User Interface Gestures For Moving a Virtual Camera On A Mobile Device

• US 20100045703A1
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Morton, Michael, Kornmann, David, Birch, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/546,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045703A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/653
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 3/017 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 3/04815 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

This invention relates to user interface gestures for moving a virtual camera on a mobile device. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method navigates a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen. A user input is received indicating that two objects have touched a view of the mobile device and the two objects have moved relative to each other. A speed of the objects is determined based on the user input. A speed of the virtual camera is determined based on the speed of the objects. The virtual camera is moved relative to the three dimensional environment according to the speed of the virtual camera.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen, comprising:

(a) receiving a user input indicating that two objects have touched a view of the mobile device and the two objects have moved relative to each other;

(b) determining a speed that the objects have moved relative to each other based on the user input;

(c) determining a speed of the virtual camera based on the speed of the objects that the objects have moved away from each other; and

(d) moving the virtual camera within the three dimensional environment according to the speed of the virtual camera determined in (c).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving (a) includes receiving the user input indicating that two fingers have touched the view and the two fingers have moved relative to each other.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(e) decelerating the virtual camera gradually.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the decelerating (e) comprises simulating air resistance to slow the virtual camera.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the moving (d) comprises translating the virtual camera.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the moving (d) comprises zooming the virtual camera.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the three dimensional environment includes a three dimensional model of the Earth, and wherein the moving (d) comprises rotating the three dimensional model of the Earth.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) receiving a user input indicating that the two objects have rotated relative to each other;

(f) determining an angle that the objects have rotated relative to the mobile device based on the user input received in (e); and

(g) changing the position or orientation of the virtual camera according to the angle determined in (f).

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

(h) determining a target location,

wherein the changing (g) comprises moving the virtual camera such that an azimuth between a position of the virtual camera and the target location changes according to the angle determined in (f).

10. A system for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device, comprising:

a touch receiver that receives a user input indicating that two objects have touched a view of the mobile device and the two objects have moved relative to each other; and

a momentum module that determines a speed of the objects based on the user input, determines a speed of the virtual camera based on the speed of the objects, and moves the virtual camera relative to the three dimensional environment according to the speed of the virtual camera.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the two objects are fingers.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the momentum module decelerates the virtual camera gradually.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the momentum module simulates air resistance to slow the virtual camera.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein momentum module translates the virtual camera.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the momentum module zooms the virtual camera.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the three dimensional environment includes a three dimensional model of the Earth, and the momentum module rotates the three dimensional model of the Earth.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the touch receiver receives a user input indicating that the two objects have rotated relative to each other, and further comprising:

a helicopter module that determines an angle that the objects have rotated relative to the mobile device based on the user input indicating that the two objects have rotated, and changes the position or orientation of the virtual camera according to the angle that the objects have rotated.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a target module that determines a target location,

wherein the helicopter module moves the virtual camera such that an azimuth between a position of the virtual camera and the target location changes according to the angle determined in (f).

19. A computer-implemented method for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen, comprising:

(a) receiving a user input indicating that a user has selected a position on a view of the mobile device;

(b) determining a target location based on the position of the view of the mobile device selected by the user;

(c) moving the virtual camera in the three dimensional environment toward the target location; and

(d) rotating the virtual camera in the three dimensional environment toward the target location.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving (a) comprises receiving the user input indicating the user has double tapped the position on the view of the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the rotating (d) comprises orienting the virtual camera such that the target location appears approximately at the center of the view.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the rotating (d) comprises changing a yaw of the virtual camera.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining (b) further comprises damping the target location when the position selected by the user is close to the horizon.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining (b) comprises determining:

(i) extending a ray based on position of the virtual camera and a position of the finger; and

(ii) intersecting the ray with the three dimensional environment to determine the target location.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the moving (c) comprises changing a roll of a virtual camera while moving the virtual camera.

26. A system for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device, comprising:

a touch receiver that receives a user input indicating that a user has selected a position on a view of the mobile device;

a target module that determines a target location based on the position of the view of the mobile device selected by the user; and

an angular jump module that moves the virtual camera in the three dimensional environment toward the target location and rotates the virtual camera in the three dimensional environment toward the target location.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the user input indicates the user has double tapped the position on the view of the mobile device.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the angular jump module orients the virtual camera such that the target location appears approximately at the center of the view.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the angular jump module changes a yaw of the virtual camera.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the target module determines the target location based on the position of the view selected by the user.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the target module extends a ray based on a position of the virtual camera and a position of the finger and intersects the ray with the three dimensional environment to determine the target location.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the target module extends a ray based on a position of the virtual camera and a position of the finger and intersects the ray with the three dimensional environment to determine the target location.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the angular jump module changes a roll of a virtual camera when during movement of the virtual camera.