EP0489576A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Computer controlled display apparatus and method
Assignee: Sony Electronics Inc
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Filing: 1991-12-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-12-03
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and methods are described to provide a multi-dimensional user interface for use in audio visual production. A display system including a central processing unit (CPU) (22) is coupled through appropriate input/output (I/O) circuitry (32) to input devices, such as a keyboard (38), a digital pad (36) and/or a track ball (40) as well as a display device (50). The CPU is further coupled to a hard disk drive (30) for the storage of programs and data, and is also coupled to a network through which the CPU may communicate with a variety of system resource devices such as editors, music synthesizers (55), graphics generators, scheduling resources, audio enhancement resources, etc. A user viewing the interface on the display may utilize one of the input devices, such as by way of example, the keyboard, to select, incorporate or otherwise integrate the various system resources to develop a unified multi-media production. The user interface includes a control frame (150) which in practice substantially fills all of the display screen of the display and is consistent for all user applications. The control frame is comprised of control panels (152, 190, 170) which surround a variety of subwindows (200, 215) and acts as a consistent control area for all users of the interface. Once defined, elements may be selectively placed on an event horizon bar (220) in the control frame. The placement of an element on the event horizon results in the display of timing data for the element, relative to other elements on the event horizon.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael T. Mackay
- 👤 Robert J. Berger
- 👤 Robert Duffy
- 👤 Ted Ellis Langford
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 16:10
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/222; G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G06F3/04815; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G11; G11B; G11B27/00; G11B27/02; G11B27/031; G11B27/034; G11B27/10; G11B27/34; G11B2220/00; G11B2220/40; G11B2220/41; G11B2220/90; G11B27/36
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
197 words
A computer controlled display apparatus including at least one central processing unit (CPU) (22), said CPU being coupled to a display (50) for displaying data, and user input means (36, 38, 40, 41), said display system being further coupled to a plurality of system resources (90, 92, 95, 102) having defined attributes, said display system comprising: means for generating a user interface for display by said display, said user interface including a display of representations (300, 310, 312, 314, 316, 320) of resources coupled to said display system with which a user interacts through said user input means, said representations of said resources being arranged in an N dimensional venue which may be viewed using said user interface from a plurality of view ports (200, 215) such that viewing said representations of said resources from different view ports results in the display of different attributes of said resources, said representations of said resources being arranged in said venue such that each of said resources is disposed relative to one another in time and space within said venue; and manipulation means coupled to said user input means for selectively positioning said representations of said resources within said venue.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for generating a user interface includes means coupled to said CPU for generating and displaying a control frame (15) using said display to display selected view ports of a venue, said control frame including a plurality of command options (152, 190, 170) which may be selected by said user using said user input means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said control frame further includes a event horizon bar (220), such that the placement of a representation of a resource on said bar results in timing data being displayed in said control frame.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
162 words
A computer controlled display system including at least one central processing unit (CPU), said CPU being coupled to display means for displaying data on a screen of a display, and user input means, said display system being further coupled to a plurality of system resources having defined attributes, said display system comprising: means for generating a user interface on said screen of said display displaying representations of resources coupled to said display system with which a user interacts through said user input means, said means for generating a user interface including means coupled to said CPU for generating and displaying a control frame on said display, said control frame including a plurality of command options which may be selected by said user using said user input means, and further including a event horizon bar, such that the placement of a representation of a resource on said bar using said user input means results in predetermined data being displayed in said control frame.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said representations of said resources are arranged in an N dimensional venue which may be viewed using said interface from a plurality of view ports, such that viewing said representations of said resources from different view ports results in the display on said screen of different attributes of said resources.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said representations of said resources are arranged in said venue such that each of said resources is disposed relative to one another in time and space within said venue.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 further including manipulation means coupled to said user input means for selectively positioning said representations of said resources within said venue.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1, 5, 6 and 7 wherein said venue is three-dimensional and each of said representations of said resources is three dimensional.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said venue may be viewed from six view ports, namely, a top (215), left, right, rear, bottom and front (200) view port.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein viewing said venue from a top view port (215) reveals the relative positions of each of said three dimensional representations of said resources relative in time to one another.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claims 9 and 10 wherein viewing said venue from a front view port (200) reveals an icon identifying the type of resource each of said representations represent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 9, 10 and 11 wherein viewing said venue from a side view port reveals versions (120, 122; 135) of said resource and the lengths of said versions relative to one another.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein viewing said venue from a front view port further reveals version activation buttons (130; 350, 351, 352, 353, 354), one of said buttons for each of said versions, such that said user, using said user input means may selectively activate said versions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein in the event said user activates one of said versions, said version is executed within said representation of said resource, and may be viewed through said front view port of said venue on said display.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 14 wherein said control frame further includes a first area (200) for defining said attributes of said resources and displaying said representations of said resources once said attributes are defined.