Method and apparatus for providing and accessing hidden tool spaces

• US 6,765,567 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pierce, Jeffrey S., Conway, Matthew J., van Dantzich, Maarten R., Roberson, George G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US09/541,133
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/420, 345/763, 345/782, 345/805, 345/809, 345/848, 345/474, 345/473, 345/475
• 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 method and a computer-readable medium are provided for generating an interface in a personal computer system. The method includes is playing a primary view of a three-dimensional environment from the egocentric perspective of a virtual person in the environment. A glancing function is then performed, which provides animated movement of the virtual person'"'"'s head to reveal a three-dimensional tool space that is normally hidden from view. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional tool space moves with or is linked to the virtual person'"'"'s body so that it travels through the environment with the virtual person'"'"'s body. In other embodiments, the tool space is associated with an object in the three-dimensional environment.

Claims

1. A method for generating an interface in a personal computer system having a display, a primary input device, and a secondary input device, the method comprising:

displaying a primary view of a three-dimensional environment from the perspective of a virtual body positioned in the three-dimensional environment;

displaying an animated change in the three-dimensional environment shown in the primary view to correspond to movement of the virtual body as the user manipulates the primary input device; and

displaying a tool space by view by displaying an animated movement of a three-dimensional tool space into view based on a user manipulation of the secondary input device, the three-dimensional tool space being hidden from the primary view for all positions and orientations of the vehicle in the three-dimensional environment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a tool space view comprises displaying an animated rotation that changes the view of the three-dimensional environment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a tool space view comprises displaying a tool space associated with the virtual body such that the same tool space is displayed at a plurality of virtual body positions in the three-dimensional environment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a primary view comprises displaying a three-dimensional object in the three-dimensional environment and wherein displaying a tool space view comprises displaying a tool space associated with the three-dimensional object in the primary view.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein displaying a tool space view comprises displaying a tool space associated with the virtual body when the virtual body is positioned away from a three-dimensional object and displaying a tool space associated with the three-dimensional object when the virtual body is proximate the three-dimensional object.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein displaying a tool space view comprises displaying a tool space associated with a first three-dimensional object in the three-dimensional environment when the virtual body is positioned near the first three-dimensional object and displaying a tool space associated with a second three-dimensional object in the three-dimensional environment when the virtual body is positioned near the second three-dimensional object.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein displaying a tool space view comprises displaying a tool space associated with the three-dimensional object as being attached to the three-dimensional object.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein displaying a tool space view comprises displaying a tool space associated with the three-dimensional object as moving with the three-dimensional object.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a tool space view comprises displaying an animated movement of a fixed amount such that the user does not control where the tool space appears in the view.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising re-displaying the primary view by displaying an animated movement of the three-dimensional tool space out of view.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional tool space contains two-dimensional objects.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional tool space contains three-dimensional objects.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein displaying a primary view further comprises displaying a an object in the three-dimensional environment as the user selects the object and wherein displaying a tool space view comprises displaying an animated rotation of the object into the three-dimensional tool space.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein displaying the animated movement of the object into the three-dimensional tool space further comprises changing a property of the object during the animated movement.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein changing a property of the object comprises changing the appearance of the object.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

redisplaying the primary view of the three-dimensional environment;

displaying an animated change in the three-dimensional environment shown in the primary view to correspond to movement of the virtual body as the user manipulates the primary input device;

redisplaying the tool space view;

displaying an object in the tool space as the user selects the object;

displaying an animated movement of the object into the three-dimensional environment from the tool space.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein displaying a tool space view further comprises displaying an object in the three-dimensional tool space as the user selects the object and wherein the method further comprises displaying an animated movement of the object into the three-dimensional environment from the tool space.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein displaying a tool space view further comprises displaying a an object in the three-dimensional tool space as the user selects the object and moving the object in the three-dimensional tool space based on the user'"'"'s manipulation of the primary pointing device.

