초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for navigating within a three dimensional graphic display space and manipulating information and data represented by objects in display space. The method and apparatus presents users with a vastly expanded view of their data, displayed with a richer dimensionality. Data object

A method and apparatus for navigating within a three dimensional graphic display space and manipulating information and data represented by objects in display space. The method and apparatus presents users with a vastly expanded view of their data, displayed with a richer dimensionality. Data objects represented by graphic objects are arranged into a navigable landscape representing the containership and contextual relations of the underlying data. The graphic objects are columns, pedestals and disks, which represent data blocks, cells, and comparative values respectively. The columns rest on the pedestals. The disks are located with respect to the top of the column to signify a comparative attribute. The pedestal rest upon a ground plane. The ground plane represents a threshold value. Data attributes may be represented by visual, textual, executable, or audible characteristics of the display. The user may interact with the data to affect change in the underlying data or its representation within the display space. Less detail is displayed as the user navigates away from objects within the display space. Objects change from three-dimensional to two-dimensional, to line segments as the user moves away from the objects. Visible attributes such as text and icons are not displayed for distant objects.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for navigating through data within a display by transforming said data into a three-dimensional information landscape representation of the data, said three-dimensional information landscape comprising objects arranged in a three-dimensional landscape, said objects corresponding to data ele

A method for navigating through data within a display by transforming said data into a three-dimensional information landscape representation of the data, said three-dimensional information landscape comprising objects arranged in a three-dimensional landscape, said objects corresponding to data elements in said data, and said objects having object attributes corresponding to data fields characterizing said data elements, said method for navigating comprising the steps of: (a) defining said data elements and said data fields characterizing said data elements; (b) defining said object attributes characterizing said objects in said three-dimensional landscape; (c) creating said three-dimensional information landscape representation of said data by transforming data elements of said data into corresponding objects arranged in said three-dimensional landscape, wherein said transforming of said data elements further includes mapping data fields characterizing said data elements into object attributes characterizing said objects such that said object attributes are indicative of information in said data fields; (d) displaying said three-dimensional information landscape representation of said data to extend from a foreground at or near said display to a horizon located beyond the display relative to the viewpoint of a user including: displaying said objects in a hierarchy of levels, each level containing objects having a common data field associated with said respective level during said mapping, accumulating data information at each level of the hierarchy so that at least one of said object attributes of said objects in each level represents a sum of data information in corresponding objects in lower levels in the hierarchy, and normalizing sizes of said objects displayed at each level of the hierarchy independent of the size of objects at other levels in the hierarchy; and (e) navigating through said three-dimensional information landscape representation of said data.