Three-Dimensional User Interface Object Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional two-dimensional user interfaces are not intuitive and difficult to navigate, especially when dealing with a large volume of information, as they do not effectively organize and display items of varying sizes, making it hard for users to find specific items of interest.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for positioning objects on a three-dimensional user interface, where objects are assigned to two-dimensional portions based on their size and characteristics, and then mapped to three-dimensional coordinates, allowing for intuitive placement and interaction by rotating, zooming, and scrolling, with objects being selectable at any point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If objects are positioned in a conventional two-dimensional interface, then the interface structure is simple, but the user experience is not intuitive and navigation is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional interface to a three-dimensional interface structure. Objects are positioned in 3D space with coordinates (x, y, z) and can be viewed from multiple angles through rotation. This dimensional change allows users to navigate and interact with objects more intuitively while maintaining a structured organization system.
2Quantity of substance
If objects of varying sizes are displayed in a two-dimensional portion, then space utilization is limited, but positioning non-uniform objects presents technical challenges
Solution Approach 1:
By moving to three-dimensional space, the system can accommodate objects of varying sizes more effectively. The positioning process assigns x, y, z coordinates to each object, allowing larger objects to occupy more space naturally while smaller objects fit into available gaps. This resolves the technical challenge of positioning non-uniform objects while maximizing the quantity of objects that can be displayed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows smaller objects to be positioned within or near larger objects in the three-dimensional space. Objects can be nested or clustered based on their size relationships, enabling efficient space utilization where smaller items can occupy spaces that would otherwise be wasted around larger items.
3Quantity of substance
If more objects are displayed to increase information density, then the interface becomes more complex, but navigation and object selection become harder
Solution Approach 1:
The three-dimensional interface allows objects to be distributed in space rather than crowded into a flat 2D area. Users can rotate the view and zoom to locate specific objects, making navigation easier even when many objects are displayed. The spatial separation in 3D reduces visual clutter and improves object distinguishability.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface introduces dynamic interactions including rotation, zooming, and panning capabilities. Objects can be selected at any point during these dynamic operations, allowing users to navigate through large numbers of objects efficiently by rotating to different viewpoints or zooming to focus on specific areas of interest.
Data Source
AI summary
Computer-implemented method of positioning a set of objects on a user interface on a surface of a three-dimensional structure, each member of the set of the objects having a size in two dimensions. Objects are assigned to a respective one of a plurality of subsets of objects based on object characteristics. Each subset is assigned to a respective two-dimensional portion of predetermined size. For each subset having an unpositioned object, object occupancy in the portion is identified and unpositioned objects are allocated to a position within the portion on the basis of object dimension and unoccupied space. The two-dimensional portions are positioned based on a specification and each object position is mapped within the portions to a three-dimensional coordinate. Responsive to input, positioning of the plurality of two-dimensional portions is modified, and each allocated object position is mapped to a new three-dimensional coordinate within the modified portion positions.