Method for navigation and selection at a terminal device

• US 7,365,741 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Nerbrant, Per-Olof, Jonsson, Björn, Chincholle, Didier
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, NITIN
• Application Number:
  US10/488,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-176, 345/179, 345/503, 359/462, 359/463, 359/464, 359/465, 359/376, 348 50- 59, 348/60
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• 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 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 3/04815 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for navigation and selection in an information space at least partly displayed on a display screen at a mobile terminal device. The information space contains selectable information objects properties. The terminal device has motion-sensing means for control of the displayed information and of object selection. An information object may represent an information space whereby object properties determine display, navigation, and selection characteristics. In particular, a terminal device motion along a predefined axis affects a type of projection for mapping the information onto a display screen and, simultaneously, a scale factor.

Claims

1. A device for navigation and selection of information, said device comprising:

a display for displaying information;

memory means for storing information,

means for loading the memory means with an information part representable as a displayed at least one information object;

means for controlling, by a first motions of the device relative a reference position, the displayed representation of the at least one information object in dependence thereto associated object properties;

means for determining a displayed selection tool the type of which depends on the properties of the at least one information object; and

selecting an information object by second motions of the device causing an object and the selection tool to overlap at least partly;

means for establishing communication with a remote information source in response to a motion of the terminal corresponding to information outside the current range of loaded information;

means at the remote information source for preparing a download file in dependence of information provided in said communication relating to motion parameters and a type of projection; and

means for downloading the download file to the device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first motions relate to a number of degrees of freedom characterizing the at least one information object.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said representation of at least one information object corresponds to a sphere displayed as a conical projection of the sphere.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein moving the device along a predefined z-axis causes a variation of the type of projection corresponding to a variation of an angle φ

and a simultaneous variation of a magnification property of the sphere.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein moving the terminal device along said z-axis in a direction towards the sphere a limiting value φ

=0, corresponding to a cylindrical projection and a limiting maximum magnification are simultaneously approached.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein an initial projection is a planar projection corresponding to φ

=π

/2 and the magnification is such that the planar projection lies within the physical limits of the display screen.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said displayed at least one information object represents a book for reading comprising a plurality of pages of information and said controlling corresponds to either turning book pages or zooming a book page.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a continued zooming of the book page comprises the step of reaching a limit value that causes the type of representation to change to an RSVP format.

2. A device for navigation and selection of information, said device comprising:

a display for displaying information;

memory means for storing information,

means for loading the memory means with an information part representable as a displayed at least one information object;

means for controlling, by a first motions of the device relative a reference position, the displayed representation of the at least one information object in dependence thereto associated object properties;

means for determining a displayed selection tool the type of which depends on the properties of the at least one information object; and

selecting an information object by second motions of the device causing an object and the selection tool to overlap at least partly.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein said means for controlling affects parameters corresponding to degrees of freedom of the at least one information object.

4. The device according to claim 2 wherein the at least one information object is operable as a sphere displayed as a conical projection and said means for controlling causes a simultaneous variation of an angle φ

and a magnification factor.

5. A method for navigation and selection of information at a terminal device, the method comprising the steps of:

loading a memory means of the device with an information part representable as a displayed at least one information object

varying, by first motions of the device relative to a reference position, the representation of the displayed at least one information object in dependence of thereto associated object properties;

determining a displayed selection tool, wherein the type of the displayed selection tool depends on the object properties of the at least one information object; and

selecting an information object by second motions of the device.

13. A method for navigation and selection of information at a terminal device, the method comprising the steps of:

loading a memory means of the device with an information part representable as a displayed at least one information object

controlling, by first motions of the device relative to a reference position, the representation of the displayed at least one information object in dependence of thereto associated object properties, wherein said step of controlling by first motions involves the additional steps of;

establishing, in response to a motion of the terminal device corresponding to information outside the current range of loaded information and prior to said step of loading, communication with a remote information source and transferring from the terminal device motion parameters and a type of projection;

preparing, at said information source, a download file in dependence of the motion parameters and a type of projection;

downloading the download file to the device; and

displaying at least part thereof according to said type of projection;

determining a displayed selection tool, wherein the type of the displayed selection tool depends on the object properties of the at least one information obiect; and

selecting an information obiect by second motions of the device.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said step of loading is performed in dependence of the geographical position of the device and comprises the further steps of:

calibrating the device in a North-South direction;

directing the device in a certain direction and displaying information objects representative of physical objects and their relative distance along a line in the certain direction; and

performing a zooming operation along the certain direction for selection of a desired one of said information objects.