Three-dimensional annotation facing

• US 9,996,953 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Patterson, Eric W., da Veiga, Alexandre, Wood, Ian Patterson
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Level, Barbara
• Application Number:
  US13/765,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 : Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 : Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 : 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 : Geometric effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 : Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for providing a three-dimensional (“3D”) annotation facing tool. In accordance with some concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the 3D annotation facing tool provides a way for a user to control the orientation of annotations associated with productivity data in a 3D environment. The 3D annotation facing tool can provide a user with the ability to lock the orientation of the annotation along one or more directional axes. The 3D annotation facing tool can also provide a user with the ability to maintain an orientation of the annotation in a camera facing view.

Claims

1. A computer, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the processor, the computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

render a graphical representation of data in a three-dimensional (3D) environment;

render at least one annotation in the 3D environment, wherein the at least one annotation is associated with the data, and wherein the annotation includes a graphical representation that is visible in a first orientation along a first directional axis of three directional axes in the 3D environment and visible in a second orientation along a second directional axis of the three directional axes in the 3D environment;

receive an input to change an orientation of the graphical representation of the data rendered in the 3D environment;

in response to the input to change the orientation of the graphical representation of the data, determine that the changed orientation of the graphical representation causes the at least one annotation to render illegible content within the at least one annotation;

in response to a determination that the at least one annotation maintains legibility of the content within the at least one annotation by a change to the first orientation and the second orientation of the at least one annotation, change the first orientation and the second orientation of the at least one annotation in the 3D environment based on the input to change the orientation of the graphical representation; and

in response to a determination that the at least one annotation maintains legibility of the content within the at least one annotation by use of a special annotation orientation, apply the special annotation orientation to the at least one annotation by changing the first or the second orientation while increasing or decreasing an amount of information rendered in the at least one annotation, wherein the amount of information rendered in the at least one annotation is increased based on a size of the at least one annotation if the input to change the orientation of the graphical representation is a request to zoom in on the data and the amount of information rendered in the at least one annotation that is rendered is decreased based on a size of the at least one annotation if the input to change the orientation of the graphical representation is a request to zoom out from the data.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the input to change the first orientation comprises an input to zoom in, zoom out, pan or tilt.

3. The computer of claim 1, wherein the special annotation orientation comprises a camera facing view, wherein the second orientation is maintained constant relative to the input to change the first orientation.

4. The computer of claim 1, wherein the special annotation orientation comprises locking the second orientation along one axis of rotation and permitting an unlocked second axis of rotation to change.

5. The computer of claim 4, wherein locking the second orientation along the one axis of rotation comprises maintaining the one axis of rotation of the second orientation constant relative to the input to change the first orientation and,

permitting the second axis of rotation to change comprises changing the second axis of rotation relative to the input to change the first orientation.

6. The computer of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions that cause the processor to change at least one aspect of the data based on the input to change the first orientation.

7. The computer of claim 6, wherein the at least one aspect of the data comprises changing a height of the data or an orientation of the data.

8. A method for providing a user interface to search for and obtain content, the method comprising:

rendering a graphical representation of data in a three-dimensional (3D) environment;

render at least one annotation in the 3D environment, wherein the at least one annotation is associated with the data, and wherein the data includes a graphical representation that is visible in a first orientation along a first directional axis of three directional axes in the 3D environment and visible in a second orientation along a second directional axis of the three directional axes in the 3D environment;

receiving an input to change the graphical representation of the data rendered in the 3D environment, wherein the change is to zoom in on the graphical representation of the data rendered in the 3D environment in the first orientation, to zoom out on the data, to pan the first orientation, or to tilt the first orientation;

in response to the input to change the graphical representation of the data, determining that the change to the graphical representation causes the at least one annotation to render illegible content within the at least one annotation;

in response to a determination that the at least one annotation maintains legibility of the content within the at least one annotation by a change to the first orientation and the second orientation of the at least one annotation, changing the first orientation and the second orientation of the at least one annotation in the 3D environment based on the input;

in response to a determination that the at least one annotation maintains legibility of the content within the at least one annotation by use of a special annotation orientation, applying the special annotation orientation to the at least one annotation by changing the first or the second orientation while increasing or decreasing an amount of information rendered in the at least one annotation, wherein the amount of information rendered in the at least one annotation is increased based on a size of the at least one annotation if the input is a request to zoom in on the data and the amount of information rendered in the at least one annotation that is rendered is decreased if the input is a request to zoom out on the data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the special annotation orientation comprises a camera facing view, wherein the second orientation is maintained constant relative to the input to change the first orientation.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the special annotation orientation comprises locking the second orientation along at least one axis of rotation and permitting an unlocked second axis of rotation to change.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein locking the second orientation along at least one axis of rotation comprises maintaining the at least one axis of rotation of the second orientation constant relative to the input.

12. A computer-readable storage medium in communication with a processor, the computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to

render a graphical representation of data in a three-dimensional (3D) environment;

render at least one annotation in the 3D environment, wherein the at least one annotation is associated with the data, and wherein the data includes a graphical representation that is visible in a first orientation along a first directional axis of three directional axes in the 3D environment and a second orientation along a second directional axis of the three directional axes in the 3D environment,

receive an input to change an orientation of the graphical representation of the data rendered in the 3D environment;

in response to the input to change the orientation of the graphical representation of the data, determine that the changed orientation of the graphical representation causes the at least one annotation to render illegible content within the at least one annotation;

in response to a determination that the at least one annotation maintains legibility of the content within the at least one annotation by changing the first orientation and the second orientation of the at least one annotation, change the first orientation and the second orientation of the at least one annotation in the 3D environment based on the input to change the orientation of the graphical representation; and

in response to a determination that the at least one annotation maintains legibility of the content within the at least one annotation by use of a special annotation orientation, apply the special annotation orientation to the at least one annotation by changing the first or the second orientation while increasing or decreasing an amount of information rendered in the at least one annotation, wherein the amount of information rendered in the at least one annotation is increased based on a size of the at least one annotation if the input to change the orientation of the graphical representation is a request to zoom in on the data and the amount of information rendered in the at least one annotation that is rendered is decreased based on a size of the at least one annotation if the input to change the orientation of the graphical representation is a request to zoom out on the data.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the input to change the first orientation comprises an input to zoom in, zoom out, pan or tilt.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the data comprises geocoding data to render the data and annotations in a map.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising computer-executable instructions that cause the processor to change at least one aspect of the data based on the input to change the first orientation.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one aspect of the data comprises changing a height of the data or an orientation of the data.