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

• US 20050005246A1
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• 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, MacKinlay, Jock Douglas, Card, Stuart Kent
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/776
• 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

1-5. -5 (Canceled)

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

$\mathrm{DOI}$

( p ) = 1 A ⁢

 

⁢

ⅇ

k ⁢



c - p 

wherein A and k are constants, e is the base of natural logarithms, and |c−

p| is the absolute value of the difference between a current page number c and each page number p.

15-49. -49. (Canceled)

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 value.

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

$\mathrm{DOI}$

( p ) = 1 A ⁢

 

⁢

ⅇ

k ⁢



c - p 

wherein A and k are constants, e is the base of natural logarithms, and |c−

p| is the absolute value of the difference between a current page number c and each page number p.

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.

60-88_Canceled_. -88.(Canceled)