Three-dimensional, multi-depth presentation of icons in association with differing input components of a user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9618972-B2
Application number	US-201113010580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2011
Priority date	Jan 20, 2011
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A three-dimensional display presents a plurality of icons that are associated with a user interface of an electronic device. The plurality of icons include at least a first icon presented at a first depth of presentation and a second icon presented at a second, different depth of presentation. The first icon is associated with a first input component of the user interface, such that the first input component provides for interaction with the first icon. The second icon is associated with a second input component of the user interface, such that the second input component provides for interaction with the second icon. The aforementioned depths of presentation may substantially coincide with various surfaces of the electronic device (such as a first touch-sensitive surface and a second touch-sensitive surface). This approach can serve to facilitate three-dimensional presentation of icons for interaction by touch-sensitive surfaces on the front and back of the electronic device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method in an electronic device having a three-dimensional display, the method comprising:
simultaneously presenting via the three-dimensional display a plurality of icons associated with a user interface of the electronic device, the plurality of icons including a first icon presented at a first depth of presentation and a second icon presented at a second depth of presentation different from the first depth of presentation, wherein the first depth of presentation is co-planar with a first surface of the electronic device and the second depth of presentation is co-planar with a second surface of the electronic device that is opposite the first surface;
associating the first icon with a first input component of the user interface disposed on the first surface; and
associating the second icon with a second input component of the user interface disposed on the second surface, wherein the first input component and the second input components are physical input components,
whereby the first input component provides for interaction with the first icon presented at the first depth of presentation and not the second icon presented on the second depth of presentation, and the second input component provides for interaction with the second icon presented at the second depth of presentation and not the first icon presented at the first depth of presentation, and
wherein the three dimensional display presents a first image to a first eye of a viewer and a second image different from the first image to a second eye of the viewer to produce the first depth of presentation of the first icon and the second depth of presentation of the second icon.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first input component of the user interface is on a front side of the electronic device and the second input component of the user interface is on a back side of the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first input component of the user interface comprises a first touch-sensitive surface and the first touch-sensitive comprises the first surface.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first touch-sensitive surface comprises a touch-sensitive display.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second input component of the user interface comprises a second touch-sensitive surface and the second touch-sensitive surface comprises the second surface.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second input component of the user interface comprises, at least in part, a keypad.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second depth of presentation at least substantially coincides with the keypad such that the second icon at the second depth of presentation at least substantially coincides with at least one key of the keypad.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second input component of the user interface comprises, at least in part, at least one tactilely-distinctive area.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second icon at the second depth of presentation at least substantially coincides with the at least one tactilely-distinctive area.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one tactilely-distinctive area has a three-dimensional shape and the second icon has a corresponding three-dimensional shape.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional display comprises a stereoscopic display.

12. An apparatus comprising:
a control circuit;
a user interface having a first input component disposed on a first surface of the apparatus and a second input component disposed on a second surface of the electronic device that is opposite the first surface, wherein the first input component and the second input components are physical input components; and
a three-dimensional display operably coupled to the control circuit,
wherein the control circuit is configured to use the three-dimensional display to present a virtual three-dimensional scene comprising a plurality of icons, including at least a first icon presented at a first depth of presentation and a second icon presented at a second depth of presentation, where the first and second depths of presentation are different from one another, wherein the first depth of presentation is co-planar with the first surface of the apparatus and the second depth of presentation is co-planar with the second surface of the apparatus,
wherein the first icon is associated with the first input component of the user interface, and the second icon is associated with the second input component of the user interface,
wherein the first input component provides for interaction with the first icon presented at the first depth of presentation and not the second icon presented on the second depth of presentation, and the second input component provides for interaction with the second icon presented at a second depth of presentation and not the first icon presented at the first depth of presentation, and
wherein the three dimensional display presents a first image to a first eye of a viewer and a second image different from the first image to a second eye of the viewer to produce the first depth of presentation of the first icon and the second depth of presentation of the second icon.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile communications device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first input component is on a front side of the apparatus and the second input component is on a back side of the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first input component of the user interface comprises a first touch-sensitive surface and the first depth of presentation at least substantially coincides with the first touch-sensitive surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second input component of the user interface comprises a second touch-sensitive surface and the second depth of presentation at least substantially coincides with the second touch-sensitive surface.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the second input component of the user interface comprises, at least in part, a keypad.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the keypad comprises, at least in part, at least one tactilely-distinctive area.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the second depth of presentation at least substantially coincides with the keypad such that at least one of the second icon at the second depth of presentation at least substantially coincides with the at least one tactilely-distinctive area.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the second icon has a form factor that at least substantially coincides with a form factor for the at least one tactilely-distinctive area.

Assignees

• Deluca Michael Joseph
• Hirsch Alexander Samson
• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Deluca Michael Joseph
• Hirsch Alexander Samson

Classifications

• G06F1/1637 Primary

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• G06F3/04815

  Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional [3D], e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title