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A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered in a three-dimensional environment and which exploits spatial memory. The objects may be moved, continuously, with a two-dimensional input device. Pop-up title bars may be rendered over active objects. Intelligent help may be provide

A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered in a three-dimensional environment and which exploits spatial memory. The objects may be moved, continuously, with a two-dimensional input device. Pop-up title bars may be rendered over active objects. Intelligent help may be provided to the user, as visual indicators, based on proximity clustering or based on matching algorithms. The simulated location of the object thumbnails in a direction orthogonal to the surface is based on function, such as a linear, polynomial, or exponential function for example, of one or more object properties, such as number of mouse clicks since selected, age, size, etc.

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1. A man-machine interface method for permitting a user to act on thumbnails, each thumbnail representing an associated object containing information, for use with a machine having a video display device and a user input device, the man-machine interface method comprising: generating a three-dimensi

1. A man-machine interface method for permitting a user to act on thumbnails, each thumbnail representing an associated object containing information, for use with a machine having a video display device and a user input device, the man-machine interface method comprising: generating a three-dimensional environment to be rendered on the video display device, the three-dimensional environment comprising an object manipulation and display field having surfaces including a bottom, a transparent front wall, a rear wall and side walls;determining a two-dimensional location and a depth of each of the thumbnails in the three-dimensional environment, wherein, for each of the thumbnails: the depth is a function of at least one parameter of the object associated with the thumbnail; andthe two-dimensional location and the depth is determined that prevents total occlusion of the thumbnail by one or more other of the thumbnails in the three-dimensional environment;generating the thumbnails within the three-dimensional environment, at the determined two-dimensional locations and depths, to be rendered on the video display device;accepting inputs from the user input device;determining a selected viewing point, two-dimensional location, depth and direction based on the accepted inputs; andgenerating, as visible, a portion of the three-dimensional environment and those thumbnails that are in front of the selected viewing point to be rendered on the video display device, wherein those thumbnails that are in back of the selected viewing point are not visible and cast corresponding shadows on the at least one of the surfaces. 2. The man-machine interface method of claim 1 wherein, for each of the thumbnails, the depth is at least one of a linear function, a polynomial function or an exponential function of at least one parameter of the object associated with the thumbnail. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one parameter selected from a group of parameters consisting of click history, age, time since last use, size, file type, associated application, classification, and author. 4. The man-machine interface method of claim 1 further comprising: accepting inputs from the user input device;determining a two-dimensional cursor location based on the accepted inputs; andgenerating a cursor at the determined two-dimensional cursor location, to be rendered on the video display device. 5. The man-machine interface method of claim 4 further comprising: if the two-dimensional location of the cursor is located on or over one of the thumbnails, defining a state of that thumbnail as active. 6. The man-machine interface method of claim 5 further comprising: generating a pop-up information bar located over the active thumbnail, to be rendered on the video display device. 7. The man-machine interface method of claim 5 further comprising: wherein the user input provides a selection input and an active or floated thumbnail exists, then generating a higher resolution visual representation of the object represented by and associated with the active or floated thumbnail, at a preferred viewing location at a foreground of the three dimensional environment, to be rendered on the video display device. 8. The man-machine interface method of claim 7, wherein the act of generating the higher resolution visual representation of the object represented by and associated with the active thumbnail includes: generating an animation which moves the higher resolution visual representation of the object represented by and associated with the active thumbnail from the location of the active thumbnail to the preferred viewing location at the foreground of the three dimensional environment, to be rendered on the video display device. 9. The man-machine interface method of claim 8 further comprising: if the user input provides a deselection input and if a selected thumbnail exists, then generating a video output for moving the high resolution visual representation of the object represented by and associated with the active thumbnail to the two-dimensional location of the selected thumbnail, to be rendered on the video display device. 10. The man-machine interface method of claim 7 further comprising: if the user input provides a sink input and if a floated thumbnail exists, then setting the depth of the floated thumbnail to a previous value and defining a state of the floated thumbnail as active. 11. The man-machine interface method of claim 7, further comprising: if the user input provides a selection input and if a floated thumbnail exists, then: invoking an application related to the object represented by and associated with the floated thumbnail,loading the object represented by and associated with the floatedthumbnail into the application, andgenerating a video output of the application with the loaded object represented by and associated with the floated thumbnail at a preferred viewing location, to be rendered on the video display device. 