Abstract: A system and method for managing software application windows in a graphical user interface having a desktop and taskbar display area are provided. Each instantiated program is represented as one or more graphical windows in the desktop and as a control tile in the taskbar. Control tiles are grouped into control tile groups that facilitate organization and single access control. Project control tile groups allow the grouping of multiple software applications. Additionally, minimized control tile group layout and state may be preserved and previewed prior to being restored.

Abstract: The described arrangements and procedures provide for interfacing (e.g., managing, presenting, etc.) with complex and often elastic inter-object relationships between objects in a data polyarchy. Specifically, a schema is dynamically generated by a server to represent multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships between objects in a data polyarchy. The schema indicates or lists each attribute or element of interest in the data polyarchy. The schema further indicates any of one or more dimensions of inter-object relationships within which objects that comprise at least a subset of the listed the elements of interest participate. Thus, the schema indicates how to interface with the data polyarchy, which represents multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships based on the values of attributes of the represented objects.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for handling a dismissed dialogue box that displays an animation in which the dialogue box moves to an off-screen space beyond the perimeter of a computer display. Based on a later user request to view the dismissed dialogue box, the present invention provides a further animation that brings the off-screen space and the dialogue box into view. Under some embodiments, multiple dismissed dialogue boxes are stored in the off-screen space and the user can manipulate the boxes when viewing the off-screen space. In some embodiments, the off-screen space is brought into view by rotating the space into the user's current view. In other embodiments, the user's current view is rotated to show the space.

Abstract: The described arrangements and procedures dynamically generate a data polyarchy from information received from a data store (e.g., a directory or database). The data polyarchy represents multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships based on values of attributes of the objects. These multiple hierarchies are generated and represented in a manner that is independent of object naming and predetermined hierarchical data structures.

Abstract: A display system for displaying lists of linked documents. The present invention is implemented for displaying lists of related pages downloaded from the World Wide Web. The list of pages is displayed in a book metaphor termed a WebBook. The book metaphor is desirable since it inherently conveys the notion of the pages being related. When displayed, two active pages are displayed at one time. For the WebBook, each page in the list is converted into a page object and will represent a left or right page. Page objects representing a left page will have an axis of rotation along a right edge (as viewed orthogonally) while page objects representing a right page will have an axis of rotation along a left edge (as viewed orthogonally). The changing of pages is animated. Various user interface controls are provided for traversing the pages of the book, creating book marks, scanning pages, scaling the contents of a page, scrolling through pages, etc.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for facilitating navigation techniques in a three-dimensional virtual environment. The present invention couples input driving techniques to the state of one or more workspace variables (e.g., object state, virtual body state, environment state) to change the user's viewing context within a single input control motion. Modification of the user's viewing context allows navigation to various positions and orientations with out the need to be provided with that viewing context prior to navigation. The modification of the user's viewing context also allows for single input motion employing the same input drive controls.

Abstract: A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered on a simulated three-dimensional surface which (i) exploits spatial memory and (ii) allows more objects to be rendered on a given screen. The objects may be moved, continuously, on the surface with a two-dimensional input device.

Abstract: An object having first and second intersecting hierarchies is specified. The object is illustrated with respect to the first hierarchy. The second intersecting hierarchy is presented for selection to illustrate the object with respect to the second intersecting hierarchy. In response to selecting the second intersecting hierarchy, the object is illustrated within the second intersecting hierarchy. To illustrate the object within the second intersecting hierarchy, the procedure visually morphs from the first intersecting hierarchy to the second intersecting hierarchy. This means that a first structure representing the first hierarchy is gradually changed to a second structure that represents the second hierarchy.

Abstract: A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered on a simulated three-dimensional surface which (i) exploits spatial memory and (ii) allows more objects to be rendered on a given screen. The objects may be moved, continuously, on the surface with a two-dimensional input device. Furthermore, the interface determines a degree to which each such object is related, either through similarity or matching, to other such objects and displays an appropriate cue proximate to and associated with the former object to visually signify this degree.

Abstract: A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails, as scaled images, are rendered on a two-dimensional wall or screen, and which exploits spatial memory. The objects may be moved, continuously, on the surface 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.

Abstract: A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered on a simulated three-dimensional surface which (i) exploits spatial memory and (ii) allows more objects to be rendered on a given screen. The objects may be moved, continuously, on the surface with a two-dimensional input device.

Abstract: A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered on a simulated three-dimensional surface which (i) exploits spatial memory and (ii) allows more objects to be rendered on a given screen. The objects may be moved, continuously, on the surface with a two-dimensional input device.

