Three-dimensional space for navigating objects connected in hierarchy

• US 10,452,223 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inspace Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Inspace Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Keondjian, Servan, Gerami, Saman, Virapen, David, Holme, David
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burwell, Joseph R.
• Application Number:
  US14/812,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20150331555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• 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 3/0484 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

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for browsing objects organized in a hierarchy using a three-dimensional user interface. Some embodiments of the present technology involve a platform that renders an interface that represents objects that are hierarchically connected in three-dimensional space and that allows navigation through the hierarchy by moving through the three-dimensional space.

Claims

1. A system for presenting a hierarchy of data objects in a three-dimensional browsing interface comprising:

a user input device;

a display;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

arrange a hierarchy of data objects in a three-dimensional content browsing interface on the display, wherein a hierarchal relationship is represented by parent data objects having a higher position in the hierarchy being orbited, in three dimensions, by child data objects having a lower position in the hierarchy;

select, based on a zoom depth relative to a displayed parent object of the parent data objects displayed in the hierarchal relationship, based on a quantity of a plurality of child data objects of the displayed parent object, and based on one or more content types of content included in the plurality of child data objects, a flocking layout automatically arranging the plurality of child data objects in an orbit around the displayed parent object;

display the plurality of child data objects orbiting around the displayed parent object using the selected flocking layout;

receive a selection command to select a data object of the hierarchy of data objects;

navigate the three-dimensional content browsing interface to center the selected data object in the three-dimensional browsing interface;

interpret a command received from the user input device, as an orbit command for orbiting around the selected data object; and

constrain the orbit based on a content type for the selected data object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein when the content type of the selected data object is a two-dimensional content type and the orbit is constrained to a planar orbit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

interpret a second command received from the user input device as a zoom command for navigating the depth axis of the three-dimensional content browsing interface to a determined best viewing distance along the depth axis for the selected data object.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the selected data object is a parent data object and the user determined best viewing distance comprises a distance such that child data objects are visible.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected data object is a portal, the three-dimensional content browsing interface is in a first location, and the instructions further cause the system to:

interpret a second command received from the user input device, as a zoom command; and

teleport the three-dimensional content browsing interface to a second location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

determine the three-dimensional content browsing interface is within a predetermined distance of a nearby child data object; and

select the nearby child data object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected flocking layout is one of a line, an orbiting ring around the displayed parent data object, or a spherical ball around the displayed parent data object.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

interpret the selection command received from the user input device for selecting a child data object; and

interpret a second command received from the user input device, as a zoom command for approaching the selected child data object along a depth axis of the three-dimensional content browsing interface;

determine that the three-dimensional content browsing interface is within a predetermined distance from the selected child data object;

reparent the child data object to a new data object;

interpret a third command received from the user input device, as a zoom command for navigating away from the selected child data object along a depth axis of the three-dimensional content browsing interface;

determine that the three-dimensional content browsing interface is beyond a predetermined distance from the selected child data object; and

reparent the child data object to the parent data object.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the instructions that cause the system to reparent the child data object to a new data object further cause the system to display a scene associated with the new data object; and

the instructions that cause the system to reparent the child data object to a parent data object further cause the system to fade the scene associated with the new data object into a scene associated with the parent object.

10. A method for presenting a hierarchy of data objects in a three-dimensional browsing interface comprising:

arranging a hierarchy of data objects in a three-dimensional content browsing interface on a display, wherein a hierarchal relationship is represented by parent data objects having a higher position in the hierarchy being orbited by child data objects having a lower position in the hierarchy;

selecting, based on a zoom depth relative to a displayed parent object of the parent data objects displayed in the hierarchal relationship, based on a quantity of a plurality of child data objects of the displayed parent object, and based on one or more content types of content included in the plurality of child data objects, a flocking layout automatically arranging the plurality of child data objects in an orbit around the displayed parent object;

displaying the plurality of child data objects orbiting around the displayed parent object using the selected flocking layout;

receiving a selection command for selecting a data object;

navigating the three-dimensional content browsing interface to center the selected data object in the three-dimensional browsing interface;

interpreting a command received from the user input device, as an orbit command for orbiting around a selected data object; and

constraining the orbit based on a content type for the selected data object.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

interpreting a second command received from the user input device as a zoom command for navigating the depth axis of the three-dimensional content browsing interface to an ideal distance along the depth axis for the selected data object; and

wherein the selected data object is the parent data object and the ideal distance comprises a distance such that child data objects are visible.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected data object is a portal, the three-dimensional content browsing interface is in a first location, the method further comprising:

interpreting a second command received from the user input device, as a zoom command; and

teleporting the three-dimensional content browsing interface to a second location.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the three-dimensional content browsing interface is within a predetermined distance of a nearby child data object; and

selecting the nearby child data object.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

interpreting the selection command received from the user input device for selecting a child data object; and

interpreting a second command received from the user input device, as a zoom command for approaching the selected child data object along a depth axis of the three-dimensional content browsing interface;

determining that the three-dimensional content browsing interface is within a predetermined distance from the selected child data object;

reparenting the child data object to a new data object;

displaying a scene associated with the new data object;

interpreting a third command received from the user input device, as a zoom command for navigating away from the selected child data object along a depth axis of the three-dimensional content browsing interface;

determining that the three-dimensional content browsing interface is beyond a predetermined distance from the selected child data object;

reparenting the child data object to the parent data object; and

fading the scene associated with the new data object into a scene associated with the parent object.