User selected display of two-dimensional window in three dimensions on a computer screen

• US 6,822,662 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1999
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• 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): Huynh, Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MYLINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/282,129
• Time in Patent Office: 2,064 Days
• Field of Search: 345/355, 345/340, 345/343, 345/427, 345/978, 345/788, 345/419, 345/764, 345/145, 345/672, 345/682, 345/649, 345/656, 345/659
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

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, multiple windows can be swung for three-dimensional viewing and simultaneous display within the display screen.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a window in a two-dimensional display screen, said method comprising:

providing at least one two-dimensional window for display in said two-dimensional display screen, each two-dimensional window of said at least one two-dimensional window comprising a plurality of selectable frame edges;

responsive to user input, displaying said at least one two-dimensional window in three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said user input comprises allowing a user to interactively designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display in said three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said allowing comprises generating a pointing indicator on said display screen superimposed over a currently visible two-dimensional window, said pointing indicator coupled to a pointing device for moving said pointing indicator in response to manipulation by said user, and changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window in response to said user manipulation of said pointing indicator; and

wherein said changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window comprises swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display in response to user selection of one frame edge of said plurality of selectable frame edges of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display occurs responsive to user selection of any frame edge of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one two-dimensional window comprises multiple two-dimensional windows and wherein said allowing comprises allowing said user to interactively designate at least some windows of said multiple two-dimensional windows for display in three dimensions so that said multiple two-dimensional windows can be simultaneously displayed within said two-dimensional display screen without overlapping.

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

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying comprises for each window of said at least one two-dimensional window, rotating said window about a frame edge of said window to convert said window from two dimensions to said three dimensions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing a user to interactively control said rotating of said window about said frame edge of said window and thereby determine an angle of rotation of said two-dimensional window to said three dimensions.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one two-dimensional window comprises a rectangular window having a right edge, left edge, top edge and bottom edge, and wherein said displaying comprises rotating said window about one of said right edge, left edge, top edge or bottom edge as designated by a user.

7. A method for displaying a window in a two-dimensional display screen, said method comprising:

providing at least one two-dimensional window for display in said two-dimensional display screen;

responsive to user input, displaying said at least one two-dimensional window in three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said user input comprises allowing a user to interactively designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display in said three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said allowing comprises generating a pointing indicator on said display screen superimposed over a currently visible two-dimensional window, said pointing indicator coupled to a pointing device for moving said pointing indicator in response to manipulation by said user, and changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window in response to said user manipulation of said pointing indicator;

wherein said changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window comprises swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display in response to user selection of one frame edge of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator; and

wherein said swinging comprises swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display using a swing angle determined by a magnitude of the user'"'"'s manipulation of said pointing device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said swing angle is adjustable within a defined range, and determined by the magnitude of the user'"'"'s manipulation of said pointing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said pointing device comprises a mouse and said user selection of one frame edge of said two-dimensional window comprises pressing a third mouse button of said mouse with said pointing indicator pointing to said one frame edge of said two-dimensional window.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said swinging comprises swinging said two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window by pivoting said two-dimensional window on an edge frame opposite to said one edge frame selected by said user using said pointing indicator.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said pointing indicator is a cursor, said pointing device is a mouse, and said swing angle of said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display is related to the magnitude of the user'"'"'s dragging of said mouse after selection of said one edge frame of said two-dimensional window.

12. A method for displaying a window in a two-dimensional display screen, said method comprising:

providing at least one two-dimensional window for display in said two-dimensional display screen;

responsive to user input, displaying said at least one two-dimensional window in three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen;

further comprising allowing a user to interactively designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display in said three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen; and

wherein said allowing comprises determining a rotation point about which to rotate said at least one two-dimensional window to three-dimensional display, and translating said rotation point to a center of said two-dimensional display screen prior to rotation of said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional display, thereafter performing said rotating of said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional display and translating said three-dimensional display back to an original location of said two-dimensional window within said two-dimensional display screen.

13. A method for displaying a window in a two-dimensional display screen, said method comprising:

providing at least one two-dimensional window for display in said two-dimensional display screen;

responsive to user input, displaying said at least one two-dimensional window in three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen; and

wherein each window of said at least one two-dimensional window comprises a plurality of points, and wherein for each window said displaying comprises translating each two-dimensional point of said window to an origin based on its proximity to a center of a window frame edge used as an axis of rotation of said window to said three dimensions;

rotating the translated point about one of the x axis or y axis into z-space of said two-dimensional display screen using a rotation angle θ

;

obtaining a perspective view of the rotated window point based on a predefined user distance from the two-dimensional display screen, said perspective view lying on a z axis extending from a center of the display screen; and

for each point of the window, translating the perspective point back to where the two-dimensional point had originally been located on the display screen.

