Systems and methods for displaying, viewing and navigating three dimensional representations

• US 8,610,743 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Poston, Ricky, Cooper, Michael, He, Ting, Sellers, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US13/174,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20130002668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 345/660, 345/663, 345/419, 345/619, 715/850, 715/848, 715/853, 715/854
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• 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: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

A computer program product is tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium and includes executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause a data processing apparatus to display multiple objects in a three dimensional (3D) representation, where the multiple objects are visual representations of real objects, and display a subset of the objects and associated metadata in a shaped lens that is movable within the 3D representation in all three axes, where the subset of the objects displayed within the shaped lens are sized larger than the objects outside of the shaped lens.

Claims

1. A computer program product, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and including executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display multiple objects in a three dimensional (3D) representation that uses one or more connections between the multiple objects to identify relationships between the multiple objects and that uses different sizes of the multiple objects to indicate a relative importance of the multiple objects, wherein the multiple objects are visual representations of real objects and the multiple objects include one or more attributes;

sort the multiple objects within the 3D representation using one or more of the attributes; and

display a subset of the objects and associated metadata in a shaped lens that is movable within the 3D representation in all three axes, wherein the subset of the objects displayed within the shaped lens are sized larger than the objects outside of the shaped lens and the subset of the objects displayed within the shaped lens include a magnified display of one or more of the attributes compared to one or more of the attributes of the objects outside of the shaped lens.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein one or more of the objects outside of the shaped lens are translucent.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein a size of the shaped lens is configurable.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein a shape of the shaped lens is configurable.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein:

the 3D representation includes a 3D graph model; and

the shaped lens is a spherical-shaped lens that is movable and rotatable within the 3D graph model.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause the data processing apparatus to filter the subset of objects displayed in the shaped lens such that only objects having designated criteria are displayed in the shaped lens.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause the data processing apparatus to display a second subset of the objects and associated metadata in a second shaped lens that is movable within the 3D representation in all three axes, wherein the second subset of the objects displayed within the second shaped lens are sized larger than the objects outside of the shaped lens.

8. A computer-implemented method executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method comprising:

displaying, using at least one processor, multiple objects in a three dimensional (3D) representation that uses one or more connections between the multiple objects to identify relationships between the multiple objects and that uses different sizes of the multiple objects to indicate a relative importance of the multiple objects, wherein the multiple objects are visual representations of real objects and the multiple objects include one or more attributes;

sorting, using the at least one processor, the multiple objects within the 3D representation using one or more of the attributes; and

displaying, using the least one processor, a subset of the objects and associated metadata in a shaped lens that is movable within the 3D representation in all three axes, wherein the subset of the objects displayed within the shaped lens are sized larger than the objects outside of the shaped lens and the subset of the objects displayed within the shaped lens include a magnified display of one or more of the attributes compared to one or more of the attributes of the objects outside of the shaped lens.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein one or more of the objects outside of the shaped lens are translucent.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein a size of the shaped lens is configurable.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein a shape of the shaped lens is configurable.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein:

the 3D representation includes a 3D graph model; and

the shaped lens is a spherical-shaped lens that is movable and rotatable within the 3D graph model.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising filtering, using the at least one processor, the subset of objects displayed in the shaped lens such that only objects having designated criteria are displayed in the shaped lens.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising displaying, using the at least one processor, a second subset of the objects and associated metadata in a second shaped lens that is movable within the 3D representation in all three axes, wherein the second subset of the objects displayed within the second shaped lens are sized larger than the objects outside of the shaped lens.

15. An apparatus including instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and executable by at least one processor, the apparatus comprising:

a rendering engine configured to cause the at least one processor to;

display multiple objects in a three dimensional (3D) representation that uses one or more connections between the multiple objects to identify relationships between the multiple objects and that uses different sizes of the multiple objects to indicate a relative importance of the multiple objects, wherein the multiple objects are visual representations of real objects and the multiple objects include one or more attributes;

sort the multiple objects within the 3D representation using one or more of the attributes; and

display a subset of the objects and associated metadata in a shaped lens that is movable within the 3D representation in all three axes, wherein the subset of the objects displayed within the shaped lens are sized larger than the objects outside of the shaped lens and the subset of the objects displayed within the shaped lens include a magnified display of one or more of the attributes compared to one or more of the attributes of the objects outside of the shaped lens.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein one or more of the objects outside of the shaped lens are translucent.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a size of the shaped lens is configurable.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a shape of the shaped lens is configurable.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the 3D representation includes a 3D graph model; and

the shaped lens is a spherical-shaped lens that is movable and rotatable within the 3D graph model.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the rendering engine is configured to cause the at least one processor to filter the subset of objects displayed in the shaped lens such that only objects having designated criteria are displayed in the shaped lens.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the rendering engine is configured to cause the at least one processor to display a second subset of the objects and associated metadata in a second shaped lens that is movable within the 3D representation in all three axes, wherein the second subset of the objects displayed within the second shaped lens are sized larger than the objects outside of the shaped lens.