Method and apparatus for three dimensional internet and computer file interface

• US 6,938,218 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James A. Nolen III
• Original Assignee: James Nolen
• Inventors: Rosen, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/561,862
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/744, 715764-765, 715781-782, 715835-836, 715/839, 715848-855, 715/419, 715/427, 715/428, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/526, 345/419, 345/427, 345/428, 345/700, 345/744, 345/764, 345/765, 345/781, 345/782, 345/835, 345/836, 345/839, 345848-855, 707/1, 707/100
• US Class Current: 715/850
• 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 apparatus for geometrically organizing, interfacing to, surfing, authoring, converting and viewing computer files such as pages on the World Wide Web or operator interface windows of application software. A plurality of related Web pages or windows are organized and presented for view on a computer display in an apparent three or four dimensional relationship to each other with a front, right, left, top, and bottom face (page). A back face may be accessed by a button. Each face and its corresponding page/file can be further spatially related to five other faces and their corresponding pages/files in the same manner ad infinitum. The related pages are organized as a matrix of three dimensional cubes or four dimensional hypercubes.

Claims

1. A method of organizing and displaying data on a display device, said data comprised of a plurality of separate units for display, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) relating said data units to each other in a spatial organization of at least three dimensions; and

(2) displaying a simultaneously on said display device a proper subset of said data units in positions relative to each other representative of said spatial organization;

said spatial organization comprising a virtual volume containing a plurality of at least three-dimensional polyhedrons having faces, wherein each data unit is displayed in a separate one of said faces and wherein said spatial organization comprises a virtual volume containing said data units that is larger than said virtual volume represented in said display of said display device;

(3) enabling an operator to manipulate said display so as to move one of said data units on said display; and

(4) responsive to movement by said operator of one of said data units, moving other ones of said plurality of data units on said display so as to maintain said spatial relationship of said plurality of data units;

wherein step (2) comprises displaying five data units simultaneously in an array comprising a central window, a left window to the left of said central window, a right window to the right of said central window, a top window to the top of said central window, a bottom window to the bottom of said central window, said individual data units, respectively, being displayed in said individual windows.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (2) comprises displaying said data units in a two dimensional arrangement visually representative of a space comprising at least three dimensions.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step (1) comprises generating a table having at least three parameters and storing information in said table indicating the position of said data units relative to each other.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein each of said data units comprises a distinct computer file and wherein, independent of step (1), said computer files contain data by which said computer files are logically related to each other by at least one spatial attribute.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said spatial attribute is that said data contained in said computer files cause each computer file to correspond logically to a portion of space.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said spatial attribute comprises at least three attributes, including three spatial coordinates and wherein said portion of space is a portion of three dimensional space.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising a fourth attribute comprising a level of detail.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein step (1) comprises relating said plurality of said data units in correspondence to faces of a four spatial dimensional object.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said four spatial dimensional object is a hypercube.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said central, left, right, top and bottom windows correspond to a side of a hypercube.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein step (2) comprises displaying at least twenty five data units simultaneously in a display comprising five of said arrays.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said arrays are arranged relative to each other to emulate sides of at least five adjacent hypercubes.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein step (1) comprises generating a table having four parameters and storing information in said table indicating the position of said data units relative to each other.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein each said data unit comprises a distinct computer file and wherein, independent of step (1), said computer files contain data by which said computer files are logically related to each other by four attributes.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein one of said attributes is level of detail.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said central window is rectangular and said left, right, top and bottom windows are trapezoidal whereby said central, left, right, top and bottom windows emulate the inside of a cube.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein each said data unit comprises a distinct computer file.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said computer files are portions of computer application programs that correspond to operator interfaces.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said computer files are web pages.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said computer files include information defining said spatial organization of said computer files to other computer files.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said information defining said spatial organization comprises meta-tags.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

(5) prior to step (1), inserting into said web pages, meta-data defining said spatial organization.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein said display device is a three dimensional display.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein display is a screen of a computer display terminal.

