3D method and system for hand-held devices

• US 20080062126A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cherif Algreatly
• Original Assignee: Cherif Algreatly
• Inventors: Algreatly, Cherif
• Application Number:
  US11/906,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20080062126A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• 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 3D input method and system that enables the user to interact with various 3D applications on the hand-held device'"'"'s display. The 3D input method is based on utilizing five positions that can be five spots on a touch screen such as that of the iPhone, or a 5-way button that is usually included on the hand-held device'"'"'s keyboard, or any adjacent five buttons arranged in a symmetrical cross-configuration on a hand-held device'"'"'s keyboard. Said five positions provide six degrees-of-freedom to manipulate a pointer to move in 3D on a hidden mesh grid that covers a 3D virtual environment on the hand-held device'"'"'s display. Accordingly, the user is able to move or navigate in 3D using a single finger of a hand in an intuitive manner to operate 3D windows, 3D GPS, virtual reality, 3D games, or the like.

Claims

1. A 3D input system that enables the user to interact with 3D applications on a device'"'"'s display, where said 3D input system is comprised of;

a) a 5-way button that has five positions to press on where each two different successive pressings on one or two positions of said 5-way button generate two unique successive signals that represent one degree of the six degrees freedom.

b) a pointer on said device'"'"'s display that targets a specific spot in a virtual 3D environment, where said pointer is comprised of a line connecting a base-point which is located in the center of said device'"'"'s display, and an endpoint which intersects with said 3D virtual environment on said device'"'"'s display.

b) a mesh grid which is a result of intersected hidden lines parallel to the x, y, and z-axis of said 3D virtual environment on said device'"'"'s display, where each intersection is considered as one node, and each node is defined with a unique ID and an identified position in three dimensions.

Where said 5-way button provides six degree of freedom making said base-point move along or rotate about the x, y, or z-axis to step said endpoint from one node to another on said mesh grid.

2. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein the first degree of freedom represents a movement along the x-axis of said device'"'"'s display, the second degree of freedom represents a movement along the y-axis of said device'"'"'s display, the third degree of freedom represents a movement along the direction of said pointer in 3D on said device'"'"'s display, the fourth degree of freedom represents a rotation about the x-axis of said device'"'"'s display, the fifth degree of freedom represents a rotation about the y-axis of said device'"'"'s display, and the sixth degree of freedom represents a rotation about said pointer.

3. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein the first degree of freedom represents a movement along the x-axis of said 3D virtual environment, the second degree of freedom represents a movement along the y-axis of said 3D virtual environment, the third degree of freedom represents a movement along the z-axis of said 3D virtual environment, the fourth degree of freedom represents a rotation about the x-axis of said 3D virtual environment, the fifth degree of freedom represents a rotation about the y-axis of said 3D virtual environment, and the sixth degree of freedom represents a rotation about the z-axis of said 3D virtual environment

4. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said 5-way button is five spots on a touch screen.

5. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said 5-way button is adjacent five buttons arranged in a symmetrical cross-configuration on a device'"'"'s keyboard.

6. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said 5-way button is an input device that provides six degrees of freedom.

7. The 3D input system of claim 1 further the virtual camera'"'"'s orientation of said device'"'"'s display is moved or rotated simultaneously with said pointer.

8. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said intersected hidden lines parallel to the x, y, and z-axis are curves or free-lines.

9. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein each spot in said 3D virtual environment that may be targeted by said pointer has at least one node of said nodes inside it.

10. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein pressing once on one of said five positions rotates said pointer clockwise about the x-axis, pressing once on one of said five positions rotates said pointer counter-clockwise about the x-axis, pressing once on one of said five positions rotates said pointer clockwise about the y-axis, and pressing once on one of said five positions rotates said pointer counter-clockwise about the y-axis.

11. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein the direction of said pointer in three dimensions controls the virtual camera'"'"'s orientation of said device'"'"'s display during navigating in three dimensions.

12. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said pointer controls the direction in which a player'"'"'s head faces of a three dimensional game on said device'"'"'s display.

13. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said 5-way button controls the 3D rotations of an air-vehicle of a three dimensional game on said device'"'"'s display.

14. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said pointer is a regular computer cursor that turns to function as said pointer when said 5-way button provides on degree of said six degrees of freedom.

15. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said device is a computer and said 5-way button is a computer mouse that provides six degrees of freedom.

16. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said device is a computer that calculates the point of intersection between said pointer and the planes of said 3D virtual environment where this point of intersection represents said endpoint.

17. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said 5-way button employs an analog sensor.

18. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said 5-way button employs a digital sensor.

19. The 3D input system of claim 1 wherein said spot is an object, icon, menu, or the like on said device'"'"'s display.

20. The 3D input system of claim 2 wherein the x-axis of said device'"'"'s display represents the horizontal direction which means the east-west direction of said device'"'"'s display, and the y-axis of said device'"'"'s display represents the vertical direction which means the north-south direction of said device'"'"'s display.