12. The man-machine interface method of claim 5 further comprising: if the user input provides a float input and if an active thumbnail exists, then setting the depth of the active thumbnail to a predetermined value and defining a state of the active thumbnail as floated. 13. The man-machine interface method of claim 5, further comprising: if the user input provides a selection input and if an active thumbnail exists, then: invoking an application related to the object represented by and associated with the active thumbnail,loading the object represented by and associated with the active thumbnail into the application, andgenerating a video output of the application with the loaded object represented by and associated with the active thumbnail at a preferred viewing location, to be rendered on the video display device. 14. The man-machine interface method of claim 5, further comprising: if the user input provides a move input and if an active or floated thumbnail exists, then: updating the two-dimensional location of the active or floated thumbnail based on the move input, wherein the move input includes a mouse drag. 15. The man-machine interface method of claim 1 wherein: the three-dimensional environment defines a foreground and a background, and the act of generating thumbnails, within the three-dimensional environment, at the determined two-dimensional locations and depths, to be rendered on the video display device, includes: using perspective view so that any thumbnails in the foreground defined by the three-dimensional environment appear larger than any thumbnails in the background defined by the three-dimensional surface. 16. The man-machine interface method of claim 15 wherein a thumbnail partially occludes any thumbnails behind it, based on a selected viewing point. 17. The man-machine interface method of claim 1, further comprising: employing a matching algorithm for determining related thumbnails of the thumbnails; andin response to selection of one of the related thumbnails, generating a visual halo that encompasses the related thumbnails to be rendered on the video display device. 18. The man-machine interface method of claim 17, wherein the determining the two-dimensional location and the depth of each of the thumbnails in the three-dimensional environment comprises clustering the related thumbnails together in the three-dimensional environment. 19. One or more volatile or nonvolatile memory devices storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to perform acts comprising: generating a three-dimensional environment for rendering thumbnails on a video display device, the three-dimensional environment comprising surfaces that bound the three-dimensional environment;determining a two-dimensional location and a depth of each of the thumbnails in the three-dimensional environment, wherein for each of the thumbnails: the depth is a function of at least one parameter associated with the associated thumbnail; andthe two-dimensional location and the depth is determined that prevents total occlusion of the thumbnail by one or more other of the thumbnails in the three-dimensional environment;employing a matching algorithm for determining related thumbnails of the thumbnails;in response to selection of one of the related thumbnails, generating a visual halo that encompasses the related thumbnails for rendering on the video display device;accepting inputs from the user input device;determining a selected viewing point at a depth in the three-dimensional environment, a two-dimensional location of the selected viewing point and a viewing direction based on the accepted inputs; andgenerating, as visible, a portion of the three-dimensional environment and those thumbnails that are in front of the selected viewing point to be rendered on the video display device, wherein those thumbnails that are in back of the selected viewing point are not visible and cast corresponding shadows on the at least one of the surfaces. 20. The one or more volatile or nonvolatile memory devices of claim 19 wherein, for each of the thumbnails, the depth is at least one of a linear function, a polynomial function or an exponential function of at least one parameter of an object associated with the thumbnail. 21. The one or more volatile or nonvolatile memory devices of claim 20, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one parameter selected from a group of parameters consisting of click history, age, time since last use, size, file type, associated application, classification, and author. 22. An apparatus comprising: one or more processors and memory having stored therein computer executable instructions, and the computer executable instructions upon execution by the one or more processors configuring the apparatus to perform acts comprising: generating a three-dimensional environment for rendering thumbnails on a video display device, the three-dimensional environment comprising surfaces that bound the three-dimensional environment;determining a two-dimensional location and a depth of each of the thumbnails in the three-dimensional environment, wherein for each of the thumbnails: the depth of the thumbnail is a function of at least one parameter associated with the thumbnail; andthe two-dimensional location and the depth of the thumbnail is determined that prevents total occlusion of the thumbnail by one or more other of the thumbnails in the three-dimensional environment;generating the thumbnails within the three-dimensional environment, at the determined two-dimensional locations and depths, to be rendered on the video display device;accepting inputs from the user input device;determining a selected viewing point at a depth in the three-dimensional environment, a two-dimensional location of the selected viewing point and a viewing direction based on the accepted inputs; andgenerating, as visible, a portion of the three-dimensional environment and those thumbnails that are in front of the selected viewing point to be rendered on the video display device, wherein those thumbnails that are in back of the selected viewing point are not visible and cast corresponding shadows on the at least one of the surfaces. 23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein, for each of the thumbnails, the depth of the thumbnail is at least one of a linear function, a polynomial function or an exponential function of at least one parameter of an object associated with the thumbnail.