METHOD AND SYSTEM OF CONTROLLING A CURSOR IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL GRAPHICAL ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090217209A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Plocher, Thomas A., Jin, Zhao Xia, Chen, Enyi
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/856
• 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: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

A method of controlling a cursor displayed on a display device is provided. A three-dimensional environment is displayed on a display device. A cursor and a plurality of objects are displayed on the display device within the three-dimensional environment. The cursor comprises a zone defining a volume to identify at least one object that is at least partially located within the volume. The size of the volumetric activation zone is dynamically adjusted so that a predetermined constraint is satisfied. The predetermined constraint is a function of at least a relationship between the volumetric activation zone of the cursor and at least one of the plurality of objects

Claims

1. A method of controlling a cursor displayed on a display device, the method comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional environment on a display device;

displaying, on the display device, a cursor and a plurality of objects within the three-dimensional environment, wherein the cursor comprises a zone defining a volume to identify at least one object that is at least partially located within the volume; and

dynamically adjusting the size of the zone so that a predetermined constraint is satisfied, wherein the predetermined constraint is a function of at least a relationship between the zone and at least one of the plurality of objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined constraint comprises at least one of:

a constraint specifying that only a predetermined number of objects are at least partially located within the volume and a constraint specifying each change in the size of the zone is the minimum change that otherwise satisfies any other constraints.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically adjusting the size of the zone comprises:

determining a first distance within the three-dimensional environment between a first object of the plurality of objects and the zone; and

changing a size of the zone based on at least the first distance.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the first distance comprises at least one of:

determining a distance from a center of the zone to a nearest point of the first object;

determining a distance from a center of the zone to a farthest point of the first object;

determining a distance from an outer surface of the zone to the first object; and

determining a distance from the zone to a point of the first object which is nearest to the zone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein changing the size of the zone based on the first distance comprises changing the size of the zone such that a distance from a center of the zone to a point on the outer surface of the zone is larger than the first distance.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining a second distance from the zone to a second object, wherein changing the size of the zone comprises changing the size of the zone based on at least the first distance and the second distance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the first distance comprises determining a distance from the center of the zone to a point of the first object that is nearest to the center of the zone and wherein determining the second distance comprises determining a distance from the center of the zone to a point of the second object that is nearest to the center of the zone, wherein the second object is second nearest to the zone;

wherein changing the size of the zone comprises changing the size of the zone such that a distance from a center of the zone to a point on the outer surface of the zone is smaller than the lesser of the second distance and the distance between the center of the zone and the point of the nearest object that is farthest from the center of the zone.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein changing the size of the zone comprises changing the size of the zone such that a distance from a center of the zone to a surface of the zone is greater than or equal to the point of the nearest object that is nearest to the center of the zone.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein changing the size of the zone comprises changing the size of the zone such that a distance from a center of the zone to a surface of the zone is smaller than or equal to the distance from the center of the zone to a point of the second nearest object that is nearest to the center of the zone.

10. The method of claim 3, determining a first distance comprises determining information indicative of the first distance.

11. A system for controlling a cursor in a three-dimensional environment, the system comprising:

a processor to execute software;

a display device communicatively coupled to the processor;

an input device communicatively coupled to the processor in order to receive input from the input device; and

a storage medium communicatively coupled to the processor from which the processor reads at least a portion of the software for execution thereby, wherein the software is configured to cause the processor to;

display a three-dimensional environment on the display device;

display, on the display device, a cursor and a plurality of objects within the three-dimensional environment, wherein the cursor comprises a volumetric activation zone defining a volume to identify at least one object that is at least partially located within the volume; and

dynamically adjust the size of the volumetric activation zone so that a predetermined constraint is satisfied, wherein the predetermined constraint is a function of at least a relationship between the zone and at least one of the plurality of objects.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the volumetric activation zone comprises a spherical shape.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined constraint comprises at least one of:

a constraint specifying that only a predetermined number of objects are at least partially located within the volume and a constraint specifying each change in the size of the volumetric activation zone is the minimum change that otherwise satisfies any other constraints.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the software is configured to cause the processor to:

determine a first distance within the three-dimensional environment between a first object of the plurality of objects and the volumetric activation zone; and

changing a size of the volumetric activation zone based on at least the first distance.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the software is configured to cause the processor to determine the first distance by doing at least one of:

determining a distance from a center of the volumetric activation zone to a nearest point of the first object;

determining a distance from a center of the volumetric activation zone to a farthest point of the first object;

determining a distance from an outer surface of the volumetric activation zone to the first object; and

determining a distance from the volumetric activation zone to a point of the first object which is nearest to the volumetric activation zone.

16. A program product comprising a processor-readable medium on which program instructions are embodied, wherein the program instructions are operable, when executed by at least one programmable processor included in a device, to cause the device to:

display a three-dimensional environment on a display device communicatively coupled to the device;

display, on the display device, a cursor and a plurality of objects within the three-dimensional environment, wherein the cursor comprises an activation zone defining a volume to identify at least one object that is at least partially located within the volume;

dynamically adjust the size of the activation zone so that a predetermined constraint is satisfied, wherein the predetermined constraint is a function of at least a relationship between the zone and at least one of the plurality of objects;

17. The program product of claim 16, wherein the predetermined constraint comprises at least one of:

a constraint specifying that only a predetermined number of objects are at least partially located within the volume and a constraint specifying each change in the size of the activation zone is the minimum change that otherwise satisfies any other constraints.

18. The program product of claim 16, wherein the size of the activation zone changed by:

determining a first distance within the three-dimensional environment between a first object of the plurality of objects and the activation zone; and

changing a size of the activation zone based on at least the first distance.

19. The program product of claim 18, wherein the first distance is determined by doing at least one of:

determining a distance from a center of the activation zone to a nearest point of the first object;

determining a distance from a center of the activation zone to a farthest point of the first object;

determining a distance from an outer surface of the activation zone to the first object; and

determining a distance from the activation zone to a point of the first object which is nearest to the activation zone.

20. The program product of claim 16, wherein the activation zone encompasses a spherical volume.

21. A method of displaying an object on a three-dimensional display device, the method comprising:

determining a depth of a first object in a three-dimensional environment;

setting an opacity of the first object based on the depth of the first object, wherein the first object is one of a plurality of objects which are displayed as semi-transparent; and

re-displaying the first object on the display device with the opacity set based on the depth of the first object.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining a depth determines a distance from the first object to a viewpoint of a user.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein determining a depth determines how many objects of the plurality of objects are in an occlusion chain relative to the first object.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein setting the opacity of the first object sets the opacity of the first object darker than objects which occlude the first object.

25. A program product comprising a processor-readable medium on which program instructions are embodied, wherein the program instructions are operable, when executed by at least one programmable processor included in a device, to cause the device to:

determine a depth of a first object in a three-dimensional graphical environment displayed on a display device that is communicatively coupled to the device, wherein the depth is determined by how many objects of the plurality of objects are in an occlusion chain in front of the first object;

set an opacity of the first object based on the depth of the first object, wherein the first object is one of a plurality of objects which are semi-transparent; and

re-display the first object on the display device with the opacity set based on the depth of the first object.