Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Light pen for fluid matrix display panel
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-06
2001-08-28
Chow, Dennis-Doon (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Light pen for fluid matrix display panel
C345S182000, C345S419000, C345S427000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06281877
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control interface for a data terminal such as a personal computer connected to a network.
2. Related Art
Developments in telecommunications and computing, such as the growth of the Internet, potentially make available to users a large and diverse universe of data. It is important therefore that any data terminal is designed in such a way as to facilitate efficient browsing, selection and retrieval of data. It has long been recognised that the nature of the user interface makes an important contribution to the operational efficiency of any such terminal. User interfaces have developed from simple text-based command line interfaces to two-dimensional graphic user interfaces (GUI's) such as those associated with the industry-standard operating systems of Apple Computers, Microsoft and others. In two-dimensional GUI's data are commonly displayed and accessed in a tree structure using a file and folder metaphor. As the size and complexity of the available data increases, such an approach becomes increasingly inadequate.
It has recently been proposed to use interfaces based on a three-dimensional display and control environment. In such an environment, a data source—which may be, for example a file on a local storage device, a remotely located file, or a live data source such as an on-line news service—is typically represented as a three-dimensional object in a landscape. The visual characteristics of the object may be used to identify the type of data, and the relative positions of different objects may be used to map relationships between the data. The user traverses the landscape and interacts with the data using an input device such as a mouse.
The use of a three-dimensional interface provides additional ways of indicating to the user relationships between data, and opens up the possibility of a variety of new forms of interaction between the user and the terminal. It is found however that the greater complexity of the 3-D interface can easily exacerbate the demands placed on the user. Many of the cues which aid human navigation in the real world are missing in the 3-D environment, and the input device used for control of the viewpoint in the environment may be unfamiliar and difficult to use. Slow system response compounds these problems. The user may find that after performing some control action using the input device the viewpoint changes in an unexpected way. The user may end up looking at an unfamiliar or unpopulated part of the environment, with no obvious way of returning to the region containing data sources of interest. In view of these problems, unless the behaviour of the 3-D user interface is appropriately controlled it may reduce rather than increase the efficiency with which the terminal can be used to access data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a control interface for a data terminal comprising a three-dimensional display of an environment including a plurality of objects corresponding to different respective data sources, the apparent location of the viewpoint in the environment being changeable in response to input from the user.
Characterised in that in response to a control input from the user the said viewpoint is arranged to move from a current location to the location of a destination object gradually via a series of intermediate locations and with a speed which is progressively reduced as the destination object is approached.
It will be understood that the term “three-dimensional display” as used herein encompasses any display representing a view with such properties as perspective and parallax. Often such a display will be provided on a conventional two-dimensional screen. The invention also encompasses, but is by no means limited to, immersive virtual reality displays in which a true three-dimensional effect is provided through the use, for example, of a pair of display devices mounted in goggles.
The present invention provides a three-dimensional user interface in which movement between different locations in the environment is effected as a gradual “flight” through a number of intermediate locations with a speed which is reduced as the destination is approached. The inventors have found that this method of changing the viewpoint of the display and so moving between different data sources significantly enhances the intuitiveness and ease of use of the interface, making it easier for the users to orient themselves within the environment and to glean information from the environment. Starting from a relatively higher speed and then progressively slowing means that long flights do not take an undue amount of time, while the slowing of the flight as the target is approached prevents the user becoming disoriented by a rapid approach and sudden stop.
Preferably as the viewpoint moves to the destination object the direction of gaze of the viewpoint is directed towards the object.
In real life, our direction of gaze naturally turns towards an object which is being approached or reached out for. The inventors have found that it is important for this property to be replicated in a 3-D control environment to minimise disorientation of the user as the viewpoint changes.
If when the target object is. initially selected the direction of gaze of the viewpoint is oriented away from the object, then preferably the direction of gaze is changed to face the destination object gradually and concurrently with movement of the viewpoint towards the destination object.
Preferably the direction of gaze of the viewpoint is arranged to be directed away from the target object to another object in the environment in response to a further control input by the user during the flight and at the same time a further discontinuous reduction is made in the speed of travel in addition to the gradual reduction associated with the approach to the destination object.
Preferably while the direction of gaze is directed away from the target object the speed is maintained at a reduced level.
It is found that the interaction of the user with the data via the terminal is further enhanced if during the course of a flight towards an object representing a given data source the user is able to examine other objects along the flight path. To this end, the user is given the ability to change the direction of gaze away from the line of flight while at the same time the speed of flight is reduced, giving the user time to take in information.
The input from the user which initiates the change in location of the viewpoint may take the form of a direct selection of the target object, for example by locating a cursor on the object and clicking on it. Preferably the control interface further comprises vehicle objects displayed in the environment. A vehicle object is arranged, when selected by the user, to take the viewpoint to a predetermined location. This then provides an alternative way for the user to initiate a change in location. In either case, the user may change the destination before the end of the flight by selecting another object before the original destination object is reached. Such a change might be made if, for example, one of the other objects examined during the course of the flight is found to provide a data source more relevant to the user's needs.
Preferably the interface environment further includes landmark objects not corresponding to data sources.
Often, different regions of the interface environment will contain a number of related data sources. For example, a number of on-line news services might be grouped together in one region. In this case, the user may want to navigate towards the general region but without initially selecting a specific one of the services. This is made possible by the provision of landmark objects which may be selected and used to initiate a change in location in the same way as data objects, but which do not themselves have any associated data source. One or more landmark objects might be pro
Fisher Kim J
Linton David J
British Telecommunications PLC
Chow Dennis-Doon
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
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