Methods and systems for indicating invisible contents of workspace

• US 7,487,462 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Zellweger, Polle, Stefik, Mark J., Good, Lance E., Mackinlay, Jock D., Baudisch, Patrick M
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tan; Alvin H
• Application Number:
  US10/369,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: 715/775, 715/778, 715/805
• US Class Current: 715/778
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

Techniques for displaying contextual information in clipped views of two-dimensional workspaces are provided. A method for indicating an object includes: providing a workspace having a viewed space and a populated space, the viewed space being delineated by a border; determining an object in the populated space; determining a direction of the object from the viewed space; and indicating the object with an indicator on the border of the viewed space in the direction of the object. The distance of the object may determine the appearance of the indicator. The indicator may also show a user'"'"'s interest. An object indicating system includes: an object determination circuit that determines an object in a populated space and a direction of the object from a viewed space; and an indicator mapping block that indicates the object with an indicator on a border of the viewed space in the direction of the object.

Claims

1. A method for indicating an object, comprising:

providing a workspace having a populated space and one or more view spaces on a display, each of the view spaces being a view of a part of the populated space that extends coordinates of each view space, each view space being delineated by a border having sides;

determining at least one object in the populated space;

determining a direction of the at least one object in the populated space from a view space;

determining a distance of the at least one object from the view space;

indicating only an object of the at least one object that exists outside the view space with a single indicator on a respective one of the sides closest to the at least one object to indicate the direction of the at least one object relative to the view space; and

adding a visual effect to the single indicator based on the distance by indicating the single indicator on an inner bound of the border if the at least one object is inside a predetermined boundary in the view space delineating objects that are near the view space, and on an outer bound of the border if the at least one object is outside the predetermined boundary in the view space delineating objects that are far from the view space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the single indicator comprises generating an orthogonal projection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the single indicator comprises generating a corner indicator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the corner indicator includes indicating a number of objects in a corner area, the corner area being delineated by lines extended from each of adjoining sides of the border.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the single indicator comprises generating a radial projection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the visual effect to the single indicator includes altering a color of the single indicator based upon the determined distance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the single indicator comprising generating an arc, wherein the arc is a part of a circle having the at least one object as a center of the circle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the arc extends farther into the view space from the border, a degree of the extension being proportional to the distance of the at least one object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the single indicator includes indicating size of the at least one object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the single indicator includes indicating a center of the at least one object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the single indicator includes indicating an object having higher interest for a user, the higher interest determined by at least one of when an object was created, when the object was modified, how often the object was modified, and how long the object was in focus.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one object comprises determining a cluster of objects relatively near to each other in the populated space.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the single indicator further comprises indicating that there is a link object between the at least one object and another object.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a subject of a selected one of an object in the view space and a subject of the at least one object in the populated space, wherein the indicator is highlighted when the at least one object has a subject similar to the subject of the selected object in the view space.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the at least one object with the single indicator includes indicating a change in the at least one object in the populated space.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the change includes a bump generated at a point where at least two objects bump against each other.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one interactive indicator on the border of at least one view space for hidden objects in the populated space; and

showing more information of the single indicator on the border at a user'"'"'s command.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting the single indicator; and

highlighting the single indicator indicating an object in the populated space that is used recently.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a second view space larger than the view space, the second view space superimposing the view space and a part of the populated space around the view space, wherein the at least one object in the populated space is translucently colored.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one object comprises determining a relative location of the at least one object in the populated space, and the single indicator indicates a distance from the view space to the at least one object.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the single indicator; and

interacting with the single indicator.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein interacting with the single indicator includes jumping to the at least one object by shifting coordinates in the populated space that are visible in the view space.

23. An object indicating system, comprising:

a display providing a workspace with a populated space and at least one view space, each view space being a view of a part of the populated space that extends coordinates of each view space, each view space being delineated by a border of the at least one view space having sides;

an object determination circuit that determines at least one object in a populated space and a direction of the at least one object in the populated space from a view space; and

an indicator mapping block that indicates only an object of the at least one object that exists outside the view space with a single indicator on a respective one of the sides closest to the at least one object to indicate the direction of the at least one object relative to the view space, wherein

the object determination circuit determines a distance of the at least one object from the view space, and the indicator mapping block adds visual effects to the single indicator based on the determined distance, and

the single indicator is indicated on an inner bound of border when the at least one object is within a predetermined distance, and on an outer bound of the border when the at least one object is not within the predetermined distance.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that indicates the single indicator using an orthogonal projection.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that indicates the single indicator using a corner indicator.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the corner indicator indicates a number of objects in a corner area, the corner area being delineated by lines extended from each of adjoining sides of the border.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that indicates the single indicator using a radial projection.