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said first area displays said representations of said resources in a venue initially from a first view port.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said user may selectively change view ports from said first view port by selecting one of said command options.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as claimed in claims 15, 16 and 17 wherein said control frame further includes a second area (215) for displaying said top view port of said venue, such that timing data representing relative time associated with said resources is displayed in said second area.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 18 wherein selecting an Element command option results in the display of an element attribute box (250) for defining said resource attributes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 19 wherein said representations of said resources may be selectively placed on said event horizon bar, thereby altering the relative placement of said representations in said venue in time and space.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 20 wherein said command options of said control frame further includes a plurality of mode specific action options (152) on the periphery of said control frame.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 21 wherein said command options of said control frame further includes a plurality of major mode options (17) on the periphery of said control frame.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 and 16 wherein said first view port initially displayed comprises the front view port.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
169 words
A method, in a computer controlled display system including at least one central processing unit (CPU), said CPU being coupled to a display for displaying data on a screen of said display, and user input means, said display system being further coupled to a plurality of system resources having defined attributes, of manipulating and displaying representations of said resources on said display comprising the steps of: providing a user interface on said screen of said display for displaying representations of resources coupled to said display system with which a user interacts through said user input means; generating and displaying a control frame on said display using interface generation means coupled to said CPU, said control frame including a plurality of command options which may be selected by said user using said user input means, and further including a event horizon bar, such that the placement of a representation of a resource on said bar using said user input means results in predetermined data being displayed in said control frame.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein said control frame further includes a first area for defining said attributes of said resources and displaying representations of said resources once said attributes are defined.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 24 and 25 further including the step of selecting an Element command option and displaying an element attribute box for defining said resource attributes.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 24, 25 and 26 wherein said command options of said control frame further includes a plurality of mode specific action options on the periphery of said control frame.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
64 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 27 wherein said representations of said resources are arranged in an N dimensional venue which may be viewed using said user interface from a plurality of view ports, such that viewing said representations of said resources from different view ports results in the display on said screen of different attributes of said resources.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein said representations of said resources are arranged in said venue such that each of said resources is disposed relative to one another in time and space within said venue.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
29 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 28 and 29 wherein said venue is three dimensional and each of said representations of said resources is three dimensional.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein viewing said venue from a top view port reveals the relative positions of each of said three dimensional representations of said resources relative in time to one another.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 30 and 31 wherein viewing said venue from a front view port reveals an icon identifying the type of resource each of said representations represent.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 30, 31 and 32 wherein viewing said venue from a side view port reveals versions of said resource and the lengths of said versions relatives to one another.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as claimed in claim 33 wherein viewing said venue from a front view port further reveals version activation buttons, one of said buttons for each of said versions, such that said user, using said user input means may selectively activate said versions.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 34 further including the steps of said user activating one of said versions, said version then being executed within said representation of said resource, viewed through said front view port of said venue on said display.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 35 wherein said first area displays said representations of said resources in a venue initially from a first view port.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in claim 36 further including the step of said user selectively changing view ports from said first view port by selecting one of said changing options.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
47 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 30 to 35 wherein said control frame further includes a second area for displaying said top view port of said venue, such that timing data representing relative time associated with said resources is displayed in said second area.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
43 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 38 further including the step of selectively placing said representations of said resources on said event horizon, thereby altering the relative placement of said representations in said venue in time and space.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in any one of claim 24 to 39 wherein said command options of said control frame includes a plurality of major mode options on the periphery of said control frame.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claims 30 and 36 wherein said first view port initially displayed comprises the front view port.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
123 words
A resource control apparatus comprising: a display (50), user interface generation means (26) for displaying on said display representations (300, 310, 312, 314, 416, 320) of a plurality of resources (90, 92, 95, 102) that may be coupled to said resource control apparatus, said representations being displayable by said user interface generation means from a plurality of view ports such that viewing said representations from different view ports (200, 215) results in the display of different attributes of said resources in a manner consistent with said representations being of N dimensional elements (1010, 114, 116, 188) disposed within an N dimensional venue, and manipulation means responsive to a user input means (36, 38, 40, 41) for selectively positioning said representations within said venue.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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