Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/893,512, filed Aug. 16, 2007; which claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/064,310, filed Feb. 23, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,260,789 B2, which issued on Aug. 21, 2007; which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/546,859, filed on Feb. 23, 2004, and entitled “A Method of Real-time Incremental Zooming using Pointing”. This application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/768,432. The subject matter of each of these applications is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention is directed to user interfaces and more particularly, to a method of navigation and interaction with a user interface. Such interaction and navigation involve operating an input device such as a mouse, a trackball or a three-dimensional (hereinafter “3D”) pointing remote device. The operation of the input device includes at least one of point, click, scroll, etc. 
     User interfaces, such as graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are well known. Virtually all computers include (or, enable) a graphical user interface in order to make the interaction with the computer more “user friendly”. This is accomplished by reducing, if not eliminating, the number of keystrokes a user is required to enter in order to perform a function such as launching an application residing on the computer. An increasing number of other electronic devices, from cell phones to user controls on appliances, rely on various graphical user interfaces that facilitate a user interaction with the particular device. 
     Traditional methods of using a GUI (on a computer for example) include the use of an input device such as a mouse or a track ball. A movement of the mouse or the track ball results in a corresponding pointer moving on the graphical user interface. The pointer can thus be navigated to an object (represented by an icon) on the GUI that corresponds to an executable task such as launching a software application for example. Once the pointer is navigated to an icon, the corresponding task can be executed by clicking (depressing) on an actuating button that is integrated within the input device. For example, if the icon on the GUI corresponds to a word processing application, clicking on the icon results in launching the word processing application. The pointer can also be used to rapidly scroll through pages of text within a word processing document for example. 
     The input device can be used to perform various tasks depending on the application being executed on the computer. In a map software program (generically referred to as location information program) for example, maps of a geographic area can be displayed. While displaying a map, the actuating button of the pointer can be depressed on a particular area of the map to zoom in on the selected area to provide additional detail while displaying a smaller overall geographic area. The actuating button therefore can be used to zoom in on an area of interest. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a map of the United States  114  is illustrated. Center point  108  represents the center of bounding box  102  (which could also represent the user interface) that includes map  114 . User interface  102  can represent a window corresponding to the map software program similar to a window that represents a work area of a document in a word processing program for example. The user can then request a more detailed view of a point of interest  105  on the map (such as New York City) by moving the pointer  104  to point of interest  105  and depressing the actuating button. The points of interest displayed on a graphical user interface may be thought of as objects. 
     The zooming in on the point of interest (i.e. New York in this example) results in map  314  of  FIG. 3A  being included within user interface  102 . As illustrated, New York (point of interest  105 ) is now displayed in the center of user interface  102 . Center point  108 , still representing center of the user interface  102  (but no longer representing center of map  114 ), now coincides with point of interest  105 . The point of interest  105  and center point  108  represent the same location on map  314 . 
     Pointer  104 , previously pointing to the point of interest  105  (in  FIG. 1 ), however remains at the same physical location within the user interface  102  but no longer points to the point of interest  105  (in  FIG. 3A ). That is, the relative distance of pointer  104  with respect to the side and top of user interface  102  in  FIG. 3A  is identical to the relative distance of pointer  104  with respect to the side and top of user interface  102  in  FIG. 1 . 
     If a user now wishes to zoom in further on New York, the user has to move the mouse until pointer  104  points to the point of interest  105  (or, center point  108 ) prior to depressing the actuating button. The pointer location does not coincide with or, is not synchronized to, the point of interest when zooming occurs according to current implementations. If a user wishes to zoom in a few times (to a number of zooming levels), a cumulative delay factor is introduced into the process as the pointer has to be located and moved to the point of interest for each desired zooming level. The cumulative delay factor is a sum of delays each of which is associated with having to re-centering the pointer after each zooming function. 
     Some embodiments provide a synchronization (or, coordination) between the zooming function and the pointer location on a user interface. 
     SUMMARY 
     Methods according to the present invention address these needs and others by providing a method for maintaining the position of pointer on a center of a graphical user interface 
     According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for navigating a pointer on a graphical user interface (GUI) includes the steps of: scrolling an input device to locate the pointer corresponding to the input device on a point of interest within the GUI, depressing an actuating button associated with the input device on the point of interest, obtaining a detailed view of the point of interest while centering the point of interest on the GUI and maintaining a position of the pointer on the point of interest. 
