System for dynamically mapping input device movement as a user's viewpoint changes

• US 20040210852A1
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurtenbach, Gordon, Balakrishnan, Ravin
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a two-handed input control system that dynamically changes an input-to-object mapping for mapping movement of a graphical object on a display of a virtual scene as the viewpoint of the virtual scene changes. As input to the system for changing the position of the graphical object occurs, the mapping is revised to reflect changes in the viewpoint so that the object moves as inherently expected. That is, changes to the viewpoint change the mapping so that a correspondence between the viewpoint and the input space is always maintained. During movement of the object a screen cursor is visually suppressed so that the movement of the graphical object and the screen cursor do not split the attention of the user. The screen cursor is always maintained within the visual display region of the virtual scene even when the object moves out of the visual display region by moving the cursor to a center of the screen when it reaches an edge of the screen.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

inputting viewpoint change information and graphical object change information;

dynamically changing an input-to-object mapping responsive to the viewpoint change information; and

moving a graphical object responsive to the graphical object change information and the dynamically changed mapping and changing the object in a scene and changing a viewpoint of the scene.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein tool activation information is input and a tool is operated during a change in a current viewpoint.

3. A method, comprising:

receiving an input from an graphical object motion input device; and

correlating motion of a graphical object in a three-dimensional scene to the input regardless of the viewpoint of the scene and changing the object in a scene and changing a viewpoint of the scene responsive to the input.

4. A method, comprising:

receiving an input from an graphical object motion input device; and

maintaining the cursor within a visual display region of a visual display regardless of a position of a graphical object within a virtual scene associated with the display and changing the object in a scene and changing a viewpoint of the scene responsive to the input.

5. A method, comprising:

inputting viewpoint change information; and

dynamically changing an input-to-object mapping to reflect a current viewpoint responsive to the viewpoint change information and changing the object in a scene and changing a viewpoint of the scene.

6. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein tool activation information is input and a tool is operated during a change in the current viewpoint.

7. A system, comprising:

first and second input devices inputting viewpoint change information and graphical object change information;

a visual display showing a virtual scene having a viewpoint and a graphical object within the scene; and

a computer dynamically changing an input-to-object mapping responsive to the viewpoint change information, changing the viewpoint of the scene responsive to the viewpoint change information, and changing the graphical object responsive to the graphical object change information and the dynamically changed mapping.

8. A system, comprising:

dominant and non-dominant hand input devices, the non-dominant hand device providing input;

a visual display showing a virtual scene having a viewpoint; and

a computer mapping the input to viewpoint changes and changing the object in a scene and changing a viewpoint of the scene responsive to the input.

9. A system, comprising:

first and second two degree of freedom input devices providing input;

a visual display showing a virtual scene; and

a computer providing at least three integrated degree of freedom movement within the scene responsive to the input from the devices and changing the object in the scene and changing a viewpoint of the scene responsive to the input.

10. A computer readable storage controlling a computer by substantially simultaneously inputting viewpoint change information and graphical object change information, dynamically changing an input-to-object mapping responsive to the viewpoint change information, and moving a graphical object responsive to the graphical object change information and the dynamically changed mapping and changing the object in a scene and changing a viewpoint of the scene responsive to the viewpoint change information and graphical object change information.