Abstract:
Indicators operable to preview or show the position and relative zoom level of a field of view within a virtual space. Virtual space exploration took typically make use of a field of view for limiting a user&#39;s view of the virtual space and zooming in on a portion of the virtual space. A spherical indicator is provided to show the current position of the field of view within the virtual space, as well as provide an indication of level of zoom. A local field of view indication is also provided to show the current position of the field of view, as well as provide an indication of level of zoom, with respect to a nearby object within the virtual space. Such indicators may be useful in exploring outer space as well as landscapes and any other spaces.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation of and claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/941,097 that was filed on Nov. 16, 2007 and that is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    When exploring spatial environments using virtual browsing tools, it can be difficult to determine a current position relative to the overall environment. For example, when looking at a map at a high zoom level, it can be difficult to know where you are looking. Or, when exploring outer space with a relatively narrow field of view, it can be difficult to know what portion of the sky is being explored. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding to the reader. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure and it does not identify key/critical elements of the invention or delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts disclosed herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
         [0004]    The present examples provide indicators operable to preview or show the position and relative zoom level of a field of view within a virtual space. Virtual space exploration tools typically make use of a field of view for limiting a user&#39;s view of the virtual space and zooming in on a portion of the virtual space. A spherical indicator is provided to show the current position of the field of view within the virtual space, as well as provide an indication of level of zoom. A local field of view indication is also provided to show the current position of the field of view, as well as provide an indication of level of zoom, with respect to a nearby object within the virtual space. Such indicators may be useful in exploring outer space as well as landscapes and any other spaces. 
         [0005]    Many of the attendant features will be more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The present description will be better understood from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example spherical indicator. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example local field of view indicator. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a static image example of a virtual space presentation interface of a virtual space browsing tool including example spherical and local indicators. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a static image example of spherical and local indicators. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is another static image example of spherical and local indicators. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing an example computing environment in which the technologies described herein may be implemented. 
       
    
    
       [0013]    Like reference numerals are used to designate like elements in the accompanying drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The detailed description provided below in connection with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of the present examples and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present examples may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth at least some of the functions of the examples and/or the sequence of steps for constructing and operating examples. However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different examples. 
         [0015]    Although the present examples are described and illustrated herein as being implemented in a computing environment, the environment described is provided as an example and not a limitation. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the present examples are suitable for application in a variety of different types of computing environments. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example spherical indicator  100 . Such an indicator may be used to provide a “you are here” view indicating the portion of some spatial environment being viewed when using a virtual space browsing tool or the like. In one example of indicator  100 , included is a translucent sphere  110  with ovals  111  and  112  to aid in providing a spherical appearance when displayed in two dimensions. Further included are lines  121  and  122  which provide for a visual center point  120  of sphere  110 . Sphere  110  typically represents an imaginary rotating sphere of gigantic radius, concentric and coaxial with the Earth, or some other body, located at center point  120 . Oval  111  is typically thought of as the celestial equator projected from the body at center point  120 . Line  122  is typically considered the celestial pole projected from the body at center point  120 . Symbol ‘N’  113  indicates the north pole of sphere  110  and the body at center point  120 . 
         [0017]    When browsing a virtual space all objects in the sky and/or surroundings may be thought of as lying on sphere  110 . When using a virtual space browsing tool to view such a sky and/or surroundings, indicator  100  typically indicates the position of the current field of view (“FOV”) of the browsing tool. In one example, indicator  100  shows the FOV as a projection  130  onto the surface of sphere  110  from center point  120 . The relative size of projection  130  is typically an indication of the relative zoom of the current FOV. For example, a larger projection generally indicates a lesser level of zoom and a smaller projection a greater level of zoom. Examples of zoom levels and corresponding projection sizes are provided in connection with  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
         [0018]    Indicator  100  typically includes positional information for the current FOV. In one example of positional information, right ascension (“RA”)  160  is one of two conventional coordinates used, displayed using an hours, minutes, seconds format or the like. The second of the two conventional coordinates used is declination (“Dec”), displayed using a +/− degrees, minutes, seconds format or the like. These two conventional coordinates may be used to indicate the position of the current FOV on sphere  110 . Indicator  100  may thus be used to provide an indication of the position and relative zoom of a current FOV of a virtual space browsing tool or the like. 
