Electronic device configured to display three dimensional (3D) virtual space and method of controlling the electronic device

• US 10,303,324 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2015
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hee Sae, Lee, Hyong Euk
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Hien L
• Application Number:
  US14/617,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method of controlling an electronic device includes displaying a three-dimensional (3D) virtual space comprising at least one 3D object, receiving a correspondence command to make a two-dimensional (2D) icon for executing an application correspond to a first object among the at least one 3D object; and assigning an attribute of the 2D icon to the first object.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional (3D) virtual space comprising a 3D object;

receiving a correspondence command to make a two-dimensional (2D) icon for executing an application and the 3D object correspond to each other;

assigning an attribute of the 2D icon to the 3D object;

indicating the attribute of the 2D icon is assigned by modifying the 3D object; and

determining when the 3D object designation is made and executing the application corresponding to the determination in the 3D virtual space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the correspondence command comprises:

verifying a correspondence relationship between the 2D icon and the 3D object; and

displaying whether an input of the correspondence command is possible based on the correspondence relationship.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indicating comprises displaying a graphics effect of the 3D object when the 2D icon corresponds to the 3D object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an application storage screen comprising the 2D icon together with the 3D virtual space.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the correspondence command is a drag-and-drop gesture from the 2D icon comprised in the application storage screen to the first object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a user setting area comprising the 3D object on the 3D virtual space.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing a navigating user interface on the 3D virtual space for setting the user setting area.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing the user setting area in a predetermined order.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a movement command to move between user setting areas; and

moving between user setting areas and displaying each user setting area in response to the movement command and in the predetermined order.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising editing the 3D object by:

separating and displaying an addable 3D object from the 3D virtual space;

receiving a movement command to a first point on the 3D virtual space from the addable 3D object; and

displaying the addable 3D object at the 3D point.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D object is a secure 3D storage object in which a 2D icon is securely stored.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a security cancel user interface when the secure 3D storage object is designated; and

displaying the securely stored 2D icon in response to a security cancel command that is input using the security cancel user interface.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the 3D object by applying a visual effect thereto in correspondence to a 3D light source positioned on the 3D virtual space.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

positioning the 3D light source based on 3D light source information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the positioning of the 3D light source comprises determining a position of the 3D light source from one of a wallpaper, actual illumination information, and a current time.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

changing a position of the 3D light source; and

displaying the 3D object by applying the visual effect thereto based on the changed position.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a connection probability in response to the 2D icon being placed on the 3D object.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a display width of the 3D virtual space in response to determining whether a gesture is a pinch-in gesture or a pinch-out gesture.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein in response to the gesture being a pinch-out gesture, changing the display width to be narrower, and in response to the gesture being a pinch-in gesture, changing the display width to be wider.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

a display unit configured to display a three-dimensional (3D) virtual space comprising a 3D object;

a input unit configured to receive a correspondence command to make a two-dimensional (2D) icon for executing an application correspond to the 3D object; and

a controller configured to;

assign an attribute of the 2D icon to the 3D object and indicate the attribute of the 2D icon is assigned by modifying the 3D object, and

determine when the 3D object designation is made and execute the application corresponding to the determination in the 3D virtual space.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to change a display width of the 3D virtual space in response to determining whether a gesture is a pinch-in gesture or a pinch-out gesture.

22. A method comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional (3D) virtual space comprising a 3D object;

displaying a two-dimensional (2D) icon comprising a function;

receiving a command to associate the 2D icon with the 3D object;

mapping, by a processor, the function of the 2D icon to the 3D object;

indicating the 2D icon is associated by modifying the 3D object; and

executing the application corresponding to the 2D icon in the 3D virtual space.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program to implement the method of claim 22.