Background image with a continuously rotating and functional 3D icon

• US 6,043,818 A
• Filed: 06/17/1996
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Takashi, Bakoglu, Halil, Nakano, Hiroaki, Cossey, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E.
• Application Number:
  US08/664,652
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 395/326-358, 395/119-127, 345/326-358, 345/977, 345/419-427, 345/473-475, 345/435, 345/437, 345/114
• US Class Current: 715/851
• 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 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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: Y10S 715/977 Dynamic icon, e.g. animated or live action

Abstract

A graphical user interface displays a three-dimensional icon with a background image. The 3D icon is selectable by a user to carry out a corresponding function. The icon is continuously rotated and having a shadow. A graphical user interface also displays a first menu image on a display for an operating system on a computer. The first menu image includes a taskbar image which carries button images selectable by the user to carry out a function. The GUI also displays a second menu image on the display for a navigator software which is running under the operating system. The navigator software provides a quasi-operating system environment. The GUI displays the taskbar image in the second menu image whereby the user can carry out functions of the operating system from within the quasi-operating system environment provided by the navigator software. Three visual walls are arranged on the GUI as if the user is standing inside a three-dimensional cube and open to the sky. Clicking once either on the side walls moves the contents of the side wall to the center, in effect rotating the cube. When a wall is centered, the user can activate any function in the wall by clicking on a button. Buttons displayed in the side wall may be immediately activated by double clicking so the user does not have to center the side wall.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, comprising:

first means for displaying a background image on said display;

second means for displaying a three-dimensional icon on said display, said icon being selectable by a user to carry out a corresponding function; and

,

third means for continuously transforming an outer-shape of said three-dimensional icon on said display thereby distinguishing said three-dimensional icon from said background image.

2. The graphical user interface according to claim 1, wherein said third means rotates said three-dimensional icon on said display.

3. The graphical user interface according to claim 1, wherein said third means comprises a memory for storing plural images representing said three-dimensional icon viewed from plural different directions and means for sequentially reading said plural images from said memory thereby displaying said plural images on said display as said continuously moving three-dimensional icon.

4. The graphical user interface according to claim 1, further comprising fourth means for displaying a shadow of said three-dimensional icon thereunder on said display.

9. The graphical user interface according to claim 4, wherein said fourth means moves said shadow as said three-dimensional icon moves.

5. A graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, comprising:

first means operable by a user for selecting one of plural display modes;

second means for displaying a background image on said display in different arrangements in accordance with the mode selected by said first means;

third means for displaying at least one three-dimensional icon on said display, said three-dimensional icon being selectable by the user to carry out a corresponding function, wherein said three-dimensional icon is displayed at fixed position on said display regardless of which one of said plural modes is selected by said first means; and

fourth means for continuously transforming an outer-shape of said three-dimensional icon at said fixed position on said display thereby distinguishing said three-dimensional icon from said background image.

6. The graphical user interface according to claim 5, wherein said fourth means comprises a memory for storing plural images each representing said three-dimensional icon viewed from plural different directions and continuously reads said plural images from said memory thereby display said plural images on said display as said continuously moving three-dimensional icon.

7. The graphical user interface according to claim 5, further comprising fifth means for displaying plural shadows each corresponding to said three-dimensional icon thereunder on said display.

8. The graphical user interface according to claim 7, wherein said fifth means moves each of said plural shadows as said three dimensional icon moves.

10. A method for providing a graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, comprising the steps of:

displaying a background image on said display;

displaying a three-dimensional icon on said display, said icon being selectable by a user to carry out a corresponding function; and

,

continuously transforming an outer-shape of said three-dimensional icon on said display thereby distinguishing said three-dimensional icon from said background image.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said three-dimensional icon continuously rotates on said display in the moving step to thereby distinguish said three-dimensional icon from said background image.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of displaying said three-dimensional icon comprises the step of sequentially reading from a memory plural images representing said three-dimensional icon viewed from plural different directions thereby displaying said plural images as the rotating three-dimensional icon.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying a shadow of said three-dimensional icon thereunder on said display.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said shadow moves as said three-dimensional-icon moves.

