Display controlling apparatus, information terminal unit provided with display controlling apparatus, and viewpoint location controlling apparatus

• US 20060103650A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kamiwada, Toru, Fujita, Takushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,812,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/427
• 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: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation

Abstract

The object of the present invention can be achieved by a display controlling apparatus for displaying a plurality of information objects including an information object shown by a three-dimensional shape in a three-dimensional virtual space. In the display controlling apparatus, a view to display is determined based on a shape of the information object to observe by corresponding to a view movement instruction input by a user as if the view traces a surface of the shape. And display images of the plurality of information objects linked each other are generated based on the view. Then, the display images are displayed at a display unit so as to display the information objects corresponding to the view movement instruction.

Claims

1. A viewpoint location controlling apparatus for controlling a viewpoint location with respect to the plurality of the information objects having shapes displayed in a three-dimensional virtual space, said viewpoint location controlling apparatus comprising:

a reference determining part determining the information object to display at a nearest location from the viewpoint location in accordance with an input by a user; and

a speed changing part changing a movement speed of the view by corresponding to a length of a distance from the determined reference object to the viewpoint location,

wherein based on the reference information object, the viewpoint location is controlled so as to move the viewpoint at the movement speed corresponding to the distance to the viewpoint location, and the plurality of the information objects are displayed.

2. The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a data managing part managing information object data including geometric information geometrically showing a shape of the information object

wherein said speed changing part changes the movement speed of the viewpoint while changing the movement direction of the reference object based on the geometric information, which is managed by said data managing part, of the reference object determined by said reference determining part.

3. The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in claim 2, comprising:

a distance processing part processing the length of the distance from the information object to the viewpoint location based on the geometric information of the information object managed by said data managing part.

4. The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said distance processing part calculates the distance from the viewpoint location in a local coordinate system determined by the geometric information of the information object, and sets the calculated distance to be infinity when the calculated distance is greater than a first predetermined value.

5. The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said distance processing part calculates the distance from the viewpoint location in the local coordinate system determined by the geometric information of the information object, and sets the calculated distance to be infinity when the calculated distance is greater than a second predetermined value and smaller than the first predetermined value.

6. The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said distance processing part calculates the distance from the viewpoint location in the local coordinate system determined by the geometric information of the information object, and sets the calculated value to a third predetermined value so as to be constant when the calculated distance is smaller than the third predetermined value that is smaller than the second predetermined value.

7. The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said reference determining part determines the information object to be displayed at a nearest location to the viewpoint based on the distance, which is processed by said distance processing part, from the viewpoint location as the reference information object.

8. A viewpoint location controlling program for causing a computer to conduct processes in a viewpoint location controlling apparatus for controlling a viewpoint location with respect to the plurality of the information objects having shapes displayed in a three-dimensional virtual space, said viewpoint location controlling program comprising:

a reference determining step determining the information object to display at a nearest location from the viewpoint location in accordance with an input by a user; and

a speed changing step changing a movement speed of the view by corresponding to a length of a distance from the determined reference object to the viewpoint location,

wherein based on the reference information object, the viewpoint location is controlled so as to move the viewpoint at the movement speed corresponding to the distance to the viewpoint location, and the plurality of the information objects are displayed.

9. A computer-readable recording medium recorded with program code for causing a computer to conduct processes in a viewpoint location controlling apparatus for controlling a viewpoint location with respect to the plurality of the information objects having shapes displayed in a three-dimensional virtual space, said program comprising:

a reference determining code determining the information object to display at a nearest location from the viewpoint location in accordance with an input by a user; and

a speed changing code changing a movement speed of the view by corresponding to a length of a distance from the determined reference object to the viewpoint location,

wherein based on the reference information object, the viewpoint location is controlled so as to move the viewpoint at the movement speed corresponding to the distance to the viewpoint location, and the plurality of the information objects are displayed.