Graphical Interface Having Adjustable Borders

• US 20130139082A1
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Aaron, Chi, Liang-Yu (Tom), Thrun, Sebastian, Raffle, Hayes, Patel, Nirmal
• Application Number:
  US13/307,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20130139082A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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

Methods and systems involving navigation of a graphical interface are disclosed herein. An example system may be configured to: (a) cause a head-mounted display (HMD) to provide a graphical interface, the graphical interface comprising (i) a view port having a view-port orientation and (ii) at least one navigable area having at least one border, the at least one border having a first border orientation; (b) receive input data that indicates movement of the view port towards the at least one border; (c) determine that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation; and (d) based on at least the determination that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation, adjust the first border orientation from the first border orientation to a second border orientation.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to;

cause a head-mounted display (HMD) to provide a graphical interface, the graphical interface comprising (i) a view port having a view-port orientation and (ii) at least one navigable area having at least one border, the at least one border having a first border orientation;

receive input data that indicates movement of the view port towards the at least one border;

determine that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation; and

based on at least the determination that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation, adjust the first border orientation from the first border orientation to a second border orientation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the input data comprises head-movement data indicating a movement of the HMD.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the input data also indicates a movement speed of the movement of the view port, the system further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to:

before adjusting the orientation of the border, determine that the movement speed exceeds a predetermined movement-speed threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second border orientation is set equal to the view-port orientation.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second border orientation is set equal to a predetermined difference from the view-port orientation.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to:

provide a continuous visual indication of the border orientation adjusting from the first border orientation to the second border orientation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the input data also indicates a movement speed of the movement of the view port, the system further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to:

determine the second border orientation based on at least the movement speed.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to:

provide a continuous visual indication of the border orientation adjusting from the first border orientation to the second border orientation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein adjusting the border orientation comprises setting the border orientation equal to an orientation such that the view port is centered within the navigable area.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to:

provide a continuous visual indication of the border orientation adjusting from the first border orientation to the second border orientation.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein (a) the graphical interface is a recursive graphical interface, (b) the at least one navigable area comprises one navigable area, wherein the navigable area has a navigable span of 180 degrees, and (c) the view port has a viewing span of less than 180 degrees.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical interface comprises at least two navigable areas, the at least two navigable areas separated by a soft border, the soft border having a soft-border orientation.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least two navigable areas comprise a first navigable area and a second navigable area, and wherein the view port is within the first navigable area, and wherein the input data also indicates a movement speed of the movement of the view port, the system further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to:

determine that (a) the movement speed does not exceed a predetermined movement-speed threshold and that (b) the view port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the soft-border orientation; and

based on at least the determination that (a) the movement speed does not exceed a predetermined movement-speed threshold and that (b) the view port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the soft-border orientation, adjust the soft-border orientation.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least two navigable areas comprise a first navigable area and a second navigable area, and wherein the view port is within the first navigable area, and wherein the input data also indicates a movement speed of the movement of the view port, the system further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to:

determine that (a) the movement speed exceeds a predetermined movement-speed threshold and that (b) the view port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the soft-border orientation; and

based on at least the determination that (a) the movement speed exceeds a predetermined movement-speed threshold and that (b) the view port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the soft-border orientation, cause the view port to enter the second navigable area.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein (a) the graphical interface is a recursive graphical interface, (b) the at least two navigable areas comprises three navigable areas, wherein each navigable area has a navigable span of 120 degrees, and (c) the view port has a viewing span of less than 120 degrees.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions for causing a head-mounted display (HMD) to provide a graphical interface, the graphical interface comprising (i) a view port having a view-port orientation and (ii) at least one navigable area having at least one border, the at least one border having a first border orientation;

instructions for receiving input data that indicates movement of the view port towards the at least one border;

instructions for determining that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation; and

based on at least the determination that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation, instructions for adjusting the first border orientation from the first border orientation to a second border orientation.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second border orientation is set equal to the view-port orientation.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second border orientation is set equal to a predetermined difference from the view-port orientation.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second border orientation is set equal to an orientation such that the view port is centered within the navigable area.

20. A method comprising

causing a head-mounted display (HMD) to provide a graphical interface, the graphical interface comprising (i) a view port having a view-port orientation and (ii) at least one navigable area having at least one border, the at least one border having a first border orientation;

receiving input data that indicates movement of the view port towards the at least one border;

determining that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation; and

based on at least the determination that the view-port orientation is within a predetermined threshold distance from the first border orientation, adjusting the first border orientation from the first border orientation to a second border orientation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second border orientation is set equal to the view-port orientation.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second border orientation is set equal to a predetermined difference from the view-port orientation.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the second border orientation is set equal to an orientation such that the view port is centered within the navigable area.