Three dimensional graphical user interface

• US 20030142136A1
• Filed: 11/13/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Braxton Page Carter, Christiann Grace Moore
• Original Assignee: Braxton Page Carter, Christiann Grace Moore
• Inventors: Moore, Christiann Grace, Carter, Braxton Page
• Application Number:
  US10/293,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142136A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/782
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for displaying a desktop workspace of greater effective area than that of the display screen using Non-uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) surface planes employing real-time texture mapping. A 3D Desktop GUI based on NURBS allows a user to Manage shortcut icons, files, hard disks in a three-dimensional world having a plurality of objects provides enhanced navigational capabilities. In addition, the 3D Desktop allows the user to seek to an object or location in the NURB world, navigate throughout the world using cursor inputs and select an object to follow links associated with that object. When an object is selected from the NURB surface, a 3D file cabinet is displayed showing the contents associated with the object. Selecting a document from within the 3D filing cabinet displays the document in a preview page which also enables a user to launch the native application for the document.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface system for simultaneously displaying a plurality of windows, comprising:

a plurality of Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes, each surface plane having a window texture mapped thereon; and

display means for displaying said surface planes at respective orientations.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes form a three dimensional display object.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising input means for receiving user input causing said display means to display more than one of said surfaces simultaneously.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the three dimensional display object is a cube.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising control means for rotating the a Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes in response to a user input via said control means.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the windows is translucent.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of the group consisting of an icon and an applet mapped to a one of the plurality of surface planes.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising means for displaying a plurality of objects in a three dimensional file cabinet, said three dimensional file cabinet displayed when an object is selected from one of the plurality of surface planes, said object one of the group consisting an icon and an applet.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the three dimensional file cabinet further comprises a representation of a document, wherein selection of the representation causes the document to be displayed in a preview window.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the preview window further comprises means for launching an application associated with said document.

11. A graphical user interface system for simultaneously displaying a plurality of windows, comprising:

a plurality of Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes, each surface plane having a window texture mapped thereon, wherein the Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes form a three dimensional display object;

display means for displaying said surface planes at respective orientations;

input means for receiving user input and causing said display means to display more than one of said windows simultaneously; and

control means for rotating the a Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes in response to a user input via said input means.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the three dimensional display object is a cube.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one of the windows is translucent.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising at least one of the group consisting of an icon and an applet mapped to a one of the plurality of surface planes.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising means for displaying a plurality of objects in a three dimensional file cabinet, said three dimensional file cabinet displayed when an object is selected from one of the plurality of surface planes, said object one of the group consisting an icon and an applet.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the three dimensional file cabinet further comprises a representation of a document, wherein selection of the representation causes the document to be displayed in a preview window.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the preview window further comprises means for launching an application associated with said document.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising means for locking a drawer of the three dimensional filing cabinet.

19. A computer-readable medium of instructions, comprising:

means for creating a plurality of Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes, each surface plane having a window texture mapped thereon; and

means for displaying said surface planes at respective orientations.

20. The instructions of claim 19 further comprising means for the Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes to form a three dimensional display object.

21. The instructions of claim 19 further comprising means for receiving user input and causing said means for displaying to display more than one of said surfaces simultaneously.

22. The instructions of claim 19 further comprising means for rotating the plurality of Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes in response to a user input.

23. The instructions of claim 19 further comprising instructions for creating at least one of the group consisting of an icon and an applet mapped to a one of the plurality of surface planes.

24. The instructions of claim 23 further comprising means for displaying a plurality of objects in a three dimensional File cabinet, said three dimensional File cabinet displayed when an object is selected from one of the plurality of surface planes, said object one of the group consisting an icon and an applet.

25. The instructions of claim 24 wherein the three dimensional File cabinet further comprises means for displaying a representation of a document, wherein selection of the representation causes the document to be displayed in a preview window.

26. The instructions of claim 25 wherein the preview window further comprises means for launching an application associated with said document.

27. A method for displaying icons on a graphical user interface comprising the steps of:

texture mapping a plurality of windows to a plurality of Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes; and

displaying said surface planes at respective orientations.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising orientating the Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes to form a three dimensional display object.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising

receiving user input;

and

responding to said user input by displaying more than one of said surfaces simultaneously.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising orientating the Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes to form a cube.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising rotating the a Non-uniform Rational B-Splines surface planes in response to a user input.

32. The method of claim 27 further comprising mapping at least one of the group consisting of an icon and an applet mapped to a one of the plurality of surface planes.

33. The method of claim 32 displaying a plurality of objects in a three dimensional file cabinet, said three dimensional file cabinet displayed when an object is selected from one of the plurality of surface planes, wherein said object is one of the group consisting an icon and an applet.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising displaying a representation of a document, wherein selection of the representation causes the document to be displayed in a preview window.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising launching an application associated with said document by selecting an icon from the preview window.