Facilitating viewer interaction with three-dimensional objects and two-dimensional images in virtual three-dimensional workspace by drag and drop technique

• US 5,903,271 A
• Filed: 05/23/1997
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bardon, Didier Daniel Claude, Berry, Richard Edmond, Isensee, Scott Harlan, Roberts, David John, Mullaly, John Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US08/862,661
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 345/418, 345/419, 345/420, 345/430, 345/348, 345/474
• US Class Current: 345/419
• 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

Abstract

A system, method and computer program for a virtual three-dimensional workspace wherein certain three-dimensional objects represent or serve as proxies for a variety of user interactive application programs. Such objects may be selected or triggered by the user to bring forth planar two-dimensional interactive user interfaces having images resembling those of their respective representative 3D objects so that a user may intuitively note the resemblance and select the appropriate object to result in the planar two-dimensional interactive interface appearing in front of the three-dimensional workspace. This two-dimensional planar interface remains active and unaffected by changes to its representative three-dimensional object during the course of navigation or otherwise. A drag and drop technique facilitates viewer interaction between images in a two-dimensional workplane with three-dimensional objects in the virtual three-dimensional workspace.

Claims

1. A data processor controlled display system for displaying a virtual three-dimensional workspace comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of user interactive virtual three-dimensional objects in said workspace;

means for displaying a two-dimensional workplane within said three-dimensional workspace;

means for displaying a plurality of user interactive two-dimensional images in said workplane;

means for user-interactive selection of one of said two-dimensional images and for moving at least a portion of said selected images to one of said three-dimensional objects, and

means responsive to said movement for initiating a user-interactive function.

2. The processor controlled display system of claim 1 further including:

means for user interactive selection of one of said three-dimensional objects and moving at least a portion of said selected object to one of said two-dimensional images, and

means responsive to said movement for utilizing a user-interactive function.

3. The processor controlled display system of claim 1 where said means for user-interactive selection of one of said two-dimensional images and for moving at least a portion of said selected objects to one of said three-dimensional images, occurs by means of the Drag-and-Drop technique, for initiating said user-interactive function.

4. The processor controlled display system of claim 2 where said means for user-interactive selection of one of said three-dimensional objects and moving at least a portion of said selected object to one of said two-dimensional images, occurs by means of said "Drag-and-Drop" technique, for initiating said user-interactive function.

5. The processor controlled display system of claim 1 further including means for changing a displayed three-dimensional object without changing the corresponding two-dimensional image of said changed object.

6. The processor controlled display system of claim 5 wherein said means for changing said three-dimensional object change the size of said object.

7. The processor controlled display system of claim 1 further including:

viewer interface means for navigating within said three-dimensional workspace; and

said means for user input to said two-dimensional image remains active after the user has navigated away from said selected virtual object.

8. A data processor implemented method for displaying a virtual three-dimensional workspace comprising:

displaying a plurality of virtual three-dimensional objects in an environmentally associated with said virtual workspace;

displaying a two-dimensional workplace within said three-dimensional workspace;

displaying a plurality of user interactive two-dimensional images in said workplane;

providing for user-interactive selection of one of said two-dimensional images and for moving at least a portion of said selected images to one of said three-dimensional objects, and

providing a means responsive to said movement for initiating a user-interactive function.

9. The display method of claim 8, further, providing for user-interactive selection of one of said three-dimensional object and for moving at least a portion of said selected object to one of said two-dimensional images and providing a means responsive to said movement for initiating a user-interactive function.

10. The display method of claim 8 wherein the user-interactive selection of one of said two-dimensional images and moving at least a portion of said selected image to one of said three-dimensional objects, occurs by means of the Drag-and-Drop technique, for initiating a user-interactive function.

11. The display method of claim 8 wherein the user-interactive selection of one of said three-dimensional object and moving at least a portion of said selected object to one of said two-dimensional images, occurs by means of the Drag-and-Drop technique, for initiating a user-interactive function.

12. The display method of claim 8 further including means for changing a displayed three-dimensional object without changing the corresponding two-dimensional image of said changed object.

13. The display method of claim 8 further including the step of the user interactively providing input to said displayed two-dimensional image.

14. The method of claim 8 further including the step of changing a displayed three-dimensional object without changing the corresponding two-dimensional image of said changed object.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein said three-dimensional object and its two-dimensional image are displayed simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of changing said three-dimensional object changes the size of said object.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of changing said three-dimensional object changes the position of said object in said workspace.

18. The method of claim 8 wherein said two-dimensional image provides the interactive user interface to an application program stored in said data processor.

19. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of navigating the user view within said three-dimensional workspace away from the selected virtual object while maintaining the user interactive input to said two-dimensional image.

20. A computer readable program having data structures included on a computer readable medium which causes the display on a data processor controlled display of a virtual three-dimensional workspace comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of user interactive virtual three-dimensional objects in said workspace;

means for displaying a two-dimensional workplace within said three-dimensional workspace;

means for displaying a plurality of user interactive two-dimensional images in said workplane;

means for user-interactive selection of one of said two-dimensional images and for moving at least a portion of said selected objects to one of said three-dimensional images, and

means responsive to said movement for initiating a user-interactive function.

21. A computer readable program of claim 20 further including:

means for user interactive selection of one of said three-dimensional objects and moving at least a portion of said selected object to one of said two-dimensional images, and

means responsive to said movement for utilizing a user-interactive function.

22. A computer readable program of claim 20 where said means for user-interactive selection of one of said two-dimensional images and for moving at least a portion of said selected objects to one of said three-dimensional images, occurs by means of the Drag-and-Drop technique, for initiating said user-interactive function.

23. A computer readable program of claim 20 where said means for user-interactive selection of one of said three-dimensional objects and moving at least a portion of said selected object to one of said two-dimensional images, occurs by means of the Drag-and-Drop technique, for initiating said user-interactive function.

24. The computer program of claim 20 further including user interactive means for user input to said displayed two-dimensional image.