GB2354920A

GB2354920A - A multi-dimensional human computer interface using information categorisation and visualisation

Info

Publication number: GB2354920A
Application number: GB9915892A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Ross
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-07-08
Filing date: 1999-07-08
Publication date: 2001-04-04
Also published as: GB9915892D0

Abstract

Volumes of electronic data present difficulties for human retrieval and assimilation, even with search engines. Using a structured Metadata framework with multi-dimensional information items and combinations into "events" and "structures", there are opportunities for human processing, location, retrieval and understanding of content. A system is presented for information and knowledge interaction within a multi-dimensional representation interface, together with the ability to interact with the representation elements in way analogues to how humans operate within the physical world, with the facility for individual or multiple person usage of the structure from similar or dissimilar devices, simultaneously or successively, together with the use of visual and other cues to present, store and process information and electronic interactions within a multi-dimensional information space, and to share, or not, some or all of the information. The information representation method defines a novel user interface, and underlying database structure, for information classification, differentiation and co-ordination.

Description

2354920 Title A Multi-Dimensional Human Computer Interface Using

Information Categorisation and Visualisation.

Background

There has been an explosion of information available electronically, in particular through the World Wide Web. Web search engines can now give rise to enormous quantities of data. Although a great quantity of data can be generated it is not always informative. This means more emphasis needs to be placed on the need for more effective information retrieval and one way this can be achieved is by pre-classification of activities, events and multimedia content. The Multi-Dimensional Human Computer Interface Using Information Categorisation and Visualisation addresses these factors.

Problem Uncertainty can increase as the volume of electronic information increases. Searching can be fi-ustrating and problematic. Delays in information flows are created by post hoc classification. Information delivery to individuals across electronic networks is beset with difficulties because of a lack of structured information content, and a multitude of competing aids to navigation around such content. Data becomes information when it is located within a structured and segmented information space. More techniques and methods are needed for this area.

To date the majority of computer interfaces have been predominantly twodimensional, and the vast majority of documents have been twodimensional. This is true even of the hypertext links of the Web, where pages have flat relationships with each other, and a page has to be left if another page is to be visited. This is a significant and unnecessary handicap in today's computing processing enabled environments.

That the majority of human - computer interactions today are governed by two-dimensional interfaces is a relic of history. It is the result of historic limitations in processing power of early shared and personal computers, which have now been largely overcome. The graphical user interface (GUI) first invented in the mid 1960's has continued to retain a two-dimensional dominance in computer software. On the other hand, in other areas such as group social interaction three-dimensional I representations have proven useful (Ross 1979). Such three-dimensional representation applied to the human - computer interface enhance the interactive experience.

The solution put forward here is for a multi-dimensional visual representation of an information space with documents and events found in one or more than one position within the space leading to a requirement for non-hierarchical as well as a hierarchical database structures and processes and methods.

Essential Features The majority of human navigational efforts take place within a three (or more) dimensional world. Human computer interaction is likewise possible within a multidimensional interface and this has advantages, technical, human and informational. To date these latent advantages have not been tested or exploited in the vast majority of human computer interfaces, other than in the strictly limited area of computer aided design which relates to the design of products and not the processing of information content.

In a multi-dimensional space a variety of visual cues can be used to convey information, as well as convey information about information (Metadata). These include shape, size, colour and location. Visual information cues within a multi-dimensional world can be divided into a number of categories or classes including:

0 Foreground 0 Nearground 0 Background

0 And Farground and each has particular characteristics determined by human visual limits and features. Human - computer interfaces need to take account of these human visual features.

For example not too many foreground documents should be open at any one time. And foreground designated document should remain in the foreground or nearground until their designation is changed. Computer representations of information objects or information elements can in this method be moved between foreground and farground, or to any point in between to aid in human computer interaction.

2 Visual cues can be supplemented with other sensory cues if required, for example sound, movement, touch, to supplement visual cues.

My system defines and uses a three or more dimensional representational interface together with a Visual Language Interface (VLI) to identify, classify, store and use patterns in the information representation, together with the ability to abstract or expand the information into a multitude of documents, and views together with a means to interact with these documents or views, as an individual, as a member of a group, and / or as a member of a local or global community.

The Visual Language Interface constitutes a method for modelling information of a variety of types and media, including text, graphics, data, graphics, pictures, audio and visual information, as well as including cues from the classificatory schema delineated by the Visual Language Interface.

The Visual Language Interface allows the same item to appear in a number of categories and so goes beyond purely hierarchical database schemas.

