Method for controlling data display

• US 6,577,319 B1
• Filed: 09/17/1999
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kashiwagi, Koichi, Urano, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US09/398,023
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 345/428, 345/581, 345/586, 345/600, 345/603, 345/606-607, 345/610, 345/619, 345/622, 345/636, 345/643, 345/649, 345/650, 345/652, 345/657, 345/659, 345/661, 345/663, 345/676, 345/678, 345/688, 345/722, 345/474
• US Class Current: 345/581
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A method for controlling a data display of the present invention, controlling a display of data including at least one attribute, includes: an attribute conversion step of converting at least one attribute of the data into a display attribute by using at least one mapping function; a display step of displaying the data based on the display attribute; and a parameter changing step of changing a parameter of the mapping function.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a data display controlling a display of data including at least one attribute, the method comprising:

an attribute conversion step of converting at least one attribute of the data into a display attribute by using at least one mapping function;

a display step of displaying the data based on the display attribute; and

a parameter changing step of changing a parameter of the mapping function,

wherein the at least one mapping function includes a shape function and an increase type mapping function in which a derivative of the mapping function becomes a local maximum at the center of the shape function,

wherein the function represents an arbitrary shape with at least one attribute to be converted being a variable, and

wherein the shape function includes a multi-dimensional function using a plurality of the attributes to be converted as variables,

the shape function includes a center parameter representing the center of the shape function, corresponding to each of the variables, a velocity parameter representing a velocity to the center, corresponding to each of the variables, a correlation parameter representing a correlation between the variables, and a rotation parameter representing rotation of a parameter space, and

the parameter changing step is a function for calculating one arbitrary value of the display attributes, and includes a step of selecting at least one of the center parameter, the velocity parameter, the correlation parameter, the rotation parameter, and a local maximum value parameter controlling a value of the at least one mapping function when the at least one mapping function is an angular type function which becomes a local maximum at the center of the shape function, the increase type mapping function being obtained from the angular type function by indefinite integration, and using the selected parameter as a parameter set of the at least one mapping function.

2. A method for controlling a data display controlling a display of data including at least one attribute, the method comprising:

an attribute conversion step of converting at least one attribute of the data into a display attribute by using at least one mapping function;

a display step of displaying the data based on the display attribute; and

a parameter changing step of changing a parameter of the mapping function,

wherein the at least one mapping function includes a shape function and an increase type mapping function in which a derivative of the mapping function becomes a local maximum at the center of the shape function,

wherein the function represents an arbitrary shape with at least one attribute to be converted being a variable, and

wherein the shape function includes a multi-dimensional function using a plurality of the attributes to be converted as variables,

the shape function includes a center parameter representing the center of the shape function, corresponding to each of the variables, a velocity parameter representing a velocity to the center, corresponding to each of the variables, a correlation parameter representing a correlation between the variables, and a rotation parameter representing rotation of a parameter space, and

the parameter changing step is a function for calculating values of the same number of the display attributes as the number of the attributes to be converted included in the shape function, and includes a step of selecting at least one of the center parameter, the velocity parameter, the correlation parameter, the rotation parameter, and a local maximum value parameter controlling a value of the increase type mapping function, and using the selected parameter as a parameter set of the at least one mapping function.

3. A method for controlling a data display controlling a display of data including at least one attribute, the method comprising:

an attribute conversion step of converting at least one attribute of the data into a display attribute by using at least one mapping function;

a display step of displaying the data based on the display attribute; and

a parameter changing step of changing a parameter of the mapping function,

wherein the at least one mapping function includes a shape function and an increase type mapping function in which a derivative of the mapping function becomes a local maximum at the center of the shape function,

wherein the function represents an arbitrary shape with at least one attribute to be converted being a variable, and

wherein the at least one mapping function includes an angular type mapping function which becomes a local maximum at the center of the shape function, the increase type mapping function being obtained from the angular type mapping function by indefinite integration,

the at least one mapping function adopts one of the angular type mapping function and the increase type mapping function in a desired range of an attribute value of the attribute to be converted, and

the at least one mapping function executes a linear mapping function out of the range of the attribute value.

4. A method for controlling a data display, controlling a display of data including at least one attribute, the method comprising:

an attribute conversion step of converting at least one attribute of the data into a display attribute by using at least one mapping function;

a display step of displaying the data based on the display attribute; and

a parameter changing step of changing a parameter of the mapping function and including a step of changing a parameter by using a GUI-widget,

wherein the GUI-widget has a dual-circular shape including one circle and one annular ring,

the at least one mapping function includes a function of a shape function,

the shape function represents an arbitrary shape with at least one attribute to be converted being a variable,

the shape function has a center parameter representing a center of the shape function,

at least one of color and a size of the circle represents a local maximum value parameter for controlling a value of the at least one mapping function,

a display position of the GUI-widget represents the center parameter representing a center of the shape function, and

the annular ring is formed based on the shape function.

5. A method for controlling a data display according to claim 4, wherein the shape function further includes a velocity parameter representing a velocity to the center of the shape function, and

a distance between a center of the GUI-widget and the annular ring is determined based on the velocity parameter.

6. A method for controlling a data display according to claim 4, wherein the shape function includes a multi-dimensional function with a plurality of the attributes to be converted being variables,

the shape function includes a center parameter representing a center of the shape function, corresponding to each of the variables, a velocity parameter representing a velocity to the center, corresponding to each of the variables, a correlation parameter representing a correlation between the variables, and a rotation parameter expressing rotation of a parameter space,

a distance between an arbitrary arc of the annular ring and a center of the GUI-widget represents the velocity parameter,

a distance between another arc of the annular ring and a center of the GUI-widget represents the correlation parameter, and

rotation of the annular ring represents the rotation parameter.

7. A method for controlling a data display according to claim 4, wherein a value of the arbitrary parameter in the mapping function is changed by a user'"'"'s operation with respect to the GUI-widget.

8. A method for controlling a data display, controlling a display of data including at least one attribute, the method comprising:

an attribute conversion step of converting at least one attribute of the data into a display attribute by using at least one mapping function;

a display step of displaying the data based on the display attribute; and

a parameter changing step of changing a parameter of the mapping function and including a step of changing a parameter by using a GUI-widget,

wherein the GUI-widget has a dual-circular shape including one sphere and one hollow sphere,

the at least one mapping function includes at least three attributes to be converted,

the sphere is divided into mesh-shaped regions by using desired rectangles when the at least three attributes to be converted are displayed in the display step,

the sphere is rotated by an angle based on user'"'"'s instruction, and

the GUI-widget is moved in a direction normal to the rectangle based on the user'"'"'s instruction.

9. A method for controlling a data display, controlling a display of data including at least one attribute, the method comprising:

an attribute conversion step of converting at least one attribute of the data into a display attribute by using at least one mapping function;

a display step of displaying the data based on the display attribute; and

a parameter changing step of changing a parameter of the mapping function and including a step of changing a parameter by using a GUI-widget,

wherein the GUI-widget has a dual-circular shape including one sphere and one hollow sphere,

the at least one mapping function includes at least three attributes to be converted,

the sphere is divided into mesh-shaped regions by using desired rectangles when the at lest three attributes to be converted are displayed in the display step,

the sphere is revolved in a direction opposite to rotation direction of a data display space, and

the GUI-widget is moved in a direction normal to the rectangle based on user'"'"'s instruction.