Offering menu items to a user

• US 8,136,038 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Theimer, Wolfgang, Ross, Andree
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US11/885,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20080172635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: 715706-709, 715/757, 715848-851, 715/863
• US Class Current: 715/706
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2213/04 Animation description language
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic device 1 offering a plurality of menu items to a user. In order to enable a user friendly selection of the menu items, the electronic device 1 comprises a screen 60, user input means 70, storing means 50 adapted to store parameters for a virtual model of a user and processing means 31. The processing means 31 are adapted to generate a visual representation of a virtual user model 61 on the screen 60 based on the stored parameters for the virtual model of a user, to cause a movement of a visually represented virtual user model 61 depending on a user input, to detect a movement of a visually represented virtual user model 61 that is associated to a particular menu item, which menu item is offered for any of a plurality of applications, and to call a function that is assigned to the particular menu item.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine to store parameters for a virtual model of a user of the apparatus and for a virtual model of at least one user of another device that is associated with a menu item offered to the user of the apparatus;

generate a visual representation of one of the virtual models based on the respective parameters,

cause a movement of the visually represented virtual model depending on an input by the user of the apparatus,

detect a movement, of the visually represented virtual model, that is associated to the menu item, which menu item is offered for any of a plurality of applications, and

call a function that is assigned to the menu item.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parameters includes fixed parameters.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parameters are changeable by a user via the user input.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a screen, wherein a plurality of menu items are visually represented on the screen and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

detect the movement of the visually represented virtual model that is associated to a menu item in case the visually represented virtual model approaches a position on the screen at which the menu item is visually represented.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

store parameters for a virtual model of at least one object representing the menu item, and

generate a visual representation of a virtual object model based on the stored parameters for the virtual model of the at least one object.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a screen, wherein the menu item associated to the at least one user of the other device, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

generate a visual representation of a virtual model on the screen based on stored parameters for the at least one user of the other device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store a library of templates, each template comprising parameters for a virtual model of an object or a user associated to a possible menu item, and wherein the processor is configured to generate a visual representation of a virtual object or user model based on one of the templates stored in the memory, which template is selected depending on a menu item that is to be offered to a user.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor, wherein the processor is configured to take measurement data provided by the at least one sensor into account, when generating the visual representation.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine measurement data provided by the at least one sensor into account for at least one of an appearance of the visually represented virtual model, a behavior of the virtual model of the visually represented virtual model, a selection of currently offered menu items and an appearance of an environment in which the visually represented virtual model is presented.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an operating system, wherein the operating system is configured to forward measurement data provided by the at least one sensor to the processor.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user input interface, wherein a shortcut is defined for enabling a user to perform a movement of the visually represented virtual model, which movement is associated to the menu item, in a single action by means of the user input interface.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a screen, wherein the user input comprise means which are arranged at least one of to recall a preceding presentation on the screen when being selected by a user, and to cause a predefined presentation on the screen when being selected by a user.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile electronic device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile communication device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile device, and the apparatus is further caused to:

detect a location of the apparatus;

determine an environment associated with the location; and

cause, at least in part, presentation of the environment,

wherein the menu item is offered as part of the presentation.

16. A method comprising:

generating a visual representation of a virtual model of a user of an apparatus on a screen of the apparatus based on stored parameters for the virtual model and a visual representation of another virtual model of at least one user of another device that is associated with a menu item offered to the user of the apparatus, based on stored parameters for the virtual model of the at least one user of another device;

causing the visually represented virtual model to move in accordance with an input by the user of the apparatus;

detecting a movement, of a visually represented virtual model, that is associated with the menu item offered by the electronic device for any of a plurality of applications; and

calling a function that is assigned to the particular menu item.

17. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform at least the following:

generating a visual representation of a virtual model of a user of an apparatus on a screen of the apparatus, based on stored parameters for the virtual model and a visual representation of a virtual model of at least one user of another device, that is associated with a menu item offered to the user of the apparatus, based on stored parameters for the virtual model of the at least one user of another device;

causing the visually represented virtual model to move in accordance with an input by the user of the apparatus;

detecting a movement, of a visually represented virtual model, that is associated to the menu item offered by the electronic device for any of a plurality of applications; and

calling a function that is assigned to the menu item.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for storing parameters for a virtual model of a user of the apparatus and for a virtual model of at least one user of another device that is associated with a menu item offered to the user of the apparatus; and

means for generating a visual representation of one of the virtual models based on the respective parameters, to cause a movement of the visually represented virtual model depending on an input by the user of the apparatus, to detect a movement, of the visually represented virtual model, that is associated to the menu item, which menu item is offered for any of a plurality of applications, and to call a function that is assigned to the menu item.