1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and user interfaces for interacting with three-dimensional content. More specifically, the invention relates to display systems for enabling users to interact with 3D content on mobile and stationary displays.
2. Description of the Related Art
The amount of three-dimensional content available on the Internet and in other contexts, such as video games and medical imaging, is rapidly increasing. Consumers are getting more accustomed to hearing about “3D” in a growing number of scenarios. For example, 3D content may be found in movies, medical imaging (e.g., examining MRIs), online virtual worlds (e.g., Second Life), modeling and prototyping, video gaming, information visualization, architecture, tele-immersion and collaboration, geographic information systems (e.g., Google Earth), and in other fields. In particular, the popularity of online virtual worlds is on the rise and more users are interacting with virtual worlds through mobile devices, such as cell phones and media players, as well as through stationary, desktop monitors.
However, although the technology behind mobile devices is making them more versatile, they often have relatively small monitors in comparison to stationary monitors. Presently, mobile devices do not provide users who are seeking interaction with three-dimensional content on their mobile devices with a natural, intuitive, and immersive experience. Typically, mobile device displays, such as displays on cell phones, only allow for a limited field of view (FOV), which may be described as the maximum number of degrees of visual angle that can be seen on a display component. This is due to the fact that the mobile device display size is generally limited by the size of the device. For example, the size of a non-projection display cannot be larger than the mobile device that contains the display. Therefore, existing solutions for mobile displays (which are generally light-emitting displays) limit the immersive experience for the user. Furthermore, it is presently difficult to navigate through, for example, virtual worlds or other 3D content via a first-person view on mobile devices, which is one aspect of creating an immersive experience. Mobile devices do not provide satisfactory user awareness of virtual surroundings, another important aspect of creating an immersive experience.
As such, mobile devices, as well as many stationary displays, fall short of taking advantage of 3D content by not providing an immersive user experience, particularly with respect to field of view. Nearly all mobile devices and other present display systems use a single planar screen which has a limited field of view and fail to provide an immersive environment for the user to interact with the 3D content. Some user interface methods, which can be used with mobile or desktop displays, require wearable heads-up displays or video goggles in order to interact with 3D content, such as entering an online virtual world. However, such head-worn gear is generally socially intrusive and undesirable with many users. Consequently, they have not enjoyed widespread use at home or in the office, let alone in public spaces where many mobile devices are often used.
Thus, it would be desirable to have an immersive and intuitive way of using content displays, whether they are mobile devices, stationary devices or combinations thereof, to interact with or view 3D content.