Abstract: A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered on a simulated three-dimensional surface which (i) exploits spatial memory and (ii) allows more objects to be rendered on a given screen. The objects may be moved, continuously, on the surface with a two-dimensional input device.

Abstract: Peripheral lenses provide simulated peripheral vision on a display device. One or more peripheral lenses may be provided to generate peripheral views corresponding to portions of peripheral vision. In a first alternative, multiple viewing frustums are utilized. A first viewing frustum is utilized to define a main view of a scene and additional viewing frustums are defined for each peripheral lens. The viewing frustums of the peripheral lenses are angularly offset relative to the viewing frustum for the main view and share a boundary with the viewing frustum for the main view. In a second alternative, a reflective object is positioned within a scene to yield peripheral views of the scene. Environment mapping is employed to determine how objects in the scene are reflected off the reflective object. The reflective object may be dynamically altered to modify the resulting peripheral view.

Abstract: A segmented ball for an electrical twisting ball color display device, the device being composed of different sets of spheroidal balls rotatably disposed in an elastomer substrate, each set being associated with a different display color. The segmented ball includes a colored interior segment surrounded on either side by transparent exterior segments, the three segments being arrayed substantially parallel to one another, with adjacent segments being adjoined to one another at substantially planar interfaces. The colored interior segment can have, for example, a transparent or opaque chromatic color, such as red, green, or blue. The ball has an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, the electrical dipole moment rendering the ball electrically responsive such that when the ball is rotatably disposed in a nonoscillating electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the ball is provided, the ball tends to rotate to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field.

Abstract: A three dimensional document workspace for interacting with large numbers of document objects. A document object may be a document or a document collection. The document workspace is divided hierarchically in terms of interaction rates. A focus space is where direct interaction with a document or document collection occurs. An immediate memory space or desktop is for placing pages or books that are in use, but not currently being interacted with. A tertiary space or bookcase is where many books and pages that are not in use, but which it is desirable to have ready access to. Moving document objects in the document workspace is facilitated by touch-drop and flick gestures. The touch-drop gesture addresses the problem of obscuring distant (hence smaller) document objects by presenting a visual line indicating a destination for a moved document object. Flick gestures are used to quickly move document objects within the document workspace.

Abstract: A three dimensional document workspace for interacting with large numbers of document objects. A document object may be a document or a document collection. The document workspace is divided hierarchically in terms of interaction rates. A focus space is where direct interaction with a document or document collection occurs. An immediate memory space is for placing pages or books that are in use, but not currently being interacted with. A tertiary space is where many books and pages that are not in use, but which it is desirable to have ready access to. Moving document objects in the document workspace is facilitated by touch-drop and flick gestures. The touch-drop gesture addresses the problem of obscuring distant (hence smaller) document objects by presenting a visual line indicating a destination for a moved document object. Flick gestures are used to quickly move document objects within the document workspace.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the displayed detail of a tree structure. The present invention is for use on a computer controlled display system and provides for visualization of a tree structure so that a greater amount of the detail of the tree structure may be displayed in a display area. In the present invention, a tree structure is warped about an arbitrary surface for display. Such an arbitrary surface would include a surface defined by a parabola, a hyperbola or by the intersection of two lines. As a result, an increased number of nodes in each level of the tree can be displayed.

Abstract: A multilayer substrate material for a subtractive-color electrical twisting ball display. The material is composed of a layered substrate including first, second, and third layers, each layer of the substrate being a nearest neighboring layer with respect to at least one other layer and no more than two other layers. Spheroidal balls are disposed in each of the first, second, and third layers. In the first layer, each ball has at least two component regions including a component region having a first chromatic color, such as transparent cyan. In the second layer, each ball has at least two component regions including a component region having a second chromatic color, such as transparent magenta. In the third layer, each ball has at least two component regions including a component region having a third chromatic color, such as transparent yellow.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for maintaining a view of a selected display object while navigating in an n-dimensional, navigable workspace. Objects perceptible in the workspace are perceptible as viewed from one of a plurality of viewpoints of the workspace. In response to the system user selecting a display object for coupling, the selected display object is moved to a preferred viewing position and coupled to a first viewpoint into the workspace that is the viewpoint into the workspace at the time the object is selected. In response to the user's subsequent requests to change viewpoints into the workspace to perform navigation therein, the display object appears to maintain the same relative position to the first viewpoint. This results in the selected display object always being easily perceptible and accessible in the workspace even if the selected display object would not otherwise be perceptible from one of the changed viewpoints in the workspace.