System and method for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene with a plurality of compasses

• US 8,402,395 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• 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: Borchardt, Jonathan M., Walter, Edward L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/987,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20110107271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 715/850, 715/810, 715/815, 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 plurality of compasses is presented. Clusters of semantically scored documents are placed in a three-dimensional scene and arranged as a cluster spine. Each cluster spine is projected into a two-dimensional display. A compass and another compass are provided via a heads-up display generator to logically frame at least one of the cluster spines within the two-dimensional display. A label is generated to identify each concept in one or more cluster spines appearing with the compass and the another compass, respectively. Slots are defined in the two-dimensional display and positioned circumferentially around the compass and the another compass. Each label is assigned to the slot outside of the compass or the another compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the respective slot.

Claims

1. A system for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene with a plurality of compasses, 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;

a heads-up display generator to provide a compass to logically frame at least one of the cluster spines within the two-dimensional display and to further provide an another compass to logically frame at least one of the other cluster spines within the two-dimensional display;

a label generator to generate a label to identify each such concept in one or more cluster spines appearing with the compass and the another compass, respectively;

a slot generator to define a plurality of slots in the two-dimensional display positioned circumferentially around the compass and the another compass; and

a label assigner to assign each label to the slot outside of the compass or the another compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the respective slot.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

display controls to display the label of each concept on the outside of the compass or the another compass only for the cluster spines within a respective focus of the compass and the another compass.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the display of at least once cluster spine appearing within the compass or the another compass is emphasized upon selection and the display of each cluster appearing outside of the compass or the another compass is deemphasized.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the compasses operate independently of each other in response to user input.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the compasses are one of disjunctive, overlapping, and concentric configuration to one another.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the compasses are independently resizable of each other.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

display controls to designate one of the semantically scored documents appearing in more than one of the clusters as a pseudo-document.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pin control to pin a cluster spine onto one of the compass and the another compass upon selection of the respective label in the display.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reclustering control to recluster new clusters based the cluster spines currently projected.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

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

11. A method for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene with a plurality of compasses, 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;

providing a compass via a heads-up display generator logically framing at least one of the cluster spines within the two-dimensional display;

providing an another compass logically framing at least one of the other cluster spines within the two-dimensional display;

generating a label to identify each such concept in one or more cluster spines appearing with the compass and the another compass, respectively;

defining a plurality of slots in the two-dimensional display positioned circumferentially around the compass and the another compass; and

assigning each label to the slot outside of the compass or the another compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the respective slot.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the label of each concept on the outside of the compass or the another compass only for the cluster spines within a respective focus of the compass and the another compass.

13. The method according to claim 11,

emphasizing at least one cluster spine appearing within the compass or the another compass upon selection;

and

deemphasizing the display of each cluster appearing outside of the compass.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the compasses operate independently of each other in response to user input.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the compasses are one of disjunctive, overlapping, and concentric configuration to one another.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the compasses are independently resizable of each other.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

designating each of the semantically scored documents appearing in more than one of the clusters as a pseudo-document.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

pinning a cluster spine onto one of the compass and the another compass upon selection of the respective label in the display.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

reclustering new clusters based the cluster spines currently projected.

20. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

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