Being a three or more dimensional representation of the information, the Visual Language Interface goes beyond the current generations of Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) and highlights the limitations of two dimensional GUI's. As such it defines one Standard Graphical Interface (SGI).

Structure and segmentation is provided in part by the originators of information and in part by the recipients of information. Combinations of public and private representational elements define the totality of the electronic space occupied and defined in human - computer interactions. By agreeing definition for a "shared space" information exchange and communication is possible. A small number of organisations and institutions have a disproportionate impact on the definition of the shared space. These influential bodies include governments and extra governmental bodies, educational processes and institutions and media organisations of all types. Their classification schema need to be incorporated into Visual Language Interface.

Navigation in the physical world takes place in three or four dimensions. The Meta-structure proposed uses a similar form of navigation in the human - computer world by establishing a multi-dimensional informational structure.

3 Humans are excellent at operating in three dimensions and with increased computer processing power three dimensional interfaces are now a practicality. The interface described here is for a three dimensional shape interface with a "cube" as the first physical embodiment of the interface. Other three dimensional shapes e.g. the cylinder, the tetrahedron, and so on, are also possible. Three dimensional representation brings important new opportunities including face segmentation and rotation. All of these properties increase the richness of the human - computer interface. The three dimensional representation is also effective for mapping to the physical world in terms of correspondence to information content, be this global, national or local.

By subdividing each "face" of the multi-dimensional shape into discrete categories it enables location of additional information sub-categories within the overall face category.

The interface is not restricted to the shapes capable of being generated within three dimensions. Any shape can change over time thereby introducing the relevance of the fourth dimension of temporal location.

This approach to human - computer interaction is relevant to touchscreen technology as well as to more traditional human - computer graphical interfaces. Indeed the multi-dimensional nature of the interface makes it ideal for a variety of information appliances including personal computer, digital TV's, mobile phones interfaces amongst others.

The characteristics of the Meta-structure are similar to human cognitive processes. I. Abstraction. 2. Classification. 3. Categorisation i.e. author / content / subject / keywords and so on. 4. Grouping of stories that relate to an "event" which are either predictable or not, therefore we can code that "event", either before its occurrence or after. 5. Geographic Proximity. These, and other characteristics make possible any number of essential and non-essential interface features, including the following... 0 Rotation,, horizontal and vertical. 0 Enhancement using shape, size, colour and other cues. 0 Open or closed or cubes an intermediate state. 0 Private or shared information or both. 0 Preclassified or self classified information or both.

4 0 Single or multiple occurrence of information within categories. 0 Simultaneous or successive usage of the interface. 0 Single device or multiple devices. 0 Similar devices or dissimilar devices. 0 Local or remote interaction or both. 0 Open or password protected access. 0 Access from the same location or a different location. 0 Rotation of cube within a face, as well as rotation of faces. The three or more dimensional nature of the interface permits the use of visual cues relating to information. For example with regard to electronic mail, it is easy to produce mail stacks indicating the volume of mail awaiting opening, or pending or some other interim position. And when read it is easy to open the main filing cubes so new items can be categorised and added in one easy movement. The hierarchical nature of the meta-structure means that different topic sub-cubes can be extracted from the "home" cube and left on the desktop. In this way information can be manipulated on a virtual threedimensional desktop. So for example an individual may have a structure made up as follows... Home cube (parent in object orientated coding terms). Within this home cube which may cover a number of individuals there will be a Personal Cube, and within this subdivisions, for example Work cube News cube Hobby cube Schoolcube Mail cube Banking cube Shopping cube And so on... Individual elements, or the whole home cube can be replicated for working on elsewhere. By maintaining the integrity of the structure the whole experience is one of "completing" information tasks, and the virtual cues overcome some of the ambiguities and inflexibilities of current two-dimensional filing systems. This is an important element in computer operating systems development.

hitroduction To Drawings.

Figure one shows a general three-dimensional representation of different forms of content and interchange. Such representation of electronic content using Metadata improves human - computer interaction, ease of use and assimilation and communication of data and information.

Figure Two embodies such three-dimensional representation into one example physical shape, the cube, and in this example the information " world" is categorised into six distinct "faces" each face representing a discrete element or class of information and communication. Other physical shapes are equally possible with whatever number of faces are required.

Figure Three shows the finer subdivisions possible in each face to subdivide further that element of the information world. This establishes an information multi hierarchy with any particular category displayed simultaneously and successively. In this form of display the classification can be tied to internationally agreed standards for information and sector classification.

Figure Four shows a representation of categories of event, represented in three dimensions within the overall multi-dimensional schema. This illustrates the power of easy information storage and retrieval when multiple visual cues are available.

