Granted Patent B2

US 7,356,777 · App. 11/044,158 · Granted Apr 8, 2008

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A system for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene, comprising:

a database to store a three-dimensional scene to logically hold clusters, each cluster also stored in the database and comprising one or more concepts, arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine;

a two-dimensional display to display each cluster spine projected relative to a stationary perspective; and

a user interface provided by a heads-up display generator, comprising:

controls to operate on a view of the cluster spines in the display;

a compass to frame the cluster spines within the display; and

a generator to specify a label that identifies one such concept in one or more of the cluster spines appearing within the compass, wherein a plurality of slots in the two-dimensional display are positioned circumferentially around the compass and each label is assigned to the slot outside of the compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the slot.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the view of the cluster spines in the display is reoriented via the heads-up display generator in response to user input to the controls.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the reorientation via the heads-up display generator is selected from the group comprising zooming and panning the view of the cluster spines.

4. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a slice object defined via the heads-up display generator for the concepts in each of the cluster spines presenting a selection user control, wherein each slice object is associated to the slot assigned to the label corresponding to the concept defined for the slice object, and upon selection of the label in the display in response to user input to the controls, the concept displayed is emphasized.

5. The system according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a pin control defined via the heads-up display generator to pin a cluster spine onto the compass upon selection of the label in the display in response to user input to the controls.

6. The system according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a reclustering control to recluster new clusters via a clustering component in response to user input to the controls based on the cluster spines currently projected in the display.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein one or more of the clusters are organized via a clustering component into groupings.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein a revised set of clusters corresponding to the grouping are placed via a cluster spine placement component in the display.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the display of at least one cluster spine appearing within the compass is emphasized upon selection of at least one such cluster within the cluster spine.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the display of each cluster appearing outside of the compass is deemphasized.

11. A method for providing a dynamic user interface for a dense three-dimensional scene, comprising:

placing clusters stored in a database, each cluster comprising one or more concepts, in a three-dimensional scene stored in the database arranged proximal to each other such cluster to form a cluster spine;

projecting each cluster spine into a two-dimensional display relative to a stationary perspective;

presenting controls via a heads-up display generator operating on a view of the cluster spines in the display and providing a compass via the heads-up display generator logically framing the cluster spines within the display;

generating a label via the heads-up display generator to identify one such concept in one or more of the cluster spines appearing within the compass; and

defining a plurality of slots via the heads-up display generator in the two-dimensional display positioned circumferentially around the compass and assigning each label to the slot outside of the compass for the cluster spine having a closest angularity to the slot.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

reorienting the view of the cluster spines via the heads-up display generator in the display in response to user input to the controls.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

providing reorientation via the heads-up display generator selected from the group comprising zooming and panning the view of the cluster spines.

14. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

defining a slice object via the heads-up display generator for the concepts in each of the cluster spines presenting a selection user control;

associating each slice object via the heads-up display generator to the slot assigned to the label corresponding to the concept defined for the slice object; and

upon selection of the label in the display in response to user input to the controls, emphasizing the concept displayed.

15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:

pinning a cluster spine via the heads-up display generator onto the compass upon selection of the label in the display in response to user input to the controls.

16. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:

forming new clusters via a clustering component in response to user input to the controls based on the cluster spines currently projected in the display.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:

organizing groupings via a clustering component of one or more of the clusters.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

placing a revised set of clusters via a cluster spine placement component corresponding to the grouping in the display.

19. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

emphasizing the display of at least one cluster spine appearing within the compass upon selection of at least one such cluster within the cluster spine.

20. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

deemphasizing the display of each cluster appearing outside of the compass.

21. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 11 .

Assignments (9)