Methods, systems, and computer program products for the display and operation of virtual three-dimensional books

• US 7,015,910 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Etome Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Gossweiler, Richard Carl III, Woodruff, Allison Gyle, Card, Stuart Kent, Mackinlay, Jock Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US09/741,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20020113802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 715/526, 345/418, 345/419, 345/443, 345/526, 345/427, 345/619, 345/629, 345/634
• US Class Current: 345/427
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects

Abstract

A system is described for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having one or more virtual pages. The system comprises a display system capable of executing a display program wherein images of the virtual three-dimensional book are produced on the display system. A slide-out operation for sliding a virtual page out from the virtual three-dimensional book may be provided. The display system may also include a “rocker book” feature, wherein a book shifts between a first view and a second view. Moreover, the display system may display the virtual pages in a plurality of size formats, wherein a selection function may be provided for selecting among the plurality of size formats. Finally, a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for producing images of a virtual three-dimensional book is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a display system capable of executing a display program for producing images of a virtual three-dimensional book having a plurality of virtual pages for display;

wherein an image of two bound facing consecutive pages of the virtual three-dimensional book is produced for display on the display system;

wherein the image of the virtual three-dimensional book is displayed in a first view having a first virtual page substantially parallel to a surface of the display system and a second virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system and in a second view having the first virtual page displayed substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system and the second virtual page displayed substantially parallel to the surface of the display system;

wherein a page selection operation shifts the image of the virtual three-dimensional book on the display system between the first view and the second view; and

wherein the image of the virtual three-dimensional book is produced such that the virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system has (a) a first side that appears to project out of the display system and (b) a second side that appears (i) to project into the display system and (ii) to be bound to one side of the virtual page substantially parallel to the surface of the display system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the page selection operation comprises an animation of the virtual three dimensional book being shifted between the first view and the second view.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein a speed of the animation is controlled by a user.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein a speed of the animation is predetermined animation speed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual pages are displayed in one of a plurality of predetermined size formats.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the display system includes a size selection function for selecting between the plurality of size formats.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the size selection function is activated by selecting a virtual page and gesturing upward for an increase in size and downward for a decrease in size.

8. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for producing images of a virtual three-dimensional book having a plurality of virtual pages for display on a display device, the computer readable code comprising;

a rocker book function for producing, for displaying on the display device, an image of two bound facing consecutive pages of the virtual three-dimensional book in a first view having a first virtual page substantially parallel to a surface of the display device and a second virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display device and In a second view having the first page displayed substantially perpendicular to the surface of the device and the second virtual page displayed substantially parallel to the surface of the display device; and

a page selection function for shifting the image of the virtual three-dimensional book on the display device between the first view and the second view;

wherein the image of the virtual three-dimensional book is produced such that the virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display device has (a) a first side that appears to project out of the display device and (b) a second side that appears (i) to project into the display device and (ii) to be bound to one side of the virtual page substantially parallel to the surface of the display device.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the computer readable code further comprises:

an animation function for animating the virtual three dimensional book shifting between the first view and the second view.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein a speed of the animation function is controlled by a user.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein a speed of the animation function is a predetermined animation speed.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the virtual pages are displayed in one of a plurality of predetermined size formats.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, the display system Includes a size selection function for selecting between the plurality of size formats.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the size selection function is activated by selecting a virtual page and gesturing upward for an increase in size and downward for a decrease in size.

15. A method for producing images and displaying the images on a display system, comprising:

producing an image of two bound facing consecutive pages of a virtual three-dimensional book having a plurality of virtual pages;

displaying the image of the virtual three-dimensional book in a first view having a first virtual page substantially parallel to a surface of the display system and a second virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system and in a second view having the first virtual page displayed substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system and the second virtual page displayed substantially parallel to the surface of the display system;

shifting, as part of a page selection operation, the image of the virtual three-dimensional book on the display system between the first view and the second view; and

wherein the image of the virtual three-dimensional book is produced such that the virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system has (a) a first side that appears to project out of the display system and (b) a second side that appears (i) to project into the display system and (ii) to be bound to one side of the virtual page substantially parallel to the surface of the display system.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising animating the virtual three dimensional book being shifted between the first view and the second view.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising controlling a speed of the animation with one or both of user input and a predetermined animation speed.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the virtual pages are displayed in one of a plurality of predetermined size formats.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising selecting between the plurality of size formats with a size selection function that is activated by selecting a virtual page and gesturing upward for an increase in size and downward for a decrease in size.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a display system capable of executing a display program for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having a plurality of virtual pages;

wherein the display program in displaying the images;

produces, on the display system, a first image of two bound facing consecutive virtual pages of the virtual three-dimensional book;

