Electronic device for providing 3D user interface and method of providing a 3D user interface

• US 20080016471A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Bo-eun
• Application Number:
  US11/634,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20080016471A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/848
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Electronic devices providing three-dimensional user interface and methods therefore are provided. The electronic device includes a graphical user interface (GUI) unit for producing a GUI, the GUI including a device layer for displaying device information using at least one of side surfaces of a first polygonal pillared shape, and a content layer for displaying content information using at least one of side surfaces of a second polygonal pillared shape; and a control unit for controlling the GUI producing operation of the GUI unit. The devices allow for efficiently operating menus and operating personalized menus according to user'"'"'s preferences by providing a three-dimensional GUI having a plurality of independently movable layers.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) unit for producing a GUI, the GUI including a device layer for displaying device information using at least one of side surfaces of a first polygonal pillared shape, and a content layer for displaying content information using at least one of side surfaces of a second polygonal pillared shape; and

a control unit for controlling the GUI producing operation of the GUI unit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein

the content layer displays at least one of a still image, a moving image, music, and text, and

the device layer displays devices including a storage medium for storing at least one of the still image, moving image, music, and text.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein

the GUI generated by the GUI unit further comprises a task layer for displaying task information using at least one of side surfaces of a third polygonal pillared shape, and

the task layer displays at least one of slide show, CD burning, and new-folder making.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the first polygonal pillared and the second polygonal pillared shape is any one of a triangular pillared shape, a tetragonal pillared shape, a pentagonal pillared shape, and a hexagonal pillared shape.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first polygonal pillared shape and the second polygonal pillared shape have the same structure.

6. A user interface method comprising:

(a) displaying device information using at least one of side surfaces of a first polygonal pillared shape; and

(b) displaying content information using at least one of side surfaces of a second polygonal pillared shape.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

the content layer displays at least one of a still image, a moving image, music, and text, and

the device layer displays devices including a storage medium for storing at least one of the still image, moving image, music, and text.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein step (b) comprises displaying a content corresponding to the content information displayed on the side surface of the second polygonal pillared shape among contents included in a selected device when any one of devices displayed on the side surface of the first polygonal pillared shape is selected.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying task information using at least one of side surfaces of a third polygonal pillared shape, wherein:

a task layer displays at least one of slide show, CD burning, and new-folder making.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a GUI unit for producing a GUI, the GUI including a menu for indicating a menu item using at least one of side surfaces of a first polygonal pillared shape, and a submenu for indicating a submenu item using at least one of side surfaces of a second polygonal pillared shape; and

a control unit for controlling the GUI producing operation of the GUI unit.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the GUI generated by the GUI unit further comprises another menu for indicating another menu item using at least one of side surfaces of a third polygonal pillared shape, and

another menu is a submenu of either the menu item or the submenu item.

12. A user interface method comprising:

(a) displaying content information for a first type of contents stored in a first device when a selected one of a plurality of devices is the first device; and

(b) when the selected device is changed into a second device, displaying content information for a first type of contents stored in the second device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a selection of one of the first device and the second device, wherein:

step (a) comprises displaying the content information for a first type of contents stored in the first device when the selection of the first device is received, and

step (b) comprises displaying the content information for a first type of contents stored in the second device when the selection is changed from the first device to the second device.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a GUI unit for producing a GUI, the GUI including a device layer for displaying device information and a content layer for displaying content information; and

a control unit for controlling the GUI unit to display a content corresponding to a selected device when one of devices of the device layer is selected.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the GUI generated by the GUI unit further comprises a task layer for displaying task information,

the control unit controls the GUI unit to display at least one of a still image, a moving image, music, and text on the content layer, and

the control unit controls the GUI unit to display at least one of slide show, CD burning, and new-folder making on the task layer.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the control unit controls the GUI unit to display a content corresponding to the content type indicated on the content layer among the contents included in a selected device when any one of devices displayed on the device layer is selected.

17. A user interface method comprising:

displaying a first type of submenu belonging to the first menu item when a selected one of a plurality of menu items is a first menu item; and

when the first selected menu item is changed into a second menu item, displaying a first type of submenu belonging to the second menu item.