Navigation methods, systems, and computer program products for virtual three-dimensional books

• US 20020113823A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Gossweiler, Richard Carl III, Woodruff, Allison Gyle, Card, Stuart Kent, Mackinlay, Jock Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/776
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A system is described for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages. The system comprises a display system capable of executing a display program wherein images of the virtual three-dimensional book are produced on the display system. A degree of interest (DOI) function is provided for allocating available space on the display system. A page selection function may provide a user-selectable scale along a long axis of the virtual book for selecting virtual pages. Virtual chapter tabs may also be provided for navigating within the virtual book. The display system may also include a page flipping function with several different page flipping speeds and several different page flipping animations for moving between virtual pages in the virtual book. Moreover, a scroll bar function provided to facilitate page navigation wherein space on the scroll bar is allocated using a DOI function. Finally, a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for producing images of a virtual three-dimensional book is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages with virtual objects, the system comprising:

a display system capable of executing a display program,

wherein images of the virtual three-dimensional book are produced on the display system, and

wherein the display system includes a degree of interest function for allocating available space on the display system for providing the images on the display system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the degree of interest function comprises an intrinsic degree of interest value and a distance-based degree of interest value for each virtual object to be displayed.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the degree of interest function for a virtual object comprises adding the intrinsic degree of interest value of a virtual object and the distance-based degree of interest value.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the distance-based degree of interest value considers the recency in time since the virtual object was last displayed.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the intrinsic degree of interest value is determined by an object type of the virtual object.

6. A system for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages, the system comprising:

a display system capable of executing a display program,

wherein images of the virtual three-dimensional book are produced on the display system, and

wherein a page selection function is provided, the page selection function comprising a user-selectable scale along a long axis of the virtual three-dimensional book for selecting virtual pages.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein positions along the user-selectable scale correspond to page numbers of virtual pages in the virtual three-dimensional book.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the user selectable scale is a linear scale.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the long axis is one of a height axis and a width axis of the three-dimensional book.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the user selectable scale is a non-linear scale.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the non-linear scale is a function of a degree of interest value.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the degree of interest value comprises a page distance from a currently displayed page.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the degree of interest value falls off exponentially from the currently displayed page.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the degree of interest (DOI) value is determined for each page number p using the function

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein a size for each chapter tab corresponds to the number of virtual pages in the chapter.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein a size for each chapter tab is determined using a degree of interest function.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the degree of interest function is related to a distance from a chapter including a currently displayed page.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein information corresponding to the chapter is provided on a chapter tab.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein an amount of information provided corresponds to a size of the chapter tab.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein one of sub-chapter information or section information is displayed on the chapter tab.

22. The system according to claim 15, wherein the chapter tabs are provided along an edge of the virtual three-dimensional book.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein a size of a chapter tab corresponds to a user-selectable page selection scale along the edge of the virtual three-dimensional book.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the page flipping function comprises an animation displaying a virtual page flipping.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the page flipping function selects one of at least two different page flipping animations in accordance with a page flipping speed.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the at least two different page flipping animations comprise a full page flip animation for a slow page flipping speed.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein the at least two different page flipping animations comprise a partial flip animation for an intermediate page flipping speed.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the partial flip animation displays a fraction of a page flipping.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein at least some page content data is included in the partial flip animation.

31. The system according to claim 26, wherein the at least two different page flipping animations comprise a corner flip animation for a fast page flipping speed.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the corner flip animation displays only a corner portion of a page flipping.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein no page content data is included in the corner flip animation.

34. The system according to claim 24, wherein, via a user interface, a user selects a position along an edge of the virtual three-dimensional book and moves away from the position to activate the page flipping function.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein a speed of the page flipping function is related to a distance moved from the position.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the degree of interest function comprises an intrinsic degree of interest value and a distance-based degree of interest value for each virtual object to be displayed.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the degree of interest function for a virtual object comprises adding the intrinsic degree of interest value of a virtual object and the distance-based degree of interest value.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the distance-based degree of interest value considers the recency in time since the virtual object was last displayed.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the intrinsic degree of interest value is determined by an object type of the virtual object.

41. The system of claim 36, wherein virtual section information is displayed on the scroll bar.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein sub-section information is displayed on the scroll bar for virtual sections with higher degrees of interest.

43. The system of claim 36, wherein a location for each of one or more tables within the document is visually indicated on the scroll bar.

44. The system of claim 36, wherein a location for each of one or more figures within the document is visually indicated on the scroll bar.

46. The computer program product of claim 45 wherein the degree of interest function comprises an intrinsic degree of interest value and a distance-based degree of interest value for each virtual object to be displayed.

47. The computer program product of claim 46 wherein the degree of interest function for a virtual object comprises adding the intrinsic degree of interest value of a virtual object and the distance-based degree of interest value.

48. The computer program product of claim 46 wherein the distance-based degree of interest value considers the recency in time since the virtual object was last displayed.

49. The computer program product of claim 46 wherein the intrinsic degree of interest value is determined by an object type of the virtual object.

15. A system for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages and one or more chapters, the system comprising:

a display system capable of executing a display program,

wherein images of the virtual three-dimensional book are produced on the display system, and

wherein the virtual three-dimensional book includes a selectable chapter tab for each of the one or more chapters.

