Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Animation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-07
2001-02-20
Vo, Cliff N. (Department: 2772)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Animation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191799
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for graphically representing data as an animated object, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for altering the appearance of an animated object to reflect a rate of change in the data being represented by the animated object.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the advent of computers and computer networks, including the Internet, massive quantities and types of data have become available to computer users. Computer users may now obtain virtually any type of data in any quantity from virtually any data source. However, the challenge is in assimilating and presenting the data obtained in a meaningful manner to the computer user.
Clearly, the types, quantities, and sources of data available to computer users are virtually without limit. However, one specific example of available data that is particularly illustrative of the type with which the present invention may be used is financial market data. Financial market data includes any and all market information, current or historical, such as: the trading prices and volumes of stocks, bonds, stock funds, bond funds, market indices, commodities, commodity indices, monetary exchange rates, and any other market trading data. Investors have long had at their disposal voluminous amounts of textual and numerical financial market data. They have even been able to view such data graphically, such as with a bar graph, line diagram or pie chart. However, such graphical displays of data still have drawbacks in that they do not necessarily convey to the investor an immediate sense of how quickly the price or volume of a particular stock may be changing or trading at any given instant. Consequently, the investor is required to perform more mental calculation than she would like in order to obtain the desired information.
To solve the foregoing and other shortcomings in the prior art, a method and apparatus are needed for graphically representing data to a user in a manner that immediately and visually conveys to the user changes to the data. The method and apparatus should assimilate data quickly and easily, and should be capable of representing a plurality of data values and/or types simultaneously. As explained in the following, the present invention provides a method and apparatus that meets these criteria and solves other problems in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a data animation program for altering the appearance of an animated object which graphically represents data. The data animation program alters the appearance of the animated object by determining a rate of alteration for the animated object based on a change in the data which is represented by the animated object, and altering the appearance of the animated object in accordance with the rate of alteration for the animated object. For example, if the animated object is a propeller representing the price of a particular stock on the New York Stock Exchange, the data animation program determines a rate of motion for the propeller expressed in revolutions per minute (RPMs) based on a percentage change in the stock price and then causes the propeller to rotate at the determined rate of motion.
The data animation program determines the rate of alteration for an animated object by determining a rate of alteration factor as a function of a maximum rate of alteration allowed for the animated object and a maximum percentage change allowed in data and calculating the rate of alteration for the animated object as a function of the rate of alteration factor and the percentage change in data.
In accordance with other aspects of the present invention, if the rate of alteration for the animated object exceeds the maximum rate of alteration, the data animation program alters the appearance of the animated object to indicate that the maximum percentage change in data allowed has been exceeded. For example, if the rate of alteration for the animated object is too great, the animated object may be made to blink or change color. Conversely, if there is no change in the data represented by the animated object, the data animation program does not alter the appearance of the animated object, e.g., the animated object remains fixed.
In accordance with yet other aspects of the present invention, the data animation program displays and alters multiple animated objects simultaneously, transfers altered animated objects to other users, and alters animated objects at periodic intervals.
A method and an apparatus capable of performing actions generally consistent with the data animation program described above represent further aspects of the present invention.
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Christensen O'Connor Johnson & Kindness PLLC
Quid Novi, S.A.
Vo Cliff N.
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