Three-dimensional active file explorer

• US 20070124699A1
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Michaels, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/837
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A three-dimensional object that represents computer data and methods and computer-readable media for presenting same. The object has a first, active side and a second, inactive side. The active side may contain information relating to the computer data.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

displaying on the display device a three-dimensional object that represents the computer data, wherein the object has a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is in an active position, and the second side is in an inactive position.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying a first set of information proximate the first side of the object.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2,wherein the method further comprises:

detecting user input with respect to the first set of information, and

performing an action according to the user input.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the action is one of opening the file, modifying the file or changing, deleting or adding information relating to the file.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer data represented by the object is one of a computer file or folder.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting user input with respect to the object; and

modifying the object according to the user input.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein said modifying step comprises manipulating the object such that the first side is the inactive position and the second side is in the active position.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said manipulation of the object comprises rotating the object.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the user input is a mouse click on a selectable portion of the object.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the mouse click is a right mouse button click, and said manipulation of the object comprises displaying at least one action that may be taken with respect to the computer data.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the object is a first object, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying on the display device a second three-dimensional object;

detecting a user selection of the first object;

modifying the first object in response to the user selection; and

modifying the second object in response to the user selection of the first object.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein modifying the first object comprises increasing the first object in size, and wherein modifying the second object comprises decreasing the second object in size.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the object is a first object, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying on the display device a second three-dimensional object;

detecting a user selection of the first and second objects; and

modifying the first and second objects in response to the user input with respect to the first object.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying an emblem on the object, wherein a user action with respect to the emblem causes a predefined action to occur.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the predefined action is to rotate the object such that the first side is in the inactive position and the second side is in the active position.

16. A display device having rendered thereon a file explorer view, comprising:

a representation of a three-dimensional object that represents computer data, wherein the object has a first and a second side, wherein the first side is an active side and the second side is an inactive side.

17. The display device of claim 16, wherein the computer data is one of a computer file or folder.

18. The display device of claim 16, further comprising a selectable region associated with the object, wherein a user action with respect to the selectable region causes the representation of the object to display the second side as the active side and the first side as the inactive side, and wherein the second side displays a second set of information relating to the computer data.

19. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing a representation of computer data, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying on the display device a three-dimensional object that represents computer data, wherein the object has a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is in an active position, and the second side is in an inactive position.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying a first set of information proximate the first side of the object;

detecting user input with respect to the first set of information, and

performing an action according to the user input.