User interface for a digital production system including multiple window viewing of flowgraph nodes

• US 8,830,272 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2001
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Samra, Sukendeep, Kawamura, Makoto, Kawabe, Shingo, Nakamura, Kyoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A
• Application Number:
  US09/930,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20020158887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,774 Days
• Field of Search: 345/660, 345/661, 345/672, 345/676, 345/678, 345/679, 345/680, 345/682, 345/684, 345/440
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

Multiple views, or windows, of an image of flowgraph nodes can be modified to facilitate viewing the nodes. In one embodiment, each window includes at least one boundary that is shared with another window so that when a window is changed by moving a particular boundary it causes another window sharing the particular boundary to correspondingly change. Window subsections can be used for viewing a different portion of the image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a first section of a display screen for viewing an image, wherein the image includes a plurality of nodes in a flowgraph, wherein a first set of nodes of the plurality of nodes is displayed in the first section of the display screen, wherein a second set of nodes of the plurality of nodes are off-screen, wherein the first section of the display screen includes a plurality of windows of the display screen, wherein each window includes at least one boundary that is shared with another window so that when a window is changed by moving a particular boundary it causes another window sharing the particular boundary to correspondingly change, and wherein each window is used for viewing a different portion of the image;

displaying a navigator box on the display screen, wherein the navigator box is separate from the first section, wherein the navigator box does not overlap with the plurality of windows, and wherein the navigator box provides a first miniature representation of the first set of nodes and a second miniature representation of the second set of nodes;

displaying a first inner box within the navigator box,

wherein nodes of the first miniature representation are displayed within the first inner box and correspond to nodes of the first set of nodes, and wherein nodes of the second miniature representation are displayed outside of the first inner box and correspond to the second set of nodes, and

wherein the second miniature representation being outside the four edges of the first inner box indicates locations of off-screen nodes relative to nodes in the first section of the display screen, wherein the navigator box is used as a guide when the first section is scrolled to bring one or more off-screen nodes into view in the first section;

displaying connector lines only in the first section while omitting connector lines in the navigator box and the first inner box, wherein the connector lines are used to interconnect nodes of the first set of nodes; and

displaying a plurality of additional inner boxes within the navigator box, wherein each additional inner box corresponds to a different window of the first section, and wherein at least two of the inner boxes of the plurality of additional inner boxes do not share a boundary and represent windows that share a boundary.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the navigator box changes accordingly to accommodate changes in the first section of the display screen.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the boundary of the changed window to expand the changed window, wherein the other window is correspondingly changed to become smaller as a result.

4. An apparatus comprising:

one or more hardware processors;

a storage device including one or more instructions executable by the one or more hardware processors for;

providing a first section of a display screen for viewing an image, wherein the image includes a plurality of nodes in a flowgraph, wherein a first set of nodes of the plurality of nodes is displayed in the first section of the display screen, wherein a second set of nodes of the plurality of nodes are off-screen, wherein the first section of the display screen includes a plurality of windows of the display screen, wherein each window includes at least one boundary that is shared with another window so that when a window is changed by moving a particular boundary it causes another window sharing the particular boundary to correspondingly change, and wherein each window is used for viewing a different portion of the image;

displaying a navigator box on the display screen, wherein the navigator box is separate from the first section, wherein the navigator box does not overlap with the plurality of windows, and wherein the navigator box provides a first miniature representation of the first set of nodes and a second miniature representation of the second set of nodes;

displaying a first inner box within the navigator box,

wherein nodes of the first miniature representation are displayed within the first inner box and correspond to nodes of the first set of nodes, and wherein nodes of the second miniature representation are displayed outside of the first inner box and correspond to the second set of nodes, and

wherein the second miniature representation being outside the four edges of the first inner box indicates locations of off-screen nodes relative to nodes in the first section of the display screen, wherein the navigator box is used as a guide when the first section is scrolled to bring one or more off-screen nodes into view in the first section;

displaying connector lines only in the first section while omitting connector lines in the navigator box and the first inner box, wherein the connector lines are used to interconnect nodes of the first set of nodes; and

displaying a plurality of additional inner boxes within the navigator box, wherein each additional inner box corresponds to a different window of the first section, and wherein at least two of the inner boxes of the plurality of additional inner boxes do not share a boundary and represent windows that share a boundary.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising one or more instructions for:

moving the boundary of the changed window to expand the changed window, wherein the other window is correspondingly changed to become smaller as a result.

6. A storage device including instructions executable by a hardware processor, the storage device including one or more instructions for:

providing a first section of a display screen for viewing an image, wherein the image includes a plurality of nodes in a flowgraph, wherein a first set of nodes of the plurality of nodes is displayed in the first section of the display screen, wherein a second set of nodes of the plurality of nodes are off-screen, wherein the first section of the display screen includes a plurality of windows of the display screen, wherein each window includes at least one boundary that is shared with another window so that when a window is changed by moving a particular boundary it causes another window sharing the particular boundary to correspondingly change, and wherein each window is used for viewing a different portion of the image;

displaying a navigator box on the display screen, wherein the navigator box is separate from the first section, wherein the navigator box does not overlap with the plurality of windows, and wherein the navigator box provides a first miniature representation of the first set of nodes and a second miniature representation of the second set of nodes;

displaying a first inner box within the navigator box,

wherein nodes of the first miniature representation are displayed within the first inner box and correspond to nodes of the first set of nodes, and wherein nodes of the second miniature representation are displayed outside of the first inner box and correspond to the second set of nodes, and

wherein the second miniature representation being outside the four edges of the first inner box indicates locations of off-screen nodes relative to nodes in the first section of the display screen, wherein the navigator box is used as a guide when the first section is scrolled to bring one or more off-screen nodes into view in the first section;

displaying connector lines only in the first section while omitting connector lines in the navigator box and the first inner box, wherein the connector lines are used to interconnect nodes of the first set of nodes; and

displaying a plurality of additional inner boxes within the navigator box, wherein each additional inner box corresponds to a different window of the first section, and wherein at least two of the inner boxes of the plurality of additional inner boxes do not share a boundary and represent windows that share a boundary.

7. The storage device of claim 6, further comprising one or more instructions for:

moving the boundary of the changed window to expand the changed window, wherein the other window is correspondingly changed to become smaller as a result.