System and method for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene

• US 7,404,151 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuix North America Inc. (Nuix Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Attenex Corp. (FTI Consulting Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walter, Edward L., Borchardt, Jonathan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phantana-angkool; David
• Application Number:
  US11/341,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20070109297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 715/850
• US Class Current: 715/850
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/358 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• 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: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A system and method for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene is presented. Clusters are placed in a three-dimensional scene arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine. Each cluster includes one or more concepts. Each cluster spine is projected into a two-dimensional display relative to a stationary perspective as a hierarchical view of the cluster spines in the display. Folder controls operating on the hierarchical view are presented. The hierarchical view includes an indicator representing each cluster spine and a line indicating the cluster spine interrelationships relative to other cluster spines. A label is generated to identify one such concept included in each cluster spine in the hierarchical view.

Claims

1. A system for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene with a navigation assistance panel, comprising:

a database to store a three-dimensional scene to logically hold clusters, each cluster also stored in the database and comprising one or more concepts and arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine;

a two-dimensional display to display each cluster spine projected relative to a stationary perspective; and

a user interface provided by a heads-up display generator, comprising;

controls to operate on a view of the cluster spines in the display;

a compass to logically frame the cluster spines within the display;

a label to identify one such concept in one or more of the cluster spines appearing within the compass;

a plurality of slots in the two-dimensional display positioned circumferentially around the compass, wherein each label is assigned to the slot outside of the compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the slot; and

a perspective-altered rendition of the two-dimensional display comprising the projected cluster spines and a navigation assistance panel framing an area of the perspective-altered rendition corresponding to the view of the cluster spines in the display.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation assistance panel is reoriented in response to user input to the controls.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises a mini-compass sized and placed proportionately and corresponding to the compass in the two-dimensional display.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises further clusters and additional information in the perspective-altered rendition logically appearing within the two-dimensional display but located outside of the view of the cluster spines in the display.

5. A method for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene with a navigation assistance panel, comprising:

placing clusters, each cluster comprising one or more concepts, in a three-dimensional scene arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine and projecting each cluster spine into a two-dimensional display relative to a stationary perspective;

presenting controls operating on a view of the cluster spines in the display and providing a compass logically framing the cluster spines within the display;

generating a label to identify one such concept in one or more of the cluster spines appearing within the compass;

defining a plurality of slots in the two-dimensional display positioned circumferentially around the compass and assigning each label to the slot outside of the compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the slot; and

generating a perspective-altered rendition of the two-dimensional display comprising the projected cluster spines and a navigation assistance panel framing an area of the perspective-altered rendition corresponding to the view of the cluster spines in the display.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the navigation assistance panel is reoriented in response to user input to the controls.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises a mini-compass sized and placed proportionately and corresponding to the compass in the two-dimensional display.

8. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

presenting further clusters and additional information in the perspective-altered rendition logically appearing within the two-dimensional display but located outside of the view of the cluster spines in the display.

9. A computer-readable storage medium holding computer-executable code for performing the method according to claim 5.

10. A system for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene with multiple document occurrences, comprising:

a database to store a three-dimensional scene to logically hold clusters, each cluster also stored in the database and comprising one or more concepts with a plurality of concepts appearing in different clusters corresponding to a same document arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine; and

a two-dimensional display to display each cluster spine projected relative to a stationary perspective;

a user interface provided by a heads-up display generator, comprising;

controls to operate on a view of the cluster spines in the display;

a compass to logically frame the cluster spines within the display;

a label to identify one such concept in one or more of the cluster spines appearing within the compass; and

a plurality of slots in the two-dimensional display positioned circumferentially around the compass, wherein each label is assigned to the slot outside of the compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the slot.

11. A system according to claim 10, further comprising:

display controls to designate one of the plurality of concepts appearing in the different clusters that correspond to a same document as being associated with a document and to designate the remaining plurality of concepts as being associated with pseudo-documents.

12. A system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a label in the view for at least one of the plurality of concepts appearing in the different clusters that correspond to a same document.

13. A method for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene with multiple document occurrences, comprising:

placing clusters, each cluster comprising one or more concepts with a plurality of concepts appearing in different clusters corresponding to a same document, in a three-dimensional scene arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine and projecting each cluster spine into a two-dimensional display relative to a stationary perspective;

presenting controls operating on a view of the cluster spines in the display and providing a compass logically framing the cluster spines within the display;

generating a label to identify one such concept in one or more of the cluster spines appearing within the compass; and

defining a plurality of slots in the two-dimensional display positioned circumferentially around the compass and assigning each label to the slot outside of the compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the slot.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

designating one of the plurality of concepts appearing in the different clusters that correspond to a same document as being associated with a document; and

designating the remaining plurality of concepts as being associated with pseudo-documents.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

generating a label in the view for at least one of the plurality of concepts appearing in the different clusters that correspond to a same document.

16. A computer-readable storage medium holding computer-executable code for performing the method according to claim 13.

17. A system for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene, comprising:

a database to store a three-dimensional scene to logically hold clusters, each cluster also stored in the database and comprising one or more concepts arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine;

a two-dimensional display to display each cluster spine projected relative to a stationary perspective as a hierarchical view of the cluster spines in the display; and

a user interface provided by a heads-up display generator, comprising;

folder controls operating on the hierarchical view comprising an indicator representing each cluster spine and a line indicating the cluster spine interrelationships relative to other cluster spines; and

a label to identify one such concept comprised in each cluster spine in the hierarchical view.

18. A system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a further two-dimensional display to display each cluster spine projected relative to a stationary perspective as a cluster view; and

a further user interface provided by the heads-up display generator, comprising;

navigational controls to operate on the cluster view of the cluster spines in the display;

a compass to logically frame the cluster spines within the display;

a label to identify one such concept in one or more of the cluster spines appearing within the compass; and

a plurality of slots in the two-dimensional display positioned circumferentially around the compass, wherein each label is assigned to the slot outside of the compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the slot; and

linked access between the cluster view and the hierarchical view.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the cluster spines appearing in the cluster view are matched with the cluster spines appearing in the hierarchical view during the linked access.

20. A system according to claim 17, wherein the hierarchical view is initially limited to a fixed number of layers of cluster spines and lines.

21. A method for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene, comprising:

placing clusters, each cluster comprising one or more concepts, in a three-dimensional scene arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine and projecting each cluster spine into a two-dimensional display relative to a stationary perspective as a hierarchical view of the cluster spines in the display;

presenting folder controls operating on the hierarchical view comprising an indicator representing each cluster spine and a line indicating the cluster spine interrelationships relative to other cluster spines; and

generating a label to identify one such concept comprised in each cluster spine in the hierarchical view.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

projecting each cluster spine into a further two-dimensional display relative to a stationary perspective as a cluster view;

presenting navigational controls operating on the cluster view of the cluster spines in the display and providing a compass logically framing the cluster spines within the display;

generating a label to identify one such concept in one or more of the cluster spines appearing within the compass;

defining a plurality of slots in the two-dimensional display positioned circumferentially around the compass and assigning each label to the slot outside of the compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the slot; and

providing linked access between the cluster view and the hierarchical view.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising:

matching the cluster spines appearing in the cluster view with the cluster spines appearing in the hierarchical view during the linked access.

24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

initially limiting the hierarchical view to a fixed number of layers of cluster spines and lines.

25. A computer-readable storage medium holding computer-executable code for performing the method according to claim 21.