System and method for providing an interactive display

• US 20050229102A1
• Filed: 04/12/2004
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Girling, Robert M., Anthony, Colin R., Watson, Marieke Iwema, Rollin, Kelly E., Lee, Oliver C., Proteau, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US10/821,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20050229102A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and system for organizing and displaying items for a user interface. The method includes providing a plurality of three-dimensional items, each three-dimensional item representing user information, and arranging the three-dimensional items around a perimeter, wherein the perimeter forms a portion of a closed area. The closed area may be an ellipse, circle, or other geometric shape. The three-dimensional items include at least one item in a focus position. Typically the three-dimensional items will also include at least one item in a peripheral position and may also include background items. The items are capable of rotating around the perimeter. Additionally, the method and system may scale the items in a manner appropriate to a position along the perimeter. The method and system additionally provide for rotation of the items around the perimeter upon receiving a user request.

Claims

1. A method for organizing and displaying items for a user interface, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of three-dimensional items, each three-dimensional item representing user information; and

arranging the three-dimensional around a perimeter, wherein the perimeter forms a portion of a closed area and the three-dimensional items include a focus item and at least one peripheral item adjacent the focus item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a peripheral item adjacent the focus item on each side of the focus item.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging at least one background item adjacent the peripheral item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein arranging the three-dimensional items along a perimeter comprises arranging the three-dimensional items along an arc of an ellipse.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein arranging the three-dimensional items along a perimeter comprising arranging the three-dimensional items along an arc of a circle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising scaling the focus item to a first set width and scaling each peripheral item to a second set width, wherein the first set width is greater than the second set width.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising scaling the focus item to a first set width, scaling each peripheral item to a second set width, and scaling each background item to a third set width, wherein the first set width is greater than the second set width and the second set width is greater than the third set width.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising rotating the items around the perimeter upon receiving a user request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user request comprises selection of the peripheral item, and rotating the items includes rotating the focus item to a peripheral position and the peripheral item to a focus position.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying metadata relevant to the focus item and each peripheral item.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein rotating the items comprises computing a starting point angle, computing an ending point angle, and interpolating between the computed angles.

12. A computer readable medium storing executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

13. A system for organizing and displaying information to a user, the system comprising:

item controls for displaying a plurality of three-dimensional items, each three-dimensional item providing access to information;

orientation controls for arranging the items around a perimeter that forms a portion of a closed area; and

scalability controls for scaling a focus item to have a first set width and at least one peripheral item to have a second set width smaller than the first set width.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the item controls position a first peripheral item adjacent the focus item on a first side and a second peripheral item adjacent the focus item on a second side.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the item controls arrange at least one background item adjacent the peripheral item.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein perimeter comprises an elliptical arc.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the perimeter comprises a circular arc.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the scalability controls further comprise means for scaling the focus item to a first set width and scaling each peripheral item to a second set width, wherein the first set width is greater than the second set width.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the scalability controls further comprise means for scaling the focus item to a first set width, scaling each peripheral item to a second set width, and scaling each background item to a third set width, wherein the first set width is greater than the second set width and the second set width is greater than the third set width.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising a rotation control module for rotating the items around the perimeter upon receiving a user request.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the user request comprises selection of the peripheral item, and the rotation control module rotates the focus item to a peripheral position and the peripheral item to a focus position.

22. The system of claim 13, further comprising information display controls for displaying metadata relevant to the focus item and each peripheral item.

23. The system of claim 13, further comprising view change controls for altering an appearance of an item upon a change in item status.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the perimeter comprises a triangular border.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein the perimeter comprises a rectangular border.