Three-dimensional display device and method for pointing displayed three-dimensional image

• US 4,812,829 A
• Filed: 05/11/1987
• Issued: 03/14/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ono, Seigo, Ebina, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Sr., John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBERLEY, ALVIN E
• Application Number:
  US07/048,724
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/709, 340/717, 340/700, 273/DIG. 28, 358/89, 358/88, 358/90
• US Class Current: 345/159
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A display device comprises a display, an input and a controller. The display displays a three-dimensional image, a vector cursor and a pointing image extending in a direction of movement of the vector cursor. The controller generates a display signal to display the three-dimensional image, vector cursor and pointing image. The controller recognizes the three-dimensional image crossing to the pointing image in response to the pointing signal from the input.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional display device comprising:

display means for displaying on a two-dimensional screen three-dimensional objects, a vector cursor virtually located in a three-dimensional space and moving in said space, and a pointer extending from the vector cursor in a direction of movement of the vector cursor for selectively identifying objects intercepted thereby in the three-dimensional space, in response to a display signal;

input means for inputting a parameter for changing the direction of the vector cursor and a pointing signal for controlling said pointer to identify a three-dimensional object displayed by said display means; and

control means connected between said display means and said input means for generating the display signal to display the three-dimensional objects, the vector cursor and the pointer, and including means for recognizing a three-dimensional object pointed to by said pointer in response to the pointing signal.

2. A three-dimensional display device according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes means for generating said display signal to display a line segment extending in the direction of movement of the vector cursor as said pointer.

3. A three-dimensional display device according to claim 2, wherein said control means includes means for identifying the three-dimensional object intercepted by said line segment at the closest point to said vector cursor, as the pointed to object in response to the pointing signal.

4. A three-dimensional display device according to claim 3, wherein said input means includes means for controlling said control means to indicate indentification of the three-dimensional object which is the n-th closest one to the vector cursor along said line segment, where n is a positive integer.

5. A three-dimensional display device according to claim 1, wherein said control means generates the display signal to display a radial image in the form of a cone extending from its apex at the vector cursor in the direction of movement of the vector cursor, as said pointer.

6. A three-dimensional display device according to claim 5, wherein said control means recognizes the three-dimensional object intercepted by the radial image and closest to the apex of the cone as the pointed to image in response to the pointing signal.

7. A three-dimensional display device according to claim 6, wherein said input means includes means for controlling said control means to indicate indentification of the three-dimensional object which is the n-th closest one to the apex of the cone forming the radial image, where n is a positive integer.

8. A method for pointing to a displayed image in a three-dimensional display device comprising the steps of:

displaying on display means a plurality of three-dimensional objects, a vector cursor virturally located in a three-dimensional space and as moving in said space and a pointer extending from the vector cursor in a direction of movement of the vector cursor;

supplying a parameter representing the direction of movement of the vector cursor to control means by input means;

changing the movement of the vector cursor in accordance with the parameter; and

identifying a three-dimensional object intercepted by said pointer in response to a pointing signal to instruct recognition of the three-dimensional object.