Granted Patent B2

US 8,826,182 · App. 13/224,922 · Granted Sep 2, 2014

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:

a mapping of one or more parameters, one or more representations of the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof onto one or more respective surface segments of at least one three-dimensional icon;

a rendering of the at least one three-dimensional icon in a user interface;

one or more manipulations of a position of the at least one three-dimensional icon in the user interface with respect to one or more reference objects rendered in the user interface; and

a processing of the one or more manipulations to determine one or more weighting values for the one or more parameters,

wherein the one or more weighting values are based, at least in part, on the percentage of each of the one or more respective surface segments that is submerged in the one or more reference objects, covered by the one or more reference objects, within the one or more reference objects, or a combination thereof, and

wherein the one or more reference objects represent, at least in part, one or more sets of information, one or more controls, one or more settings, or a combination thereof to which the one or more parameters apply.

2. A method of claim 1 , wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a processing of the one or more manipulations to determine orientation information of the at least one three-dimensional object;

wherein the one or more weighting values are determined based, at least in part, on the orientation information.

3. A method of claim 1 , wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the one or more parameters to determine one or more results of at least one operation based, at least in part, on the one or more weighting values.

4. A method of claim 3 , wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a rendering of one or more other representations of the one or more results in the user interface.

5. A method of claim 4 , wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a monitoring of the user interface for one or more updates to the one or more manipulations, one or more other manipulations, or a combination thereof in at least substantially real time; and

at least one determination to update the one or more results, the rendering of the one or more other representations of the one or more results, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the monitoring.

6. A method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one operation includes, at least in part, a query.

7. A method of claim 1 , wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of one or more Boolean operators for the one or more parameters; and

at least one determination of the mapping, the one or more weighting values, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the one or more Boolean operators.

8. A method of claim 1 , wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of the one or more manipulations based, at least in part, on one or more location sensors, one or more orientation sensors, one or more movements sensors, or a combination thereof of at least one device associated with the user interface.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

cause, at least in part, a mapping of one or more parameters, one or more representations of the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof onto one or more respective surface segments of at least one three-dimensional icon;

cause, at least in part, a rendering of the at least one three-dimensional icon in a user interface;

determine one or more manipulations of a position of the at least one three-dimensional icon in the user interface with respect to one or more reference objects rendered in the user interface; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the one or more manipulations to determine one or more weighting values for the one or more parameters,

wherein the one or more weighting values are based, at least in part, on the percentage of each of the one or more respective surface segments that is submerged in the one or more reference objects, covered by the one or more reference objects, within the one or more reference objects, or a combination thereof, and

wherein the one or more reference objects represent, at least in part, one or more sets of information, one or more controls, one or more settings, or a combination thereof to which the one or more parameters apply.

10. An apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the one or more manipulations to determine orientation information of the at least one three-dimensional object;

wherein the one or more weighting values are determined based, at least in part, on the orientation information.

11. An apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the one or more parameters to determine one or more results of at least one operation based, at least in part, on the one or more weighting values.

12. An apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a rendering of one or more other representations of the one or more results in the user interface.

13. An apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a monitoring of the user interface for one or more updates to the one or more manipulations, one or more other manipulations, or a combination thereof in at least substantially real time; and

determine to update the one or more results, the rendering of the one or more other representations of the one or more results, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the monitoring.

14. An apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one operation includes, at least in part, a query.

15. An apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine one or more Boolean operators for the one or more parameters; and

determine the mapping, the one or more weighting values, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the one or more Boolean operators.

16. An apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the one or more manipulations based, at least in part, on one or more location sensors, one or more orientation sensors, one or more movements sensors, or a combination thereof of at least one device associated with the user interface.

Assignments (8)