         [0019]    The term “virtual space” as used herein generally refers to a representation of some space, actual or imaginary, from a particular point of reference, such as outer space (the Earth, for example, being the point of reference) or some other space surrounding a particular point of reference (some point on the Earth, for example). The term “spatial environment” as used herein generally refers to a virtual space, real space, and/or imaginary space. Such spaces may, for example, be galactic, subatomic, or of any scope in-between. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example local field of view indicator  200 . Such an indicator may be used to provide a “you are here” view with respect to a nearby object  220  in a portion of the sky and/or surroundings being viewed when using a virtual space browsing tool or the like. In one example, indicator  200  includes area  210  typically showing an object  220  nearby the current FOV  211  position. Object  220  is typically centered in area  210  and the position of the current FOV  211  is typically shown relative to object  220 . Object  220  may be a representation of an object, an image of an object, or the like. The size of FOV  211  typically provides a relative indication of level of zoom. Symbol “L4”  213  also typically provides a relative indication of the level of zoom, lower numbers typically indicating less zoom and higher number more zoom. Further, zoom indicator  230  may also provide a visual indication of the relative level of zoom with fill line  232  indicating less zoom when more toward the left and more zoom when more toward the right. Object Name field  212  typically presents the name or other information of object  220 . Indicator  200  may thus be used to indicate the position of the current FOV relative to a nearby object in the virtual space of a virtual space browsing tool or the like. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a static image example of a virtual space presentation interface  300  of a virtual space browsing tool including example spherical and local indicators  330 . Example  300  includes a current field of view “FOV”)  310  of the virtual space which, in this example, is of outer space. A user may generally explore the virtual space by moving the FOV to a desired location in the virtual space via suitable user interface mechanisms. Further, the user may zoom in or out of the virtual space as desired, thus narrowing or widening FOV  310  respectively. Example spherical and local indicators  330 , such as described in connection with  FIGS. 1 and 2 , may indicate the current FOV position within the virtual space. 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a static image example of spherical and local indicators. In this example, local indicator  420  is centered on a representation of the Canes Venatici constellation with relatively little zoom and a relatively wide FOV, the FOV also centered on the representation of the Canes Venatici constellation. Further, spherical indicator  410  shows a projection of the current FOV including values for corresponding RA and Dec, again indicating a relatively wide FOV. 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is another static image example of spherical and local indicators. In this example, local indicator  520  is centered on a representation of the Canes Venatici constellation, this time with more zoom and a narrower FOV when compared with  FIG. 4 . Further, spherical indicator  510  shows a projection of the current FOV including values for corresponding RA and Dec, again indicating a narrower wide FOV when compared with  FIG. 4 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing an example computing environment  600  in which the technologies described herein may be implemented. A suitable computing environment may be implemented with numerous general purpose or special purpose systems. Examples of well known systems may include, but are not limited to, cell phones, personal digital assistants (“PDA”), personal computers (“PC”), hand-held or laptop devices, microprocessor-based systems, multiprocessor systems, servers, workstations, consumer electronic devices, set-top boxes, and the like. 
         [0025]    Computing environment  600  typically includes a general-purpose computing system in the form of a computing device  601  coupled to various components, such as peripheral devices  602 ,  603 ,  604  and the like. System  600  may couple to various other components, such as input devices  603 , including voice recognition, touch pads, buttons, keyboards and/or pointing devices, such as a mouse or trackball, via one or more input/output (“I/O”) interfaces  612 . The components of computing device  601  may include one or more processors (including central processing units (“CPU”), graphics processing units (“GPU”), microprocessors (“μP”), and the like)  607 , system memory  609 , and a system bus  608  that typically couples the various components. Processor  607  typically processes or executes various computer-executable instructions to control the operation of computing device  601  and to communicate with other electronic and/or computing devices, systems or environment (not shown) via various communications connections such as a network connection  614  or the like. System bus  608  represents any number of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, a serial bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures, and the like. 
         [0026]    System memory  609  may include computer readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (“RAM”), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory (“ROM”) or flash memory (“FLASH”). A basic input/output system (“BIOS”) may be stored in non-volatile or the like. System memory  609  typically stores data, computer-executable instructions and/or program modules comprising computer-executable instructions that are immediately accessible to and/or presently operated on by one or more of the processors  607 . 
         [0027]    Mass storage devices  604  and  610  may be coupled to computing device  601  or incorporated into computing device  601  via coupling to the system bus. Such mass storage devices  604  and  610  may include non-volatile RAM, a magnetic disk drive which reads from and/or writes to a removable, non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”)  605 , and/or an optical disk drive that reads from and/or writes to a non-volatile optical disk such as a CD ROM, DVD ROM  606 . Alternatively, a mass storage device, such as hard disk  610 , may include non-removable storage medium. Other mass storage devices may include memory cards, memory sticks, tape storage devices, and the like. 
