Method of representing information on a three-dimensional user interface
First Claim
1. A method of representing information on a three-dimensional user interface, said three-dimensional user interface comprising a plurality of portals, said method comprising:
- a) associating data with each of said plurality of portals;
b) associating a symbolic marker with each of said plurality of portals that represents the data associated therewith categorized according to a criteria;
c) associating a sensory cue with each of said plurality of portals that represent the data associated therewith;
d) determining a state in which said three-dimensional user interface is to be displayed, wherein said three-dimensional user interface is displayable inan active state in which a user is permitted to interact with the data associated with at least one of said plurality of portals,a first non-active state in which a user is not permitted to interact with the data associated with said plurality of portals, anda second non-active state in which a user is not permitted to interact with the data associated with said plurality of portals; and
e) displaying said three-dimensional user interface in the determined state;
wherein the first non-active state is a symbolic state and the second non-active state is a passive state, such that in operation, when the three-dimensional user interface is displayed in the symbolic state, the symbolic marker associated with each of said plurality of portals is displayed, and when the three-dimensional user interface is displayed in the passive state, the sensory cue associated with at least one of said plurality of portals is displayed;
wherein the method further comprises detecting, for at least one monitored portal of said plurality of portals, a change in at least one data associated with the respective monitored portal selected from the group consisting of data connected to a real-time feed and data associated with an Internet web page;
wherein the method further comprises associating a different symbolic marker for display in said at least one monitored portal after said change; and
wherein the method further comprises repositioning said plurality of portals in response to said change according to a grouping scheme on said three-dimensional user interface, such that said different symbolic markers displayed on said three-dimensional user interface are arranged in a plurality of groups on said three-dimensional user interface.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of representing information on a three-dimensional user interface having multiple portals, in which data is associated with each of the portals. A symbolic marker is associated with each of the portals according to a pre-specified scheme, and displayed in the respective portals. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the symbolic marker is a colored marker. By color-coding the portals, data associated with the portals can be classified into a number of categories to provide the user with a summary of the data on the three-dimensional user interface at a high level of abstraction. The three-dimensional user interface may be adapted to update the colored markers more efficiently, and to display them using less computing resources than would be required if more memory-sensitive visual cues were displayed.
93 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of representing information on a three-dimensional user interface, said three-dimensional user interface comprising a plurality of portals, said method comprising:
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a) associating data with each of said plurality of portals; b) associating a symbolic marker with each of said plurality of portals that represents the data associated therewith categorized according to a criteria; c) associating a sensory cue with each of said plurality of portals that represent the data associated therewith; d) determining a state in which said three-dimensional user interface is to be displayed, wherein said three-dimensional user interface is displayable in an active state in which a user is permitted to interact with the data associated with at least one of said plurality of portals, a first non-active state in which a user is not permitted to interact with the data associated with said plurality of portals, and a second non-active state in which a user is not permitted to interact with the data associated with said plurality of portals; and e) displaying said three-dimensional user interface in the determined state;
wherein the first non-active state is a symbolic state and the second non-active state is a passive state, such that in operation, when the three-dimensional user interface is displayed in the symbolic state, the symbolic marker associated with each of said plurality of portals is displayed, and when the three-dimensional user interface is displayed in the passive state, the sensory cue associated with at least one of said plurality of portals is displayed;
wherein the method further comprises detecting, for at least one monitored portal of said plurality of portals, a change in at least one data associated with the respective monitored portal selected from the group consisting of data connected to a real-time feed and data associated with an Internet web page;
wherein the method further comprises associating a different symbolic marker for display in said at least one monitored portal after said change; and
wherein the method further comprises repositioning said plurality of portals in response to said change according to a grouping scheme on said three-dimensional user interface, such that said different symbolic markers displayed on said three-dimensional user interface are arranged in a plurality of groups on said three-dimensional user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A user interface for a computing device, said user interface comprising a graphic representation of a plurality of portals arranged in a three-dimensional space, said user interface comprising a module for displaying symbolic markers in said plurality of portals, wherein said module is programmed to execute the following acts:
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a) associating data with each of said plurality of portals; b) associating a symbolic marker with each of said plurality of portals that represents the data associated therewith categorized according to a criteria; c) associating a sensory cue with each of said plurality of portals that represent the data associated therewith; d) determining a state in which said three-dimensional user interface is to be displayed, wherein said three-dimensional user interface is displayable in an active state in which a user is permitted to interact with the data associated with at least one of said plurality of portals, a first non-active state in which a user is not permitted to interact with the data associated with said plurality of portals, and a second non-active state in which a user is not permitted to interact with the data associated with said plurality of portals; and e) displaying said three-dimensional user interface in the determined state;
wherein the first non-active state is a symbolic state and the second non-active state is a passive state, such that in operation, when the three-dimensional user interface is displayed in the symbolic state, the symbolic marker associated with each of said plurality of portals is displayed, and when the three-dimensional user interface is displayed in the passive state, the sensory cue associated with at least one of said plurality of portals is displayed;
the module further being programmed to detect, for each of at least one monitored portal of said plurality of portals, a change in at least one of data associated with the respective monitored portal selected from the group consisting of data connected to a real-time feed and data associated with an Internet web page;
the module being further programmed to associate a different symbolic marker for display in said at least one monitored portal after said change; and
the module being further programmed to reposition said plurality of portals in response to said chance according to a grouping scheme on said three-dimensional user interface, such that said different symbolic markers displayed on said three-dimensional user interface are arranged in a plurality of groups on said three-dimensional user interface. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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18. A computer-readable medium comprising a module for displaying symbolic markers in a plurality of portals of a user interface, said user interface comprising a graphic representation of a plurality of portals arranged in a three-dimensional space, wherein said module is programmed to execute the following acts:
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a) associating data with each of said plurality of portals; b) associating a symbolic marker with each of said plurality of portals that represents the data associated therewith categorized according to a criteria; c) associating a sensory cue with each of said plurality of portals that represent the data associated therewith; d) determining a state in which said three-dimensional user interface is to be displayed, wherein said three-dimensional user interface is displayable in an active state in which a user is permitted to interact with the data associated with at least one of said plurality of portals, a first non-active state in which a user is not permitted to interact with the data associated with said plurality of portals, and a second non-active state in which a user is not permitted to interact with the data associated with said plurality of portals; and e) displaying said three-dimensional user interface in the determined state;
wherein the first non-active state is a symbolic state and the second non-active state is a passive state, such that in operation, when the three-dimensional user interface is displayed in the symbolic state, the symbolic marker associated with each of said plurality of portals is displayed, and when the three-dimensional user interface is displayed in the passive state, the sensory cue associated with at least one of said plurality of portals is displayed;
the module further being programmed to detect, for each of at least one monitored Portal of said plurality of portals, a change in at least one of the data associated with the respective monitored portal selected from the group consisting of data connected to a real-time feed and data associated with an Internet web page;
the module further being programmed to associate a different symbolic marker for display in said at least one monitored portal after said change; and
the module being further programmed to reposition said plurality of portals in response to said change according to a grouping scheme on said three-dimensional user interface, such that said different symbolic markers displayed on said three-dimensional user interface are arranged in a plurality of groups on said three-dimensional user interface. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification