Panning in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11054964-B2
Application number	US-201916291067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2019
Priority date	Aug 22, 2008
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

This invention relates to panning in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen. A user input is received indicating that an object has touched a first point on a touch screen of the mobile device and the object has been dragged to a second point on the touch screen. A first target location in the three dimensional environment is determined based on the first point on the touch screen. A second target location in the three dimensional environment is determined based on the second point on the touch screen. Finally, a three dimensional model is moved in the three dimensional environment relative to the virtual camera according to the first and second target locations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device having a touch screen, comprising:
receiving a first user input indicating that a first object is approximately stationary on a touch screen of a mobile device;
receiving a second user input indicating that a second object has moved on the touch screen while the first object is maintained approximately stationary on the touch screen;
in response to an amount of time between receiving the first user input and receiving the second user input exceeding a threshold amount of time, determining a first navigation mode for a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on the mobile device when the first and second user inputs indicate that the second object is above the first object on the touch screen of the mobile device;
in response to the amount of time between receiving the first user input and receiving the second user input exceeding the threshold amount of time, determining a second navigation mode for the virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on the mobile device when the first and second user inputs indicate that the first object is above the second object on the touch screen of the mobile device;
while operating in the determined first navigation mode, changing an orientation of the virtual camera in the three dimensional environment according to the second user input; and
while operating in the determined second navigation mode, determining a target location in the three dimensional environment and changing a position of the virtual camera according to the second user input, wherein a distance between the target location and the position of the virtual camera stays approximately constant.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving a second user input includes receiving a direction of motion of the second user input;
while operating in the determined first navigation mode, changing an orientation of the virtual camera includes changing a yaw of the virtual camera when the direction is toward the left or right side of the mobile device; and
while operating in the determined first navigation mode, changing an orientation of the virtual camera includes changing a pitch of the virtual camera when the direction is toward the top or bottom of the mobile device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while operating in the determined first navigation mode, determining an axis of the virtual camera based on the first user input, wherein changing an orientation of the virtual camera comprises rotating the virtual camera about the axis.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving a second user input includes receiving a direction of motion of the second user input;
while operating in the determined second navigation mode, changing a position of the virtual camera includes changing an azimuth relative to a vector directed upwards from the target location when the direction is toward the left or right side of the mobile device; and
while operating in the determined second navigation mode, changing a position of the virtual camera includes changing a tilt relative to a vector directed upwards from the target location when the direction is toward the top or bottom of the mobile device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein while operating in the determined second navigation mode, the determining a target location further comprises damping the target location when the position of the first user input is close to the horizon.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein while operating in the determined second navigation mode, the determining a target location further comprises:
extending a ray based on the position of the virtual camera and a position of the first user input; and
intersecting the ray with a three dimensional model in the three dimensional environment to determine the target location.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while operating in the determined second navigation mode, determining a speed to move for the virtual camera based on the second user input, and wherein changing a position of the virtual camera comprises changing the position of the virtual camera at the determined speed after movement of the second object is complete.

8. A system for navigating a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device, comprising:
a touch receiver that receives a first user input and a second user input, the first user input indicating that a first object is approximately stationary on a touch screen of a mobile device, wherein the second user input indicates that a second object has moved on the touch screen while the first object is maintained approximately stationary on the touch screen;
a look-around module that: in response to an amount of time between receiving the first user input and receiving the second user input exceeding a threshold amount of time, determines a first navigation mode for a virtual camera in the three dimensional environment on the mobile device when the first and second user inputs indicate that the second object is above the first object on the touch screen of the mobile device;

and while operating in the determined first navigation mode, changes an orientation of the virtual camera in the three dimensional environment according to the second user input;
a target module that determines a target location in the three-dimensional environment; and
a helicopter module that: in response to the amount of time between receiving the first user input and receiving the second user input exceeding a threshold amount of time, determines a second navigation mode for the virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on the mobile device when the first and second user inputs indicate that the first object is above the second object on the touch screen of the mobile device; and while operating in the determined second navigation mode, changes a position of the virtual camera according to the second user input, wherein a distance between the target location and the position of the virtual camera stays approximately constant.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the touch receiver receives a direction of motion of the second user input; and
while operating in the determined first navigation mode, the look-around module changes an orientation of the virtual camera by changing a yaw of the virtual camera when the direction is toward the left or right side of the mobile device; and
while operating in the determined first navigation mode, the look-around module changes an orientation of the virtual camera by changing a pitch of the virtual camera when the direction is toward the top or bottom of the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
while operating in the determined first navigation mode, the look-around module determines an axis of the virtual camera based on the first user input, wherein changing an orientation of the virtual camera comprises rotating the virtual camera about the axis.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the touch receiver receives a direction of motion of the second user input;
while operating in the determined second navigation mode, the helicopter module changes a position of the virtual camera by changing an azimuth relative to a vector directed upwards from the target location when the direction is toward the left or right side of the mobile device; and
while operating in the determined second navigation mode, the helicopter module changes a position of the virtual camera by changing a tilt relative t

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Kornmann David

Classifications

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0485

  Scrolling or panning · CPC title

• G06T2200/24

  involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F2200/1637

  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 title