Three-dimensional GUI windows with variable-speed perspective movement
First Claim
1. A method for operating a graphical user interface, comprising:
- displaying at least one window-block in a graphical user interface, the window-block having a three-dimensional appearance including an x-dimension, a y-dimension, and a z-dimension, wherein said graphical user interface is displayed only in said x-dimension and said y-dimension on a display medium;
in response to an input from a user, changing the perspective, at a first rate of change, of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block; and
in response to an input from the user, when the perspective of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block indicates that the user is moving through the window-block along said z-dimension, changing the perspective of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block at a second rate of change, wherein the second rate of change is slower that the first rate of change.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A three-dimensional graphical user interface is provided wherein the windows have a “thickness” property. In the preferred embodiment, a window will have a Z plane position (z) and a Z plane thickness (cz) as well as the traditional x, cx, y and cy. This allows positioning anywhere in three dimensional space. Using either a three axis mouse or a conventional mouse with supplemental control (perhaps keyboard), each axis may be traversed to navigate the desktop. As the pointer moves along an axis, the user'"'"'s point of view can change, bringing the view either closer/farther/left/right, depending on the direction of motion, which may cause the windows perspective to change, e.g., larger or smaller. The user'"'"'s perspective can pass into and through the window-blocks. As the user moves through a window-block, the mouse mickey ratio changes so that, while the cursor position or user viewpoint might change relatively rapidly in “empty space,” it would change more slowly when the user'"'"'s perspective or the cursor is moving through a solid window-block, thus making the window-block seem more substantial.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for operating a graphical user interface, comprising:
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displaying at least one window-block in a graphical user interface, the window-block having a three-dimensional appearance including an x-dimension, a y-dimension, and a z-dimension, wherein said graphical user interface is displayed only in said x-dimension and said y-dimension on a display medium;
in response to an input from a user, changing the perspective, at a first rate of change, of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block; and
in response to an input from the user, when the perspective of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block indicates that the user is moving through the window-block along said z-dimension, changing the perspective of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block at a second rate of change, wherein the second rate of change is slower that the first rate of change. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer system having at least a processor, accessible memory, and an accessible display, the computer system comprising:
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means for displaying at least one window-block in a graphical user interface, the window-block having a three-dimensional appearance including an x-dimension, a y-dimension, and a z-dimension, wherein said graphical user interface is displayed only in said x-dimension and said y-dimension within said computer system;
means for, in response to an input from a user, changing the perspective, at a first rate of change, of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block; and
means for, in response to an input from the user, when the perspective of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block indicates that the user is moving through the window-block along said z-dimension, changing the perspective of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block at a second rate of change, wherein the second rate of change is slower than the first rate of change. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer program product having computer readable program code on a computer usable medium, comprising:
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instructions for displaying at least one window-block in a graphical user interface, the window-block having a three-dimensional appearance including an x-dimension, a y-dimension, and a z-dimension, wherein said graphical user interface is displayed only in said x-dimension and said y-dimension on a display medium;
instructions for, in response to an input from a user, changing the perspective, at a first rate of change, of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block; and
instructions for, in response to an input from the user, when the perspective of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block indicates that the user is moving through the window-block along said z-dimension, changing the perspective of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block at a second rate of change, wherein the second rate of change is slower than the first rate of change. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for operating a graphical user interface, comprising:
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displaying at least one window-block in a graphical user interface, the window-block having a three-dimensional appearance including an x-dimension, a y-dimension, and a z-dimension, and displaying on at least one surface including only said x-dimension and said y-dimension a subset of user data;
in response to an input from a user, changing the perspective, at a first rate of change, of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block; and
in response to an input from the user, when the perspective of the graphical user interface display with relation to the window-block indicates that the user is moving through the window-block along said z-dimension, displaying other subsets of the user data. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification