Display of pointing indicator within two-dimensional window display in three dimensions on a computer screen

• US 6,411,292 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1999
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cook, Thomas E., Essenmacher, Michael D., Goodrich, Clark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US09/282,486
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 345/642, 345/710, 345/711, 345/712, 345/713, 345/419, 345/700, 345/701
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 computer display system, method and article of manufacture are presented allowing a user to interactively arrange two-dimensional windows for display in three dimensions on a two-dimensional display screen of the computer system. A window manager associated with the display screen is configured to respond to a user'"'"'s selection of a frame edge of a window, e.g., using a third mouse button, by rotating the window from a two-dimensional depiction to a three-dimensional depiction. Rotation of the window occurs on an edge frame opposite to the selected edge frame and the rotation angle is related to the magnitude that the user drags the pointing device after selection of one edge frame of the window to be swung. In a similar manner, a pointing indicator is superimposed within the rotated window for tracking within the rotated coordinates of the window in response to user manipulation of an associated pointing device.

Claims

1. A method for depicting a pointing indicator in a three-dimensionally displayed window of a two-dimensional display screen, said method comprising:

displaying said pointing indicator superimposed within said three-dimensionally displayed window;

moving said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally displayed window in response to user manipulation of a pointing device, said moving of said pointing indicator being in three dimensions relative to said display screen so as to track within said three-dimensionally displayed window;

further comprising depicting said window in said three dimensions on said two-dimensional display screen, said depicting of said window in three dimensions comprising rotating said window about a frame edge of said window frame to swing said window from two-dimensional display to said three-dimensional display; and

wherein said displaying of said pointing indicator comprises rotating said pointing indicator about said frame edge of said window using a common rotation angle to that employed in said rotating of said window, said rotating of said pointing indicator converting said pointing indicator from two-dimensional display within said display screen to three-dimensional display within said display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said window comprises a two-dimensional window displayed three-dimensionally in said two-dimensional display screen, and wherein said moving comprises translating an x,y movement of said pointing device into corresponding movement of said pointing indicator within said two-dimensional window displayed three-dimensionally within said display screen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said moving comprises changing a size of said pointing indicator with movement of said pointing indicator within said window displayed three-dimensionally.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said pointing device comprises a mouse, said pointing indicator comprises a mouse cursor, and wherein said changing comprises changing a size of said mouse cursor superimposed within said window displayed in three dimensions in response to user manipulation of said mouse.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing processing for said method within a window manager of a computer system comprising said two-dimensional display screen, wherein said implementing processing of said method within said window manager of said computer system is transparent to an application process running on the computer system.

6. A method for displaying a two-dimensional window and pointing indicator within a two-dimensional display screen, said method comprising:

rotating said two-dimensional window about a frame edge of said window for three-dimensional display within said display screen; and

superimposing said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally rotated window, said superimposing including rotating said pointing indicator from x,y coordinates of said display screen to x,y perspective coordinates of said rotated window using a common rotation angle to that employed in said rotating of said window about said frame edge, at least one coordinate of said x,y perspective coordinates of said rotated window being non-parallel to each of said x,y coordinates of said display screen.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising moving said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally rotated window in response to user manipulation of a pointing device, said moving of said pointing indicator being within said x,y coordinates of said rotated window.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising moving said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally displayed window in response to user manipulation of a pointing device, said moving comprising changing a size of said pointing indicator with movement of said pointing indicator within said window.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising implementing processing of said method within a window manager of a computer system comprising said two-dimensional display screen, wherein said implementing processing of said method within said window manager is transparent to an application process running on the computer system.

10. A computer display system comprising:

a two-dimensional display screen for displaying a window;

window manager overseeing displaying of said window within said two-dimensional display screen, said window manager being programmed to display the window in three dimensions within the two-dimensional display screen, to display a pointing indicator superimposed within the three-dimensionally displayed window, and to move the pointing indicator within the three-dimensionally displayed window responsive to user manipulation of a pointing device, said moving of the pointing indicator being in three dimensions relative to the display screen so as to track within the three-dimensionally displayed window;

wherein said window manager is programmed to rotate said window about a frame edge of said window to swing said window from two-dimensional display to said three-dimensional display; and

wherein said window manager is programmed to rotate said pointing indicator about said frame edge of said window using a common rotation angle to that employed in the rotating of the window, the rotating of the pointing indicator converting the pointing indicator from two-dimensional display within the display screen to three-dimensional display within the display screen.

11. The computer display system of claim 10, wherein said window comprises a two-dimensional window displayed three-dimensionally in said two-dimensional display screen, and wherein said window manager is programmed to translate an x,y movement of said pointing device into corresponding movement of said pointing indicator within said two-dimensional window displayed three-dimensionally within said display screen.

12. The computer display system of claim 11, wherein said window manager is programmed to change a size of said pointing indicator with movement of said pointing indicator within said window displayed three-dimensionally.

13. The computer display system of claim 12, wherein said pointing device comprises a mouse, said pointing indicator comprises a mouse cursor, and wherein said window manager is programmed to change a size of said mouse cursor superimposed within said window displayed in said three dimensions in response to user manipulation of said mouse.

14. The computer display system of claim 10, wherein said window manager is programmed to implement said displaying of said window in three dimensions and said displaying of said pointing indicator superimposed within the three-dimensionally displayed window transparent to an application process associated with the computer display system.

15. A computer display system comprising:

a two-dimensional display screen for displaying a window; and

a window manager overseeing display of the window within the two-dimensional display screen, said window manager being programmed to rotate the window about a frame edge from a two-dimensional display to a three-dimensional display within the display screen, and to superimpose a pointing indicator within the three-dimensionally rotated window, the superimposing of the pointing indicator including rotating the pointing indicator from x,y coordinates of the display screen to x,y perspective coordinates of the rotated window using a common rotation angle to that employed in rotating the window, at least one coordinate of the x,y perspective coordinates of the rotated window being non-parallel to each of the x,y coordinates of the display screen.

16. The computer display system of claim 15, wherein said window manager is programmed to move said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally rotated window in response to user manipulation of a pointing device, said moving of the pointing indicator being within said x,y perspective coordinates of said rotated window.

17. The computer display system of claim 15, wherein said window manager is programmed to move said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally displayed window in response to user manipulation of a pointing device, said moving comprising changing a size of said pointing indicator with movement of said pointing indicator within said window.

18. A system for depicting a pointing indicator in a three-dimensionally displayed window of a two-dimensional display screen, said system comprising:

means for displaying the pointing indicator superimposed within the three-dimensionally displayed window;

means for moving the pointing indicator within the three-dimensionally displayed window in response to user manipulation of a pointing device, said moving of the pointing indicator being in three dimensions relative to said display screen so as to track within the three-dimensionally displayed window;

further comprising means for depicting said window in said three dimensions on said two-dimensional display screen, said means for depicting of said window in three dimensions comprising means for rotating said window about a frame edge of said window to swing said window from two-dimensional display to said three-dimensional display; and

wherein said means for displaying of said pointing indicator comprises means for rotating said pointing indicator about said frame edge of said window using a common rotation angle to that employed by said means for rotating of the window, said means for rotating of the pointing indicator converting said pointing indicator from two-dimensional display within said display screen to three-dimensional display within said display screen.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said window comprises a two-dimensional window displayed three-dimensionally in said two-dimensional display screen, and wherein said means for moving comprises means for translating an x,y movement of said pointing device into corresponding movement of said pointing indicator within said two-dimensional window displayed three-dimensionally within said display screen.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said means for moving comprises means for changing a size of said pointing indicator with movement of said pointing indicator within said window displayed three-dimensionally.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said pointing device comprises a mouse, said pointing indicator comprises a mouse cursor, and wherein said means for changing comprises means for changing a size of said mouse cursor superimposed within said window displayed in three dimensions in response to user manipulation of said mouse.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising a window manager comprising said means for displaying and said means for moving, said window manager implementing said means for displaying and said means for moving transparent to an application process running on said system.

23. A system for displaying a two-dimensional window and pointing indicator within a two-dimensional display screen, said system comprising:

means for rotating said two-dimensional window about a frame edge of said window for three-dimensional display within said display screen; and

means for superimposing said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally rotated window, said means for superimposing including means for rotating said pointing indicator from x,y coordinates of the display screen to x,y perspective coordinates of said rotated window using a common rotation angle to that employed by said means for rotating said window about said frame edge, at least one coordinate of said x,y perspective coordinates of said rotated window being non-parallel to each of said x,y coordinates of said display screen.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for moving said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally rotated window in response to user manipulation of a pointing device, said moving of said pointing indicator being within said x,y coordinates of said rotated window.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for moving said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally displayed window in response to user manipulation of a pointing device, said means for moving comprising means for changing a size of said pointing indicator with movement of said pointing indicator within said window.

26. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer program product comprising computer usable medium having computer readable program code means therein for use in depicting a pointing indicator in a three-dimensionally displayed window of a two-dimensional display screen, said computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect displaying said pointing indicator superimposed within said three-dimensionally displayed window;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect moving said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally displayed window in response to user manipulation of a pointing device, said moving of said pointing indicator being in three dimensions relative to said display screen so as to track within said three-dimensionally displayed window;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect depicting said window in said three dimensions on said two-dimensional display screen, said depicting of said window in three dimensions comprising rotating said window about a frame edge of said window frame to swing said window from two-dimensional display to said three-dimensional display; and

wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect displaying said pointing indicator comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect rotating said pointing indicator using a common rotation angle to that employed in said rotating of said window about said frame edge, said rotating of said pointing indicator converting said pointing indicator from two-dimensional display within said display screen to three-dimensional display within said display screen.

27. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer program product comprising computer usable medium having computer readable program code means therein for use in displaying a two-dimensional window and pointing indicator within a two-dimensional display screen, said computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect rotating said two-dimensional window about a frame edge of said window for three-dimensional display within said display screen; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect superimposing said pointing indicator within said three-dimensionally rotated window, said superimposing including rotating said pointing indicator from x,y coordinates of said display screen to x,y perspective coordinates of said rotated window using a common rotation angle to that employed in said rotating of said window about said frame edge, at least one coordinate of said x,y perspective coordinates of said rotated window being non-parallel to each of said x,y coordinates of said display screen.