Method for associating and manipulating documents with an object

• US 8,306,982 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2011
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mautech Incorporated, Maya-Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Maya-Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Audet, Mathieu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwivedi, Mahesh
• Application Number:
  US13/217,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 707/709, 707/737, 707/738, 707/740
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• 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

Abstract

A non-transitory computer-readable medium adapted to store thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed with a computer, provide a method for managing information elements in relation with an object on a display of a computer, the method comprising providing an information element, providing a visual distinctive element associated with the information element, providing an object, associating a visual distinctive element at a location on the object and displaying the object on the display, with the associated visual distinctive element thereon, to provide a graphical reference at a location on the object, the visual distinctive element being adapted to draw a link with the information element.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations for managing documents in relation with representations of objects displayed with a computer, the operations comprising:

providing a plurality of representations of objects for a user to choose from;

selecting a representation of an object among the plurality of provided representations of objects on a basis of an action performed by the user;

displaying the selected virtual representation of the object;

providing a plurality of documents for the user to choose from;

selecting at least one document among the plurality of documents on a basis of an action performed by the user;

analyzing the content of the selected at least one document to determine a concept of that selected at least one document;

determining an object that matches the determined concept;

mapping the selected at least one document and any documents that are related to the selected at least one document onto the determined object;

providing at least one graphical element adapted to be associated with the selected at least one document;

selecting a graphical element on a basis of an action performed by the user;

associating the graphical element in graphical relation with the selected representation of the object at a location thereof on a basis of an action performed by the user; and

displaying the representation of the object with the associated graphical element to provide a link between the representation of the object, the location of the associated graphical element and the selected at least one document,

whereby a user can associate documents with respective related locations on graphical representations of objects and retrieve documents on a basis of an interaction with graphical elements on a basis of locations about representations of objects.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the location associated with the representation of the object is an attribute of the document, the attribute being representative of a location about the represented object.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the graphical element is adapted to be associated with an attribute adapted to visually distinguish the graphical element associated with the attribute from graphical elements not associated with the attribute.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the graphical element is adapted to provide information related to the document on a basis of a user interaction with the graphical element.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a plurality of graphical elements are disposed in relation with the representation of the object, at least some of the graphical elements being associated with documents, wherein graphical elements are adapted to be associated with attributes searchable to retrieve documents on a basis of locations.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the selected document is adapted to be associated with a plurality of attributes and wherein at least one of the plurality of attributes is adapted to be associated with a visual distinctive feature applicable to the graphical element associated with the document to further distinguish the graphical element displayed in association with the representation of the object.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the representation of the object is a three-dimensional representation of the object adapted to be virtually manipulated by a user to provide a plurality of view points to a user for interacting with graphical elements disposed at various locations not simultaneously visible with a single view point of the three-dimensional representation of the object.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a determination of related documents is adapted to be made on a basis of distances between graphical elements displayed in relation with the representation of the object.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein documents are adapted to be sorted on a basis of distances between their respective graphical elements respectively located on the representation of the object.

10. A device, comprising a processor configured to present a graphical user interface for displaying graphical elements in relation with representations of objects, the graphical interface comprising areas adapted to provides the operations comprising:

providing a plurality of representations of objects for a user to choose from;

selecting a representation of an object among the plurality of provided representations of objects on a basis of an action performed by the user;

displaying the selected virtual representation of the object;

providing a plurality of documents for the user to choose from;

selecting at least one document among the plurality of documents on a basis of an action performed by the user;

analyzing the content of the selected at least one document to determine a concept of that selected at least one document;

determining an object that matches the determined concept;

mapping the selected at least one document and any documents that are related to the selected at least one document onto the determined object;

providing at least one graphical element adapted to be associated with the selected at least one document;

selecting a graphical element on a basis of an action performed by the user;

associating the graphical element in graphical relation with the selected representation of the object at a location thereof on a basis of an action performed by the user; and

displaying the representation of the object with the associated graphical element to provide a link between the representation of the object, the location of the associated graphical element and the selected at least one document associated with the graphical element,

whereby a user can associate documents with respective related locations on graphical representations of objects and retrieve documents on a basis of an interaction with graphical elements on a basis of locations.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the location associated with the representation of the object is an attribute of the document, the attribute being representative of a location about the represented object.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the graphical element is adapted to be associated with an attribute adapted to visually distinguish the graphical element associated with the attribute from graphical elements not associated with the attribute.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the graphical element is adapted to provide information related to the document on a basis of a user interaction with the graphical element.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein a plurality of graphical elements are disposed in relation with the representation of the object, at least some of the graphical elements being associated with documents, wherein graphical elements are adapted to be associated with attributes searchable to retrieve documents on a basis of locations.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the selected document is adapted to be associated with a plurality of attributes and wherein at least one of the plurality of attributes is adapted to be associated with a visual distinctive feature applicable to the graphical element associated with the document to further distinguish the graphical element displayed in association with the representation of the object.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein a determination of related documents is adapted to be made on a basis of distances between graphical elements displayed in relation with the representation of the object.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein documents are adapted to be sorted on a basis of distances between their respective graphical elements respectively located on the representation of the object.

18. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of representations of objects for a user to choose from;

selecting a representation of an object among the plurality of provided representations of objects on a basis of an action performed by the user;

displaying the selected virtual representation of the object;

providing a plurality of documents for the user to choose from;

selecting at least one document among the plurality of documents on a basis of an action performed by the user;

analyzing the content of the selected at least one document to determine a concept of that selected at least one document;

determining an object that matches the determined concept;

mapping the selected at least one document and any documents that are related to the selected at least one document onto the determined object;

providing at least one graphical element adapted to be associated with the selected at least one document;

selecting a graphical element on a basis of an action performed by the user;

associating the graphical element in graphical relation with the selected representation of the object at a location thereof on a basis of an action performed by the user; and

displaying the representation of the object with the associated graphical element to provide a link between the representation of the object, the location of the associated graphical element and the selected at least one document associated with the graphical element,

whereby a user can associate documents with respective related locations on graphical representations of objects and retrieve documents on a basis of an interaction with graphical elements on a basis of locations about representations of objects.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the location associated with the representation of the object is an attribute of the document, the attribute being representative of a location about the represented object.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein documents are adapted to be sorted on a basis of distances between their respective graphical elements respectively located on the representation of the object.