Program, method and apparatus for operating objects displayed on a display

• US 7,475,357 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujii, Hiroaki, Takeuchi, Masaru, Morimoto, Yasutsugu, Koizumi, Atsuko, Hisaki, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chuong; Truc T
• Application Number:
  US11/207,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 715/782, 715/793, 715/794, 715/712, 715/764, 715/769, 345/619, 345/621, 359/368
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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

To display many objects within a limited display region so a user can easily select the desired object, the invention includes: processing of arranging the objects in a virtual plane, processing of arranging a projection surface (a virtual projection body) on the virtual plane, processing of computing positions of the objects on the projection surface corresponding to the positions of the objects on the virtual plane, processing of converting the positions on the projection surface into positions on display regions of a display device, processing of displaying the objects on the display regions, and processing of operating the objects on the display regions based on instructions from a pointing device.

Claims

1. A computer memory storing a GUI program for operating an object displayed in a display region of a display device by a pointing device, the program causing a computer to perform steps of:

arranging the object in a pre-set virtual space;

arranging a projection surface that is pre-set in the virtual space;

computing a position of the object on the projection surface, corresponding to a position of the object in the virtual space;

converting the position of the object on the projection surface, into a position in the display region of the display device;

displaying the object in the display region; and

operating the object in the display region, based on an instruction from the pointing device,

wherein the step of arranging the projection surface pre-set in the virtual space includes the steps of;

setting, on the projection surface, a first projection surface for projecting details of the object; and

setting a second projection surface for projecting a position where the object is present,

wherein the step of computing the position of the object on the projection surface includes the steps of;

computing the position of the object projected on the first projection surface; and

computing the position of the object projected on the second projection surface,

wherein a second display region represents a display region for a symbol indicating the presence of the object, and

wherein the step of operating the object in the display region based on the instruction from the pointing device includes steps of;

detecting a drag operation by the pointing device;

detecting a migration speed of the pointing device when the drag operation by the pointing device is detected; and

setting a migration amount greater than the migration amount indicated by the pointing device and migrating the object when the migration speed exceeded a pre-set threshold value,

wherein the migration amount increases according to an increase in the migration speed when the migration speed exceeded the threshold value.

2. The computer memory according to claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the object in the display region includes:

step of setting, in the display region of the display device, a first display region for displaying the object projected on the first projection surface, and a second display region for displaying the presence of the object projected on the second projection surface, and

the step of converting the position in the display region of the display device includes;

step of converting the object projected on the first projection surface into a position in the first display region; and

step of converting the position of the object projected on the second projection surface into a position in the second display region.

3. The computer memory according to claim 2, wherein the step of

displaying the object in the display region includes steps of:

displaying, in the first display region, details of the object; and

displaying the information indicating the presence of the object in the second display region.

4. The computer memory according to claim 2, wherein the step of displaying the object in the display region includes steps of:

displaying, in the second display region, information indicating the presence of the object; and

displaying the details of the object in the first display region arranged inside of the second display region.

5. The computer memory according to claim 2, wherein the step of displaying the object in the display region includes steps of:

setting, as a rectangular region, in the display region of the display device, the second display region for displaying the presence of the object projected on the second projection surface; and

setting the first display region, within the inner perimeter of the second display region, as a rectangular region displaying the object projected on the first projection surface.

6. The computer memory according to claim 5, wherein the step of operating the object in the display region based on the instruction from the pointing device includes steps of:

detecting a selection movement of the pointing device in the second display region;

converting the position in the display region where the selection movement is performed into a position in the virtual space, when the selection movement by the pointing device is detected; and

migrating the first display region to the position in the virtual space produced by the conversion.

7. The computer memory according to claim 1, wherein in the step of setting the display surface with the first projection surface for projecting the details of the object, a plane is set facing the virtual space and the plane serves as the first projection surface.

