Methods, apparatus and data structures for providing a user interface, which exploits spatial memory in three-dimensions, to objects and which visually groups proximally located objects
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsGeorge G. Robertson, Daniel C. Robbins, Maarten Roderik Van Dantzich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered on a simulated three-dimensional surface which (i) exploits spatial memory and (ii) allows more objects to be rendered on a given screen. The objects may be moved, continuously, on the surface with a two-dimensional input device.
Claims17
A man-machine interface method for permitting a user to act on objects, for use with a machine having a video display device and a user input device, the man-machine interface method comprising the steps, performed by the machine, of:
- a) generating a three-dimensional environment, having a three-dimensional surface, to be rendered on the video display device;
- b) determining a virtual location environment of each of the objects in the three-dimensional environment;
- c) generating visual representations of the objects, within the three-dimensional environment, at the determined locations, to be rendered on the video display device;
- d) autonomously determining, in response to predefined criteria, a cluster of corresponding ones of the visual representations of a plurality of said objects, wherein said predefined criteria comprises a degree to which individual ones of the plurality of objects are related to each other by a predefined property of each of the objects themselves or prior user selection of a predefined property of each of said plurality of objects themselves and
- e) generating a visual boundary, to be rendered on the video display device, which isolates the visual representations of said objects in the cluster from the visual representations of other ones of the objects then being displayed on the visual display device so as to visually segregate the visual representations of the objects associated with the cluster from the visual representations of the other objects.
Apparatus for providing a man-machine interface which permits a user to act on objects, comprising:
- a) a processor;
- b) a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions therein;
- and
- c) a video display device connected to the processor;
- and
- d) wherein the processor, in response to execution of the instructions:
- d1) generates a three-dimensional environment, having a three-dimensional surface, to be rendered on the video display device;
- d2) determines a virtual location environment of each of the objects in the three-dimensional environment;
- d3) generates visual representations of the objects, within the three-dimensional environment, at the determined locations, to be rendered on the video display device;
- d4) autonomously determines, in response to predefined criteria, a cluster of corresponding ones of the visual representations of a plurality of said objects, wherein said predefined criteria comprises a degree to which individual ones of the plurality of objects are related to each other by a predefined property of each of the objects themselves or prior user selection of a predefined property of each of said plurality of objects themselves;
- and
- d5) generates a visual boundary, to be rendered on the video display device, which isolates the visual representations of said objects in the cluster from the visual representations of other ones of the objects then being displayed on the visual display device so as to visually segregate the visual representations of the objects associated with the cluster from the visual representations of the other objects.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.