Patent Application
20060142068
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, a message sender, a message receiver, and a mobile communication apparatus comprising such a message sender and message receiver.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
By the increased use of mobile communication apparatuses, many people are given the opportunity to get in contact with each other practically anywhere at any time. The contact may take the form of e.g. a voice call or a short text message. Examples of systems for providing this kind of mobile services are DAMPS, PCM, GSM and UMTS.
A mobile communication apparatus normally comprises a. display for showing items, which relate to menus, messages, etc, text, and numbers. For example, it is common to view icons relating to functions or applications to facilitate the use of the functions and applications for a user.
In particular, the use of mobile communication apparatuses for sending and receiving messages by means of e.g. Short Messaging Service (SMS), Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), Email and Instant Messaging (IM) has become very popular due to their fast and convenient way of exchanging information.
Even though many mobile communication apparatuses includes functionality for sending and receiving messages, the way of communicating by use of characters in the messages, even though accentuated by emoticons, i.e. emotion expressing icons, e.g. smileys, does not provide a really personal personal communication. Images can be includes in messages, e.g. in MMS, but is often of the character of factual material, e.g. photos, and not an expression of e.g. feelings, emotions, states and happenings.
It is therefore a desire to improve viewing of items.
The present invention is based on the understanding that viewing three-dimensional items will improve usability of a mobile communication apparatus.
The present invention is also based on the understanding that pictographs created or composed by a person are able to convey a large amount of information e.g. about feelings, emotions, states and happenings, especially if the person is able to create or compose three-dimensional pictographs.
Therefore, according to a first aspect of the present invention, it is provided an electronic apparatus comprising an input means arranged to receive instructions from a user; a processor arranged to assign parameters for three-dimensional viewing of items, wherein said parameters depend on said instructions; and a display arranged to view said items according to said parameters.
An advantage of this is more freedom to view items such that a user is able to achieve more information in an easily comprehensive way.
A three-dimensional viewpoint for a user among said items may be depending on the parameters. The parameters for three-dimensional viewing may comprise relation, relative size, orientation or location, or any combination thereof of the items. The one or more items may comprise a menu item, a message, a phone book entry, an icon, or an image, or any combination thereof.
Advantages of this is a suitable implementation of three-dimensional viewing.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, it is provided a message sender comprising a message editor arranged to generate messages comprising one or more three-dimensional pictographs according to instructions from a user, and a sending means arranged to send messages generated by said message editor.
An advantage of this is that it enables communication by three-dimensional pictographs, which in turn enables improved communication, since the personal editing of the pictographs is conveyed by the creation of the three-dimension pictograph message. The three-dimensional pictographs improves the editor's freedom to express emotions, feelings states and happenings in the message.
By a “pictograph”, it is meant a pictoral symbol for a word, phrase, or expression of emotion, feeling, state or happening.
The message sender may further comprise a catalogue comprising a plurality of three-dimensional pictographs and connected to the message editor, wherein the message editor is arranged to import pictographs to be comprised in the generated messages from the catalogue. The message sender may further comprise means to access a remote catalogue comprising a plurality of three-dimensional pictographs and connected to the message editor, wherein the message editor is arranged to import pictographs to be comprised in the generated messages from the remote catalogue. Advantages of these features is that a user is able to get three-dimensional pictographs to use in the messages.
The message editor may be arranged to assign a relation, relative size, orientation and location of each pictograph in said message according to instructions from a user. An advantage of this is that these parameters, when as here, chosen by the user, can convey further information.
The message sending means may be connected to communication means comprising an infrared data association (IrDA), a short range radio connection, a Bluetooth connection, a connection to a wireless local area network (WLAN), or a connection to a telecommunication network, or any combination thereof.
The message editor may be connected to a three-dimensional user interface.
By a “three-dimensional user interface” it is meant a user interface that is enabled to provide three-dimensional images to a user.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, it is provided a message receiver comprising a message receiving means arranged to receive a message comprising one or more three-dimensional pictographs, and a message viewer arranged to view said message.
An advantage of this is that it enables reception of three-dimensional pictograph messages, which in turn enables improved communication, since the personal interpretation of the pictographs implies information conveyed by the creation of the three-dimensional pictograph message. The three-dimensional pictographs improves the ability to share e.g. emotions, feelings, states and happenings in the message.
The message viewer may be arranged to view said messages as they were composed in sense of relations, relative sizes, orientations and locations of pictographs comprised in said message.
An advantage of this is that the originality of the message is improved to express information intended to be conveyed.
The message viewer is arranged to change a three-dimensional viewpoint of said message according to instructions from a user.
An advantage of this is that a user is able to move into the message and experience inner thoughts conveyed by it.
The message receiving means may be connected to communication means comprising an infrared data association (IrDA), a short range radio connection, a Bluetooth connection, a connection to a wireless local area network (WLAN), or a connection to a telecommunication network, or any combination thereof.
The message viewer may be connected to a three-dimensional user interface.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, it is provided a mobile communication apparatus comprising a an input means arranged to receive instructions from a user; a processor arranged to assign parameters for three-dimensional viewing of items, wherein said parameters depend on said instructions; and a display arranged to view said items according to said parameters; a message sender according to the second aspect of the present invention; and a message receiver according to the third aspect of the present invention.
An advantage of this, beyond the advantages of those of the first, second and third aspects, is that three-dimensional messaging is enabled in a mobile communication apparatus.
The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, where the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements, wherein:
There are different ways of displaying three-dimensional objects on a screen, among those the use of perspective, which has been used by painters for several of hundred years, the use of special glasses to a receive stereoscopic view, viewing by tracking the location of the user thus arranging the displayed objects accordingly, or use of special display screens where a user experiences a three-dimensional image.
An electronic apparatus with a three-dimensional user interface is be arranged to view items according to parameters in sense of sizes, orientations, and locations of the items, and especially the relations between the items. The apparatus can comprise means for converting the items to a form being able to view at the present situation, where the user experience sizes, orientations, and locations of the items, and the relations between the items in in a comprehensive way. The apparatus can also comprise means for changing a three-dimensional viewpoint of the items according to instructions from a user through input means. For example, the user is able to make a “walkabout” among the three-dimensionally presented items. The three-dimensional user interface can also comprise a scrolling function to enable a user to scroll between items in a direction perpendicular to an image plane of a display of the apparatus.
The functions of the mobile communication apparatus 100 comprise a three-dimensional user interface, a message sender, and a message receiver, which is handled by the processor 102, with support of the elements 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 124.
The three-dimensional user interface of the mobile communication apparatus 100 comprises the display 120, input means 110, 112, 114, and a processor 102, wherein. the processor 102 is arranged to control the display 120 upon instructions received from a user by the input means 110, 112, 114, and the processor 102 is arranged to assign parameters for three-dimensional viewing of the items, and the display 120 is arranged to view one or more items according to the parameters. A three-dimensional viewpoint for a user among the items is depending on the parameters. The parameters for three-dimensional viewing can comprise relation, relative size, orientation, and/or location. The items can comprise a menu item, a message, a phone book entry, an icon, and/or an image.
The user can also create her own three-dimensional pictographs in the message editor 302. The user arranges one or more three-dimensional pictographs in a message by the message editor 302, and the pictographs can be animated or still objects. The message can be divided into parts, where animation can be performed between parts of the message. In the message editor 302, the user is able to set size, orientation, and location of the pictographs, and arrange the relations between the pictographs. The message can also comprise other images, text, sound objects, film clips, etc. The message sender also comprises message sending means 310 for sending the generated messages via the communication means.
