System and method for multiple node display

• US 20050184989A1
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Arcas, Blaise Aguera y
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/428
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/20 Drawing from basic elements, e.g. lines or circles

Abstract

A method of display of visual content is disclosed which utilizes nodes that launch only when necessary. The nodes may be rendered and/or displayed in the coordinate system of another node, perhaps a parent node, when appropriate. Increase precision of display objects is achieved.

Claims

1. A method of displaying visual content, said visual content comprising at least two nodes, the method comprising displaying the visual content associated with at least a first node and at least a second node using the rendering method and coordinate system of the first node until a predetermined navigation condition is detected, and then displaying the second node using the rendering method and coordinate system of the second node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said rendering method or said coordinate system differs between said first and second nodes.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said predetermined navigation condition is a size of display of said second node.

4. A method of displaying visual content organized into nodes, the method comprising displaying visual content associated with a first node using its own coordinate system during a prescribed range of zooms and displaying visual content associated with said first node using a coordinate system of a second node outside said prescribed range of zooms.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said first node is within said second node.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said first node is displayed using its own rendering method during said range of zooms and using a rendering method of said second node outside said range of zooms.

7. The method of claim 4 or 6 wherein at a border of said range of zooms, said visual content is displayed by blending from a first rendition to a second rendition.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said second node contains a pointer to said first node.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said first rendition and second rendition use different coordinate systems.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said first rendition and said second rendition use different rendering methods.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said first and second renditions use different rendering methods and different coordinate systems.

9. (canceled)

13. A method of displaying visual content, said method comprising displaying visual content associated with a first node using a coordinate system and rendering method of a second node during a first range of zooms, displaying said visual content associated with said first node using its own coordinate system and rendering method during a second range of zooms, and ceasing to display said visual content associated with said first node during a third range of zooms.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said visual content gradually blends at borders of said first and second range of zooms, and said second and third range of zooms.

15-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method of substantially simultaneously displaying visual content associated with each of a plurality of nodes, each node having its own coordinate system, the method comprising each node deriving information indicative of its own position in a display area, and displaying visual content associated with each of said nodes substantially simultaneously in said display area.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said deriving for at least one node comprises receiving position information from another node, and converting said position information from a first coordinate system to a second coordinate system.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said position information is a position associated with a predetermined location within said display area.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein visual content associated with each of said nodes is displayed using a rendering method associated with the particular node.

27. A method of displaying visual content comprising displaying a first node having a first coordinate system, displaying a second node within said coordinate system, and then displaying said second node in its own coordinate system in response to navigation by a user.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said second coordinate system is more precise than said first coordinate system.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein a precision associated with a coordinate system is measured in number of digits, and wherein said number of digits is variable.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said precision associated varies up to a maximum limited by storage capacity of a computer on which said method is operating.

31. A method of displaying visual content on a display, the method comprising displaying plural nodes at plural sizes, each in a specified coordinate system, each coordinate system having a precision, the precision in which a coordinate system is displayed being dependent upon the size at which the node is displayed.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said precision is variable and increases when the coordinate system in which a node is displayed changes during navigation.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said precision is variable and decreases when the coordinate system in which a node is displayed changes during navigation.

34. A method of displaying nodes comprising displaying a node in a first coordinate system, and displaying the node in a second coordinate system by gradually blending from said first coordinate system to said second coordinate system during a predefined range of navigation, wherein a rendering method used for said node also gradually changes from a first such rendering method to a second rendering method.

35. (canceled)

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said navigation comprises either zooming or panning.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein information about a view is propagated among plural nodes as said navigation occurs.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said propagation is accomplished using a mathematical tree.