Apparatus, method, computer program and user interface

• US 9,535,493 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Guo, Yongguang, Ge, Shiming
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US13/640,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20130033459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,457 Days
• Field of Search: 345/175, 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• 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

An apparatus, method, computer program and apparatus wherein the apparatus comprises: at least one processor: and at least one memory including computer program code; wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to; detect, using a camera, motion of a user input object; and determine, for performance, a function corresponding to the detected motion of the user input object wherein the function comprises control of an entity within a three dimensional model.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to;

cause presentation on a display of a three dimensional menu structure, wherein the three dimensional menu structure comprises a plurality of individually selectable items positioned at different locations defined by different relative heights, widths or depths within the three dimensional menu structure;

detect, using a camera, motion of a user input object; and

determine, for performance, a function corresponding to the detected motion of the user input object wherein the function comprises movement of the items of the three dimensional menu structure such that the items have different relative locations than prior to the movement and selection of an item of the three dimensional menu structure;

wherein the camera is positioned on an opposite side of the apparatus to the display.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the three dimensional menu structure comprises a three dimensional vector space.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the plurality of items comprise a plurality of three dimensional entities within the three dimensional vector space.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the function also comprises control of an entity within the three dimensional menu structure, and wherein the entity which is controlled is a three dimensional entity and has depth, width and height.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the function also comprises control of an entity within the three dimensional menu structure, and wherein the entity which is controlled is a cursor which enables a user to select items within the three dimensional menu structure.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the function performed comprises selection of an item using the entity.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the function also comprises control of an entity within the three dimensional menu structure, and wherein the function performed comprises movement of the entity within the three dimensional menu structure.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the movement comprises translation of the entity.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the movement comprises rotation of the entity.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user input object comprises part of the user'"'"'s hand.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the user input object comprises one or more fingers.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user input object comprises a stylus.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detected motion of the user input object comprises three dimensional motion.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detected motion of the user input object comprises a gesture.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the camera comprises a plurality of lenses, the plurality of lenses comprising a first lens and a remainder of the lenses such that the first lens is configured to enable an image to be captured independently of the remainder of the lenses.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the three dimensional menu structure initially presents a first item at a location closer to the a user than a second item and, following movement of the items, subsequently presents the second item at a location closer to the user than the first item.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to receive a selection of one or more of the plurality of individually selectable items.

18. A method comprising:

displaying a representation of a three dimensional menu structure on a display of an apparatus, wherein the three dimensional menu structure comprises a plurality of individually selectable items positioned at different locations defined by different relative heights, widths or depths within the three dimensional menu structure;

detecting, using a camera of the apparatus positioned on an opposite side of the apparatus to the display, motion of a user input object; and

determining, for performance, a function corresponding to the detected motion of the user input object wherein the function comprises movement of the items of the three dimensional menu structure such that the items have different relative locations than prior to the movement and selection of an item of the three dimensional menu structure.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the three dimensional menu structure comprises a three dimensional vector space.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer program comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, enable an apparatus at least to perform:

displaying a representation of a three dimensional menu on a display of an apparatus, wherein the three dimensional menu structure comprises a plurality of individually selectable items positioned at different locations defined by different relative heights, widths or depths within the three dimensional menu structure;

detecting, using a camera of the apparatus positioned on an opposite side of the apparatus to the display, motion of a user input object; and

determining, for performance, a function corresponding to the detected motion of the user input object wherein the function comprises movement of the items of the three dimensional menu structure such that the items have different relative locations than prior to the movement and selection of an item of the three dimensional menu structure.