Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-30
2002-08-13
Kincaid, Kristine (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S950000, C345S629000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06433798
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to user interfaces for computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for viewing a collection of objects on a display that allows a user to “scroll” through the objects by varying non-positional display attributes for objects, such transparency, color or size, instead of varying spatial location.
2. Related Art
One of the scarcest resources in today's computing devices is screen space. Even though the processing power and storage capacity of computing devices has increased by several orders of magnitude during the past twenty years, the average computer screen size has barely doubled. Although the resolution, clarity, and the overall quality of the displays has improved substantially, the actual size of the work area remains relatively limited. Screen space limitations are particularly apparent in the emerging pocket-sized computing devices and personal organizers. These pocket-sized computing devices often have display sizes that are less than a few hundred or a few thousand square pixels.
Spatial scrolling is a conventional and useful way to deal with limited screen real estate. When a user runs out of screen space, the user can scroll the display so that old objects move off the screen and new screen space becomes available. Conventional “spatial scrolling” suffers from a number of problems that undermine the benefits of the windows-icons-desktop-folders metaphor presently used in most user interfaces.
One problem is that spatial scrolling undermines spatial memory. User interfaces based upon the windows-icons-desktop-folders metaphor have proven quite powerful because they allow a user to organize data by placing icons at various “locations” on a computer display. Human users tend to have good “spatial memory,” which allows them to remember that particular items are located at specific locations on a display. Spatial scrolling undermines spatial memory because objects move as they scroll across a display.
Another problem with spatial scrolling is “discontinuous salience.” “Salience” is a measure of the prominence of an object in a display, in other words how much the object stands out from the rest of the display. As objects grow larger or become brighter they become more salient. However, when an object moves off the screen, its salience drops to zero. For example, in the case of three-dimensional scrolling, an object becomes increasingly salient as the object moves closer to the reference point of the display. However, salience drops to zero as the object passes through the forward clipping plane of the display. Furthermore, two objects that are close together in three-dimensional space appear to diverge and move apart across the screen as the reference point of the display moves closer to the objects.
What is needed is a method for scrolling through objects in a graphical display that preserves spatial memory and continuity of salience.
SUMMARY
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for viewing objects on a display that allows a user to scroll through the objects by varying a non-positional display attribute of the objects. This non-positional display attribute may include attributes such as transparency, fadedness and size. The system operates by receiving an intrinsic value for an object, which specifies a value for a display attribute associated with the object. The system also receives a reference value for the display attribute against which intrinsic values for objects are compared. This reference value may be received from a user, for example through a scroll bar that is manipulated by the user. The system uses the intrinsic value and the reference value to compute a display value for the object. Next, the object is displayed using the display value to specify the non-positional display attribute for the object.
In one embodiment of the present invention, computing the display value for the object includes computing a difference between the intrinsic value for the object and the reference value. In a further variation, the function used to compute the display value is continuous and assumes a higher value when the absolute value of the difference approaches zero, and a lower value when the absolute value of the difference becomes large.
In one embodiment of the present invention, display values are computed for the objects before any objects are displayed. Next, the objects are sorted by display value and displayed in sorted order. This ensures that objects with smaller display values are not displayed on top of objects with larger display values.
In one embodiment of the present invention, objects that have the same value for a display attribute belong to the same “layer” and are hence displayed at the same time. Objects that have an intrinsic value equal to reference value are displayed normally (opaquely) without any fading. Other objects that have a display value close the reference value are displayed translucently, giving the impression that objects are “emerging from the fog” or gradually “fading away.” Objects with a large difference between the intrinsic value of the object and the reference value are not displayed at all. This entire process is fully reversible and repeatable. Hence, a user can move the reference value higher and lower, viewing objects with different intrinsic values at varying levels of fading.
In one embodiment of the present invention, visualization of objects is implemented cumulatively. This means when the user moves the reference value higher, the display behaves as described above. However, when the user moves the reference value lower, the display shows cumulatively more and more objects until all possible objects become visible.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5949432 (1999-09-01), Gough et al.
patent: 5999191 (1999-12-01), Frank et al.
patent: 6111614 (2000-08-01), Mugura et al.
patent: 6151030 (2000-11-01), DeLeeuw et al.
patent: 6215503 (2001-04-01), Snyder et al.
Smith Randall B.
Taivalsaari Antero K. P.
Kincaid Kristine
Park Vaughan & Fleming LLP
Sun Microsystems Inc.
Tran Mylinh
LandOfFree
Stationary scrolling for user interfaces does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Stationary scrolling for user interfaces, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Stationary scrolling for user interfaces will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2964356