User interface device for creating an environment of moving parts with selected functions

Claim 1

A visual interface device for generating a visual system using a computer, the computer having an input device for receiving information, a memory device for storing the information, a processing device for executing a task, and a screen device for displaying a plurality of graphics for a user, said visual interface device comprising: part forming means for receiving first graphic and function information and second graphic and function information from the user using the input device, defining a first graphic and a second graphic, respectively, each graphic having a function; part storing means for storing each graphic and function information received by said part forming means in the memory device of the computer; operational environment constructing means for receiving the first and second graphic and function information from said part storing means, and generating relationship information according to the graphic and function information of each graphic, the relationship information defining a movement relationship between the first graphic and the second graphic; operational environment storing means for storing said relationship information generated by said operational environment constructing means in the memory device; operational environment using means for executing at least one task on the visual system, wherein the processing device accesses the first and second graphic and function information and relationship information in the memory device and displays the first graphic moving relative to the second graphic on the display device according to each task, the operational environment using means including operation history storing means for storing a history of operation of said operational environment, and intention analysis means for inferring an operation to be performed by the user according to the operation history; and a hierarchical structure of functions, wherein each function of the hierarchical structure can be further defined into a plurality of more specific functions so that the function of each graphic is unique, wherein each graphic and function information includes semantic information that defines the function of each graphic, movement information that defines a movement operation of each graphic, and visual information that defines a graphical representation of each graphic, each graphical representation having a visual screen image including a plurality of pixels, and wherein said relationship information includes semantic relation information defining a semantic relationship between the first and second graphics defined by said part forming means, movement relation information defining the movement relationship, and visual relation information defining a visual relationship between the first and second graphics defined by said part forming means.

Claim 11

A method for generating a visual system on a computer having an input device and a display, the method comprising the steps of: (A) forming a plurality of graphics, each graphic having graphic information entered through the input device of the computer; (B) constructing an operational environment that includes the formed plurality of graphics, the step of constructing including the step of forming relational information defining a part-to-part relationship between the first graphic and the second graphic and a part-to-environment relationship between the first graphic and the operational environment, wherein the step of forming relational information includes the steps of forming semantic information that defines semantic attributes of the first graphic and the second graphic, and forming movement information that defines movement attributes of the first graphic and the second graphic; and (C) displaying an operation of the operational environment on the display of the computer, wherein the operation includes a first graphic performing a function so that the first graphic displays a movement relative to a second graphic, and wherein the step of displaying includes the step of storing a history of functions performed by the graphics in the operational environment.

Claim 12

A method for generating a visual system on a computer having an input device and a display, the method comprising the steps of: (A) forming a plurality of graphics, each graphic having graphic information entered through the input device of the computer; (B) constructing an operational environment that includes the formed plurality of graphics, the step of constructing including the step of forming relational information defining a part-to-part relationship between the first graphic and the second graphic and a part-to-environment relationship between the first graphic and the operational environment, wherein the step of forming relational information includes the steps of forming semantic information that defines semantic attributes of the first graphic and the second graphic, and forming movement information that defines movement attributes of the first graphic and the second graphic; and (C) displaying an operation of the operational environment on the display of the computer, wherein the operation includes a first graphic performing a function so that the first graphic displays a movement relative to a second graphic, and wherein the step of displaying includes the step of storing a history of functions performed by the graphics in the operational environment.