System and method for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene with a navigation assistance panel

• US 7,870,507 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuix North America Inc. (Nuix Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: FTI Consulting Technology LLC (FTI Consulting Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walter, Edward L., Borchardt, Jonathan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phantana-angkool; David
• Application Number:
  US12/177,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 715/850, 715/810, 715/845, 715/848, 715/853
• 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 with a navigation assistance panel is presented. Clusters of semantically scored documents are placed in a three-dimensional scene and are arranged as a cluster spine. Each cluster spine is projected into a two-dimensional display. Controls operating on the cluster spines in the display are presented in a user interface. Compasses framing the cluster spines within the display are provided. A label to identify one concept in one or more of the cluster spines appearing within at least one of the compasses is generated. A plurality of slots in the display positioned circumferentially around the compasses are defined. Each label is assigned to the slot outside of the compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the slot. A perspective-altered rendition of the two-dimensional display is provided by a navigation assistant panel.

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 of semantically scored documents, each cluster comprising one or more concepts extracted from the documents 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 executed by a processor, comprising;

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

a plurality of compasses configured to frame the cluster spines within the two-dimensional display, wherein the compasses operate independently of each other in response to user input to the controls;

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

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

a navigation assistance panel to provide a perspective-altered rendition of the two-dimensional display.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation assistance panel frames an area of the perspective-altered rendition corresponding to the view of the cluster spines in the two-dimensional display.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises compasses sized and placed proportionate to the compasses in the two-dimensional display.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the compasses within the navigation assistance panel can be enabled, disabled, and resized in response to user input to the controls.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the compasses within the two-dimensional display can be enabled, disabled, and resized within the navigation assistance panel.

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

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

visually placing clusters of semantically scored documents, each cluster comprising one or more concepts extracted from the documents, 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 via a heads-up display generator operating on a view of the cluster spines in the two-dimensional display and providing a plurality of compasses via the heads-up display generator logically framing the cluster spines within the two-dimensional display, wherein the compasses operate independently of each other in response to user input to the controls;

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

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

providing a perspective-altered rendition of the two-dimensional display through a navigation assistance panel.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the navigation assistance panel frames an area of the perspective-altered rendition corresponding to the view of the cluster spines in the two-dimensional display.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises compasses sized and placed proportionate to the compasses in the two-dimensional display.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the compasses within the navigation assistance panel can be enabled, disabled, and resized in response to user input to the controls.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the compasses within the two-dimensional displays can be enabled, disabled, and resized within the navigation assistance panel.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises further clusters and additional information logically appearing within the two-dimensional display but located outside of the view of the cluster spines in the display.

13. A system for providing a dynamic user interface comprising a plurality of logical layers with a perspective-altered layer, comprising:

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

a data layer configured to provide clusters comprising one or more concepts arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine;

a control layer configured to operate on a view of the cluster spines;

a concepts layer configured to provide information about the clusters; and

a heads-up display layer configured to provide a compass to logically frame the cluster spines;

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

a plurality of slots 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 layer configured to provide a perspective-altered rendition of the heads-up display layer.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the perspective-altered layer further comprises a navigation assistance panel framing an area of the perspective-altered rendition corresponding to the view of the cluster spines in the heads-up display layer.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises further clusters and additional information logically appearing within the two-dimensional display but located outside of the view of the cluster spines in the display.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises set-aside trays configured to graphically group those clusters that have been selected or logically marked into sorting categories.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises a compass sized and placed proportionally and corresponding to the compass in the heads-up display layer.

18. A method for providing a dynamic user interface comprising a plurality of logical layers with a perspective-altered layer, comprising:

providing a user interface via a heads-up display generator, comprising;

providing in a data layer clusters comprising one or more concepts arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine;

providing in a control layer controls to operate on a view of the cluster spines;

providing in a concepts layer information about the clusters; and

providing a compass to logically framing the cluster spines in a heads-up display layer;

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 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 a perspective-altered layer to provide a perspective-altered rendition of the heads-up display layer.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the perspective-altered layer further comprises a navigation assistance panel framing an area of the perspective-altered rendition corresponding to the view of the cluster spines in the heads-up display layer.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises further clusters and additional information logically appearing within the two-dimensional display but located outside of the view of the cluster spines in the display.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises set-aside trays configured to graphically group those clusters that have been selected or logically marked into sorting categories.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the navigation assistance panel further comprises a compass sized and placed proportionally and corresponding to the compass in the heads-up display layer.