Method and apparatus for providing a three-dimensional task gallery computer interface

• US 7,512,902 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Czerwinski, Mary P., Robbins, Daniel C., Hinckley, Kenneth P., Robertson, George G., Risden, Kirsten C., van Dantzich, Maarten R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Thanh T
• Application Number:
  US10/912,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 715/782, 715/848, 715/850, 715/851, 715/852
• US Class Current: 715/848
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a three-dimensional user interface for a computer system that allows a user to combine and store a group of windows as a task. The image of each task can be positioned within a three-dimensional environment such that the user may utilize spatial memory in order remember where a particular task is located. In further embodiments of the invention, the three-dimensional environment includes a stage, which is used to display the task with the current focus. When a user selects a new task in the gallery, the task is moved to the stage and given focus. If a previous task was on the stage, an image of the previous task is captured. This image is then moved into the task gallery away from the stage. This process allows users to switch between multiple window configurations with a simple action.

Claims

1. A method of generating a display on a computer screen in a computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional environment from the point of view of a camera at a current location in the three-dimensional environment such that a focus task in the three-dimensional environment is displayed, the focus task comprising an ordered stack of windows in which the windows are automatically aligned and a loose stack of windows in which the alignment between the windows is set by a user;

moving the camera to a preset position in the three-dimensional environment while continuing to display the three-dimensional environment from the point of view of the current location;

capturing an image of the focus task from a point of view of the camera at the preset position while continuing to display the three-dimensional environment from the point of view of the current location;

moving the camera back to the current location;

replacing the windows of the focus task with the image of the focus task; and

displaying movement of the image in the three dimensional environment in response to input from a user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a three-dimensional environment further comprises moving the camera in the three-dimensional environment based on input from the user.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising displaying a movement control in the three-dimensional environment and wherein moving the camera comprises moving the camera in response to the user selecting a movement control.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein displaying a movement control comprises displaying an arrow control that points in a direction of possible movement for the camera and wherein moving the camera comprises moving the camera in the direction pointed to by the arrow control when the user selects the arrow control.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein displaying a movement control further comprises displaying an image of a human figure proximate the arrow control.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein displaying a movement control comprises displaying a home control and wherein moving the camera comprises moving the camera to the preset position in the three-dimensional environment when the user selects the home control.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein displaying a movement control comprises displaying an overview control and wherein moving the camera comprises moving the camera to a position where the user can view the entire three-dimensional environment when the user selects the overview control.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein displaying a movement control comprises receiving a signal from a touch-sensitive input device indicative of a user touching the input device and displaying the movement control in response to the signal.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving a second signal from the touch-sensitive input device indicative of a user not touching the input device and removing the movement control from the display in response to the second signal.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a three-dimensional environment comprises displaying a room in the three-dimensional environment by displaying a set of surfaces comprising a floor.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein displaying a room further comprises displaying a right side wall and a left side wall.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein displaying a room further comprises displaying a ceiling connecting the right side wall to the left side wall.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein displaying a three-dimensional environment further comprises displaying a plurality of conjoined rooms wherein each room has a different appearance.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein displaying the movement of the image comprises displaying the movement of the image along one of the surfaces from the set of surfaces.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein displaying the movement of the image comprises displaying the movement of the image from one of the surfaces from the set of surfaces to an adjacent surface from the set of surfaces.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein replacing the focus task with the image of the focus task comprises displaying the image of the focus task on a three-dimensional object.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a menu comprising a task movement selection and wherein displaying the movement of the image is based on the user selecting the task movement selection.

18. A computer-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-executable components that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

positioning a camera in the three-dimensional environment at an initial position;

displaying a three-dimensional environment from a point of view provided by the initial position of the camera such that a focus task in the three-dimensional environment is displayed, the focus task comprising at least two windows in a loose stack and at least two windows in an ordered stack separate from the loose stack;

moving the camera from the initial position to a preset position while continuing to display the three-dimensional environment from the point of view provided by the initial position;

rendering an image of the focus task from the point of view of the camera at the preset position;

replacing the windows of the focus task with the image; and

moving the image in the three-dimensional environment in response to input from the user.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 further comprising displaying a movement control in the three-dimensional environment wherein the camera is positioned in the initial position based on the user selecting a movement control from the display.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein displaying a movement control comprises displaying an arrow pointing in a direction and moving the camera in the direction pointed to by the arrow when the user selects the arrow.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further comprising displaying a representation of a human figure near the arrow.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein displaying a movement control comprises displaying a home control and moving the camera to the preset position in the three-dimensional environment when the user selects the home control.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein displaying a movement control comprises displaying an overview control and moving the camera to an overview position providing a view of the entire three-dimensional environment when the user selects the overview control.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the preset position is located in front of the focus task in the three-dimensional environment.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 further comprising linking the image to a cursor displayed in the three-dimensional environment so that the image moves with the cursor in the three-dimensional environment.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 further comprising displaying a menu comprising a task movement selection that links the image to the cursor when it is selected by the user.

27. A computer-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-executable components that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional environment on a computer screen by rendering the appearance of the three-dimensional environment from the point of view of a virtual camera located at a current position in the three-dimensional environment, the three-dimensional environment comprising at least one stage and at least one non-focus task comprising images of at least two windows;

displaying animated movement of a non-focus task toward a stage;

converting the non-focus task into a focus task when the non-focus task reaches the stage; and

converting a previous focus task on the stage into a converted non-focus task by replacing the previous focus task with an image of the previous focus task that is generated by moving the virtual camera from the current position to a preset location in the three-dimensional environment and rendering the appearance of the three-dimensional environment from the point of view of the virtual camera at the preset location, then moving the virtual camera back to the current position while continuing to display the appearance of the three-dimensional environment from the point of view of the current position.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 further comprising displaying animated movement of the converted non-focus task away from the stage.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 further comprising:

generating a menu on the display before displaying the animated movement of the non-focus task, the menu allowing a user to select the non-focus task as a focus task; and

moving a virtual camera in the three-dimensional environment to change the point of view of the three-dimensional environment shown on the computer screen so that the non-focus task comes into view after it is selected by the user through the menu component.