19. A computer-readable medium having instructions for performing computer-executable steps related to a computer-generated three-dimensional environment, the computer-generated three-dimensional environment including a computer-generated view of the three-dimensional environment, the steps comprising:

creating a tool space programming object having a position property that describes the position of a three-dimensional tool space in the three-dimensional environment, the position property set to an initial position;

changing the view in response to an input value from a primary input device so that the view is directed toward the initial position of the three-dimensional tool space;

updating the position property of the tool space while the view is changing toward the initial position such that a majority of the three-dimensional tool space remains out of the computer-generated view;

bringing the three-dimensional tool space into the computer-generated view in response to an input value from a secondary input device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the step of bringing the three-dimensional tool space into the computer-generated view comprises changing the view so that the view is directed toward the position of the three-dimensional tool space while maintaining the position of the tool space.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the step of bringing the three-dimensional tool space into the computer-generated view comprises changing the position of the three-dimensional tool space to a position within the computer-generated view.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the step of bringing the three-dimensional tool space into the computer-generated view comprises gradually bringing the three-dimensional tool space into the computer-generated view such that a user perceives movement.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 comprising instructions for performing further steps of changing an origination point for the computer-generated view and updating the position of the tool space such that the tool space is kept in the same position relative to the origination point.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein bringing the three-dimensional tool space into the computer-generated view comprises changing the computer-generated view by a fixed amount such that the user does not control where the three-dimensional tool space appears in the three-dimensional view.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 comprising instructions for performing further steps comprising:

creating a tool programming object having a position property that identifies the position of a three-dimensional tool in the three-dimensional environment; and

setting the position property of the tool programming object such that the three-dimensional tool appears in the three-dimensional tool space.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 comprising instructions for performing further steps comprising:

moving a displayed cursor over a three-dimensional tool that appears in a three-dimensional tool space;

linking the three-dimensional tool to the displayed cursor based on an input from the primary input device such that the three-dimensional tool moves with the cursor; and

moving the cursor and the three-dimensional tool in response to input from the primary input device.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 wherein moving the cursor and the three-dimensional tool comprises moving the cursor and the three-dimensional tool within the tool space.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 wherein moving the cursor and the three-dimensional tool comprises moving the cursor and the three-dimensional tool out of the tool space and into the three-dimensional environment.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 comprising instructions for performing a further step comprising changing a property of the three-dimensional tool as it moves from the tool space into the three-dimensional environment.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 wherein changing a property comprises changing an appearance property of the three-dimensional tool.

31. A method for generating an interface in a personal computer system having a display and a primary input device, the method comprising:

displaying a two-dimensional computer-generated view of a screen;

shifting the computer-generated view to display a tool space containing graphical items, the tool space being hidden from the computer-generated view of the screen;

moving a cursor over a graphical item based on input values from the primary input device; and

moving the graphical item and the cursor together based on an additional input from the primary input device.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein moving the graphical item and the cursor comprises moving the graphical item and the cursor within the tool space.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein moving the graphical item and the cursor comprises moving the graphical item and the cursor from the tool space to the screen.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein moving the graphical item and the cursor from the tool space to the screen comprises changing a property of he graphical item as it is moved from the tool space to the screen.

35. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps related to a display, the steps comprising:

displaying a view of a two-dimensional screen;

shifting the view of the two-dimensional screen to reveal a tool space containing a graphical item;

moving a cursor over the graphical item in response to an input from an input device; and

moving the graphical item and the cursor together in response to an additional input from the input device.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein moving the graphical item and the cursor comprises moving the graphical item and the cursor within the tool space.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein moving the graphical item and the cursor comprises moving the graphical item and the cursor from the tool space to the screen.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein moving the graphical item and the cursor from the tool space to the screen comprises changing a property of the graphical item as it is moved from the tool space to the screen.

39. A method of generating an interface in a personal computer having a display, the method comprising:

displaying a primary view of an environment, the primary view comprising at least one graphical object;

moving a cursor over the graphical object in response to input values from an input device;

the cursor and the graphical object together toward a tool space outside of the primary view in response to input values from an input device; and

changing a property of the graphical object as it is moved toward the tool space.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein moving the cursor and the graphical object together toward a tool space comprises shifting the primary view to reveal the tool space.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the environment is a three-dimensional environment.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the tool space is a three-dimensional object in the three-dimensional environment.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein changing a property of the graphical object comprises changing the appearance of the graphical object.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein changing the appearance of the graphical object comprises changing the appearance of the graphical object from a three-dimensional object to a two dimensional object.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein changing the appearance of the graphical object comprises changing the appearance of the graphical object from a three-dimensional object to text.

46. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps related to a display, the steps comprising:

displaying a primary view of an environments, the primary view comprising at least one graphical object;

moving a cursor over the graphical object in response to input values from an input device;

moving the cursor and the graphical object together toward a tool space outside of the primary view in response to input values from an input device; and

changing the appearance of the graphical object as it is moved toward the tool space.