Three-dimensional motion graphic user interface and method and apparatus for providing the same

• US 8,510,680 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Hyun-joo, Kim, Sung-woo, Woo, Joo-kyung, Ok, Joon-ho, Lee, Jung-bong
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US11/188,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,940 Days
• Field of Search: 715/708, 715/782, 715/746, 715/781, 715/836, 715/838, 715/854, 715/759, 715/762, 715/764, 715768-771, 715848-852
• US Class Current: 715/848
• 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 three-dimensional motion graphic user interface includes a first polyhedron component which exists in a first space, and a second polyhedron component which exists in a second space, wherein the first polyhedron component includes identification information that identifies the second polyhedron component, and if an information object selected by a user is located inside the first polyhedron component, the information object is moved inside the second polyhedron component using the identification information.

Claims

1. A computer program product for enabling a computer to implement a graphic user interface, the computer program product comprising:

software instructions for enabling the computer to implement the graphic user interface; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing the software instructions;

the graphic user interface comprising;

a first polyhedron component which exists in a first space at first position coordinates; and

a second polyhedron component which exists in a second space at second position coordinates,

wherein identification information that identifies the second polyhedron component is set to the first polyhedron component, and

when a display location of an information object selected by a user is moved to the first polyhedron component at the first position coordinates, the display location of the information object is automatically moved to a location of the second polyhedron component at the second position coordinates using the set identification information.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first polyhedron component and the second polyhedron component are hexahedrons.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first polyhedron component and the second polyhedron component are semi-transparent polyhedron components.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises names of the first polyhedron component and the second polyhedron component.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises the first position coordinates of the first polyhedron component and the second position coordinates of the second polyhedron component.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein if the information object selected by the user is located entirely inside the first polyhedron component, an external form of the information object is changed into dotted lines.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein if the information object selected by the user is located partially inside the first polyhedron component, the information object is moved inside the second polyhedron component using the identification information.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein if the information object selected by the user is located partially inside the first polyhedron component, an external form of the information object is changed into dotted lines.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the display location of the information object is moved inside the second polyhedron component at the second position coordinates using the identification information, and a viewpoint in the graphic user interface changes such that the second space appears enlarged to a user.

10. An apparatus for providing a user interface, the apparatus comprising:

a control module which creates a first polyhedron component in a first space at first position coordinates having identification information that identifies a second polyhedron component in a second space at second position coordinates;

a storing module which stores the first polyhedron component;

an input module to which a display location of an information object selected by a user is input;

a user interface module which compares the display location of the information object and the first position coordinates of the first polyhedron component and changes the display location of the information object to a location of the second polyhedron component at the second position coordinates if the information object is determined to be moved to the first polyhedron component at the first position coordinates by the comparison; and

an output module which displays a processing result of the user interface module.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first polyhedron component is a hexahedron.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first polyhedron component is a semi-transparent polyhedron component.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the identification information comprises a name of the second polyhedron component.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the identification information comprises the second position coordinates of the second polyhedron component.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the interface module compares the display location of the information object and the first position coordinates of the first polyhedron component and changes an external form of the information object into dotted lines if the information object is located entirely inside the first polyhedron component.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the interface module compares the display location of the information object and the first position coordinates of the first polyhedron component and changes the display location of the information object to position the information object inside the second polyhedron component identified by the identification information if the information object is located partially inside the first polyhedron component.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the interface module compares the display location of the information object and the first position coordinates of the first polyhedron component and changes the external form of the information object into dotted lines if the information object is located partially inside the first polyhedron component.

18. A method for providing a user interface, the method comprising:

(a) setting, in a memory, identification information that identifies a second polyhedron component at second position coordinates to a first polyhedron component at first position coordinates, wherein the second polyhedron component exists in a space that is different from that of the first polyhedron component;

(b) moving a display location of an information object selected by a user to the first polyhedron component at the first position coordinates; and

(c) moving the display location of the information object to the second polyhedron component at the second position coordinates using the set identification information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first polyhedron component is a hexahedron.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first polyhedron component is a semi-transparent polyhedron component.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the identification information comprises a name of the second polyhedron component.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the identification information comprises the second position coordinates of the second polyhedron component.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein (b) comprises changing an external form of the information object into dotted lines if the information object is located inside the first polyhedron component having the identification information.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein (b) comprises providing the information object a location partially inside the first polyhedron component having the identification information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein (b) comprises changing an external form of the information object into dotted lines if the information object is located partially inside the first polyhedron component having the identification information.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising (d) changing a viewpoint in the user interface such that the information object which is moved inside the second polyhedron component appears enlarged to a user.

27. A non-transitory recording medium having a computer readable program recorded therein, the program for executing a method for providing a user interface, the method comprising:

(a) setting identification information that identifies a second polyhedron component at second position coordinates to a first polyhedron component at first position coordinates, wherein the second polyhedron component exists in a space that is different from that of the first polyhedron component;

(b) moving a display location of an information object selected by a user to the first polyhedron component at the first position coordinates; and

(c) moving the display location of the information object to the second polyhedron component at the second position coordinates using the set identification information.