25. A computer implemented method of organizing data and displaying said data on a computer display, said data comprised of a plurality of separate computer files comprising data for display, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) storing in a memory information relating said plurality of computer files to each other in correspondence to faces of a cube of at least three spatial dimensions; and

(2) displaying simultaneously on said display a proper subset of said computer files in positions relative to each other that are visually representative of said at least three spatial dimensions;

said spatial organization comprising a virtual volume containing a plurality of faces, wherein each data unit is displayed in a separate one of said faces, and at least one of said faces can be exploded to reveal further computer files spatially organized and displayed on faces representing an at least three dimensional organization;

wherein step (2) comprises displaying five computer files simultaneously in an array comprising a central window, a left window to the left of said central window, a right window to the right of said central window, a top window to the top of said central window, a bottom window to the bottom of said central window, said individual data units, respectively, being displayed in said individual windows.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein step (2) comprises displaying said computer files in a two dimensional arrangement visually representative of a space comprising at least three dimensions.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein step (1) comprises relating said plurality of computer files in correspondence to faces of a four spatial dimensional object.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein step (2) comprises displaying said computer files in a two dimensional arrangement visually representative of said four spatial dimensional object.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said four spatial dimensional object is a hypercube.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein said central window is rectangular and said left, right, top and bottom windows are trapezoidal, whereby said front, left, right, top and bottom windows emulate the inside of a cube.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein, independent of step (1), said computer files contain data by which they are related to each other by at least one attribute.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said attribute is a spatial attribute.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said attribute is that data in each said computer file corresponds to a portion of space.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said attribute comprises at least three attributes, including three spatial coordinates.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said attributes comprise at least four attributes, including three spatial coordinates and a level of detail.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein said computer files are web pages.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of:

(3) prior to step (1), associating with said web pages data defining said relationship.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said information defining said relationship comprises meta-tags.

39. The method of claim 25 wherein said spatial organization comprises a virtual volume containing said data units that is larger than said virtual volume represented in said display of said display device.

40. A computer implemented method of organizing data and displaying said data on a computer display, said data comprised of a plurality of separate computer files comprising data for display, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) storing in a memory information relating said plurality of computer files to each other in correspondence to faces of a four dimensional hypercube; and

(2) displaying simultaneously on said display a proper subset of said computer files in positions relative to each other that are visually representative of said at least three spatial dimensions in a two dimensional arrangement visually representative of a space comprising four spatial dimensions;

said spatial organization comprising a virtual volume containing a plurality of faces, wherein each data unit is displayed in a separate one of said faces, and at least one of said faces can be exploded to reveal further computer files spatially organized and displayed on faces representing an at least three dimensional organization,

wherein step (2) comprises displaying five data units simultaneously in an array comprising a central window, a left window to the left of said central window, a right window to the right of said central window, a top window to the top of said central window, a bottom window to the bottom of said central window, said individual data units, respectively, being displayed in said individual windows, said array comprising a side of a hypercube.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein said central window is rectangular and said left, right, top and bottom windows are trapezoidal whereby said central, left, right, top and bottom windows emulate the inside of a cube.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said central, left, right, top and bottom windows correspond to one side of said hypercube.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein step (2) comprises displaying at least twenty five data units simultaneously in a display comprising five of said arrays.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said arrays are arranged relative to each other to emulate sides of five adjacent hypercubes.

45. A method of organizing and displaying data on a display device, said data comprised of a plurality of separate units for display, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) relating said data units to each other in a spatial organization of at least three dimensions; and

(2) displaying a simultaneously on said display device a proper subset of said data in positions relative to each other representative of said spatial organization;

wherein each of said data units contains within itself information defining its position within said spatial organization

wherein step (2) comprises displaying five computer files simultaneously in an array comprising a central window, a left window to the left of said central window, a right window to the right of said central window, a top window to the top of said central window, a bottom window to the bottom of said central window, said individual data units, respectively, being displayed in said individual windows.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein said data units comprise distinct computer files.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said computer files comprise web pages.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein said information defining said position comprises meta-tags.

49. The method of claim 48 further comprising the step of:

(3) prior to step (1), inserting into said web pages, meta-data defining said spatial organization.

50. The method of claim 45 wherein said spatial organization comprises a virtual volume containing a plurality of at least three-dimensional polyhedrons having faces, wherein each data unit is displayed in a separate one of said faces.

51. The method of claim 45 wherein said spatial organization comprises a virtual volume containing said data units that is larger than said virtual volume represented in said display of said display device.