System for dynamically mapping input device movement as a user's viewpoint changes

• US 6,981,229 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alias Systems Corp. (Autodesk, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurtenbach, Gordon, Balakrishnan, Ravin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US09/560,869
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/419, 345/764, 345/768, 345/863, 345/810, 345/629, 345/976, 345/156, 345856-862, 345/169, 345/184, 345/428, 345/420, 345/701, 345/619, 345/642, 345/655, 345/587, 345/672, 345/632, 715/863, 715/764, 715856-862, 715848-852
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a two-handed input control system that dynamically changes an input-to-object mapping for mapping movement of a graphical object on a display of a virtual scene as the viewpoint of the virtual scene changes. As input to the system for changing the position of the graphical object occurs, the mapping is revised to reflect changes in the viewpoint so that the object moves as inherently expected. That is, changes to the viewpoint change the mapping so that a correspondence between the viewpoint and the input space is always maintained. During movement of the object a screen cursor is visually suppressed so that the movement of the graphical object and the screen cursor do not split the attention of the user. The screen cursor is always maintained within the visual display region of the virtual scene even when the object moves out of the visual display region by moving the cursor to a center of the screen when it reaches an edge of the screen.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

inputting viewpoint change information and graphical object change information;

dynamically changing an input-to-object mapping responsive to the viewpoint change information;

moving a graphical object responsive to the graphical object change information and the dynamically changed mapping; and

producing a display screen cursor that disappears when the object change information is being input, and wherein the cursor fades from view when graphical object change information is input.

2. A method, comprising:

inputting viewpoint change information and graphical object change information;

dynamically changing an input-to-object mapping responsive to the viewpoint change information;

moving a graphical object responsive to the graphical object change information and the dynamically changed mapping;

producing a display screen cursor that disappears when the object change information is being input;

maintaining the cursor within a possible movement area of a visual display region of a visual display regardless of a position of the object within a virtual scene; and

positioning the cursor on the object when the object is within the visual display region and positioning the cursor in a center of the visual display region when the object is not within the visual display region.

3. A method, comprising:

inputting viewpoint change information and graphical object change information;

dynamically changing an input-to-object mapping responsive to the viewpoint change information;

moving a graphical object responsive to the graphical object change information and the dynamically changed mapping;

producing a display screen cursor that disappears when the object change information is being input; and

maintaining a graphical object position indicating the position of the graphical object within the virtual scene, maintaining a cursor position indicating the position of a screen cursor within the visual display region and maintaining the cursor position within the visual display region.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising moving the cursor to a center of the visual display region when the cursor is a predetermined distance from an edge of the visual display region.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising moving the cursor within the visual display region responsive to a motion of the graphical object.

6. A method, comprising:

inputting viewpoint change information and graphical object change information;

dynamically changing an input-to-object mapping responsive to the viewpoint change information;

moving a graphical object responsive to the graphical object change information and the dynamically changed mapping;

producing a display screen cursor that disappears when the object change information is being input with the cursor fading from view during object change information input;

maintaining the cursor within a possible movement area of a visual display region of a visual display regardless of a position of the object within a virtual scene;

positioning the cursor on the object when the object is within the visual display region and positioning the cursor in a center of the visual display region when the cursor is a predetermined distance from an edge of the visual display region and when the object is not within the visual display region;

moving the cursor within the visual display region responsive to a motion of the graphical object; and

inputting tool activation information and operating a tool during a change in a current viewpoint.