8. A data processing device, comprising:

a display device for displaying an object in a display region;

a pointing device for instructing operation of the object; and

a control unit for executing the operation of the object in the display region, based on the instruction from the pointing device,

wherein the control unit comprises;

an object management unit for arranging the object in a pre-set virtual space;

a coordinate conversion unit for arranging a projection surface that is pre-set in the virtual space, computing a position of the object on the projection surface corresponding to a position of the object in the virtual space, and converting the position of the object on the projection surface into a position in the display region of the display device;

a display unit for displaying the object in the display region; and

an operation unit for operating the object in the display region, based on the instruction from the pointing device,

wherein the coordinate conversion unit has a projection surface setting unit for setting a first projection surface for projecting details of the object, and a second projection surface for projecting a position where the object is present,

wherein the position of the object projected on the first projection surface, and the position of the object projected on the second projection surface, are computed respectively,

wherein a second display region represents a display region for a symbol indicating the presence of the object, and

wherein the operation unit includes;

a drag operation detecting portion for detecting a drag operation by the pointing device;

a migration speed detecting portion for detecting a migration speed of the pointing device when the drag operation by the pointing device is detected; and

a flip operation portion for instructing the coordinate conversion unit to set a migration amount greater than the migration amount indicated by the pointing device and migrate the object when the migration speed exceeded a pre-set threshold value.

9. The data processing device according to claim 8 wherein the display unit has a display region setting unit for setting, in the display region of the display device, a first display region for displaying the object projected on the first projection surface, and a second display region for displaying the presence of the object projected on the second projection surface, and

the coordinate conversion unit converts the position of the object on the first projection surface into a position in the first display region, and converts the position of the object projected on the second projection surface into a position in the second display region.

10. The data processing device according to claim 9, wherein the display unit includes:

an operation region display unit for displaying, in the first display region, details of the object; and

an overview region display unit for displaying the information indicating the presence of the object in the second display region.

11. The data processing device according to claim 10, wherein the operation region display unit arranges the first display region inside the second display region.

12. The data processing device according to claim 10, wherein the overview region display unit sets, as a rectangular region, in the display region of the display device, the second display region for displaying the presence of the object projected on the second projection surface;

and

the operation region display unit sets the first display region, within the inner perimeter of the second display region, as a rectangular region displaying the object projected on the first projection surface.

13. The data processing device according to claim 12, wherein the operation unit detects a selection movement of the pointing device in the second display region;

converts the position in the display region where the selection movement is performed into a position in the virtual space, at a time when the selection movement by the pointing device is detected; and

migrates the first display region to the position in the virtual space that was produced by the conversion.

14. The data processing device according to claim 8 wherein the project surface setting unit sets, a plane facing the virtual space and the plane serves as the first projection surface.

15. An object operation method for operating an object displayed in a display region of a display device connected to a computer by a pointing device, comprising causing a computer to execute steps of:

arranging the object in a pre-set virtual space;

arranging a projection surface that is pre-set in the virtual space;

computing the position of the object on the projection surface, corresponding to the position of the object in the virtual space;

converting the position on the projection surface into a position in the display region of the display device;

displaying the object in the display area; and

operating the object in the display region, based on an instruction from the pointing device,

wherein the step of arranging the projection surface pre-set in the virtual space includes the steps of;

setting, on the projection surface, a first projection surface for projecting details of the object; and

setting a second projection surface for projecting a position where the object is present,

wherein the step of computing the position of the object on the projection surface includes the steps of;

computing the position of the object projected on the first projection surface; and

computing the position of the object projected on the second projection surface,

wherein a second display region represents a display region for a symbol indicating the presence of the object, and

wherein the step of operating the object in the display region based on the instruction from the pointing device includes steps of;

detecting a drag operation by the pointing device;

detecting a migration speed of the pointing device when the drag operation by the pointing device is detected; and

setting a migration amount greater than the migration amount indicated by the pointing device and migrating the object when the migration speed exceeded a pre-set threshold value.