Ontological filtering using spatial boundary of 3D objects

• US 9,158,441 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Intergraph Corporation (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Hilton, Douglas S., Boster, Anthony D.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHARGAVA, ANIL K
• Application Number:
  US12/813,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769, 715848-852, 707/736, 707/754, 345/581, 345/619, 345/632, 345/409, 345/650
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided that improve graphical software applications, by filtering the data for display according to techniques for defining and manipulating visual indicia. Data may be filtered according to multiple filters that are combined in a number of ways to form the set of data for display. Data may be filtered ontologically and geometrically according to their relationships with other data. Visual indicia that represent filters may be drag-and-dropped between input areas to facilitate ease of use. Data selected according to a filter may be displayed at the same time as non-selected data by applying visually distinctive characteristics to the selected data. A virtual environment may be shown simultaneously on several different video displays at a single workstation.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating design of a three-dimensional object having components, using a computer-aided design application that provides a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

in the computer-aided design application, receiving from a user a plurality of meanings, each meaning pertaining to (a) a user-defined purpose of a component within the design and (b) a categorization by the user of like components into classes;

in the computer-aided design application, receiving from the user data indicating many-to-many relationships between a plurality of the meanings and a plurality of the components;

displaying on the graphical user interface an input capable of receiving a selection of a meaning in the plurality of received meanings; and

in response to receiving such a selection from the user, distinctively displaying on the graphical user interface a collection of components of the three-dimensional object, wherein each component in the collection is associated with the selected meaning according to the received relationships, the distinctive display of the collection facilitating the design of the three-dimensional object by the user.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection from the user of one of the displayed components in the collection of components; and

displaying, on the graphical user interface, attributive data associated with the selected component.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the selection includes a plurality of meanings, the method further comprising:

displaying a collection of components of the three-dimensional object that are associated with at least one of the selected meanings.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the collection of components includes displaying the components in a user-selectable color.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a second collection of components of the three-dimensional object, none of which are associated with the selected meaning, wherein the collection of components associated with the selected meaning is displayed differently than the second collection of components.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein data pertaining to the components are stored separately from data pertaining to the received meanings and the received relationships.

7. A computer program product for facilitating design of a three-dimensional object having components, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:

program code for receiving from a user a plurality of meanings, each meaning pertaining to (a) a user-defined purpose of a component within the design and (b) a categorization by the user of like components into classes;

program code for receiving from the user data indicating many-to-many relationships between a plurality of the meanings and a plurality of the components;

program code for displaying a graphical user interface having an input capable of receiving a selection of a meaning in the plurality of received meanings; and

program code for displaying, on the graphical user interface in response to receiving such a selection, a collection of components of the three-dimensional object, wherein each component in the collection is associated with the selected meaning according to the received relationships, the display of the collection facilitating the design of the three-dimensional object by the user.

8. A computer program product according to claim 7, wherein the selection includes a plurality of meanings, the computer readable program code further comprising:

program code for displaying a collection of components of the three-dimensional object that are associated with at least one of the selected meanings.

9. A computer program product according to claim 7, wherein displaying the collection of components includes displaying the components in a user-selectable color.

10. A computer program product according to claim 7, the computer readable program code further comprising:

program code for displaying a second collection of components of the three-dimensional object, none of which are associated with the selected meaning, wherein the collection of components associated with the selected meaning is displayed differently than the second collection of components.

11. A computer program product according to claim 7, the computer readable program code further comprising:

program code for receiving a selection from the user of one of the displayed components in the collection of components; and

program code for displaying, on the graphical user interface, attributive data associated with the selected component.

12. A computer program product according to claim 7, further comprising program code for storing data pertaining to the components separately from data pertaining to the received meanings and the received relationships.