System and method for providing and using a computer user interface with a view space having discrete portions

A computer system with an improved graphical user interface comprising:

• computing elements for defining a view space in which graphical user interface windows can be selectively located by a user, said view space having a plurality of discrete portions each of which is large enough to hold an entire window;
• computing elements for selectively associating one of said view-space portions with each of one or more physical locations external to, and not physically connected to, said computing system;
• computing elements for generating one or more of said windows for each of one or more computer processes;
• computing elements for enabling a user to selectively locate one or more of said windows in one of said view-space portions which has been associated with one of said physical locations;
• computing elements for detecting when a user motions toward a given one of said physical locations;
• and
• computing elements for responding to a detection that the user has motioned toward said given physical location by presenting a visual display to the user which shows the given view-space portion associated with the given physical location, together with any window located in the given view-space portion;
• wherein:
• the physical locations with which view-space portions are associated are those of identifiers objects;
• the computing elements for detecting when a user motions toward a given physical location includes an identifying device for detecting when the user motions toward the identifier object provided for that location;
• and
• the identifiers objects are bar codes and the identifying device is a bar code reader.

A computing apparatus comprising:

• computing elements for computing one or more graphical user interface windows for each of one or more computer processes;
• computing elements for defining a view space in which said windows can be located, said view space having a plurality of discrete portions each of which is large enough to hold a plurality of said windows;
• computing elements for enabling the user to selectively place individual windows at individual desired locations in said view space with a point and click interface, including moving such windows between different ones of said view space portions;
• a head mounted display for projecting a visual image which can be seen by a user wearing said head mounted display;
• computing elements for causing one or more images to be shown on said head mounted display which show to a user, at any given time, a subset of the portions of said view space;
• a directional detector for generating an object detection signal when said detector receives a certain signals from a physical object in response to said detector being pointed at said object, said detector being mounted on said head mounted display so a user who is wearing the apparatus can point the detector by moving his or her head;
• computing elements responsive to said directional detector for detecting when a user moves through each of a succession of specified zones of motion;
• and
• computing elements making a succession of quantized changes, in units of whole view space portions, in which of said portions of said view space are shown in said head mounted display when said user is detected moving through said succession of zones of motion, without requiring any additional selection step by the user in association with each of said successive zones of motion.

A computerized method comprising the steps of:

• computing one or more graphical user interface windows for each of one or more computer processes;
• defining a view space in which said windows can be located, said view space having a plurality of discrete portions each of which is large enough to hold a plurality of said windows;
• enabling a user to selectively associate each of a plurality of said view space portions with each of a plurality of zones of motion, each defined relative to a physical location external to, and not physically connected to, said computing apparatus;
• enabling the user to selectively place individual windows at individual desired locations in said view space with a point and click interface, including moving such windows between different ones of said view space portions;
• presenting a visual display to a user which shows a subset of the portions of said view space;
• detecting when a user moves through each of a succession of said zones of motion;
• responding to a detection that the user is moving through a given zone of motion by causing said visual display to show the given view space portion associated with the given zone of motion, together with any window located in the given view space portion, said step making a succession of quantized changes, in units of whole view space portions, in which of said view space portions are shown in said visual display when said user is detected moving through said succession of zones of motion, without requiring any additional selection step by the user in association with each of said successive zones of motion.

A computer system with an improved graphical user interface comprising:

• computing elements for computing one or more graphical user interface windows for each of one or more computer processes;
• computing elements for defining a view space in which said windows can be located, said view space having a plurality of discrete portions each of which is large enough to hold a plurality of said windows;
• computing elements for enabling a user to selectively associate each of a plurality of said view space portions with each of a plurality of zones of motion, each defined relative to a physical location external to, and not physically connected to, said computing system;
• computing elements for enabling the user to selectively place individual windows at individual desired locations in said view space with a point and click interface, including moving such windows between different ones of said view space portions;
• computing elements for presenting a visual display to a user which shows a subset of the portions of said view space;
• computing elements for detecting when a user moves through each of a succession of said zones of motion;
• computing elements for responding to a detection that the user is moving through a given zone of motion by causing said visual display to show the given view space portion associated with the given zone of motion, together with any window located in the given view space portion, said computing element making a succession of quantized changes, in units of whole view space portions, in which of said view space portions are shown in said visual display when said user is detected moving through said succession of zones of motion, without requiring any additional selection step by the user in association with each of said successive zones of motion.

A method performed by computing apparatus comprising the steps of:

• computing one or more graphical user interface windows for each of one or more computer processes;
• defining a view space in which said windows can be located, said view space having a plurality of discrete portions each of which is large enough to hold a plurality of said windows;
• enabling the user to selectively place individual windows at individual desired locations in said view space with a point and click interface, including moving such windows between different ones of said view space portions;
• presenting a visual display to a user which shows a subset of the portions of said view space;
• detecting when a user moves through each of a succession of specified zones of motion;
• and
• making a succession of quantized changes, in units of whole view space portions, in which of said view space portions are shown in said visual display when said user is detected moving through said succession of zones of motion, without requiring any additional selection step by the user in association with each of said successive zones of motion.

A computer operating system stored in computer readable memory for providing an improved graphical user interface, said operating system comprising:

• elements for computing one or more graphical user interface windows for each of one or more computer processes;
• elements for defining a view space in which said windows can be located, said view space having a plurality of discrete portions each of which is large enough to hold a plurality of said windows;
• elements for enabling the user to selectively place individual windows at individual desired locations in said view space with a point and click interface, including moving such windows between different ones of said view space portions;
• elements for presenting a visual display to a user which shows a subset of the portions of said view space;
• elements for detecting when a user moves through each of a succession of specified zones of motion;
• and
• elements for making a succession of quantized changes, in units of whole view space portions, in which of said view space portions are shown in said visual display when said user is detected moving through said succession of zones of motion, without requiring any additional selection step by the user in association with each of said successive zones of motion.