Human-computer interface including efficient three-dimensional controls
First Claim
1. A method of providing a user-computer interface, comprising:
- a) providing a display, characterized by x and y coordinates defining a plane approximately orthogonal to the direction of the user'"'"'s view into the display;
b) providing an input device, moveable by the user in three dimensions termed x, y, and z;
c) establishing a correspondence between motion of the input device and motion of a cursor representation in the display;
d) displaying to the user a three-dimensional display space using a first portion of the display plane;
e) displaying to the user a control using a second portion of the display plane;
f) determining if user motion of the input device corresponds to a cursor representation location within the first portion of the display plane, and, if so, then allowing user motion of the input device to move the cursor representation in three dimensions within the three-dimensional display space;
g) determining if user motion of the input device corresponds to a cursor representation location within the second portion of the display plane, and, if so, then providing user interaction according to the control.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a method of human-computer interfacing that provides efficient implementation of intuitive controls in a three-dimensional space. The method comprises providing a three-dimensional space, characterized by x and y dimensions, together defining a plane approximately orthogonal to the user'"'"'s direction of view into the space. A z dimension, approximately parallel to the direction of view, further characterizes the three-dimensional space. Objects in the space can be defined by x, y, and z coordinate sets. A control is provided having x and y coordinate sets as any other object. The z coordinate set of the control, however, spans a range of values, giving the control an increased depth. The control'"'"'s range of z can be infinite, making the control accessible at all depths, or can be a finite range, making the control accessible only from that range of depths. Movement of a cursor into the region corresponding to the control initiates interaction with the user according to the control. The increased depth makes it easier for the user to access the control, since it reduces the precision of depth perception required to find the control. Once the user is in the region corresponding to the control, the effective depth for interaction can be relative to the depth when the user entered the control region, providing control interaction independent of entering depth.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of providing a user-computer interface, comprising:
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a) providing a display, characterized by x and y coordinates defining a plane approximately orthogonal to the direction of the user'"'"'s view into the display; b) providing an input device, moveable by the user in three dimensions termed x, y, and z; c) establishing a correspondence between motion of the input device and motion of a cursor representation in the display; d) displaying to the user a three-dimensional display space using a first portion of the display plane; e) displaying to the user a control using a second portion of the display plane; f) determining if user motion of the input device corresponds to a cursor representation location within the first portion of the display plane, and, if so, then allowing user motion of the input device to move the cursor representation in three dimensions within the three-dimensional display space; g) determining if user motion of the input device corresponds to a cursor representation location within the second portion of the display plane, and, if so, then providing user interaction according to the control. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of providing a human-computer interface, comprising:
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a) Providing a display of a three-dimensional space, where objects in the space are characterized by x, y, and z coordinates within the three-dimensional space, and where the display is provided relative to display x and y coordinates in a plane approximately orthogonal to the user direction of view into the display, and a z coordinate, approximately parallel to the user direction of view into the display, where the relationship between the three-dimensional space and the display coordinates is variable; b) providing a control portion of the display, characterized by an x and y coordinate set relative to the x and y coordinates of the display and independent of the relationship between the three-dimensional space and the display, and by a range of z coordinates relative to the z coordinates of the display and independent of the relationship between the three-dimensional space and the display, and providing for display of the control portion in conjunction with the display of the three-dimensional space; c) providing an input device, moveable by the user in three dimensions termed x, y, and z; d) establishing a correspondence between motion of the input device and motion of a cursor representation in the display; e) determining when the x and y coordinates, relative to the display, of the cursor representation is within the x and y coordinate sets of the control portion of the display, and when the z coordinate, relative to the display, of the cursor representation is within the range of z coordinates for the control, and if so, issuing a command to the computer corresponding to the control responsive to a signal from the user. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification