Causing display of a three dimensional graphical user interface with dynamic selectability of items

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9904457-B2
Application number	US-201213455669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2012
Priority date	Apr 25, 2012
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

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, each of the graphical objects, when displayed, having an associated display parameter, wherein the display parameter comprises a display size;
to identify at least one graphical object for which the associated display size satisfies a predetermined criterion by comparing the display size associated with each of the graphical objects with a threshold, the associated display size satisfying the predetermined criterion in an instance the display size is on a correct side of the threshold;
to identify a plurality of the graphical objects for which the associated display parameter does not satisfy the predetermined criterion;
to cause the three-dimensional arrangement of graphical objects to be adapted by causing the identified plurality of graphical objects for which the associated display parameter does not satisfy the predetermined criterion to be moved into a cluster; and
to enable individual selectability in respect of the identified at least one graphical object for which the associated display size satisfies the predetermined criterion, the individual selectability being disabled for any graphical objects for which the associated display size 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 user input.

2. 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 so as to indicate to a user that the graphical object is individually selectable.

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 enable selectability of the cluster via the user input.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , 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 the point from which the adapted three-dimensional arrangement is viewed until the display parameter associated with each of the graphical objects in the cluster satisfy the predetermined criterion; and
to enable the individual selectability of the each of the graphical objects in the cluster.

5. 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 display parameter does not satisfy the predetermined criterion, wherein a display parameter associated with at least part of the handle satisfies the predetermined criterion; and
to enable selectability of the handle associated with each graphical object.

6. 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 receive a signal indicative of a request to change the point from which the three-dimensional graphical user interface is viewed;
to respond by causing a changed view of the three-dimensional graphical user interface to be displayed on the touch-sensitive display;
to calculate an interaction metric in respect of the changed view; and
to optimise the interaction metric by automatically adjusting the point from which the three-dimensional graphical user interface is viewed or by adjusting the arrangement of the plurality of graphical objects.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus:
to calculate the interaction metric for the three-dimensional graphical user interface at a plurality of different adjusted views or for a plurality of different adjusted three-dimensional arrangements; and
to cause the view or arrangement having the highest interaction metric to be displayed.

8. 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 form more than one cluster based on a cumulative display size of the identified plurality of graphical objects which are to form the cluster.

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, each of the graphical objects, when displayed, having an associated display parameter, wherein the display parameter comprises a display size;
identifying at least one graphical object for which the associated display size satisfies a predetermined criterion by comparing the display size associated with each of the graphical objects with a threshold, the associated display size satisfying the predetermined criterion in an instance the display size is on a correct side of the threshold;
identifying a plurality of the graphical objects for which the associated display parameter does not satisfy the predetermined criterion;
causing the three-dimensional arrangement of graphical objects to be adapted by causing the identified plurality of graphical objects for which the associated display parameter does not satisfy the predetermined criterion to be moved into a cluster; and
enabling individual selectability in respect of the identified at least one graphical object for which the associated display size satisfies the predetermined criterion, the individual selectability being disabled for any graphical objects for which the associated display size 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 user input.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
adapting the appearance of the identified at least one graphical object so as to indicate to a user that the graphical object is individually selectable.

11. The method of claim 9 , comprising enabling selectability of the cluster via the user input.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a signal indicative of the user input having been received in respect of the cluster;
responding by changing the point from which the adapted three-dimensional arrangement is viewed until the display parameter associated with each of the graphical objects in the cl

Assignees

• Colley Ashley
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Colley Ashley

Classifications

• 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

• G06F3/0488 Primary

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

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title