Methods and systems for indicating invisible contents of workspace

• US 20030156124A1
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Stefik, Mark J., Good, Lance E., Baudisch, Patrick M., MacKinlay, Jock D., Zellweger, Polle
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/620
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

Techniques for displaying contextual information in clipped views of two-dimensional workspaces are provided. A method for indicating an object includes: providing a workspace having a viewed space and a populated space, the viewed space being delineated by a border; determining an object in the populated space; determining a direction of the object from the viewed space; and indicating the object with an indicator on the border of the viewed space in the direction of the object. The distance of the object may determine the appearance of the indicator. The indicator may also show a user'"'"'s interest. An object indicating system includes: an object determination circuit that determines an object in a populated space and a direction of the object from a viewed space; and an indicator mapping block that indicates the object with an indicator on a border of the viewed space in the direction of the object.

Claims

1. A method for indicating an object, comprising:

providing a workspace having a viewed space and a populated space, the viewed space being delineated by a border;

determining at least one object in the populated space;

determining a direction of the at least one object from the viewed space; and

indicating the at least one object with at least one indicator on the border of the viewed space based on the direction of the at least one object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the at least one indicator comprises generating an orthogonal projection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the at least one indicator comprises generating a corner indicator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the corner indicator includes indicating the number of objects in a corner area, the corner area being delineated by lines extended from each of adjoining sides of the border.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the at least one indicator comprises generating a radial projection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a distance of the at least one object from the viewed space; and

adding a visual effect to the at least one indicator based on the distance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein adding the visual effect to the at least one indicator includes altering a color of the at least one indicator based upon the determined distance.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein adding the visual effect to the at least one indicator includes indicating the at least one indicator on an inner bound of the border if the at least one object is within the predetermined distance, and on an outer bound of the border if the at least one object is not within the predetermined distance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the at least one indicator comprising generating an arc, wherein the arc is a part of circle having the at least one object as a center of the circle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the arc extends farther into the viewed space from the border, a degree of the extension being proportional to the distance of the at least one object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the at least one indicator includes indicating size of the at least one object.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the at least one indicator includes indicating a center of the at least one object.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the at least one indicator includes indicating an object having higher interest for a user, the higher interest determined by at least one of when an object was created, when the object was modified, how often the object was modified, and how long the object was in focus.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one object comprises determining a cluster including a plurality of objects.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the at least one indicator further comprises indicating a link between the at least one object and another object.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a subject of a selected one of an object in the viewed space and a subject of the at least one object in the populated space, wherein the indicator is highlighted when the at least one object has a subject similar to the subject of the selected object in the viewed space.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the at least one indicator includes indicating a change in the at least one object in the populated space.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the change includes a bump generated at a point where at least two objects bump against each other.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface on the border; and

showing more information of the at least one indicator on the border at a user'"'"'s command.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

selecting the at least one indicator; and

highlighting the at least one indicator indicating an object in the populated space that is used recently.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a second viewed space larger than the viewed space, the second viewed space superimposing the viewed space and a part of the populated space around the viewed space, wherein the at least one object in the populated space is translucently colored.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one object comprises determining a geographical location, and the at least one indicator indicates the distance to the at least one object.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the at least one indicator; and

interacting with the at least one indicator.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein interacting with the at least one indicator includes jumping to the at least one object.

25. An object indicating system, comprising:

an object determination circuit that determines at least one object in a populated space and a direction of the at least one object from a viewed space; and

an indicator mapping block that indicates the at least one object with at least one indicator on a border of the viewed space based on the direction of the at least one object.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that indicates the at least one indicator using an orthogonal projection

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that indicates the at least one indicator using a corner indicator.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the corner indicator indicates the number of objects in a corner area, the corner area being delineated by lines extended from each of adjoining sides of the border.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that indicates the at least one indicator using a radial projection.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the object determination circuit determines a distance of the at least one object from the viewed space, and the indicator mapping block adds visual effects to the at least one indicator based on the determined distance.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that alters a color of the at least one indicator based upon the determined distance.

32. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one indicator is indicated on an inner bound of border when the at least one object is within a predetermined distance, and on an outer bound of the border when the at least one object is not within the predetermined distance.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that indicates the at least one indicator using an arc, wherein the arc is a part of circle having the at least one object as a center of the circle.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the arc extends farther into the viewed space from the border, a degree of the extension being proportional to the distance to the at least one object.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one indicator indicates size of the at least one object.

36. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one indicator indicates a center of the at least one object.

37. The system of claim 25, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a degree-of-interest (DOI) determination circuit that determines at least one of when the at least one object was created, when the at least one object was modified, how often the at least one object was modified, and how long the at least one object was in focus, and wherein the at least one indicator indicates an object with higher interest for a user, wherein the higher interest is determined by the DOI determination circuit.

38. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one object is a cluster comprising a plurality of objects.

39. The system of claim 25, wherein the indicator further indicates a link between the at least one object and another object.

40. The system of claim 25, wherein the object determination circuit determines a subject of a selected one of an object in the viewed space and a subject of the at least one object in the populated space, and wherein the indicator is highlighted when the at least one object has a subject similar to the subject of the selected object in the viewed space.

41. The system of claim 25, wherein the object determination circuit determines a change in the at least one object in the populated space, and wherein the indicator mapping block maps the indicator indicating the change.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the change includes a bump generated at a point where at least two objects bump against each other.

43. The system of claim 25, wherein the object determining circuit provides a user interface on the border, and the indicator mapping block includes a permanent and transient indication circuit that shows more information of the at least one indicator on the border at a user'"'"'s command.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the at least one indicator indicating an object in the populated space that is used recently is highlighted.

45. The system of claim 25, wherein the indicator mapping block provides a second viewed space larger than the viewed space, and superimposes the at least one object in the populated space of the second viewed space onto the viewed space and a part of the populated space around the viewed space, and wherein the at least one object in the populated space is translucently colored.

46. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one object is a geographical location, and wherein the at least one indicator indicates the distance to the at least one object.

47. The system of claim 25, the indicator mapping block includes an interactivity circuit that interacts with the at least one indicator.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the interactivity circuit interacts with the at least one indicator by jumping to the at least one object.