produces, on the display system, a slide-out page image in response to user input indicating that an operation be performed on a selected virtual page in the first image, to slide out a copy of the selected virtual page without removing it from the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book;

changes, on the display system, appearance of the selected virtual page when viewing the slide-out page image;

produces, on the display system, a second image of two bound facing consecutive pages of the virtual three-dimensional book in response to user input indicating that a page advancing operation be performed to advance those virtual pages displayed in the first image to a different set of pages in the second image;

wherein the slide-out page image of the selected virtual page remains in view on the display system when the selected virtual page does not appear in the second image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the display program in displaying the images:

shifts the image of the virtual three-dimensional book on the display system between a first view and a second view of the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book in response to a page selection operation;

wherein the first view displays a first virtual page substantially parallel to a surface of the display system and a second virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system, and the second view displays the first virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system and the second virtual page substantially parallel to the surface of the display system.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the display program in displaying the images:

produces the image of the virtual three-dimensional book such that the virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system has (a) a first side that appears to project out of the display system and (b) a second side that appears (i) to project into the display system and (ii) to be bound to one side of the virtual page substantially parallel to the surface of the display system.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the user input indicating the slide-out operation is performed by dragging the selected virtual page out of the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the display program in displaying the images animates the slid-out page image moving from the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the display program in displaying the images displays the slid-out page image as one of:

at least partially overlapping the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book; and

visually separated from the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

26. A method for executing a display program for displaying images of a virtual three-dimensional book having a plurality of virtual pages on a display system, comprising:

producing, on the display system, a first image of two bound facing consecutive virtual pages of the virtual three-dimensional book;

producing, on the display system, a slide-out page image in response to user input indicating that an operation be performed on a selected virtual page in the first image, to slide out a copy of the selected virtual page without removing it from the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book;

changing, on the display system, appearance of the selected virtual page when viewing the slide-out page image;

producing, on the display system, a second image of two bound facing consecutive pages of the virtual three-dimensional book in response to user input indicating that a page advancing operation be performed to advance those virtual pages displayed in the first image to a different set of pages in the second image;

wherein the slide-out page image of the selected virtual page remains in view on the display system when the selected virtual page does not appear in the second image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

shifting the image of the virtual three-dimensional book on the display system between a first view and a second view of the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book in response to a page selection operation;

wherein the first view displays a first virtual page substantially parallel to a surface of the display system and a second virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system, and the second view displays the first virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system and the second virtual page substantially parallel to the surface of the display system.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the image of the virtual three-dimensional book is produced such that the virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system has (a) a first side that appears to project out of the display system and (b) a second side that appears (i) to project into the display system and (ii) to be bound to one side of the virtual page substantially parallel to the surface of the display system.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the user input indicating the slide-out operation is performed by dragging the selected virtual page out of the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising animating the slid-out page image moving from the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

31. The method according to claim 28, wherein the slid-out page image is displayed as one of:

at least partially overlapping the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book; and

visually separated from the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

32. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for producing images of a virtual three-dimensional book having a plurality of virtual pages for display on a display system, the computer readable code comprising functions for;

producing, on the display system, a first image of two bound facing consecutive virtual pages of the virtual three-dimensional book;

producing, on the display system, a slide-out page image in response to user input indicating that an operation be performed on a selected virtual page in the first image, to slide out a copy of the selected virtual page without removing it from the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book;

changing, on the display system, appearance of the selected virtual page when viewing the slide-out page image;

producing, on the display system, a second image of two bound facing consecutive pages of the virtual three-dimensional book in response to user input indicating that a page advancing operation be performed to advance those virtual pages displayed in the first image to a different set of pages in the second image;

wherein the slide-out page image of the selected virtual page remains in view on the display system when the selected virtual page does not appear in the second image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

33. The computer program product according claim 32, wherein the computer readable code further comprises functions for:

shifting the image of the virtual three-dimensional book on the display system between a first view and a second view of the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book in response to a page selection operation;

wherein the first view displays a first virtual page substantially parallel to a surface of the display system and a second virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system, and the second view displays the first virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system and the second virtual page substantially parallel to the surface of the display system.

34. The computer program product according to claim 33, wherein the image of the virtual three-dimensional book is produced such that the virtual page substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display system has (a) a first side that appears to project out of the display system and (b) a second side that appears (i) to project into the display system and (ii) to be bound to one side of the virtual page substantially parallel to the surface of the display system.

35. The computer program product according to claim 34, wherein the user input indicating the slide-out operation is performed by dragging the selected virtual page out of the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

36. The computer program product according to claim 34, wherein the computer readable code further comprises functions for animating the slid-out page image moving from the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book.

37. The computer program product according to claim 34, wherein the slid-out page image is displayed as one of:

at least partially overlapping the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book; and

visually separated from the first image of the virtual three-dimensional book.