24. A system for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages and one or more chapters, the system comprising:

a display system capable of executing a display program,

wherein images of the virtual three-dimensional book are produced on the display system, and

wherein the display system includes a page flipping function for moving between virtual pages in the virtual three-dimensional book.

36. A system for displaying images of a virtual document with virtual objects and sections, the system comprising:

a display system capable of executing a display program,

wherein images of the document are produced on the display system, and

wherein a scroll bar function for page navigation is provided, the scroll bar function comprising a scroll bar which allocates space on the scroll bar based on a degree of interest function.

45. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for producing images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages with virtual objects on a display device, the computer readable code comprising;

a degree of interest function for allocating available space on the display device.

50. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for producing images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages on a display device, the computer readable code comprising;

a page selection function for displaying a user-selectable scale along a long axis of the virtual three-dimensional book for selecting virtual pages.

51. The computer program product of claim 50 wherein positions along the user-selectable scale correspond to page numbers of virtual pages in the virtual three-dimensional book.

52. The computer program product of claim 50 wherein the user selectable scale is a linear scale.

53. The computer program product of claim 50 wherein the long axis is one of a height axis and a width axis of the three-dimensional book.

54. The computer program product of claim 50 wherein the user selectable scale is a non-linear scale.

55. The computer program product of claim 54 wherein the non-linear scale is a function of a degree of interest value.

56. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the degree of interest value comprises a page distance from a currently displayed page.

57. The computer program product of claim 56 wherein the degree of interest value falls off exponentially from the currently displayed page.

58. The computer program product of claim 57 wherein the degree of interest (DOI) value is determined for each page number p using the function

60. The computer program product of claim 59 wherein a size for each chapter tab corresponds to the number of virtual pages in the chapter.

61. The computer program product of claim 59 wherein a size for each chapter tab is determined using a degree of interest function.

62. The computer program product of claim 61 wherein the degree of interest function is related to a distance from a chapter including a currently displayed page.

63. The computer program product of claim 61 wherein information corresponding to the chapter is provided on a chapter tab.

64. The computer program product of claim 63 wherein an amount of information provided corresponds to a size of the chapter tab.

65. The computer program product of claim 61 wherein one of sub-chapter information or section information is displayed on the chapter tab.

66. The computer program product of claim 59 wherein the chapter tabs are provided along an edge of the virtual three-dimensional book.

67. The computer program product of claim 66 wherein a size of a chapter tab corresponds to a user-selectable page selection scale along the edge of the virtual three-dimensional book.

69. The computer program product of claim 68 wherein the page flipping function comprises an animation displaying a virtual page flipping.

70. The computer program product of claim 69 wherein the page flipping function selects one of at least two different page flipping animations in accordance with a page flipping speed.

71. The computer program product of claim 70 wherein the at least two different page flipping animations comprise a full page flip animation for a slow page flipping speed.

72. The computer program product of claim 70 wherein the at least two different page flipping animations comprise a partial flip animation for an intermediate page flipping speed.

73. The computer program product of claim 72 wherein the partial flip animation displays a fraction of a page flipping.

74. The computer program product of claim 72 wherein at least some page content data is included in the partial flip animation.

75. The computer program product of claim 70 wherein the at least two different page flipping animations comprise a corner flip animation for a fast page flipping speed.

76. The computer program product of claim 75 wherein the corner flip animation displays only a corner portion of a page flipping.

77. The computer program product of claim 76 wherein no page content data is included in the corner flip animation.

78. The computer program product of claim 68 wherein, via a user interface, a user selects a position along an edge of the virtual three-dimensional book and moves away from the position to activate the page flipping function.

79. The computer program product of claim 78 wherein a speed of the page flipping function is related to a distance moved from the position.

59. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for producing images of a virtual three-dimensional book on a display device, the virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages and one or more chapters, the computer readable code comprising;

a tab display and selection function whereby the virtual three-dimensional book includes a selectable chapter tab for each of the one or more chapters.

68. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for producing images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages on a display device, the computer readable code comprising;

a page flipping function for moving between virtual pages in the virtual three-dimensional book.

80. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for producing images of a virtual document with virtual objects on a display device, the computer readable code comprising;

a scroll bar function for displaying a user-selectable scroll bar for document navigation wherein the scroll bar function allocates space on the scroll bar based on a degree of interest function.

81. The computer program product of claim 80 wherein the degree of interest function comprises an intrinsic degree of interest value and a distance-based degree of interest value for each virtual object to be displayed.

82. The computer program product of claim 81 wherein the degree of interest function for a virtual object comprises adding the intrinsic degree of interest value of a virtual object and the distance-based degree of interest value.

83. The computer program product of claim 81 wherein the distance-based degree of interest value considers the recency in time since the virtual object was last displayed.

84. The computer program product of claim 81 wherein the intrinsic degree of interest value is determined by an object type of the virtual object.

85. The computer program product of claim 80 wherein virtual section information is displayed on the scroll bar.

86. The computer program product of claim 85 wherein sub-section information is displayed on the scroll bar for virtual sections with higher degrees of interest.

87. The computer program product of claim 80 wherein a location for each of one or more tables within the document is visually indicated on the scroll bar.

88. A method of allocating available space for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book with one or more virtual pages on a display system, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning degree of interest values to each of the virtual pages; and

providing available space on the display system in priority sequence based on the degree of interest values.