VISUALIZATION AND INFORMATION DISPLAY FOR SHAPES IN DISPLAYED GRAPHICAL IMAGES BASED ON USER ZONE OF FOCUS

• US 20110131525A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Majumder, Chayan, O'Riordan, Donald J., Siddique, Shagufta
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347

Abstract

Graphical viewing of shapes and descriptive information in displayed graphical images. In one aspect, shape information is displayed in a graphical interface using a computer system and includes causing a display of an image and one or more shapes in the image, and causing a display of a cursor on the display device. Labels are displayed on the display device, each label associated with a different displayed shape. One or more of the labels are displayed within a zone of focus of eyes of a user of the graphical interface and one or more of the labels are displayed outside the zone of focus, where the labels displayed in the zone of focus are displayed differently than the labels displayed outside the zone of focus.

Claims

1. A method for displaying shape information in a graphical interface using a computer system, the method comprising:

causing a display of an image on a display device, wherein one or more shapes are displayed in the image;

causing a display of a cursor on the display device, a displayed position of the cursor being controlled by a user of the graphical interface using an input device; and

causing a display of a plurality of labels on the display device, each of the labels associated with a different one of the displayed shapes, wherein one or more of the labels are displayed within a zone of focus of eyes of a user of the graphical interface and one or more of the labels are displayed outside the zone of focus, and wherein the labels displayed in the zone of focus are displayed differently than the labels displayed outside the zone of focus.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the shapes represent traces in a circuit layout.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the labels is displayed only if the associated shape is above a predetermined threshold size.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of labels is displayed overlaid on its associated shape, and wherein the labels are displayed differently by displaying the labels within the zone of focus as close to the center of the zone of focus as possible while overlaid on the associated shapes, and wherein the labels outside the zone of focus are displayed overlaid on and centered on the associated shapes.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the zone of focus is an area centered on a displayed cursor controlled by the user using an input device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the zone of focus is centered on the cursor only when a command using the cursor is currently active in the graphical interface and is awaiting a further input from the user based on the cursor.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the zone of focus for the user, including displaying a training image and sensing the eyes of the user viewing the training image.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein multiple labels are repeatedly displayed for a single associated shape for at least one of the shapes, such that the single shape has multiple displayed labels.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each of the labels is repeated on its associated shape if the shape extends outside the zone of focus of eyes of the user.

10. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium including program instructions to be implemented by a computer and for displaying shape information in a graphical interface, the program instructions for:

causing a display of an image on a display device, wherein one or more shapes are displayed in the image;

causing a display of a cursor on the display device, a displayed position of the cursor being controlled by a user of the graphical interface using an input device; and

causing a display of a plurality of labels on the display device, each of the labels associated with a different one of the displayed shapes, wherein one or more of the labels are displayed within a zone of focus of eyes of a user of the graphical interface and one or more of the labels are displayed outside the zone of focus, and wherein the labels displayed in the zone of focus are displayed differently than the labels displayed outside the zone of focus.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the shapes represent traces in a circuit layout.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein each of the labels is displayed only if the associated shape is above a predetermined threshold size.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of labels is displayed overlaid on its associated shape, and wherein the labels are displayed differently by displaying the labels within the zone of focus as close to the center of the zone of focus as possible while overlaid on the associated shapes, and wherein the labels outside the zone of focus are displayed overlaid on and centered on the associated shapes.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the zone of focus is an area centered on a displayed cursor controlled by the user using an input device.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the zone of focus is centered on the cursor only when a command using the cursor is currently active in the graphical interface and is awaiting a further input from the user based on the cursor.

16. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising instructions for determining the zone of focus for the user, including displaying a training image and sensing the eyes of the user viewing the training image.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein labels are repeatedly displayed for a single shape for at least one of the shapes, such that the single shape has multiple displayed labels, wherein each of the labels is repeated on its associated shape if the shape extends outside a zone of focus of eyes of a user of the graphical interface.

18. A system for displaying shape information in a graphical interface using a computer system, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor;

causing a display of an image on a display device connected to the processor, wherein one or more shapes are displayed in the image;

causing a display of a cursor on the display device, a displayed position of the cursor being controlled by a user of the graphical interface using an input device; and

causing a display of a plurality of labels on the display device, each of the labels associated with a different one of the displayed shapes, wherein one or more of the labels are displayed within a zone of focus of eyes of a user of the graphical interface and one or more of the labels are displayed outside the zone of focus, and wherein the labels displayed in the zone of focus are displayed differently than the labels displayed outside the zone of focus.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein each of the plurality of labels is displayed overlaid on its associated shape, and wherein each of the labels is displayed only if the associated shape is above a predetermined threshold size.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein each of the plurality of labels is displayed overlaid on its associated shape, and wherein the labels are displayed differently by displaying the labels within the zone of focus as close to the center of the zone of focus as possible while overlaid on the associated shapes, and wherein the labels outside the zone of focus are displayed overlaid on and centered on the associated shapes.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the zone of focus is an area centered on a displayed cursor controlled by the user using an input device.