15. A computer display system comprising:

a two-dimensional display screen for displaying one or more windows;

a window manager overseeing display of said one or more windows within said two-dimensional display screen, said window manager being programmed to display at least one two-dimensional window in three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen responsive to user input, each two-dimensional window of said at least one two-dimensional window comprising a plurality of selectable frame edges;

wherein said window manager is programmed to allow a user to interactively designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display in said three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said window manager is programmed to generate a pointing indicator on said display screen superimposed over a currently visible two-dimensional window, said pointing indicator coupled to a pointing device for moving said pointing indicator in response to manipulation by said user, and being programmed to change said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window in response to said user manipulation of said pointing indicator; and

wherein said window manager is programmed to change said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window by swinging said two-dimensional window to depiction in three dimensions in response to user selection of one frame edge of said plurality of selectable frame edges of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator.

16. The computer display system of claim 15, wherein said swinging said two-dimensional window to depiction in three dimensions is responsive to user selection of any frame edge of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator.

17. The computer display system of claim 15, wherein said at least one two-dimensional window comprises multiple two-dimensional windows and wherein said window manager is programmed to allow said user to interactively designate at least some windows of said multiple two-dimensional windows for display in three dimensions so that said multiple two-dimensional windows can be simultaneously displayed within said two-dimensional display screen without overlapping.

18. The computer display system of claim 15, wherein said window manager is programmed to implement said displaying of said at least one two-dimensional window in three dimensions transparent to an application process of said computer display system.

19. The computer display system of claim 15, wherein said window manager is programmed to rotate each window of said at least one two-dimensional window about a frame edge of said window to convert said window from two dimensions to said three dimensions.

20. A computer display system comprising:

a two-dimensional display screen for displaying one or more windows;

a window manager overseeing display of said one or more windows within said two-dimensional display screen, said window manager being programmed to display at least one two-dimensional window in three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen responsive to user input;

wherein said window manager is programmed to allow a user to interactively designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display in said three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said window manager is programmed to generate a pointing indicator on said display screen superimposed over a currently visible two-dimensional window, said pointing indicator coupled to a pointing device for moving said pointing indicator in response to manipulation by said user, and being programmed to change said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window in response to said user manipulation of said pointing indicator;

wherein said window manager is programmed to change said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window by swinging said two-dimensional window to depiction in three dimensions in response to user selection of one frame edge of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator; and

wherein said swinging comprises swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display using a swing angle determined by a magnitude of the user'"'"'s manipulation of said pointing device.

21. The computer display system of claim 20, wherein said swing angle is adjustable within a defined range, and determined by the magnitude of the user'"'"'s manipulation of said pointing device.

22. The computer display system of claim 21, wherein said pointing device comprises a mouse and said user selection of said one frame edge of said two dimensional window comprises user pressing of a third mouse button of said mouse with said pointing indicator pointing to said one frame edge of said two-dimensional window.

23. The computer display system of claim 20, wherein said window manager'"'"'s swinging of said two-dimensional window comprises swinging said two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window by pivoting said two-dimensional window on an edge frame opposite to said one-edge frame selected by said user using said pointing indicator.

24. The computer display system of claim 23, wherein said pointing indicator is a cursor, said pointing device is a mouse, and said swing angle of said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display is related to a magnitude of the user'"'"'s dragging of said mouse after selection of said one edge frame of said two-dimensional window.

25. A computer display system comprising:

a two-dimensional display screen for displaying one or more windows;

a window manager overseeing display of said one or more windows within said two-dimensional display screen, said window manager being programmed to display at least one two-dimensional window in three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen responsive to user input;

wherein said window manager is programmed to allow a user to interactively designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display in said three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen; and

wherein said window manager is programmed to determine a rotation point about which to rotate said at least one two-dimensional window to three-dimensional display, and to translate said rotation point to a center of said two-dimensional display screen prior to rotation of said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional display, and thereafter to perform said rotating of said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional display and then to translate said three-dimensional display back to an original location of said two-dimensional window within said two-dimensional display screen.

26. A system for displaying a window in a two-dimensional display screen, said system comprising:

means for providing at least one two-dimensional window for display in said two-dimensional display screen, each two-dimensional window of said at least one two-dimensional window comprising a plurality of selectable frame edges;

means for allowing a user to designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display as a three-dimensional window within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said means for allowing comprises means for allowing said user to interactively designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display as a three-dimensional window;

wherein said means for allowing comprises means for generating a pointing indicator on said display screen superimposed over a currently visible two-dimensional window, said pointing indicator being coupled to a pointing device for moving said pointing indicator in response to manipulation by said user, and means for changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window in response to said user manipulation of said pointing indicator; and

wherein said means for changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window comprises means for swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display in response to user selection of one frame edge of said plurality of selectable frame edges of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for swinging comprises means for swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display in response to user selection of any frame edge of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said pointing device comprises a mouse and said user selection of said one frame edge of said two-dimensional window comprises user pressing of a third mouse button of said mouse with said pointing indicator pointing to said one frame edge of said two-dimensional window.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one two-dimensional window comprises multiple two-dimensional windows and wherein said means for allowing comprises means for allowing said user to interactively designate at least some windows of said multiple two-dimensional windows for display in three dimensions so that said multiple two-dimensional windows can be simultaneously displayed within said two-dimensional display screen without overlapping.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for allowing comprises means for rotating each window of said at least one two-dimensional window about a frame edge of said window upon designation by said user to convert said window from two dimensions to three dimensions within said display screen.

