Method and apparatus for displaying interactive preview information in a location-based user interface

• US 8,601,380 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vaittinen, Tuomas, Castro, Brenda, Murphy, David Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/049,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20120240077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/744, 715/756, 715/757, 715/773, 345/8, 345/9, 345/156, 345/157
• US Class Current: 715/757
• 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

An approach is provided for displaying interactive preview information in a location-based user interface. A content mapping platform determines to render, at a device, a user interface for a location-based service based, at least in part, on a field of view. The content mapping platform determines one or more items outside of the field of view and then determines to render one or more user interface objects in the user interface. The one or more user interface objects present, at least in part, preview information associated with the one or more items.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining to render, at a device, a user interface for a location-based service based, at least in part, on a field of view visible from a first vantage point;

determining one or more items that are located outside of the field of view while visible from a second vantage point that is different from the first vantage point;

causing, at least in part, processing of location information associated with the one or more items to determine occlusion information with respect to one or more user interface objects;

determining to render the one or more user interface objects in the user interface to depict a location of and a direction towards the one or more items based, at least in part, on the occlusion information; and

determining to render a vantage point user interface object depicting the second vantage point at a position corresponding to a location of the second vantage point within the field of view,

wherein the one or more user interface objects present, at least in part, preview information associated with the one or more items.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, processing of one or more images of the one or more items visible from the second vantage point to select one of the images based on one or more criteria, wherein the one or more criteria include focus, user preference, or a combination thereof;

causing, at least in part, processing of the location information associated with the one or more items to determine the occlusion information further with respect to one or more obstacle user interface objects depicting one or more obstacles obstructing the one or more items from the field of view, the location-based service, or a combination thereof,

wherein the second vantage point is different from the first vantage point two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally.

3. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining to render the one or more user interface objects to indicate a three dimensional origination of the one or more items based, at least in part, on the occlusion information, the first vantage point, and the second vantage point,

wherein the image is rendered at an approximate location of at least one of the one or more items corresponding to a respective one of the one or more obstacle user interface objects, and

wherein the vantage point user interface object is linked to the one or more user interface objects by one or more connecting lines in the user interface.

4. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining to render the one or more user interface objects on or near the one or more obstacle user interface objects so as to avoid occluding the one or more user interface objects based, at least in part, on the occlusion information.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input for creating a link between a location associated with the user interface and one or more other locations associated with the one or more user interface objects, the one or more items, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving another input for activation of the link,

wherein the activation of the link toggles presentation of the one or more user interface objects, the one or more other locations, the one or more items, or a combination thereof in at least a portion of the user interface.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining relevance information associated with the one or more items; and

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the relevance information to determine an order for rendering or presenting the one or more user interface objects.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input for moving at least one of the one or more objects to one or more predetermined areas of the user interface,

wherein the one or more predetermined areas are associated with a list of favorite objects, a list of objects to act upon, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the preview information includes, at least in part, one or more representations of the one or more items, one or more representations of location information associated with the one or more items, content information associated with the one or more items, or a combination thereof.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the user interface depicts, at least in part, a mixed reality view, an augmented reality view, an augmented virtual reality view, a panorama, or a combination thereof.

11. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more items include, at least in part, points of interest, contact'"'"'s registered addresses or shared locations, appointment locations, event locations, user-generated notes, or a combination thereof.

16. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to move the one or more user interface objects corresponding to the second vantage point to one or more other positions within the user interface without changing the second vantage point.

17. A method of claim 3, wherein the vantage point user interface object includes a thumbnail of the one or more images, and the one or more connecting lines curve around the one or more obstacle user interface objects.

18. A method of claim 16, further comprising:

in response to the move, determining to skip displaying the vantage point user interface object in the user interface.

19. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to switch from the field of view visible from the first vantage point to another field of view visible from the second vantage point by;

rendering the other field of view including the one or more user interface objects in the user interface,

rendering in the user interface the one or more obstacle user interface objects, that are visible from the first vantage point while occluded by the one or more items in the other field of view based, at least in part, on the occlusion information, and

render a second vantage point user interface object depicting the first vantage point at a position corresponding to a location of the first vantage point within the other field of view.

20. A method of claim 19, wherein the determination to switch is made in response to one user interaction with the user interface.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine to render, at a device, a user interface for a location-based service based, at least in part, on a field of view visible from a first vantage point;

determine one or more items that are located outside of the field of view while visible from a second vantage point that is different from the first vantage point;

process location information associated with the one or more items to determine occlusion information with respect to one or more user interface objects;

determine to render the one or more user interface objects in the user interface to depict a location of and a direction towards the one or more items based, at least in part, on the occlusion information; and

determine to render a vantage point user interface object depicting the second vantage point at a position corresponding to a location of the second vantage point within the field of view,

wherein the one or more user interface objects present, at least in part, preview information associated with the one or more items.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process of one or more images of the one or more items visible from the second vantage point to select one of the images based on one or more criteria, wherein the one or more criteria include focus, user preference, or a combination thereof;

process of the location information associated with the one or more items to determine the occlusion information further with respect to one or more obstacle user interface objects depicting one or more obstacles obstructing the one or more items from the field of view, the location-based service, or a combination thereof, wherein the second vantage point is different from the first vantage point two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally;

determine to render the one or more user interface objects to indicate a three dimensional origination of the one or more items based, at least in part, on the occlusion information, the first vantage point, and the second vantage point, wherein the image is rendered at an approximate location of at least one of the one or more items corresponding to a respective one of the one or more obstacle user interface objects, and wherein the vantage point user interface object is linked to the one or more user interface objects by one or more connecting lines in the user interface; and

determine to render the one or more user interface objects on or near the one or more obstacle user interface objects so as to avoid occluding the one or more user interface objects based, at least in part, on the occlusion information.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

determining to render, at a device, a user interface for a location-based service based, at least in part, on a field of view visible from a first vantage point;

determining one or more items that are located outside of the field of view while visible from a second vantage point that is different from the first vantage point;

causing, at least in part, processing of location information associated with the one or more items to determine occlusion information with respect to one or more user interface objects;

determining to render the one or more user interface objects in the user interface to depict a location of and a direction towards the one or more items based, at least in part, on the occlusion information; and

determining to render a vantage point user interface object depicting the second vantage point at a position corresponding to a location of the second vantage point within the field of view,

wherein the one or more user interface objects present, at least in part, preview information associated with the one or more items.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

processing of one or more images of the one or more items visible from the second vantage point to select one of the images based on one or more criteria, wherein the one or more criteria include focus, user preference, or a combination thereof;

processing of the location information associated with the one or more items to determine the occlusion information further with respect to one or more obstacle user interface objects depicting one or more obstacles obstructing the one or more items from the field of view, the location-based service, or a combination thereof, wherein the second vantage point is different from the first vantage point two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally;

determining to render the one or more user interface objects to indicate a three dimensional origination of the one or more items based, at least in part, on the occlusion information, the first vantage point, and the second vantage point, wherein the image is rendered at an approximate location of at least one of the one or more items corresponding to a respective one of the one or more obstacle user interface objects, and wherein the vantage point user interface object is linked to the one or more user interface objects by one or more connecting lines in the user interface; and

determining to render the one or more user interface objects on or near the one or more obstacle user interface objects so as to avoid occluding the one or more user interface objects based, at least in part, on the occlusion information.