Search in a nature inspired user interface

摘要

Techniques are described for interacting with a nature inspired virtual environment to present information to the user. The information can be presented to the user by using a collection of icons in the virtual environment. The virtual environment and the collection of icons can resemble a scene from nature. As a result, the additional information is presented to the user without disrupting the visual appearance of the nature inspired virtual environment.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting a collection of data, comprising:
providing, by a processor, a virtual environment having a visual appearance corresponding to a scene from nature; processing the collection of data from at least one chart in a database table; presenting, by the processor, a first collection of icons within the virtual environment that represent the collection of data, the first collection of icons including a plurality of icons that represent a plurality of performance metrics derived from the collection of data and a group icon, wherein the plurality of icons cluster around the group icon to provide a visual indication that the plurality of icons are generated from the collection of data in the chart in the database table; displaying a search bar to receive a search input; receiving a search parameter input to the search bar; performing a search based on the search parameter to return a plurality of search results; representing each of the plurality of search results as an icon from a second collection of icons, wherein the proximity of each of the second collection of icons to the search bar in the virtual environment is based on the relevance of the corresponding search result to the search parameter input to the search bar, and wherein the second collection of icons are displayed in the virtual environment in concentric regions surrounding the search bar, and icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results more relevant to the search parameter are displayed in concentric regions of the virtual environment having smaller circumferences and icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results less relevant to the search parameter are displayed in concentric regions of the virtual environment having larger circumferences; receiving an updated search parameter input to the search bar; and modifying the location of each of the second collection of icons in the virtual environment based on the updated search parameter, wherein icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results more relevant to the search parameter migrate closer to the search bar in the virtual environment and icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to the search results less relevant to the search parameter migrate away from the search bar in the virtual environment, wherein the migration comprises an animation wherein the corresponding icons of the second collection of icons move in a manner corresponding to a creature within the scene from nature.