Graphic user interface device and method of displaying graphic objects

• US 9,395,906 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Lee, Seung Soo, Eom, Ju Il, Yeom, Ki Won, Lee, Joong Ho, Park, Ji Hyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nadkarni, Sarvesh J
• Application Number:
  US12/188,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,902 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 715/799
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A graphic user interface, an input/output computing apparatus for intuitive interfacing, and a method of interfacing are disclosed. The input/output computing apparatus for intuitive interfacing with a user, includes an input unit to detect one of a plurality of predetermined motions of the user and generate a signal corresponding to the detected predetermined motion, and a controller to carry out an operation corresponding to the signal and generate a control signal to display the result corresponding to the operation.

Claims

1. An input/output computing apparatus for intuitive interfacing with a user, the apparatus comprising:

an input unit configured to detect predetermined motions of the user and to generate a signal corresponding to the detected predetermined motions, the signal comprising an operation field and an object field representing a target on which the operation is to be performed;

a controller configured to carry out an operation corresponding to the signal and to generate a control signal selected from a mapping table comprising an operation field and an object field for control signals against which the operation field and the object field of the signal corresponding to the detected predetermined motions are compared and matched, wherein each of the signal corresponding to the detected predetermined motions and the control signal correspond to each other in order to obtain a display result defined by the operation; and

a display unit configured to display the result defined by the operation, wherein;

the display unit is further configured to display nodes corresponding to and providing information on materials stored in a database accessible by the apparatus, a link between the nodes, and a keyword within a displayed node that describes the information on the materials stored in the database;

the display unit is further configured to display within the node an identifier representing the position of the node within the display;

the detected predetermined motions comprise a motion to generate a graphic object; and

the controller is further configured to save the graphic object in a corresponding list, in response to a determination of the graphic object not being saved,

wherein saving the graphic object comprises saving center coordinates and size of the graphic object in response to the graphic object being the node, and saving IDs of a start node and an end node of the graphic object in response to the graphic object being the link.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the materials are related as one of a parent/child relationship, a prior/posterior relationship, and a belonging relationship.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input unit comprises a touch screen configured to sense predetermined motions of users and to allow the users to simultaneously input with respect to the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected predetermined notions further comprise a motion to generate a link between graphic objects, a motion to generate a control button, a motion to generate a virtual keyboard, a motion to delete an object, and a motion to generate a layer or a second layer to arrange one or more graphic objects corresponding to a material or related materials stored in the database.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a memory, accessible by the controller, the memory being configured to store the mapping table to interpret the signal corresponding to the detected predetermined motions into a corresponding operation, and to store a data structure for graphic objects managed by the controller.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the graphic object is acted on according to one of inputting information with respect to the corresponding material, searching the database for related materials to display the related materials, changing location or direction of the graphic object, enlarging or reducing the graphic object, and opening the corresponding material.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a transmitter or receiver unit configured to communicate information on the graphic object to at least one computing client apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the information on the graphic object is transmitted and received via an XML based socket data communication.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined motions comprise user object drawing motions.

10. An input/output computing apparatus for intuitive interfacing with a user, the apparatus comprising:

an input unit;

a display unit configured to display graphic objects corresponding to and providing information on materials stored in a database accessible by the apparatus, on a link between the graphic objects representing a relationship between the graphic objects, and on a keyword within a displayed graphic object that describes the information on the materials stored in the database; and

a controller, wherein;

the display unit is further configured to display within the graphic object an identifier representing the position of the graphic object within the display;

the input unit is further configured to input one of predetermined motions of the user and to generates a signal corresponding to the detected predetermined motions, the signal comprising an operation field and an object field representing a target on which the operation is to be performed;

the controller is configured to carry out an operation corresponding to the signal and to generates a control signal selected from a mapping table comprising an operation field and an object field for control signals against which the operation field and the object field of the signal corresponding to the detected predetermined motions are compared and matched;

each of the signal corresponding to the detected predetermined motions and the control signal correspond to each other in order to obtain a display result defined by the operation;

the detected predetermined motions comprise a motion to generate a graphic object; and

the controller is further configured to save the graphic object in a corresponding list, in response to a determination of the graphic object not being saved,

wherein saving the graphic object comprises saving center coordinates and size of the graphic object in response to the graphic object being the node, and saving IDs of a start node and an end node of the graphic object in response to the graphic object being the link.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the graphic objects and the link are displayed to allow the user to intuitively visualize the relationship between the corresponding materials or status of the corresponding materials.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a graphic object is acted on according to one of inputting information with respect to a corresponding material, searching the database for related materials to display the related materials, changing location or direction of the graphic object, enlarging or reducing the graphic object, and opening the corresponding material.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the input unit is one of a touch screen, an infrared ray transceiver, and a camera for sensing a visual input, and wherein the input unit allows the user to interface with the graphic object acted on.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the detected predetermined motions further comprise a motion to generate a control button, a motion to generate a virtual keyboard, a motion to delete an object, and a motion to generate a layer or a second layer to arrange one or more graphic objects corresponding to a material or related materials stored in the database.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input from the user is one of predetermined motions of the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the predetermined motions comprise user object drawing motions.

17. A method of interfacing with an input/output computing apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting intuitive motions of a user;

generating a signal corresponding to the detected intuitive motions;

performing operations corresponding to the signal, wherein correspondence between the operations and the signal being is based on matching the signal to an operation within a mapping table, and wherein the operation comprises a motion to generate a graphic object;

displaying a result of the operations, wherein the operations define the displayed result;

displaying graphic objects, the graphic objects corresponding to and having information on materials stored in a database accessible by the apparatus, wherein a link between the graphic objects represents a relationship of the graphic objects, and wherein a keyword within a displayed graphic object that describes the information on the materials stored in the database corresponding to the displayed graphic object; and

displaying, within each displayed graphic object, an identifier representing the position of the graphic object within the display, wherein;

the graphic objects and the link are displayed to allow a user to intuitively visualize the relationship of the corresponding materials or status of the corresponding materials;

the controller is further configured to save the graphic object in a corresponding list, in response to a determination of the graphic object not being saved,

wherein saving the graphic object comprises saving center coordinates and size of the graphic object in response to the graphic object being the node, and saving IDs of a start node and an end node of the graphic object in response to the graphic object being the link.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise an operation to generate a link between graphic objects, an operation to generate a control button, an operation to generate a virtual keyboard, an operation to delete an object, and an operation to generate a layer or a second layer to arrange one or more graphic objects corresponding to a material or related materials stored in the database.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising detecting an action with respect to the graphic object according to one of receiving input information with respect to the corresponding material, searching the database for related materials to display the related materials, changing location or direction of the graphic object, enlarging or reducing the graphic object, and opening the corresponding material.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the intuitive motions comprise user object drawing motions.