Figure Five shows how the same visual cues capability can be used to indicate information volumes within the different categories of event, again improving the information content of the human computer interface Examples

There are a variety of real time information feeds which have a degree of classification structure at the point of origin. By increasing the classification according to the multidimensional schema put forward here, there are significant additional options for information storage and retrieval.

In the world of entertainment information there are significant locality factors at play, for example local cinemas, theatres, restaurants and clubs. Having a separate "entertainment" cube face can factor in both global information reviews and local availability, for example of cinema tickets booked interactively via the interface across a network.

6 I References Ross (1979) - Multiple Group Membership, Social Mobility and Intergroup Relations. An Investigation of Group Boundaries and Boundary Crossings. Ph.D Thesis, University of Bristol, England.

7 Title A Multi-Dimensional Human Computer Interface Using Information Categorisation and Visualisation

Claims

Claims

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by patent is as follows:

I I claim human-computer interaction by individuals and groups as measured and assessed by usability trials is more effective, efficient, easier and faster when people interact with information and entertainment content which provides multi-dimensional structured representations of that information content and knowledge, accessible by multiple people from multiple devices and multiple locations, with methods for keeping the information contents co-ordinated where necessary, the information and transaction structure and methods comprising a Visual Language Interface (VLI) with some or all of the steps described here and below
2. Methods for multi-dimensional representation on visual, and/or auditory and/or cognitive displays of an organised structure with cells for categories, superordinate, subordinate and peer categories, exemplars of the category, and category content, such multi-dimensional and if need be overlapping representations providing alternatives to traditional hierarchical classification schemas, with a multi-dimensional hierarchical schema as one particular example of the method of representation.
3. Methods for selection and expansion of one or more cells, with management of the information interface when more than one cell is open, with the ability to drill down or up or across the structure of cells and faces making use of human visual processing characteristics applied to information structures.
4. Methods for information content to appear in foreground, or background, or near ground, or far ground, or some intermediate point, and to manage this in consistent manners.
5. Methods for rotation along any axis to select other groupings of category cells, if needed keeping already selected information available and visible as required such that information from different faces and/or categories can be conipared and contrasted.
6. Methods for storing information in multiple locations in private and/or public formats for local and remote access as permitted by security subroutines, such that both content and structure are preserved in different locations.
7. Methods for adding to information content in a variety of ways, and with a variety of media types such that the overall information retains its structure, history and integrity as it is modified, with a history of the modifications for auditing and security purposes dynamically added to the structure.
8. Methods for sending information and the display of information if required to another location, person or device whatever the particular nature of the other information device, with a degree of cross-device delivery capability, such that essential ingredients of the content and/or structure are preserved across domains and devices.
9. Methods for adaptation of the interface for the prioritisation of information reception to deliver personalised or tailored information streams, based on interests, locality or other criteria, and for the preferences of receipt and display to be retained within and across structures and devices.
10. Methods permitting modification of and graphical representation within the interface according to the information delivery circumstances, to highlight volumes, urgency or other criteria of the information flows in a visual and/or graphical and/or auditory and/or other manner, to assist information selection, retention and assimilation.
11. Methods for allowing a modification of the infrastructure, Whilst keeping the essential characteristics of the interface, to cope with the different information handling capabilities of different information appliances be these in the home, at work, in public spaces, or in any form of transport or mobile device, and to maintain the consistency of information structure and display across diverse devices to the extent possible and/or necessary.
12. Methods for permitting the modification of the interface and the elements under control of user or equipment defined methods and processes or remotely across networks fixed and/or wireless so that new content and/or software or software versions can be downloaded as well as permitting remote and/or automated diagnostics and/or repair.
13. Methods for allowing dffTerent individuals on a permanent or causal basis to use the core structure at the same or different times, from the same or different devices, and to benefit from the communications, security and coordination and information sharing aspects of the interface
14. Methods for storing the interrelationships between elements as well as information about the elements themselves and their position or positions in a multi-dimensional space, to ensure cross-time and cross-device user interface and interaction consistency.
15. Methods to permit iterative activity at any level of the structure to add ftuther definition when required whilst maintaining the integrity of the overall structure, to allow for drilling down, up or across information domains.
16. Methods to use visible or hidden elements within the multidimensional structure to aid the user interface and navigation, and to permit the use of voice commands and statements to control the multi-dimensional structure if required, as well as established and novel methods of human - computer interaction.
17. 1 claim a multi-dimensional human-computer interface using information categorisation and visualisation substantially as described herein with reference to Figures I - 3 of the accompanying drawings.