Continuous determination of a perspective

• US 9,128,612 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2010
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Eckl, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Carolyn R
• Application Number:
  US13/390,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing

Abstract

In a method and operating element for establishing an angle of view for an observer with respect to a two or three-dimensional object, which is displayed on an output device, the establishment of the angle of view takes place by control on a simple circular disc. A point on the disc is converted to a position on a virtual sphere. The respective angle of view with respect to the object is established by the axis, determined by the calculated position on the virtual sphere and the sphere center.

Claims

1. A method for establishing an angle of view for an observer with respect to an object to be displayed the method comprising the following steps:

receiving mechanical-tactile or indirect input from the observer via a circular, substantially level, input field associated with a physical input device, the mechanical-tactile or indirect input defining movements within a first defined region of the circular input field,

dynamically establishing an angle of view of a front side of the object based on the received mechanical-tactile or indirect input by;

converting a point of the circular input field within the first defined region, defined by the input from the observer, to a positioning point on a front part of a virtual sphere,

wherein a center point of the virtual sphere and a center point of the object to be displayed substantially correspond,

defining a connecting line from the center point of the virtual sphere to the positioning point on the virtual sphere that establishes the angle of view for the observer,

displaying the front part of the object on an output mechanism according to the established angle of view,

continuously detecting the mechanical-tactile or indirect input defining movements within the first defined region of the circular input field, automatically updating the established angle of view of the front part of the object, and automatically updating the display of the front part of the object according to the automatically updated angle of view,

detecting a movement from the first defined region of the circular input field into a transition region of the of the circular input field located around an edge of a circle defined by the circular input field, the transition movement causing an automatic transition from displaying the front part of the object to displaying a rear part of the object opposite the front part of the object,

detecting a movement from the transition region of the circular input field back into the first defined region of the of the circular input field, and

after detecting the movement back into the first defined region of the of the circular input field, dynamically establishing an angle of view of the rear part of the object and automatically updating the display of the rear part of the object based on the received mechanical-tactile or indirect input defining movements within the first defined region of the circular input field.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a circle outline is applied to the input field.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a circle center point is applied to the input field.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transition region is applied in color or tactile form to the input field.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conversion of a position on the input field is performed on the positioning point of the virtual sphere by cone surface projection or azimuthal projection.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the circular input field surrounds the actual object or lies between the observer and object.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the angle of view is restricted to sections of the object.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input field is convex or concave.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a direction of view and a starting point of the observer is movable by a fixed relative value.

10. A method for aligning an object by establishing its position in a three-dimensional space, the method comprising the following steps:

a) establishment of an axis of the object; and

b) establishment of the position by mechanical-tactile or indirect input via interaction of an observer with a circular, substantially level, input field associated with a physical input device by;

converting a point of the circular input field defined by the input from the observer to a positioning point on a virtual sphere defining three orthogonal axes,

wherein a center point of the virtual sphere and a center point of the object to be displayed substantially correspond,

converting the object according to the established axis such that a line connecting the center point of the virtual sphere to the positioning point on the virtual sphere corresponds with the established axis,

continuously detecting the mechanical-tactile or indirect input via interactions of the observer with the circular, substantially level input field,

automatically adjusting the angle of view for the observer around all three orthogonal axes in response to the continuously detected mechanical-tactile or indirect input via the interactions of the observer with the circular, substantially level input field,

during the continuous detection of the mechanical-tactile or indirect input from the input field, detecting an entry into a transition region of the input field located around an edge of a circle defined by the circular input field, and

in response to detecting an entry into the transition region, automatically migrating the positioning point to a rear part of the virtual sphere.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising:

c) displaying the object relative to the view resulting from a change of location.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the object is a physical object, further comprising:

d) rotating the object relative to the calculated change of location.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein a circle outline is applied to the input field.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein a circle center point is applied to the input field.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the transition region is applied in color or tactile form on the input field.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the input field is convex or concave.

17. A method for moving a view of an object, comprising:

detecting mechanical-tactile or indirect input from an observer via a circular, substantially level, input field associated with a physical input device, the detected input defining movements within a first defined region of the circular input field,

dynamically adjusting an angle of view of a front side of the object by;

converting a point of the circular input field defined by the input from the observer to a positioning point on a virtual sphere,

establishing the angle of view of the front side of the object based on the positioning point of the virtual plane,

continuously detecting the mechanical-tactile or indirect input from the circular input field, and dynamically adjusting the established angle of view of the front side of the object based on the continuously detected input,

detecting a movement from the first defined region of the circular input field into a transition region of the circular input field located around an edge of a circle defined by the circular input field, the transition movement causing an automatic transition from displaying the front side of the object to displaying a rear side of the object opposite the front side of the object,

detecting a movement from the transition region of the circular input field back into the first defined region of the of the circular input field, and

after detecting the movement back into the first defined region of the of the circular input field, dynamically adjusting an angle of view of the rear side of the object based on received mechanical-tactile or indirect input defining movements within the first defined region of the circular input field.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the view corresponds to a map or another two-dimensional area.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the view corresponds to the position of a camera in a plane.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein a circle outline is applied to the input field.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein a circle center point is applied to the input field.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the transition region is applied in color or tactile form on the input field.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the input field is convex or concave.