Alternative semantics for zoom operations in a zoomable scene

摘要

A scene comprising a set of visual elements may allow a user to perform “zoom” operations in order to navigate the depth of the scene. The “zoom” semantic is often applied to simulate optical visual depth, wherein the visual elements are presented with different visual dimensions and visual resolution to simulate physical proximity or distance. However, the “zoom” semantic may be alternatively applied to other aspects of the visual elements of a scene, such as a user selection of a zoomed-in visual element, a “drill-down” operation on a data set, or navigation through a portal in a first data set to view a second data set. These alternative “zoom” semantics may be achieved by presenting the effects of a “zoom” operation within the scene on the visual presentation of the visual element in a manner other than an adjustment of the visual dimensions and resolution of the visual element.

主权项

1. A method of presenting a scene with information about topics on a device having a processor, the method comprising:
executing, on the processor, instructions that cause the device to:
initially present the information about a first topic at a location within the scene at a first zoom level;responsive to a first action that zooms into the scene near the location:
transition the scene to a second zoom level that is higher than the first zoom level; andinsert into the scene, near the location, a navigation option to transition the scene to a second topic that is related to the first topic; andresponsive to a second action that zooms into the scene near the navigation option:
supplement the navigation option in the scene with information about the second topic; andremove the information about the first topic from the scene.