Collaborative work environment supporting three-dimensional objects and multiple remote participants

• US 5,821,925 A
• Filed: 01/26/1996
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mott, David C., Carey, Richard, Marrin, Christopher F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark K.
• Application Number:
  US08/590,562
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 395/119, 395/153, 395/135, 395/329, 395/330, 395/331, 345/191, 345/145, 345/113, 345/419, 345/435, 345/329, 345/330, 345/331
• US Class Current: 715/757
• 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: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/024 Multi-user, collaborative environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling

Abstract

A collaborative work environment supports manipulating an object defined by a three-dimensional model by multiple remote participants. A three-dimensional model of the object is able to be translated, rotated and scaled in a work area of a whiteboard associated with the collaborative work environment. Each of the remote participants is able to view, manipulate, and mark-up the three-dimensional model of the object so that the remote participants can work collaboratively together.

Claims

1. In a collaborative work environment supporting a plurality of remote participants, a method for manipulating three-dimensional objects in a work area displayed on a workstation of each of the plurality of remote participants, the method comprising:

maintaining an original three-dimensional model in the workstation of each of the plurality of remote participants;

displaying an image of a three-dimensional object in the work area of each of the plurality of remote participants, said three-dimensional object defined by said original three-dimensional model;

manipulating said object by operating on said original three-dimensional model, said step of manipulating performed in response to input by one of the plurality of remote participants, said step of manipulating resulting in a manipulated object defined by a subsequent three-dimensional model, wherein said subsequent three-dimensional model is a transformation of said original three-dimensional model;

communicating said transformation to the remote participants other than said one of the plurality of remote participants; and

displaying a manipulated image of said manipulated object in the work area of each of the plurality of remote participants thereby allowing each of the plurality of remote participants to collaboratively view and manipulate said object, wherein said manipulated object is generated in the workstation of each of the remote participants other than said one of the plurality of remote participants by applying said transformation to said original three-dimensional model.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

performing a gesture in relation to said image of said object in the work area, said gesture performed in response to input from one of the plurality of participants;

communicating said gesture to each other of the plurality of participants; and

displaying said gesture on the workstation of each of the plurality of participants.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said gesture comprises annotating said image.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said gesture comprises indicating a feature of said image via a cursor.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said gesture comprises freehand drawing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of manipulating comprises a step of scaling said object, said step of scaling occurring proportionately in three dimensions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of manipulating comprises a step of cutting-and-pasting said object between the work area and a three-dimensional authoring tool operating on the workstation of said one of the plurality of participants.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of manipulating comprises a step of translating said object in the work area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of manipulating comprises a step of rotating said object in the work area.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of rotating is constrained to a single axis of rotation.

11. In a collaborative work environment among a plurality of remote participants, a method for manipulating three-dimensional objects in a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on a workstation of each of the plurality of remote participants, the method comprising:

maintaining one or more original three-dimensional models in the workstation of each of the plurality of remote participants;

displaying one or more two-dimensional images in an image plane of the GUI;

displaying one or more three-dimensional objects in an object space of the GUI, said object space located in front of said image plane, said one or more three-dimensional objects defined by said one or more original three-dimensional models;

displaying one or more text areas in a text plane of the GUI, said text plane located in front of said image plane and said object space;

performing a manipulation on an object projected in said object plane, said manipulation performed by one of the plurality of remote participants, resulting in a manipulated object defined by a subsequent three-dimensional model, wherein said subsequent three-dimensional model is a transformation of said original three-dimensional model; and

communicating said transformation to each other of the plurality of remote participants thereby allowing said manipulation to be viewed by each other of the plurality of remote participants.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said manipulation is a scaling of said object, said scaling occurring proportionately in three dimensions.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said manipulation is a cut-and-paste operation on said object, said cut-and-paste operation occurring between said object space of the GUI and a three-dimensional authoring tool operating on a workstation of said one of the plurality of participants.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said manipulation is a rotation of said object in said object space.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said rotation is restricted to a single axis of rotation.

16. An interactive, collaborative method for manipulating a three-dimensional object by a plurality of remote participants each having a workstation, the method comprising the steps of:

representing a three-dimensional object by means of an original three-dimensional model;

storing said original three-dimensional model on the workstation of each of the plurality of remote participants;

displaying a projected image of the three-dimensional object in a shared work area, said shared work area visible on the workstation of each of the remote participants, said projected image generated from said original three-dimensional model;

interactively manipulating the three-dimensional object within said shared work area, said manipulating performed with respect to said projected image by any one of the remote participants;

transmitting data to the workstation of each of the plurality of remote participants, said data representative of changes made to the three-dimensional object relative to said original three-dimensional model as a result of said manipulating;

generating a manipulated projected image of the three-dimensional object using said data and said original three-dimensional model, said generating performed by the workstation of each of the plurality of remote participants; and

displaying said manipulated projected image of the three-dimensional object in said shared work area of each of the plurality of remote participants in real-time.