Display system and method for displaying windows of an operating system to provide a three-dimensional workspace for a computer system
First Claim
1. In a computer system operative to display computer application data in a window on a display monitor, said window having sides defining a geometrical shape and defining an enclosed area for presenting said data on said display monitor, said computer system characterized by resources including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and display monitor said resources communicating via a system bus, said CPU operative to control processes for defining the size and shape of displayed windows, a method for resizing sides defining the area of the window, comprising the steps of:
- displaying a first window on said display monitor;
receiving a control signal at said CPU for reshaping the boundaries defining the geometrical shape of said window; and
responsive to receiving said control signal at said CPU, decreasing the dimensions of a displayed boundary of said first window relative to the opposite side of said first window, thereby yielding a three-dimensional transformed window having different dimensions than said first window and having a different geometrical shape than said first window.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a three-dimensional perspective, virtual workspace to window based display systems. The user may activate control buttons to transform a typical two-dimensional window to a three-dimensional perspective, virtual workspace. The transformation to the three-dimensional workspace provides a perspective or sense of depth to the display of the windows containing computer applications. In this manner, a simulated three-dimensional window display environment for the operating system is provided. The operating system utilized in connection with the present invention receives data for storage in a destination rectangle in a frame buffer. The data designated for storage in a destination rectangle is generally given in pixel coordinates. The operating system scales the data'"'"'s dimensions to the provide a three-dimensional perspective appearance on the display screen. When a user indicates that a window should be displayed in a particular perspective or size, coordinates representing the window and data contained therein are multiplied by a transformation matrix to yield the specified perspective or size.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. In a computer system operative to display computer application data in a window on a display monitor, said window having sides defining a geometrical shape and defining an enclosed area for presenting said data on said display monitor, said computer system characterized by resources including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and display monitor said resources communicating via a system bus, said CPU operative to control processes for defining the size and shape of displayed windows, a method for resizing sides defining the area of the window, comprising the steps of:
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displaying a first window on said display monitor; receiving a control signal at said CPU for reshaping the boundaries defining the geometrical shape of said window; and responsive to receiving said control signal at said CPU, decreasing the dimensions of a displayed boundary of said first window relative to the opposite side of said first window, thereby yielding a three-dimensional transformed window having different dimensions than said first window and having a different geometrical shape than said first window. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a computer system operative to display computer application data in a window on a display monitor, said windows having sides defining an enclosed area for presenting said data on said display monitor, said computer system characterized by resources including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and display monitor said resources communicating via a system bus, said CPU operative to control processes for defining the size and shape of displayed windows, a method for resizing sides defining the area of the window, comprising the steps of:
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displaying said window on said display monitor, said window containing data symbols; receiving a control signal at said CPU for resealing the boundaries defining the geometrical shape of said window; and responsive to receiving said control signal at said CPU, rescaling the size of the displayed boundaries of said window and rescaling the size of data symbols contained in said window, thereby yielding a three-dimensional transformed window having different dimensions than said window and containing rescaled data symbols. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. In a computer system operative to display computer application data in a window on a display monitor, said windows having boundaries defining a geometrical shape and an enclosed area for presenting said data on said display monitor, said computer system characterized by resources including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and display monitor said resources communicating via a system bus, said CPU operative to control processes for defining the size and shape of displayed windows, a method for resizing sides defining the area of the window, comprising the steps of:
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displaying a plurality of windows on said display monitor; receiving a control signal at said CPU for rescaling the boundaries defining the geometrical shape of at least one of said windows; and manipulating, via said CPU, the boundaries and data of at least one of said windows to provide three-dimensional depth cues to said boundaries and data of said windows, thereby yielding at least one three-dimensional transformed window having different boundaries than another one of said windows and containing rescale data. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. In a computer system operative to display computer application data in a window on a display screen of a display monitor, said windows having sides defining an enclosed area for presenting said data on said display monitor, said computer system characterized by resources including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and display monitor said resources communicating via a system bus, said CPU operative to control processes for defining the size and shape of displayed windows, a method for resizing sides defining the area of the window, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of window transformation controls for said computer system; displaying a plurality of windows on said display screen of said display monitor; selecting a location in said memory representative of a selected point on said display screen; and upon selection of said transformation control, scaling the data and dimensions of one of said windows appearing closer to said selected point of said display monitor to a size smaller than the dimensions and data appearing farther from the selected point of said display screen, thereby yielding a three-dimensional transformed window having different dimensions than one of said windows appearing farther from the selected point of said display screen. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. In a computer system having an operating system operative to display computer application data in a window on a display monitor having a display screen, said windows having borders defining an enclosed area for presenting said data on said display monitor, a method of managing data displayed on said display monitor, comprising:
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partitioning, via said operating system, the display screen of said display monitor into a plurality of preselected boundaries; providing three-dimensional visual depth cues corresponding to said preselected boundaries, said visual depth cues indicating the position and orientation of selected windows displayed by said operating system; and manipulating said preselected boundaries for one of said selected windows to present a three-dimensional transformed window having different boundaries than another one of said selected windows. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. In a computer system having an operating system operative to display computer application data in windows on a display screen of a display monitor, said windows having borders defining an enclosed area for presenting said data on said display monitor, said computer system characterized by resources including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and display monitor said resources communicating via a system bus, said CPU operative to control processes for defining the size and shape of displayed windows, a method for indicating the destination of a window to be redefined, comprising the steps of:
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displaying a window of information on said display screen; providing a transformation control on said display screen for transforming said window of said operating system to a predefined plane, said transformation control operative to provide depth cues to said window; and upon selection of said transformation control, providing a pointer to said predefined plane and presenting a three-dimensional transformed window having different dimensions than said window and containing rescaled data. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. In a computer system having a visual display screen, a computer-implemented method of providing a simulated three-dimensional virtual workspace interface for an operating system based on windows, each of said windows being defined by borders and having data displayed therein, comprising:
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partitioning, via said operating system, the display screen of said display monitor into a plurality of planes; and narrowing the dimensions defining certain ones of said planes from the front of said display screen to the rear of said display screen, each of said dimensions operative to provide depth perception to windows selected for display on said certain planes, thereby yielding at least one three-dimensional transformed window having different dimensions than another one of said windows. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. In a computer system having a display system, said visual display system operating in conjunction with a visual display screen, a computer-implemented method of providing a simulated three-dimensional virtual workspace interface for an operating system based on windows, each of said windows being defined by borders and having data displayed therein, comprising:
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partitioning, via said operating system, the display screen of said display monitor into a plurality of first planes, at least one of said first planes operative to provide three dimensional depth perception to a window selected for display on said at least one of said first planes; and defining an adjacent plane adjacent to said at least one of said first planes, said adjacent plane being positioned a selected increment away from said at least one of said first planes along the normal vector from said at least one of said first planes towards the center of said virtual workspace, said adjacent plane operative to provide three-dimensional depth perception to a window selected for display on said adjacent plane. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. In a computer system having a visual display system, a computer-implemented method of providing a simulated three-dimensional virtual workspace interface for an operating system based on windows, each of said windows being defined by borders and having data displayed therein, comprising:
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defining a first set of display surfaces in said visual display system, said first set of display surfaces operative to define a first three-dimensional virtual workspace; and providing three-dimensional depth cues to at least one of said windows upon selection of said one of said display surfaces of said first set to present a three-dimensional transformed window having different dimensions than another one of said windows. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification