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Method and apparatus for navigation within three-dimensional information landscape

  • US 5,555,354 A
  • Filed: 03/23/1993
  • Issued: 09/10/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for navigating through data within a display by transforming said data into a three-dimensional information landscape representation of the data, said three-dimensional information landscape comprising objects arranged in a three-dimensional landscape, said objects corresponding to data elements in said data, and said objects having object attributes corresponding to data fields characterizing said data elements, said method for navigating comprising the steps of:

  • (a) defining said data elements and said data fields characterizing said data elements;

    (b) defining said object attributes characterizing said objects in said three-dimensional landscape;

    (c) creating said three-dimensional information landscape representation of said data by transforming data elements of said data into corresponding objects arranged in said three-dimensional landscape, wherein said transforming of said data elements further includes mapping data fields characterizing said data elements into object attributes characterizing said objects such that said object attributes are indicative of information in said data fields;

    (d) displaying said three-dimensional information landscape representation of said data to extend from a foreground at or near said display to a horizon located beyond the display relative to the viewpoint of a user including;

    displaying said objects in a hierarchy of levels, each level containing objects having a common data field associated with said respective level during said mapping,accumulating data information at each level of the hierarchy so that at least one of said object attributes of said objects in each level represents a sum of data information in corresponding objects in lower levels in the hierarchy, andnormalizing sizes of said objects displayed at each level of the hierarchy independent of the size of objects at other levels in the hierarchy; and

    (e) navigating through said three-dimensional information landscape representation of said data.

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