SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADJUSTING A DISPLAY BASED ON THE USER'S POSITION

• US 20090313584A1
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kerr, Duncan R., King, Nicholas V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,092,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/849
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

An electronic device for providing a display that changes based on the user'"'"'s perspective is provided. The electronic device may include a sensing mechanism operative to detect the user'"'"'s position relative a display of the electronic device. For example, the electronic device may include a camera operative to detect the position of the user'"'"'s head. Using the detected position, the electronic device may be operative to transform displayed objects such that the displayed perspective reflects the detected position of the user. The electronic device may use any suitable approach for modifying a displayed object, including for example a parallax transform or a perspective transform. In some embodiments, the electronic device may overlay the environment detected by the sensing mechanism (e.g., by a camera) to provide a more realistic experience for the user (e.g., display a reflection of the image detected by the camera on reflective surfaces of a displayed object).

Claims

1. An electronic device for displaying three-dimensional objects, comprising control circuitry, a display and a sensing mechanism, the control circuitry operative to:

direct the display to display a three-dimensional object;

direct the sensing mechanism to detect the current position of the user;

transform the object to appear to be viewed from the detected current position; and

direct the display to display the transformed object.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

determine the perspective of the user relative to the display based on the detected position and on the position of the sensing mechanism relative to the display; and

transform the object to appear to be viewed from the determined perspective.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to perform a parallax transform on the displayed object.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to perform a perspective transform on the displayed object.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

direct the display to display a plurality of three-dimensional objects;

transform at least two of the plurality of objects to appear to be viewed from the detected current position; and

direct the display to display the at least two transformed objects.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to perform a different type of transform on at least two different objects of the at least two objects.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein each of the at least two different objects is associated with a different type of transform.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the type of transform to perform is selected based on the relative position of each of the at least two different objects in the display.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sensing mechanism comprises a lens.

10. A method for changing the perspective of a displayed three-dimensional object, comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional object that includes at least one reflective surface;

detecting the user'"'"'s position relative to the display using a sensing mechanism;

changing the display of the object to reflect the perspective of the detected user'"'"'s position; and

mapping the environment detected by the sensing mechanism on the at least one reflective surface.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting the user'"'"'s environment as an image; and

wherein mapping further comprises mapping the image on the object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein mapping further comprises mapping the image from the perspective of the detected user'"'"'s position.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

defining optical properties for a plurality of surfaces of the object; and

wherein mapping further comprises applying the image to each of the plurality of surfaces based on the defined optical properties.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein mapping further comprises:

identifying the reflection properties associated with a particular surface; and

displaying a reflection of the image on the particular surface based on the identified reflection properties.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying a surface with low reflectivity; and

displaying the surface without any reflection of the detected environment.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the user'"'"'s position relative to the display has changed; and

changing the mapped environment on the at least one reflective surface based on the determined changed position.

17. A method for changing the relative position of displayed two-dimensional objects comprising:

displaying at least two two-dimensional objects;

detecting the position of the user relative to the display using a sensing mechanism;

determining from the sensing mechanism that the user'"'"'s position relative to the display has changed; and

displacing the at least two two-dimensional objects on the display based on the determined changed position.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising associating at depth value to each of the at least two two-dimensional objects.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein displacing further comprises displacing each of the at least two two-dimensional objects based on each objects'"'"' associated depth value.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein displacing further comprises displacing objects associated with low depth values less than objects associated with high depth values for the same determined changed position.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the two-dimensional objects comprise at least one application window.

22. A machine-readable medium for changing the display of a three-dimensional object based on the user'"'"'s perspective, comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for:

displaying to display a three-dimensional object;

directing a sensing mechanism to detect the current position of the user;

transforming the object to appear to be viewed from the detected current position; and

displaying the transformed object.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, comprising additional machine program logic recorded thereon for:

determining the perspective of the user relative to the display based on the detected position and on the position of the sensing mechanism relative to the display; and

transforming the object to appear to be viewed from the determined perspective.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, comprising additional machine program logic recorded thereon for:

directing the display to display a plurality of three-dimensional objects;

transforming at least two of the plurality of objects to appear to be viewed from the detected current position; and

directing the display to display the at least two transformed objects.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, comprising additional machine program logic recorded thereon for performing a different type of transform on at least two different objects of the at least two objects.