CAUSING DISPLAY OF A THREE DIMENSIONAL GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20180164978A1
• Filed: 02/09/2018
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Colley, Ashley
• Granted Patent: US 10,379,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An apparatus comprises at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause a view of a three-dimensional graphical user interface to be displayed on a touch-sensitive display, the three-dimensional graphical user interface comprising a three-dimensional arrangement of a plurality of graphical objects, each of the graphical objects, when displayed, having an associated display parameter, to identify at least one graphical object for which the associated display parameter satisfies a predetermined criterion, and to enable individual selectability in respect of the identified at least one graphical object, wherein each individually selectable graphical object is selectable with a touch input and wherein individually selecting a graphical object with a touch input causes an action to be performed in respect of the selected graphical object.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus:

to cause a view of a three-dimensional graphical user interface to be displayed on a touch-sensitive display, the three-dimensional graphical user interface comprising a three-dimensional arrangement of a plurality of graphical objects, wherein each of the graphical objects has an associated display parameter comprising at least a virtual distance of the respective graphical object from the touch-sensitive display in the view;

to identify at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies a predetermined criterion;

to identify one or more of the graphical objects for which the associated virtual distance does not satisfy the predetermined criterion; and

to enable individual selectability in respect of the identified at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies the predetermined criterion, the individual selectability being disabled for any graphical objects for which the associated virtual distance does not satisfy the predetermined criterion,

wherein, in an instance the individual selectability of a graphical object is enabled, the graphical object is individually selectable, and

wherein individually selecting a graphical object causes an action to be performed in respect of the selected graphical object, and wherein, in an instance the individual selectablility is disabled, the action is not performed in response to individually selecting the graphical object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein identifying at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies the predetermined criterion comprises comparing the virtual distance associated with each of the graphical objects with a threshold plane, the associated virtual distance satisfying the predetermined criterion in an instance the virtual distance is on a correct side of the threshold plane.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to adapt the appearance of the identified at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies the predetermined criterion, so as to indicate to a user that the graphical object is individually selectable.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional arrangement of graphical objects is caused to be adapted by causing the identified one or more graphical objects for which the associated virtual distance does not satisfy the predetermined criterion to be moved into a cluster.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to enable selectability of the cluster.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus:

to receive a signal indicative of the user input having been received in respect of the cluster;

to respond by changing a point from which the adapted three-dimensional arrangement is viewed until the virtual distance associated with at least one of the graphical objects in the cluster satisfy the predetermined criterion; and

to enable the individual selectability of at least one of the graphical objects in the cluster.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus:

to cause a handle to be displayed in association with each of the graphical objects for which the virtual distance does not satisfy the predetermined criterion, wherein a virtual distance associated with at least part of the handle satisfies the predetermined criterion; and

to enable selectability of the handle associated with each graphical object.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to modify the individual selectability of at least one graphical object in response to a change in the virtual distance such that the at least one graphical object for which the individual selectability is modified changes between being individually selectable and not being individually selectable.

9. A method comprising:

causing a view of a three-dimensional graphical user interface to be displayed on a touch-sensitive display, the three-dimensional graphical user interface comprising a three-dimensional arrangement of a plurality of graphical objects, wherein each of the graphical objects has an associated display parameter comprising at least a virtual distance of the respective graphical object from the touch-sensitive display in the view;

identifying at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies a predetermined criterion;

identifying one or more of the graphical objects for which the associated virtual distance does not satisfy the predetermined criterion; and

enabling individual selectability in respect of the identified at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies the predetermined criterion, the individual selectability being disabled for any graphical objects for which the associated virtual distance does not satisfy the predetermined criterion,

wherein, in an instance the individual selectability of a graphical object is enabled, the graphical object is individually selectable, and

wherein individually selecting a graphical object causes an action to be performed in respect of the selected graphical object, and wherein, in an instance the individual selectablility is disabled, the action is not performed in response to individually selecting the graphical object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies the predetermined criterion comprises comparing the virtual distance associated with each of the graphical objects with a threshold plane, the associated virtual distance satisfying the predetermined criterion in an instance the virtual distance is on a correct side of the threshold plane.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

causing adaption of an appearance of the identified at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies the predetermined criterion, so as to indicate to a user that the graphical object is individually selectable.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

causing the three-dimensional arrangement of graphical objects to be adapted by causing the identified one or more graphical objects for which the associated virtual distance does not satisfy the predetermined criterion to be moved into a cluster.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

enabling selectability of the cluster.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of the user input having been received in respect of the cluster;

responding by changing a point from which the adapted three-dimensional arrangement is viewed until the virtual distance associated with at least one of the graphical objects in the cluster satisfy the predetermined criterion; and

enabling the individual selectability of at least one of the graphical objects in the cluster.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

causing a handle to be displayed in association with each of the graphical objects for which the virtual distance does not satisfy the predetermined criterion, wherein a virtual distance associated with at least part of the handle satisfies the predetermined criterion; and

enabling selectability of the handle associated with each graphical object.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising modifying the individual selectability of at least one graphical object in response to a change in the virtual distance such that the at least one graphical object for which the individual selectability is modified changes between being individually selectable and not being individually selectable.

17. A non-transitory computer readable memory medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the computer readable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to:

cause a view of a three-dimensional graphical user interface to be displayed on a touch-sensitive display, the three-dimensional graphical user interface comprising a three-dimensional arrangement of a plurality of graphical objects, wherein each of the graphical objects has an associated display parameter comprising at least a virtual distance of the respective graphical object from the touch-sensitive display in the view;

identify at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies a predetermined criterion;

identify one or more of the graphical objects for which the associated virtual distance does not satisfy the predetermined criterion; and

enable individual selectability in respect of the identified at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies the predetermined criterion, the individual selectability being disabled for any graphical objects for which the associated virtual distance does not satisfy the predetermined criterion,

wherein, in an instance the individual selectability of a graphical object is enabled, the graphical object is individually selectable, and

wherein individually selecting a graphical object causes an action to be performed in respect of the selected graphical object, and wherein, in an instance the individual selectablility is disabled, the action is not performed in response to individually selecting the graphical object.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 17, wherein identifying at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies the predetermined criterion comprises comparing the virtual distance associated with each of the graphical objects with a threshold plane, the associated virtual distance satisfying the predetermined criterion in an instance the virtual distance is on a correct side of the threshold plane.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

cause adaption of an appearance of the identified at least one graphical object for which the associated virtual distance satisfies the predetermined criterion, so as to indicate to a user that the graphical object is individually selectable.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to modify the individual selectability of at least one graphical object in response to a change in the virtual distance such that the at least one graphical object for which the individual selectability is modified changes between being individually selectable and not being individually selectable.