3D scene orientation indicator system with scene orientation change capability

• US 20110066963A1
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Schrag, Steven Takashi Watanabe
• Original Assignee: John Schrag, Steven Takashi Watanabe
• Inventors: Schrag, John, Watanabe, Steven Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,132,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is a system that provides an orientation indicator graphical user interface element in a display view of a three-dimensional scene. The orientation indicator can be used to automatically change a view of the scene to a predetermined viewpoint. The indicator includes view direction indicating controls that when activated cause the view of the scene to change to a view direction indicated by the control. The direction can be indicated by a shape of the control, such as by a cone with a point pointing in the direction of the view, or by the location of the control, such as being located on a marked scene axis of the indicator. The view of the scene is also automatically adjusted at the view position to center an object of interest in the scene and zoomed in/out to fit the object to the display view. The indicator is part of the three-dimensional scene and moves with the scene as the scene is manipulated by a user, such as in tumbling the scene. The indicator is held at a fixed position and size in the display view, such as in a corner of the display view, by moving the indicator about within the scene and changing the size of the indicator.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface element displayed on a display, comprising:

a three-dimensional orientation indicator widget positioned in and displayed in association with a three-dimensional scene and visually indicating an orientation of the scene, and said indicator comprising;

view direction controls each indicating a direction of a corresponding view into the three-dimensional scene and causing a display view orientation of the three-dimensional scene to change to the corresponding predefined view orientation upon selecting the control and where the view controls rotate in direct correlation to the change in the display view orientation, wherein

the view controls indicate an iconic representation of the scene to display when selected and perform an action on a corresponding part of the scene when an image is dragged and dropped on a corresponding view control.

2. The graphical user interface element as recited in claim 1, wherein an object in the scene is centered and sized to fit the display view when a scene change occurs responsive to selection of one of the controls.

3. The graphical user interface element as recited in claim 1, wherein the indicator is part of the three-dimensional scene, always positioned at a predetermined position in the display view and always substantially a same size in the display view.

4. The graphical user interface element as recited in claim 1, wherein the element comprises:

a central core control associated with a perspective view of the scene; and

axial controls peripherally positioned with respect to the core control, aligned with the axial dimensions of the scene and associated with corresponding front, back, bottom, left side and right side views.

5. The graphical user interface element as recited in claim 4, wherein the front direction control is different from the other controls.

6. The graphical user interface element as recited in claim 4, wherein the axial controls are each shaped to point at the core control indicating the view direction of the axial control.

7. The graphical user interface element as recited in claim 4, further comprising a non-axial control peripherally positioned with respect to the core control and indicating a direction of a corresponding view into the three-dimensional scene and causing a display view of three-dimensional scene to change to the corresponding view when selected.

8. The graphical user interface element as recited in claim 7, wherein the non-axial controls are specified by a user.

16. The graphical user interface element as recited in claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional orientation indicator visually indicates orientation of an x, y, and z axis in relation to the scene.

17. The graphical user interface element as recited in claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional orientation indicator visually indicates top, bottom, left, right, front, and back in relation to the scene.

9. A process, comprising:

determining whether a view direction indicating control of a three-dimensional orientation indicator positioned in a display view of a three-dimensional scene has been activated; and

orienting the display view orientation to the predefined view orientation direction of the control upon activating the control and wherein the view control rotates in direct correlation to the change in the display view orientation, wherein

the view direction indicating control indicates an iconic representation of the scene to display when selected and performs an action on a corresponding part of the display view when an image is dragged and dropped on a corresponding view direction indicating control.

10. A process as recited in claim 9, wherein the indicator is in the three dimensional scene and the process further comprises:

positioning the indicator in the scene to place the indicator in a predetermined position in the display view; and

changing the size of the indicator in the scene to fix the indicator at a predetermined size in the display view.

11. A process as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

centering a scene object in the display view; and

fitting the scene object to the display view.

12. A system, comprising:

a display;

an input device used to make selections on the display; and

a computer coupled to the mouse and the display, displaying a three-dimensional scene on the display in a display view, the scene comprising a three-dimensional orientation indicator positioned in and indicating the orientation of the scene, the orientation indicator comprising view controls indicating a view direction and the computer changing the display view orientation to the predefined view orientation direction associated with a control upon selecting the control by the mouse and where the view controls rotate in direct correlation to the change in the display view orientation, wherein

the view controls indicate an iconic representation of the scene to display when selected and perform an action on a corresponding part of the scene when an image is dragged and dropped on a corresponding view control.

13. A computer readable storage controlling a computer by a process stored thereon determining whether a view direction indicating control of a three-dimensional orientation indicator positioned in a display view of a three-dimensional scene has been activated and orienting the display view orientation to the predefined view orientation direction of the control upon activating the control and where the view control rotates in direct correlation to the change in the display view orientation, wherein

the view direction indicating control indicates an iconic representation of the scene to display when selected and performs an action on a corresponding part of the scene when an image is dragged and dropped on a corresponding view direction indicating control.

14. A graphical user interface displayed on a display and having three-dimensional directional indicators positioned in and displayed in association with and indicating an orientation of a three-dimensional scene and that orient the view to the predefined orientation direction indicated upon activating the indicator by a user and where the indicator rotates in direct correlation to the change in the view, wherein

the three-dimensional directional indicators indicate an iconic representation of the scene to display when selected and perform an action on a corresponding part of the scene when an image is dragged and dropped on a corresponding view control.

15. A system, comprising:

a display, said display displaying a 3D scene and a 3D orientation indicator in association with the scene, the indicator visually indicating an orientation of associated scene and rotating in direct correlation to scene view rotation, and the indicator comprising two view direction controls corresponding to each of the vertical, horizontal and depth axes of the scene and each indicating a direction of a corresponding view into the 3D scene, and each control causing a display view orientation of the three-dimensional scene to discretely change to the corresponding predefined view orientation into the scene when each control is selected by clicking on the control with a cursor, wherein

the view direction controls indicate an iconic representation of the scene to display when selected and perform an action on a corresponding part of the scene when an image is dragged and dropped on a corresponding view direction control.