Graphical user interface widgets viewable and readable from multiple viewpoints in a volumetric display

• US 20030142092A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurtenbach, Gordon Paul, Balakrishnan, Ravin, Fitzmaurice, George William
• Granted Patent: US 7,205,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/50 the image being built up from image elements distributed over a 3D volume, e.g. voxels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

The present invention is a widget display system for a volumetric or true three-dimensional (3D) display that provides a volumetric or omni-viewable widget that can be viewed and interacted with from any location around the volumetric display. The widget can be viewed from any location by duplicating the widget such that all locations around the display are within the viewing range of the widget. A widget can be provided with multiple viewing surfaces or faces making the widget omni-directional. A widget can be continuously rotated to face all of the possible locations of users over a period of time. User locations can be determined and the widget can be oriented to face the users when selected.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

producing and displaying a three-dimensional scene in a volumetric display; and

producing and displaying a volumetric interface element in the display.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface element comprises display faces arranged in separate non-adjoining locations within the volumetric display and each face having a viewing range where the viewing range of the faces cover the viewpoints of users around the volumetric display.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein viewpoints are allocated into viewing clusters and a face is oriented along an average angle between the viewpoints in a cluster.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the volumetric element comprises display faces corresponding one-to-one with users and oriented to face corresponding users.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising positioning the faces to eliminate occlusion by neighboring faces.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein each face has a normal to a surface of the volumetric display and the positioning comprises:

determining a normal to a surface of the volumetric display corresponding to each user location;

placing the faces in a center of the volumetric display along their corresponding normals;

determining a centroid of the faces;

orienting the faces orthogonal to their corresponding normals along radials from the centroid to the corresponding user locations; and

moving occluding faces along their corresponding normals until occlusion is eliminated.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the volumetric element comprises an omni-directional element.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein an omni-directional element comprises a multisided element with contents replicated on each side.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the multisided element comprises one of a cube, a globe and a hexagonal solid, the multisided element having faces each with a viewing range and the viewing ranges of the faces covering the viewpoints of users around the volumetric display.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the volumetric element comprises a rotating face rotating into view of the users.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the rotating face comprises one of a face revolving continuously through 360 degrees and a facerocking back and forth through a predetermined number of degrees.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, further comprising orienting the rotating face toward a user selecting the volumetric element.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the volumetric element further comprises a stationary control associated with the rotating face.

14. A method, comprising:

producing and displaying a three-dimensional scene in a volumetric display;

producing and displaying an omni-viewable widget in the display, where omni-viewable widget comprises display faces arranged in separate non-adjoining locations within the volumetric display, corresponding one-to-one with users and oriented to face corresponding users and each face having a viewing range where the viewing range of the faces cover the viewpoints of users around the volumetric display; and

positioning the faces to eliminate occlusion by neighboring faces, where each face has a normal to a surface of the volumetric display and the positioning comprises;

determining a normal to a surface of the volumetric display corresponding to each user location;

placing the faces in a center of the volumetric display along their corresponding normals;

determining a centroid of the faces;

orienting the faces orthogonal to their corresponding normals along radials from the centroid to the corresponding user locations; and

moving occluding faces along their corresponding normals until occlusion is eliminated.

15. A computer readable storage controlling a computer or via producing a three-dimensional scene in a volumetric display, and producing a volumetric interface element in the display.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a volumetric display system displaying a three-dimensional scene; and

a computer creating the scene and providing a volumetric widget displayed by said display system.

17. A method, comprising:

producing and displaying scene in a display; and

producing and displaying an omni-viewable widget in the display.

18. A method, comprising:

producing and displaying scene in a display; and

modifying a widget to increase a number of viewpoints for the widget with the widget being viewable and operable omni-directionally and displaying a modified widget in the display.

19. A display, comprising:

scene content; and

an omni-viewable widget.