Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Three-dimension
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-16
2001-10-23
Zimmerman, Mark (Department: 2671)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Three-dimension
C345S440000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06307552
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is generally related to computer systems and graphical user interface environments therefor. More particularly, the invention is related to display and user access to information in a computer system or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Much of the combined knowledge base of the world has and continues to be recorded in written form (e.g., in books), so that others are able to more conveniently access and use such information. With the advent of computer technology, more and more information is now stored in an electronic form and accessed via a computer, rather than via the written page. Nonetheless, regardless of the media used to store information, the information has and continues to be regarded as being essentially one-dimensional—that is, a series of ideas strung together in a sequence of words or pages. Book pages and computer displays are each two-dimensional in nature, and may even provide two dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects. However, the basic structure of a collection of information presented in either case is still for the most part one-dimensional insofar as a person processes the information in a generally linear fashion.
Educational materials in particular tend to utilize a one-dimensional or linear progression to teach users about a particular subject. For example, an educational material may begin with a broad overview about a subject, and then progress sequentially through more detailed discussions of specific topics identified in the overview. Examples and/or problems may also be embedded sequentially within this progression so that, once a user receives detailed information about a particular topic, the user may be able to see an example, or may be required to work a problem, to reinforce the user's understanding of the topic. Many topics often tend to build on the information previously presented to a user in earlier topics so that a user can utilize the earlier information in contrasting and/or noting the similarities between the topics.
One drawback to conventional one-dimensional representations of information, however, is that a collection of information rarely if ever is related solely through a linear relationship. Rather, pieces of information about a given subject may often be linked together based upon a wide variety of contextual relationships, as well as from multiple sources.
For example, a collection of information may be associated with several levels of abstraction that stratify the collection into different categories and/or define predetermined relationships between information within the collection. A level of abstraction typically relates to a particular manner of looking at a given collection of information, also referred to as a body of knowledge. Among other criteria, different levels of abstraction may relate to different comprehension levels, e.g., a basic or summary level vs. an advanced level, or different points of view or ways of looking at or stratifying the information. A collection of information may also be associated within multiple concepts, with specific pieces of information relating to the same general concepts.
Unless a user has a complete understanding not only of the specific information in a body of knowledge, but also of the contextual relationships established within such information, the user likely will not have a full comprehension of the body of knowledge as a whole. On the other hand, given that a wide variety and volume of relationships may be established between information in a body of knowledge, there is a substantial risk that a presenting all of the potential relationships between information in a body of knowledge may actually impede user comprehension. Specifically, a large volume and/or a wide variety of relationships may be too overwhelming to digest absent some direction, e.g., from someone such as a teacher who is more knowledgeable about a particular body of knowledge. In short, a user may often have difficulty separating the relevant relationships in a body of knowledge from the irrelevant relationships.
As a result, a significant need exists, specifically in the area of presenting educational materials, for a manner of presenting not only the information in a body of knowledge, but also the contextual relationships established within the body of knowledge, with sufficient structure and control so that a user is better able to digest such information in a logical and coherent manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention addresses these and other problems associated with the prior art by providing a computer system and method of controlling the same in which an abstraction stack is sequenced through a number of predetermined display formats to facilitate user comprehension of a body of knowledge. An abstraction stack is utilized to present information from a body of knowledge in a three-dimensional workspace to facilitate user comprehension and management of both the specific information in the body of knowledge, as well as the contextual relationships of the information within the body of knowledge as a whole. The presentation of the information is therefore shifted from an essentially one-dimensional model to a three-dimensional model that is inherently more intuitive and efficient. As a result, the ability of a user to access, manage and comprehend a body of knowledge, or a specific problem related to that body of knowledge, is significantly enhanced.
Moreover, a number of predetermined display fornats are defined for the abstraction stack to permit the presentation of information to a user to be optimized throughout a sequence of predefined steps. This permits an author of a body of knowledge, for example, to present information from the body of knowledge in a logical and structured manner so that a user's attention and focus may be directed to follow a predetermined path through the body of knowledge.
It will therefore be appreciated that, through the use of an abstraction stack that presents information in a three-dimensional workspace, a user benefits from the added comprehension that results from the presentation of the contextual relationships of information in a body of knowledge. However, the presentation of these relationships is controlled via the different display formats for an abstraction stack such that a logical and controlled progression through a body of knowledge may still be obtained. Thus, the risk of a user becoming distracted by focusing on irrelevant matters is often reduced.
Particularly in the area of educational materials, an author has a great deal of flexibility, and more or less is permitted to function as a teacher that charts a specific path through the body of knowledge from a starting point (representing the initial comprehension level of a student) to an intended destination (representing a desirable comprehension level for the student after the student progresses through the sequence of steps). To this extent, the sequence of steps may be considered to function as a component of a lesson plan for a given educational topic. However, it should be appreciated that the principles of the invention may also apply to other types of materials and applications.
The predetermined display formats for an abstraction stack typically specify at least one of a position in the body of knowledge and a lens configuration for the abstraction stack, with each lens configuration specifying at least one lens configured to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge. In the illustrated embodiments, for example, the display format for some steps in a sequence may define a target location in a body of knowledge so that a specific information element relevant to a particular concept, and at an appropriate level of abstraction, is presented at an appropriate place in a sequence. In addition, the display format for some steps may specify a lens configuration that determines a number, configuration and/or arrangement of lenses sufficient to present a user with not only a primary concept at a primary le
International Business Machines - Corporation
Roth Steven W.
Sealey Lance W.
Wood Herron & Evans
Zimmerman Mark
LandOfFree
Computer system and method for controlling the same... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Computer system and method for controlling the same..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Computer system and method for controlling the same... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2567907