3d user interface control

Abstract

Techniques to provide a three-dimensional (“3D”) user interface (“UI”) processing system for a device that may include at least one sensor, a 3D display, and a controller. The controller may include a memory, which may store instructional information, and a processor. The processor may be configured to receive sensor data from the sensor(s) and to interpret sensor data according to the instructional information. The processor may generate a user interface command(s) and transmit the command(s) to the 3D display to control and/or manipulate the 3D display. The processor may also generate host commands to control and/or execute applications within a host system of the device.

1 . A three-dimensional (“3D”) user interface (“UI”) processing system for a device, comprising:
 a 3D display device to display 3D images; 
 at least one sensor to detect a user interaction event with the 3D display device; and 
 a controller, including
 a memory to store instructional information related to interaction events; and 
 a processor to receive sensor data from the at least one sensor and to interpret the sensor data according to the instructional information. 
 
 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is an optical sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is a touch screen sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the touch screen sensor is capacitive. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the touch screen sensor is resistive. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a haptics output device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructional information includes gesture definitions, UI maps, and command definitions, and wherein to interpret the sensor data includes calculating a gesture from the sensor data based on the gesture definitions, and calculating a user interaction from the sensor data based on a UI map. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the calculated gesture and user interaction are reported to a host system. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising the processor to correlate the calculated gesture and user interaction to a UI command, to generate the UI command, and to transmit the UI command to the 3D display device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the UI map includes data for 3D interactive elements where the UI command is generated if the user interaction is with a 3D interactive element. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising the processor to correlate the calculated gesture and user interaction to a host command, to generate the host command, and to transmit the host command to a host system. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a haptics output device and the processor to correlate the calculated gesture and user interaction to a haptics command, to generate the haptics command, and to transmit the host command to the haptics output device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the UI map includes an active zone and a dead zone wherein the UI command is generated if the user interaction is with the active zone and no UI command is generated if the user interaction is with a dead zone. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a host system and if the user interaction is with the active zone, the processor to correlate the calculated gesture and user interaction to a host command, to generate the host command, and to transmit the host command to the host system. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a haptics output device and if the user interaction is with the active zone, the processor to correlate the calculated gesture and user interaction to a haptics command, to generate the haptics command, and to transmit the haptics command to the haptics output device. 
     
     
         16 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a display;   an input device to capture operator commands; and   a processing system to interpret data from the input device and to display workspaces on the display, wherein
 the workspaces are linked to each other by a navigation model having at least one dimension laterally with respect to a face of the display and another dimension having depth with respect to the face of the display, and 
 when the processing system recognizes input data corresponding to a navigation command, the processing system identifies a new workspace according to the navigation model and the navigation command and causes the new workspace to be displayed. 
   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the input device is at least one optical sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the workspaces include 3D interactive elements where the navigation command is generated if the user interaction is with a 3D interactive element. 
     
     
         19 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a stereoscopic display to simulate a three-dimensional (“3D”) image;   an input device to capture operator commands; and   a processing system to interpret data from the input device and to display a 3D workspace on the display, wherein
 the 3D workspace includes a plurality of interactive elements distributed across at least two 3D workspace layers at different depths, and 
 the processing system interprets input data corresponding to operator interaction with the interactive elements displayed in the workspace. 
   
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the input device is at least one optical sensor. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the processing system includes gesture definitions, workspace maps, and command definitions, and wherein to interpret data from the input device includes calculating a gesture from the sensor data based on the gesture definitions, calculating a user interaction with the interactive elements from the sensor data based on a workspace map, and correlating the calculated gesture and user interaction to a UI command. 
     
     
         22 . A method of controlling a three-dimensional (“3D”) user interface, comprising:
 receiving a sensor input based on a user interaction with the 3D user interface; 
 processing the sensor input; 
 generating a user interface command based on the processed sensor input and stored instructions; and 
 controlling operation of the 3D user interface based on the user interface command. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the processing includes determining a gesture, location, and corresponding interaction event of the user interaction based on stored gesture definitions and user interface maps. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising generating a host command and controlling operation of a host system based on the host command. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising generating a haptics command and controlling a haptics output device based on the haptics command. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein user interaction with the 3D user interface includes interaction with 3D elements rendered in the 3D user interface.