28. The system of claims 23 wherein the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that alters a color of the single indicator based upon the determined distance.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that indicates the single indicator using an arc, wherein the arc is a part of a circle having the at least one object as a center of the circle.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the arc extends farther into the view space from the border, a degree of the extension being proportional to the distance to the at least one object.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the single indicator indicates size of the at least one object.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the single indicator indicates a center of the at least one object.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the indicator mapping block includes a degree-of-interest (DOI) determination circuit that determines at least one of when the at least one object was created, when the at least one object was modified, how often the at least one object was modified, and how long the at least one object was in focus, and wherein the single indicator indicates an object with higher interest for a user, wherein the higher interest is determined by the DOI determination circuit.

34. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one object is a cluster comprising a plurality of objects relatively near to each other in the extended coordinate system of the populated space.

35. The system of claim 23, wherein the indicator further indicates that there is a link object between the at least one object and another object.

36. The system of claim 23, wherein the object determination circuit determines a subject of a selected one of an object in the view space and a subject of the at least one object in the populated space, and wherein the indicator is highlighted when the at least one object has a subject similar to the subject of the selected object in the view space.

37. The system of claim 23, wherein the object determination circuit determines a change in the at least one object in the populated space, and wherein the indicator mapping block maps the indicator indicating the change.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the change includes a bump generated at a point where at least two objects bump against each other.

39. The system of claim 23, wherein the object determining circuit provides at least one interactive indicator on the border of at least one view space for hidden objects in the populated space, and the indicator mapping block includes a permanent and transient indication circuit that shows more information of the single indicator on the border at a user'"'"'s command.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the single indicator indicating an object in the populated space that is used recently is highlighted.

41. The system of claim 23, wherein the indicator mapping block provides a second view space larger than the view space, and superimposes the at least one object in the populated space of the second view space onto the view space and a part of the populated space around the view space, and wherein the at least one object in the populated space is translucently colored.

42. The system of claim 23, wherein the object determination circuit determines a relative location of the at least one object in the populated space, and wherein the single indicator indicates a distance from the view space to the at least one object.

43. The system of claim 23, the indicator mapping block includes an interactivity circuit that interacts with the single indicator.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the interactivity circuit interacts with the single indicator by jumping to the at least one object by shifting coordinates in the populated space that are visible in the view space.

45. A method for indicating an object, comprising:

providing a workspace having a populated space and one or more view spaces on a display, each of the view spaces being a view of a part of the populated space that extends coordinates of each view space, each view space being delineated by a border having sides;

determining at least one object in the populated space;

determining a direction of the at least one object in the populated space from a view space; and

indicating only an object of the at least one object that exists outside the view space with a single indicator on a respective one of the sides closest to the at least one object to indicate the direction of the at least one object relative to the view space, wherein

indicating the at least one object with the single indicator comprises generating a corner indicator, and

generating the corner indicator includes indicating a number of objects in a corner area, the corner area being delineated by lines extended from each of adjoining sides of the border.

46. An object indicating system, comprising:

a display providing a workspace with a populated space and at least one view space, each view space being a view of a part of the populated space that extends coordinates of each view space, each view space being delineated by a border of the at least one view space having sides;

an object determination circuit that determines at least one object in a populated space and a direction of the at least one object in the populated space from a view space; and

an indicator mapping block that indicates only an object of the at least one object that exists outside the view space with a single indicator on a respective one of the sides closest to the at least one object to indicate the direction of the at least one object relative to the view space, wherein

the indicator mapping block includes a visual transfer circuit that indicates the single indicator using a corner indicator, and

the corner indicator indicates a number of objects in a corner area, the corner area being delineated by lines extended from each of adjoining sides of the border.