METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL TASK GALLERY COMPUTER INTERFACE

• US 20150058791A1
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Robertson, George G., Czerwinski, Mary P., Hinckley, Kenneth P., Risden, Kirsten C., Robbins, Daniel C., van Dantzich, Maarten R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,042,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a three-dimensional user interface for a computer system that allows a user to combine and store a group of windows as a task. The image of each task can be positioned within a three-dimensional environment such that the user may utilize spatial memory in order remember where a particular task is located.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional space having at cast a ceiling, a floor, and a stage;

displaying a task on the stage; and

displaying a dimmed image in the three-dimensional space, using a computer processor, at a location apart from the stage while the task is displayed on the stage, the dimmed image showing an appearance of the task before it was moved to the stage.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the task comprises a representation of a plurality of windows, the method further comprising:

receiving user inputs that manipulate the windows and interact with an application through the windows.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the three-dimensional space has first and second side walls, and the stage extends between the first and second side walls.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the stage is positioned at an end of a hallway formed by the floor, the ceiling, and the side walls.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

displaying a first image of the task at the location apart from the stage;

receiving a user input to move the task to the stage;

moving the first image of the task from the location to a second location that is on the stage; and

displaying the first image of the task at the second location while displaying the dimmed image of the task at the location, the dimmed image of the task being dimmed relative to the first image.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein displaying the first image of the task at the location comprises displaying a stand beneath the first image.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein moving the first image of the task comprising leaving the stand at the location such that the stand is displayed beneath the dimmed image of the task at the location.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving a user input to move the task comprises receiving a user selection input that selects the task, the method further comprising:

modifying, in response to the user selection input, a visual appearance of the first image to indicate user selection of the task.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein modifying the visual appearance of the first in comprises at least one of:

modifying a border of the first image;

modifying a background of the first image; and

providing the first image with a textual cue.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the stage is positioned at an end wall of a hallway formed by the floor, the ceiling, and at least one side wall, and wherein moving the first image to the second location comprises:

expanding the first image to fill substantially all of the end wall.

31. A device comprising:

a display component that displays a three-dimensional space from a perspective of a virtual camera, the three-dimensional space having at least a ceiling and a floor, and displays a task in the three-dimensional space,

a glancing control component that receives a glancing control input and, in response to the glancing control input, performs a glancing operation in which an animation is played that appears as if the virtual camera rotates within the three-dimensional space from a first position to a second position, holds the second position for a period of time, and then automatically rotates back to the first position; and

one or more computer processors, being a functional part of the device, and activated by the display component and glancing control component to facilitate displaying the three-dimensional space and performing the glancing operation.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the animation appears as if the virtual camera rotates approximately ninety degrees.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the period of time comprises approximately one second.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the task comprises a representation of one or more windows, and the glancing operation exposes a tool space.

35. The device of claim 31, and further comprising providing a plurality of user-selectable glancing controls.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the plurality of user-selectable glancing controls comprises at least two of:

a left glancing control;

a right glancing control;

an up glancing control; and

a down glancing control.

37. A method comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional space having at least a ceiling and a floor;

displaying a stand beneath a task in the three-dimensional space, the stand visually connecting the task to the floor;

expanding the stand as the task is moved away from the floor toward the ceiling, such that the stand continues to visually connect the task to the floor; and

removing the stand from beneath the task.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the task comprises a representation of at least one window.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the stand is expanded until the task reaches the ceiling, upon which the stand is removed from beneath the task.

40. The method of claim 39, and further comprising:

after the task reaches the ceiling, displaying the task with a bottom of the task leaning toward an end wall of the three-dimensional space.