Three dimensional model with three dimensional pointers and multimedia functions linked to the pointers

• US 5,526,478 A
• Filed: 06/30/1994
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Russell, Jr., Sanford H., Dennis, Douglas S., Carey, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burwell, Joseph R.
• Application Number:
  US08/269,444
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 395/154-161, 395/147, 395/145
• US Class Current: 715/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/004 Annotating, labelling

Abstract

A computer implemented method of annotating a geometric figure displayed and manipulable in three-dimensional representation on a display of a computer system with a pointer is described. The pointer is also displayed and manipulable in three-dimensional representation on the display. The method associates multimedia functions with the geometric figure. The pointer is positioned to point at an area of the geometric figure using a control device. The geometric figure is displayed in a particular view orientation when the pointer points at the area of the geometric figure. The pointer is then oriented three-dimensionally such that the pointer can point at the area of the geometric figure at a desired angle. The particular view orientation of the geometric figure with the pointer can be preserved such that the particular view orientation of the geometric figure with the pointer can later be retrieved. The pointer can be activated by attaching a marker to the pointer using the control device. When the pointer is activated, the pointer can be associated with a multimedia function such that when the pointer is again activated, the multimedia function is executed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of associating multimedia functions with a geometric figure, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a pointing icon to point at the geometric figure displayed and manipulable as a three-dimensional representation on a display of a computer system using a control device;

(b) activating the pointing icon by attaching a marker icon to the pointing icon using the control device, wherein when the pointing icon is activated, the pointing icon can be attached with a multimedia function;

(c) attaching the multimedia function to the activated pointing icon such that when the pointing icon is activated after the multimedia function is attached to the pointing icon, the multimedia function is executed.

2. (Amended) The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of attaching the multimedia function to the activated pointing icon further comprises the step of deactivating the pointing icon by disconnecting the marker icon from the pointing icon after the multimedia function has been attached to the pointing icon.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising the step of activating the pointing icon after the multimedia function has been attached to the pointing icon and the pointing icon has been deactivated by connecting the marker icon to the pointing icon that has already been attached to the multimedia function such that the multimedia function is executed.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the multimedia function is one of an action for displaying multimedia information and an execution of a multimedia program.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the multimedia information further comprises text data, audio information, a different geometric figure also displayed and manipulable as a three-dimensional representation, graphics, a visual image, video information, and animated information.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating a pointing icon to point at the geometric figure using a control device further comprises the steps of

(i) positioning the pointing icon substantially perpendicular to an area of the geometric figure;

(ii) orienting the pointing icon such that the pointing icon can point at the area of the geometric figure at a desired angle.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of preserving a predetermined view orientation of the geometric figure with the pointing icon by linking the predetermined view orientation to the pointing icon of the geometric figure when the pointing icon is activated, wherein the preserved predetermined view orientation of the geometric figure can be viewed when the pointing icon is deactivated and then activated.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(i) positioning the pointing icon with respect to an area of the geometric figure using a control device, wherein the pointing icon is also displayed in three-dimensional representation on the display;

(ii) orienting the pointing icon such that the pointing icon can point at the area of the geometric figure at a desired angle.

9. A computer implemented method of annotating a geometric figure displayed as a three-dimensional representation on a display of a computer system with a pointing icon, comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning the pointing icon with respect to an area of the geometric figure using a control device, wherein the geometric figure is displayed in a predetermined view orientation, wherein the pointing icon is also displayed in three-dimensional representation on the display;

(b) attaching the predetermined view orientation of the geometric figure to the pointing icon such that the predetermined view orientation of the geometric figure can be viewed when the pointing icon is enabled;

(c) viewing the preserved predetermined view orientation by attaching a marker icon to the pointing icon.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, further comprising the step of orienting the pointing icon such that the pointing icon can point at the area of the geometric figure at a desired angle.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the step of attaching the predetermined view orientation of the geometric figure to the pointing icon further comprises the steps of

(i) enabling the pointing icon by attaching the marker icon to the pointing icon using the control device;

(ii) attaching the predetermined view orientation of the geometric figure to the pointing icon, wherein when the pointing icon is disabled and then enabled, the preserved predetermined view orientation is viewed.

12. In a computer system including a processor, a memory, a display, and an input control device, an apparatus for associating multimedia functions with a geometric figure, comprising:

(A) means for associating a pointing icon with the geometric figure displayed and manipulable as a three-dimensional representation on the using the input control device;

(B) means for connecting a marker icon to the pointing icon using the control device, wherein the pointing icon is enabled when the marker icon is connected to the pointing icon, wherein when the pointer is enabled, the pointing icon can be connected to a multimedia function;

(C) means for connecting the multimedia function to the enabled pointing icon such that when the pointing icon is disabled and then enabled, the multimedia function is executed.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for disabling the pointing icon by disconnecting the marker icon from the pointing icon, wherein the multimedia function remains to be connected to the pointing icon after the pointing icon is disabled.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for connecting enables the pointing icon by connecting the marker icon to the pointing icon, wherein the multimedia function is executed when the pointing icon is enabled after the multimedia function has been connected to the pointing icon and the pointing icon has been disabled.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the multimedia function can be multimedia information or a multimedia program execution.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the multimedia information comprises text data, audio information, graphics, a visual image, video information, and animated information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

(a) means for positioning the pointing icon with respect to an area of the geometric figure using the control device, wherein the pointing icon is displayed in three-dimensional representation on the display;

(b) means for orienting the pointing icon such that the pointing icon can point at the area of the geometric figure at a desired angle.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for preserving a predetermined view orientation of the geometric figure with the pointing icon by connecting the preserved predetermined view orientation to the pointing icon, wherein the preserved predetermined view orientation of the geometric figure can be viewed by disabling and then enabling the pointing icon.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for positioning positions the pointing icon substantially perpendicular to the area of the geometric figure, wherein the means for orienting orients the pointing icon such that the pointing icon can point at the area of the geometric figure at a desired angle.

20. A display system, comprising

(A) a processor;

(B) a display coupled to the processor;

(C) a memory coupled to the processor for storing data, wherein the memory stores a first data for displaying a geometric figure on the display three-dimensionally, wherein the memory stores a second data for displaying a pointing icon on the display, wherein the memory stores a third data for displaying a marker icon on the display, wherein the second data is connected to the first data, wherein the second data is also connected to a multimedia function when the second data is connected to the third data wherein the third data is then disconnected from the second data after the second data is connected to the multimedia function, wherein when the processor accesses the memory for the first data, the processor obtains the first and second data to display the geometric figure with the pointing icon on the display, wherein when the pointing icon is enabled by again connecting the third data to the second data, the processor accesses the memory for the multimedia function through the second data.

21. The display system of claim 20, wherein the second data is connected to the first data when the pointing icon points at an area of the geometric figure.

22. The display system of claim 20, wherein the multimedia function comprises an action for displaying multimedia information and an execution of a multimedia program.

23. The display system of 20, wherein the multimedia function is connected to the second data by enabling the pointing icon displayed on the display.