31. A system for displaying a window in a two-dimensional display screen, said system comprising:

means for providing at least one two-dimensional window for display in said two-dimensional display screen;

means for allowing a user to designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display as a three-dimensional window within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said means for allowing comprises means for allowing said user to interactively designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display as a three-dimensional window;

wherein said means for allowing comprises means for generating a pointing indicator on said display screen superimposed over a currently visible two-dimensional window, said pointing indicator being coupled to a pointing device for moving said pointing indicator in response to manipulation by said user, and means for changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window in response to said user manipulation of said pointing indicator;

wherein said means for changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window comprises means for swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display in response to user selection of one frame edge of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator; and

wherein said swinging comprises swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display using a swing angle determined by the magnitude of the user'"'"'s manipulation of said pointing device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the swing angle is adjustable within a defined range, and is determined by the magnitude of the user'"'"'s manipulation of said pointing device.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said means for swinging comprises means for swinging said two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window by pivoting said two-dimensional window on an edge frame opposite to said one edge frame selected by said user using said pointing indicator.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said pointing indicator is a cursor, said pointing device is a mouse, and said swing angle of said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display is related to the magnitude of the user'"'"'s dragging of said mouse after selection of said one edge frame of said two-dimensional window.

35. 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 window in 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 providing at least one two-dimensional window for display in said two-dimensional display screen, each two-dimensional window of said at least one two-dimensional window comprising a plurality of selectable frame edges;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect allowing a user to designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display as a three-dimensional window within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect allowing comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect generating a pointing indicator on said display screen superimposed over a currently visible two-dimensional window, said pointing indicator coupled to a pointing device for moving said pointing indicator in response to manipulation by said user, and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window in response to said user manipulation of said pointing indicator; and

wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect changing comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display in response to user selection of one frame edge of said plurality of selectable frame edges of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display is responsive to user selection of any frame edge of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein said pointing device comprises a mouse and said user selection of said one frame edge of said two-dimensional window comprises user pressing of a third mouse button of said mouse with said pointing indicator pointing to said one frame edge of said two-dimensional window.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 35, further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect implementing said allowing within a window manager associated with said two-dimensional display screen, wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect said implementing within said window manager is transparent to an application process running on a computer system associated with said two-dimensional display screen.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect allowing comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect rotating said window about a frame edge of said window to convert said window from two-dimensions to said three-dimensions.

40. 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 window in 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 providing at least one two-dimensional window for display in said two-dimensional display screen;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect allowing a user to designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display as a three-dimensional window within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect allowing comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect generating a pointing indicator on said display screen superimposed over a currently visible two-dimensional window, said pointing indicator coupled to a pointing device for moving said pointing indicator in response to manipulation by said user, and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window in response to said user manipulation of said pointing indicator;

wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect changing comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display in response to user selection of one frame edge of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator; and

wherein the swinging comprises swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display using a swing angle determined by a magnitude of the user'"'"'s manipulation of the pointing device and wherein the swing angle is adjustable within a defined range as determined by the magnitude of the user'"'"'s manipulation of the pointing device.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 40, wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect swinging comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect swinging said two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window by pivoting said two-dimensional window on an edge frame opposite to said one edge frame selected by said user using said pointing indicator.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 41, wherein said pointing indicator is a cursor, said pointing device is a mouse, and said swing angle of said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display is related to a magnitude of the user'"'"'s dragging of said mouse after selection of said one edge frame of said two-dimensional window.

43. A method for displaying a window in a two-dimensional display screen, said method comprising:

providing at least one two-dimensional window for display in said two-dimensional display screen;

responsive to user input, displaying said at least one two-dimensional window in three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said user input comprises allowing a user to interactively designate said at least one two-dimensional window for display in said three dimensions within said two-dimensional display screen;

wherein said allowing comprises generating a pointing indicator on said display screen superimposed over a currently visible two-dimensional window, said pointing indicator coupled to a pointing device for moving said pointing indicator in response to manipulation by said user, and changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window in response to said user manipulation of said pointing indicator;

wherein said changing said currently visible two-dimensional window to display as a three-dimensional window comprises swinging said two-dimensional window to said three-dimensional window display in response to user selection of one frame edge of said two-dimensional window with said pointing indicator; and

wherein said user selection of said one frame edge using said pointing indicator occurs independent of any control bar associated with the two-dimensional window.