Management of digital information via a buoyant interface moving in three-dimensional space

• US 9,372,701 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2010
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Weising, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): PACK, CONRAD R
• Application Number:
  US12/778,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20110283238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,232 Days
• Field of Search: 715/852, 715/848
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An interface for managing digital information is provided. Digital information including one or more digital files is stored in memory. An icon is associated with the digital information and rendered inside a translucent bubble. The bubble may be manipulated in the digital environment by a user.

Claims

1. A method for managing digital information, the method comprising:

storing digital information in memory, the stored digital information including one or more digital files; and

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor;

identifies an icon associated with the stored digital information,

renders a digital environment as a three-dimensional space, and

renders a bubble image comprising the icon inside a translucent bubble, the rendered bubble image appearing to float in the digital environment,

wherein the bubble image is manipulable in the digital environment by a user,

wherein the floating of the manipulable bubble image includes freely travelling movement of the bubble image from one location to a plurality of other locations in the three-dimensional space of the digital environment when not being manipulated by the user,

wherein the freely travelling movement of the bubble image occurs according to one or more user-defined preferences,

wherein rendering the floating of the bubble image in the three-dimensional space of the digital environment includes adjusting the size of the bubble image along a scale corresponding to location in the three-dimensional space,

wherein the bubble image is anchored to a location or path in the digital environment in response to user manipulation input selecting the bubble image and specifying the location or path, wherein a field of motion of the bubble image is limited to the location or path,

wherein selection of the bubble image by the user results in replacing the icon inside the translucent bubble of the bubble image with a first form of preview display of the stored digital information associated with the icon such that a portion of the stored digital information is displayed as a partial list that is scrollable in the first form of preview display within the bubble, and

wherein the translucent bubble is scrollable in an up/down direction and in a sideways direction, wherein each direction of scrolling is associated with scrolling a different form of preview display such that portions of the stored digital information associated with the icon are scrollable within the translucent bubble in different forms, and wherein changing the direction of scrolling changes the first form of preview display of the stored digital information associated with the icon to a second form of preview display such that a portion of the stored digital information associated with the icon is scrollable within the bubble in the second form.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering floating of the bubble image, wherein the bubble image appears to travel from one location in the digital environment to a location off-screen from the rendered digital environment in absence of user manipulation input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the anchored bubble image further appears to bob or bounce at the specified location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user manipulation input, wherein the user manipulation input concerns selection of the bubble image and a request for a preview of the stored digital information, and

rendering at least part of the stored digital information in response to the preview request.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising flattening the bubble in response to the preview request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user manipulation input, wherein the user manipulation input concerns selection of the bubble image and a request for a view of the stored digital information, and

rendering at least part of each digital file encompassed by the stored digital information in response to the view request.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising bursting the bubble in response to the view request.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein rendering at least part of each digital file comprises identifying an icon associated with each digital file and rendering a bubble image budding from the bubble image associated with the stored digital information, the budding bubble image comprising the icon associated with the digital file inside a translucent bubble.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the stored digital information comprises a plurality of digital files and wherein a bubble image associated with a digital file is tethered to another bubble image associated with another digital file.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein rendering at least part of the digital file includes:

expanding the bubble to conform to a screen in which the digital environment is rendered; and

rendering a digital display associated with the digital file, the digital display appearing inside the bubble conformed to the screen.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising shrinking the bubble from the expanded screen conformation to an unexpanded conformation in response to a signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal includes user manipulation input concerning selection of another bubble image.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a notification and rendering a bubble image associated with the notification.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of bubble images appear in the digital environment and further comprising:

receiving user manipulation input, wherein the user manipulation input concerns a grouping request, the grouping request designating at least two of the plurality of bubble images as part of a same group; and

merging the designated bubble images into one bubble image, wherein the stored digital information previously represented by the designated bubble images is collectively represented by the merged bubble image.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of bubble images appear in the digital environment and further comprising:

receiving user manipulation input, wherein the user manipulation input concerns a grouping request, the grouping request designating at least two of the plurality of bubble images as part of a same group; and

rendering a tether between the two bubble images based on the grouping request.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a user manipulates the bubble image via input on a touch screen.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a user manipulates the bubble image via input using voice recognition.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the form of preview display is one of a list, series of thumbnail images, and detailed information regarding a list item.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program, the program executable by a processor to perform a method for managing digital information, the method comprising:

storing digital information in memory, the stored digital information including one or more digital files,

identifying an icon associated with the stored digital information, and

rendering a bubble image comprising the icon inside a translucent bubble, the bubble image appearing to float in a digital environment,

wherein the bubble image is manipulable in the digital environment by a user,

wherein the floating of the manipulable bubble image includes freely travelling movement of the bubble image from one location to a plurality of other locations in the three-dimensional space of the digital environment when not being manipulated by the user,

wherein the freely travelling movement of the bubble image occurs according to one or more user-defined preferences,

wherein rendering the floating of the bubble image in the three-dimensional space of the digital environment includes adjusting the size of the bubble image along a scale corresponding to location in the three-dimensional space,

wherein the bubble image is anchored to a location or path in the digital environment in response to user manipulation input selecting the bubble image and specifying the location or path, wherein a field of motion of the bubble image is limited to the location or path,

wherein selection of the bubble image by the user results in replacing the icon inside the translucent bubble of the bubble image with a first form of preview display of the stored digital information associated with the icon such that a portion of the stored digital information is displayed as a partial list that is scrollable in the first form of preview display within the bubble, and

wherein the translucent bubble is scrollable in an up/down direction and in a sideways direction, wherein each direction of scrolling is associated with scrolling a different form of preview display such that portions of the stored digital information associated with the icon are scrollable within the translucent bubble in different forms, and wherein changing the direction of scrolling changes the first form of preview display of the stored digital information associated with the icon to a second form of preview display such that a portion of the stored digital information associated with the icon is scrollable within the bubble in the second form.