NAVIGATING CONTENT

• US 20100138792A1
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Shirman, Leon, Kamen, Yakov
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/848
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• 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: Y10S 715/976 3-D Icon

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which information obtained from a uniform resource locator is converted into at least one texture. The texture is mapped onto a surface of a three-dimensional object located in the virtual three-dimensional space thereby forming a three-dimensional navigation mechanism.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying, by a computing device, a plurality of three-dimensional surfaces, including a first surface and a second surface;

generating, by the computing device, a first identifier identifying a first content source having a first network address;

displaying, by the computing device, the first identifier on the first surface; and

in response to the first surface being selected, displaying, by the computing device, on less than all of the plurality of three-dimensional surfaces, content associated with the first content source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content associated with the first content source is displayed on at least the first surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifier includes a texture generated based on information from the first content source.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generated texture includes a logo associated with the first content source.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that an area of the first surface having a set of three-dimensional coordinates has been selected; and

determining, by the computing device, a set of two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the set of three-dimensional coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the computing device, a second identifier based on a second address associated with a second content source;

displaying, by the computing device, the second identifier on the second surface; and

in response to the second surface being selected, displaying, by the computing device, on less than all of the plurality of three-dimensional surfaces, content associated with the second content source.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the content associated with the second content source is displayed on at least the second surface.

8. One or more computer readable media having computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a computing device to:

display a plurality of three-dimensional surfaces, including a first surface and a second surface;

generate a first identifier identifying a first content source having a first network address;

display the first identifier on the first surface; and

in response to the first surface being selected, display on less than all of the plurality of three-dimensional surfaces, content associated with the first content source.

9. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the content associated with the first content source is displayed on at least the first surface.

10. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the first identifier includes a texture generated based on information from the first content source.

11. The computer readable media of claim 10, wherein the generated texture includes a logo associated with the first content source.

12. The computer readable media of claim 8, having additional computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computing device to:

determine that an area of the first surface having a set of three-dimensional coordinates has been selected; and

determine a set of two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the set of three-dimensional coordinates.

13. The computer readable media of claim 8, having additional computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computing device to:

generate a second identifier based on a second address associated with a second content source;

display the second identifier on the second surface; and

in response to the second surface being selected, display on less than all of the plurality of three-dimensional surfaces, content associated with the second content source.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform;

displaying a plurality of three-dimensional surfaces, including a first surface and a second surface;

generating a first identifier identifying a first content source having a first network address;

displaying the first identifier on the first surface; and

in response to the first surface being selected, displaying on less than all of the plurality of three-dimensional surfaces, content associated with the first content source.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the content associated with the first content source is displayed on at least the first surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first identifier includes a texture generated based on information from the first content source.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the generated texture includes a logo associated with the first content source.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, the at least one memory further storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

determining that an area of the first surface having a set of three-dimensional coordinates has been selected; and

determining a set of two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the set of three-dimensional coordinates.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, the at least one memory further storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

generating a second identifier based on a second address associated with a second content source;

displaying the second identifier on the second surface; and

in response to the second surface being selected, displaying on less than all of the plurality of three-dimensional surfaces, content associated with the second content source.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the content associated with the second content source is displayed on at least the second surface.