane forward in the a Z-dimension.

20. The data processing device of claim 12, wherein the user interface software module causes a second plurality of menu items corresponding to the selected one item to be displayed on the first plane.

21. The data processing device of claim 20, wherein the second plurality of menu items comprise items of a context menu corresponding to the selected one item.

22. The data processing device of claim 20, wherein the selected one item comprises a type of media, and the second plurality of menu items comprise a list of most recently used media of the selected one type of media.

23. The data processing device of claim 22, wherein the animation module makes the second plurality of menu items appear to slide into view from behind the selected one menu item.

24. The data processing device of claim 20, wherein the second plurality of menu items comprises a sub-menu underneath the selected one menu item.

25. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for a method of providing a three-dimensional user interface, comprising steps of:

generating a three-dimensional graphical space for providing the user interface of a data processing device;

graphically displaying on a display device connected to the data processing device a first list of a plurality of menu items on a single simulated plane in the three-dimensional graphical space, said plurality of menu items selectable by a user navigating the user interface using a remote control device;

responsive to the user selecting one of the plurality of menu items, displaying the selected one menu item on a first plane in the three-dimensional graphical space, and displaying the plurality of menu items other than the one selected item on a second plane in the three-dimensional graphical space;

animating the first and second planes moving away from each other in the three dimensional space, wherein animating the first and second planes comprises pivoting the first plane around a first hinge axis in the three-dimensional space and a second plane around a second hinge axis in the three-dimensional space, and wherein, when the animation is completed, the first plane has a more prominent display position than the second plane.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein said first hinge axis is different from said second hinge axis.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein animating the first and second planes comprises moving the first and second planes in a Z-dimension of the three-dimensional space without altering X and Y dimensions of content on either the first or second plane.

28. A user interface stored as executable instructions in a memory of a computer system and displayable on a display device connected to the computer system, said user interface comprising:

in a first state;

a first plurality of selectable menu items on a single simulated plane in a three-dimensional graphical space, wherein a user can highlight one of the first plurality of selectable menu items at a time with a selection cursor, and

a second plurality of menu items that remain corresponding to the highlighted one of the first plurality of menu items, wherein the second plurality of menu items change to remain corresponding to the highlighted one of the first menu items if the user moves the selection cursor from a first menu item to a second menu item; and

in a second state;

a first graphically simulated plane having a user selected one of the first plurality of menu items and the second plurality of menu items corresponding to the selected one of the first plurality of menu items; and

a second graphically simulated plane having the remaining first plurality of menu items other than the user selected one of the first plurality of menu items, wherein the first graphically simulated plane has a more prominent appearance than the second graphically simulated plane,

wherein the user interface animatedly transitions from the first state to the second state, wherein said transition comprises pivoting the first graphically simulated plane on a first hinge axis and the second graphically simulated plane on a second hinge axis, when the user moves the selection cursor to highlight one of the second plurality of menu items.