Three dimensional spatial user interface

Claim 2

A user interface for a computing device, said interface comprising: a) a plurality of portals containing content, wherein said plurality of portals are arranged in a three dimensional graphical representation for display to a user, and wherein for each of said plurality of portals, an application that permits user interaction with the content contained therein is associated therewith; and b) a plurality of sensory cues, wherein for each of said plurality of portals, a sensory cue is displayed therein that provides a cue to the content contained therein: wherein said user interface is adapted to changes, based on the content contained in one or more portals of the user interface, to one or more geometric properties thereof dynamically, so that the graphical representation displayed to said user is changed, and said changes comprise at least one of the following group of changes: (i) change to the shape of the user interface, (ii) change to the shape of one or more portals of the user interface, and (iii) change to the arrangement of portals of the user interface.

Claim 3

The interface of claim 1 further comprising user input means permitting said user to rotate said interface about a plurality of axes.

Claim 4

The interface of claim 1 further comprising user input means permitting said user to adjust the geometry of said interface.

Claim 5

The interface of claim 1 further comprising user input means, permitting said user to view the details of a portal of interest, said portal of interest increasing in size for enhanced viewing by said user.

Claim 6

The interface of claim 1 further comprising user input means permitting said user to select a portal to be made active, said selection resulting in the execution of the application associated with said portal.

Claim 7

The interface of claim 1 wherein said graphical representation is in the form of a sphere, with the exterior of the sphere displayed to said user.

Claim 8

The interface of claim 1 wherein said graphical representation is in the form of a sphere, with the interior of the sphere displayed to said user.

Claim 9

The interface of claim 1 wherein at least one of said portals contains a user interface.

Claim 10

The interface of claim 1 , further comprising user input means, said user input means accepting input to permit said user to access an interior of said graphical representation.

Claim 11

The interface of claim 1 wherein said graphical representation includes an armature to visually define each of said portals.

Claim 12

The interface of claim 1 further comprising user input means for accepting input from said user to create a transparent pane for covering a portal, said transparent pane containing content editable by said user.

Claim 13

The interface of claim 6 , wherein said sphere includes polar caps and labels.

Claim 14

The interface of claim 7 , wherein said sphere includes polar caps and labels.

Claim 17

A computer device for displaying a three dimensional user interface, said device comprising means for displaying said interface, said interface comprising: a plurality of portals containing content, wherein said plurality of portals are arranged in a three dimensional graphical representation for display to a user, and wherein for each of said plurality of portals, an application that permits user interaction with the content contained therein is associated therewith; and a plurality of sensory cues, wherein for each of said plurality of portals, a sensory cue is displayed therein that provides a cue to the content contained therein; and wherein said user interface is adapted to changes, based on the content contained in one or more portals of the user interface, to one or more geometric properties thereof dynamically, so that the graphical representation displayed to said user is changed, and said changes comprise at least one of the following group of changes: (i) change to the shape of the user interface, (ii) chance to the shape of one or more portals of the user interface, and (iii) chance to the arrangement of portals of the user interface.

Claim 18

A computer device for displaying a three dimensional user interface, said device comprising means for displaying said interface, said interface comprising: a plurality of portals containing content, wherein said plurality of portals are arranged in a three dimensional graphical representation for display to a user, and wherein for each of said plurality of portals, an application that permits user interaction with the content contained therein is associated therewith; and a plurality of sensory cues, wherein for each of said plurality of portals, a sensory cue is displayed therein that provides a cue to the content contained therein; and wherein said user interface is adapted to changes, based on the content contained in one or more portals of the user interface, to one or more geometric properties thereof dynamically, so that the graphical representation displayed to said user is changed, and said changes comprise at least one of the following group of changes: (i) change to the shape of the user interface, (ii) chance to the shape of one or more portals of the user interface, and (iii) chance to the arrangement of portals of the user interface.

Claim 19

The device of claim 15 wherein at least one application is a further three dimensional interface.

Claim 20

The device of claim 15 wherein said graphical representation is hollow and at least one of said portals provides access to the interior of the space within said graphical representation, said interior containing a plurality of interior portals.

Claim 21

The device of claim 17 wherein the interior of said interface contains a further interface.

Claim 22

The device of claim 18 wherein said further interface contains a plurality of additional interfaces to a depth selected by a creator of said three dimensional user interface.

Claim 23

The device of claim 15 wherein said graphical representation is spherical in shape.

Claim 24

The device of claim 20 wherein said graphical representation further comprises polar caps and labels.

Claim 27

A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling one or more three dimensional user interfaces in a computing device, by: a) permitting a user to select a user interface, said selected interface containing a plurality of portals, wherein said plurality of portals are arranged in a three dimensional graphical representation for display to said user, and wherein said selected interface is adapted to permit changes to one or more geometric properties of said selected interface dynamically based on the content contained in one or more portals of the user interface, so that the graphical representation displayed to said user is changed, and at least one of the following group of changes is made; chance to the shape of the user interface, change to the shape of one or more portals of the user interface, and change to the arrangement of portals of the user interface: b) monitoring for first user input, said input indicating a portal of interest to said user; c) upon receiving said first user input, moving said selected interface to centrally display said portal of interest; d) monitoring for second user input to make said portal of interest an active portal, if input other than said second user input is received, returning to step b); e) upon receiving said second user input, invoking an application program, until said user provides third user input to move another portal; and f) repeating steps b) to e) until said user provides third user input, thereby returning to step a).

Claim 28

A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling one or more three dimensional user interfaces in a computing device, by: a) permitting a user to select a user interface, said selected interface containing a plurality of portals, wherein said plurality of portals are arranged in a three dimensional graphical representation for display to said user, and wherein said selected interface is adapted to permit changes to one or more geometric properties of said selected interface dynamically based on the content contained in one or more portals of the user interface, so that the graphical representation displayed to said user is changed, and at least one of the following group of changes is made; chance to the shape of the user interface, change to the shape of one or more portals of the user interface, and change to the arrangement of portals of the user interface: b) monitoring for first user input, said input indicating a portal of interest to said user; c) upon receiving said first user input, moving said selected interface to centrally display said portal of interest; d) monitoring for second user input to make said portal of interest an active portal, if input other than said second user input is received, returning to step b); e) upon receiving said second user input, invoking an application program, until said user provides third user input to move another portal; and f) repeating steps b) to e) until said user provides third user input, thereby returning to step a).