     According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method of centering a pointer on a graphical user interface (GUI) includes navigating the pointer to a point of interest away from a center of the GUI, actuating a mechanism for obtaining a magnified view of the point of interest, computing a distance between a center of the GUI and a location of the point of interest, generating a detailed view of the point of interest, displaying the detailed view with the point of interest centered on the GUI and animating a movement of the pointer from the position away from the center of the GUI to the point of interest. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a graphical user interface corresponding to an exemplary location information program; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a first magnified view of a portion of the user interface of  FIG. 1  in exemplary embodiment; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  depicts a second magnified view of a portion of the user interfaces of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; and 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate methods in accordance with exemplary embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements. Also, the following detailed description does not limit the invention. Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. 
     In exemplary embodiments, incremental zooming may be utilized to coordinate pointer location with a point of interest on a user interface. Referring back to  FIG. 1 , a user may navigate pointer  104  to a point of interest  105  and depresses the actuating button of an input device to obtain a more detailed view of point of interest  105 . An incremental zooming may take place in a series of zooming levels from  FIG. 1  to a desired zooming level for the point of interest  105  as illustrated in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . The number of zooming levels may be two for example—that is, an intermediate zooming step may exist between user interface in  FIG. 1  and that of  FIGS. 3A and 3B . Having two zooming levels is specified for exemplary purposes; the number of zooming levels may be greater than two in preferred embodiments. 
     By navigating pointer  104  and depressing actuating button at the point of interest  105  on  FIG. 1 , a user may identify the location for which a detailed view is desired. The detailed view may be obtained from pre-stored information contained in the software program for example; it may also be generated. The program may be stored in the computer, in a computer medium (such as a compact disc) or accessible to the computer over a network such as the internet. 
     A distance  106  between center  108  and point of interest  105  may be computed. A virtual line (representing  106 ) may be drawn between starting point  108  and point of interest  105 . The virtual line may represent the linear distance between points  108  and  105  of  FIG. 1 . An intermediate zooming level (or step) may be illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The center  108  of user interface  102  has now moved (along the virtual line representing distance  106 ) to approximately a midway point between center  108  in  FIG. 1  and center  108  of  FIG. 3A or 3B . 
     The center  108  of the user interface  102  remains fixed at one physical location on the interface as long as the size of the interface (represented by the window) remains constant; the geographic point represented by the center may vary based on the zooming level. For example, in  FIG. 1 , center  108  may represent some point in Nebraska while center  108  of  FIG. 2  may represent some point in Ohio. The pointer, designated by  104 , remains on the point of interest  105 . The original location of pointer  104 ′ (at point of interest  105  in  FIG. 1 ) is also shown in  FIG. 2  to distinguish exemplary embodiments over existing implementation methods. 
     A detailed view desired by zooming in point of interest  105  of  FIG. 1  is illustrated in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . A second zooming level may be illustrated with respect to  FIGS. 3A and 3B . Starting from  FIG. 2 , the distance represented by line  206  (which is one half of the distance  106  of  FIG. 1 ) between center  108  and point of interest  105  may be reduced to zero as center  108  of  FIGS. 3A and 3B  coincides with point of interest  105 . As with  FIG. 2  above, pointer  104  is now located over point of interest  105  in  FIG. 3B . The location of pointer  104 ″ (at point of interest  105  in  FIG. 2 ) is also illustrated in  FIG. 3B  to distinguish exemplary embodiments over existing implementation methods. 
     In some embodiments, the intermediate zooming level, the results of which are illustrated in  FIG. 2 , may not be needed. That is, the zooming can transition from  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3B . Pointer  104  would be positioned over point of interest  105  after the transition. Other embodiments may include additional zooming levels (additional to the two levels illustrated). 
     Centering the point of interest  105  within user interface  102  while zooming in may be achieved by combining the zooming function with a simultaneous panning function. Panning refers to translating the view in either the vertical horizontal dimensions. As a result of the panning process, the point of interest  105  coincides with center  108  of the interface  102 . 
     As the actuation button of the input device is depressed to achieve zooming, the point of interest  105  may move along the dotted distance line  106  to center  108  of the interface  102 . A progress of the pointer&#39;s movement along this line may be illustrated in an animated manner. In preferred embodiments, panning in order to make the point of interest  105  coincide with center  108  of user interface  102  may be completed at the same time the desired zooming level is achieved. The amount of movement (or displacement) the point of interest  105  undergoes for each zooming step may be computed. As described above, center  108  of the interface represents the point of interest as a result of this movement. 
     The final level of detail available for zooming in may be determined by a designer of the particular software program being used. For example, a designer of a map software program might choose to facilitate zooming in to a block level or a street level, etc. This may assist in determining the number of available zooming levels between a starting point  108  of  FIG. 1  and ending point  108  of  FIGS. 3A and 3B  for example. The number of available zooming levels may also determine how long it takes to get from the starting point to the ending point. 
     While the number of zooming levels illustrated is two and one intermediate frame is illustrated in this example, a higher number of zooming levels will result in more intermediate frames being shown. If four levels are available in an embodiment, then the number of intermediate frames may be three. That is, a first intermediate frame may depict point  108  being located between point  108  of  FIG. 1  and point  108  of  FIG. 2 ; a second intermediate frame may be identical to  FIG. 2 ; a third intermediate frame may depict point  108  being located between point  108  of  FIG. 2  and point  108  of  FIG. 3A  (or  3 B) and a fourth frame may be identical to  FIG. 3A  (of  3 B). If the number of available zoom levels is N, then the number of intermediate frames may be N−1. 
     Exemplary methods may also facilitate zooming out from a point of interest. In zooming out, the pointer may remain on the point of interest but the center may no longer coincide with the pointer. In  FIG. 3B  for example, if zooming out is indicated via the user input device, a portion of the user interface may illustrate the Atlantic Ocean east of New York for which no data may be available. In this case, the center  108  may be moved westward while pointer  104  remains on point of interest  105 . 
     Each of the figures also shows a scale (designated by  112 ,  212  and  312 ) to depict what one unit may represent (such as distance for example) in the corresponding figure. In some embodiments, a history of zooming levels that were illustrated (frames) may be maintained in order to enable a user to visit previous frames. 
     In some embodiments as described above, the animation or transition between a starting point (such as  FIG. 1 ) and the ending point ( FIGS. 3A and 3B ) may occur in a linear manner. That is, if only one intermediate frame is shown, the intermediate frame may be the midway point between the starting and ending points; similarly, if three intermediate frames are shown, they may represent points that are one quarter of the way, one half of the way and three quarters of the way between the starting point and the ending point as the intermediate frames. 
     In other embodiments, the animation may take place at a different rate (or at a varying rate). The first few intermediate frames may be shown slowly, the next several intermediate frames may be shown at a faster rate and the last few intermediate frames may be shown slowly for example. 
     Exemplary embodiments may be implemented on a general purpose computer such as a desktop, a laptop, a pocket PC, personal digital assistant (PDA) or other similar devices having the processing capacity. Methods described may be encoded on a computer readable medium as a series of executable instructions or on an application specific integrated chip (ASIC). 
     Methods in accordance with exemplary embodiments as described above may be illustrated as process or flow charts  400  and  500  in  FIGS. 4 and 5  respectively. 
     While the description has focused on zooming in on a map, exemplary methods may be equally applicable in other scenarios such as in virtual tour programs (i.e. real estate viewing for example) and in gaming, etc. The methods can also be used in menu selection within an entertainment/pay-per-view environment. For example, thumb nail images representing various movies available for viewing or on a pay-per-view basis may be displayed to a user on a display or screen. The user may utilize a 3D pointing device such as that developed by Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc. of Rockville, Md. to select one of the images. As a result of this selection, more detailed information corresponding to the selected image may be displayed to the user. Input devices may also include a graphic tablet, a tracking surface such as a track pad or a 3D pointing device. 
     The above-described exemplary embodiments are intended to be illustrative in all respects, rather than restrictive, of the present invention. Thus the present invention is capable of many variations in detailed implementation that can be derived from the description contained herein by a person skilled in the art. All such variations and modifications are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the following claims. No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items.

Technology Category: 3