15. A method for providing a graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, comprising the steps of:

selecting one of plural display modes;

displaying a background image on said display in different arrangements in accordance with the mode selected in the selecting step;

displaying a three-dimensional icon on said display, said three-dimensional icon being selectable by a user to carry out corresponding function, wherein said three-dimensional icon is displayed at fixed position on said display regardless of which one of said plural modes is selected in the selecting step; and

,

continuously transforming an outer-shape of said plural three-dimensional icon at said fixed position on said display thereby distinguishing said three-dimensional icon from said background image.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of displaying said three-dimensional icon comprises the step of sequentially reading from a memory plural images representing said three-dimensional icon viewed from plural different directions thereby displaying said plural images as the moving three-dimensional icon.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying shadow corresponding to said three-dimensional icon thereunder on said display.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said shadow moves as said three dimensional icon moves.

19. A storage medium storing a program for providing a graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, said program comprising the steps of:

displaying a background image on said display;

displaying a three-dimensional icon on said display, said icon being selectable by a user to carry out a corresponding function; and

,

continuously transforming an outer-shape of said three-dimensional icon on said display thereby distinguishing said three-dimensional icon from said background image.

20. The storage medium according to claim 19, wherein said three-dimensional icon continuously rotates on said display in the moving step.

21. The storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the step of displaying said three-dimensional icon comprises the step of sequentially reading from a memory plural images representing said three-dimensional icon viewed from plural different directions thereby displaying said plural images as the moving three-dimensional icon.

22. The storage medium according to claim 19, said program further comprising the step of displaying a shadow of said three-dimensional icon thereunder on said display.

23. The storage according to claim 22, wherein said shadow moves as said three-dimensional icon moves.

24. A storage medium storing a program for providing a graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, said program comprising the steps of:

selecting one of plural display modes;

displaying a background image on said display in different arrangements in accordance with the mode selected in the selecting step;

displaying a three-dimensional icon on said display, said three-dimensional icon being selectable by a user to carry out corresponding function, wherein said three-dimensional icon is displayed at fixed position on said display regardless of which one of said plural modes is selected in the selecting step; and

,

continuously transforming an outer-shape of said three-dimensional icon at said fixed position on said display thereby distinguishing said three-dimensional icon from said background image.

25. The storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the step of displaying said three-dimensional icon comprises the step of sequentially reading from a memory plural images representing said three-dimensional icon viewed from plural different directions thereby displaying said plural images as the moving three-dimensional icon.

26. The storage medium according to claim 24, said program further comprising the step of displaying shadow corresponding to said three-dimensional icon thereunder on said display.

27. The method according claim 26, wherein said shadow moves as said three dimensional icon moves.

28. A graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, comprising:

first means for displaying a background image on said display;

second means for displaying an icon on said display, said icon being selectable by a user to carry out a corresponding function; and

,

third means for continuously transforming an outer-shape of said icon on said display thereby distinguishing said icon from said background image.

29. A graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, comprising:

first means operable by a user for selecting one of plural display modes;

second means for displaying a background image on said display in different arrangements in accordance with the mode selected by said first means;

third means for displaying at least one icon on said display, said icon being selectable by the user to carry out a corresponding function, wherein said icon is displayed at fixed position on said display regardless of which one of said plural modes is selected by said first means; and

fourth means for continuously transforming an outer-shape of said icon at said fixed position on said display thereby distinguishing said icon from said background image.

30. A method for providing a graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, comprising the steps of:

displaying a background image on said display;

displaying an icon on said display, said icon being selectable by a user to carry out a corresponding function; and

,

continuously transforming an outer-shape of said icon on said display thereby distinguishing said icon from said background image.

31. A method for providing a graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, comprising the steps of:

selecting one of plural display modes;

displaying a background image on said display in different arrangements in accordance with the mode selected in the selecting step;

displaying an icon on said display, said icon being selectable by a user to carry out corresponding function, wherein said icon is displayed at fixed position on said display regardless of which one of said plural modes is selected in the selecting step; and

,

continuously transforming an outer-shape of said plural icon at said fixed position on said display thereby distinguishing said icon from said background image.

32. A storage medium storing a program for providing a graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, said program comprising the steps of:

displaying a background image on said display;

displaying an icon on said display, said icon being selectable by a user to carry out a corresponding function; and

,

continuously transforming an outer-shape of said icon on said display thereby distinguishing said icon from said background image.

33. A storage medium storing a program for providing a graphical user interface for displaying a menu image on a display, said program comprising the steps of:

selecting one of plural display modes;

displaying a background image on said display in different arrangements in accordance with the mode selected in the selecting step;

displaying an icon on said display, said icon being selectable by a user to carry out corresponding function, wherein said icon is displayed at fixed position on said display regardless of which one of said plural modes is selected in the selecting step; and

,

continuously transforming an outer-shape of said icon at said fixed position on said display thereby distinguishing said icon from said background image.