         [0028]    Any number of computer programs, files, data structures, and the like may be stored in mass storage  610 , other storage devices  604 ,  605 ,  606  and system memory  609  (typically limited by available space) including, by way of example and not limitation, operating systems, application programs, data files, directory structures, computer-executable instructions, and the like. 
         [0029]    Output components or devices, such as display device  602 , may be coupled to computing device  601 , typically via an interface such as a display adapter  611 . Output device  602  may be a liquid crystal display (“LCD”). Other example output devices may include printers, audio outputs, voice outputs, cathode ray tube (“CRT”) displays, tactile devices or other sensory output mechanisms, or the like. Output devices may enable computing device  601  to interact with human operators or other machines, systems, computing environments, or the like. A user may interface with computing environment  600  via any number of different I/O devices  603  such as a touch pad, buttons, keyboard, mouse, joystick, game pad, data port, and the like. These and other I/O devices may be coupled to processor  607  via I/O interfaces  612  which may be coupled to system bus  608 , and/or may be coupled by other interfaces and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port, universal serial bus (“USB”), fire wire, infrared (“IR”) port, and the like. 
         [0030]    Computing device  601  may operate in a networked environment via communications connections to one or more remote computing devices through one or more cellular networks, wireless networks, local area networks (“LAN”), wide area networks (“WAN”), storage area networks (“SAN”), the Internet, radio links, optical links and the like. Computing device  601  may be coupled to a network via network adapter  613  or the like, or, alternatively, via a modem, digital subscriber line (“DSL”) link, integrated services digital network (“ISDN”) link, Internet link, wireless link, or the like. 
         [0031]    Communications connection  614 , such as a network connection, typically provides a coupling to communications media, such as a network. Communications media typically provide computer-readable and computer-executable instructions, data structures, files, program modules and other data using a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism. The term “modulated data signal” typically means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communications media may include wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection or the like, and wireless media, such as acoustic, radio frequency, infrared, or other wireless communications mechanisms. 
         [0032]    Power source  690 , such as a battery or a power supply, typically provides power for portions or all of computing environment  600 . In the case of the computing environment  600  being a mobile device or portable device or the like, power source  690  may be a battery. Alternatively, in the case computing environment  600  is a desktop computer or server or the like, power source  690  may be a power supply designed to connect to an alternating current (“AC”) source, such as via a wall outlet. 
         [0033]    Some mobile devices may not include many of the components described in connection with  FIG. 6 . For example, an electronic badge may be comprised of a coil of wire along with a simple processing unit  607  or the like, the coil configured to act as power source  690  when in proximity to a card reader device or the like. Such a coil may also be configure to act as an antenna coupled to the processing unit  607  or the like, the coil antenna capable of providing a form of communication between the electronic badge and the card reader device. Such communication may not involve networking, but may alternatively be general or special purpose communications via telemetry, point-to-point, RF, IR, audio, or other means. An electronic card may not include display  602 , I/O device  603 , or many of the other components described in connection with  FIG. 6 . Other mobile devices that may not include many of the components described in connection with  FIG. 6 , by way of example and not limitation, include electronic bracelets, electronic tags, implantable devices, and the like. 
         [0034]    Those skilled in the art will realize that storage devices utilized to provide computer-readable and computer-executable instructions and data can be distributed over a network. For example, a remote computer or storage device may store computer-readable and computer-executable instructions in the form of software applications and data. A local computer may access the remote computer or storage device via the network and download part or all of a software application or data and may execute any computer-executable instructions. Alternatively, the local computer may download pieces of the software or data as needed, or distributively process the software by executing some of the instructions at the local computer and some at remote computers and/or devices. 
         [0035]    Those skilled in the art will also realize that, by utilizing conventional techniques, all or portions of the software&#39;s computer-executable instructions may be carried out by a dedicated electronic circuit such as a digital signal processor (“DSP”), programmable logic array (“PLA”), discrete circuits, and the like. The term “electronic apparatus” may include computing devices or consumer electronic devices comprising any software, firmware or the like, or electronic devices or circuits comprising no software, firmware or the like. 
         [0036]    The term “firmware” typically refers to executable instructions, code, data, applications, programs, or the like maintained in an electronic device such as a ROM. The term “software” generally refers to executable instructions, code, data, applications, programs, or the like maintained in or on any form of computer-readable media. The term “computer-readable media” typically refers to system memory, storage devices and theft associated media, and the like. 
         [0037]    In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the present invention and the forgoing examples may be applied, it should be recognized that the examples described herein are meant to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the invention as described herein contemplates all such embodiments as may come within the scope of the following claims and any equivalents thereto.