JPH10187743A - Data display method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To visualize the relation of data and to make data intuitively graspable at a glance, by displaying a graphic in a coordinate space composed of a wall surface and a floor surface based on the time information and classification information of data. SOLUTION: Z-axis direction expresses date/time and a calendar model 201 corresponding to the date/time is expressed rectangularly, is arranged on the Z axis of three-dimensional(3D) coordinate space and expresses a fixed term. X-axis direction expresses classification and classification models 202 corresponding to the respective classifications are expressed rectangular while writing classification names together and arranged at prescribed intervals on the X axis of 3D coordinate space. Respective data models 203 are arranged at relevant grid-shaped positions determined by the calendar model 201 and the classification models 202 corresponding to the preparation date/time and classification of data models. An operator can three-dimensionally grasp respective data files at a glance and can intuitively grasp the positions of data files in timewise and classification manner at the same time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an information display method, and more particularly to a data display method for displaying a data file stored as a database on a display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a data information display method disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-129448 is a method for displaying a data list, for example. Display the owner, size, and type of a data file. Since information exceeding the size of one screen cannot be displayed, the user searches for necessary information by scrolling the screen.

Further, as a mechanism for managing a plurality of data, it is often used together with a method of classifying and organizing using a directory or a folder. With this method, data can be managed hierarchically.

[0004] Alternatively, the image database presents the contents of the image by displaying a reduced image of the image as a method of displaying a list of information. When the size of the screen exceeds the size of one screen as in the case of the list of data files, the user searches for necessary information by scrolling the screen left, right, up, and down.

[0005]

In the conventional hierarchical data management method, when displaying data, it is necessary to access a directory once and display a list, and then it is impossible to grasp the contents of the data. . For this reason, when the number of classifications is increased or the hierarchy becomes deeper, it takes more time to access the directory, and it takes time to obtain necessary information.

Further, in the list of reduced images in the image database, the contents of the images can be grasped immediately, but if the number of data is large, it cannot fit in the size of one screen, and information such as which one is created first cannot be obtained at the same time. . Furthermore, simultaneous handling of images and documents is only at the level of a data file, and it has been difficult to handle different types of data while grasping their contents.

As described above, the conventional data display method cannot grasp the characteristics of individual data at a glance and at the same time cannot intuitively understand the relationship between the individual data, which makes it difficult to manage the data. was there.

An object of the present invention is to provide a database
Data that visualizes the relationship between the contents of individual data files and each data and allows you to grasp individual data at a glance, as well as intuitively understand the classification of data files and the relationship between each data file The purpose is to provide a display method.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data display method, comprising: storage means for storing a plurality of data having time information and classification information; time coordinates on a wall in a depth direction of the screen; A coordinate space generating means for generating classifying coordinates on the floor in the direction, and a graphic generating means for generating a graphic representing the content of the data, wherein the data of the data is stored in a coordinate space formed by the wall surface and the floor surface. The graphic is displayed based on time information and classification information.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the data display method according to the first aspect, the graphic generating means includes a reduced image generating means for reducing and displaying the contents of the data, The reduced image is displayed in a configured coordinate space based on time information and classification information of the data.

A data display method according to a third aspect of the present invention is the data display method according to the first or second aspect, wherein link means for associating the data with the graphic generated by the graphic generating means; Graphic selecting means for selecting the selected graphic, and by selecting an arbitrary graphic by the graphic selecting means, the contents of the data associated by the linking means are displayed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the data display method of the first to third aspects, the data includes page information, and the figure displays a predetermined thickness corresponding to the page information. It is characterized by.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the data display method of the first to fourth aspects, a calendar is displayed on a wall in a depth direction of the screen using calendar information for the time coordinate. I do.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the data display method according to the first to fifth aspects, the data display method further includes coordinate specifying means for specifying a coordinate range of the time coordinates and the classification coordinates. A display range of time coordinates displayed on a wall surface of the coordinate space and a display range of classification coordinates displayed on a floor surface of the coordinate space are designated.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the data display method according to the first to fifth aspects, further comprising an initial setting means for setting an initial value of the time coordinate and the classification coordinate. The time coordinates displayed on the wall surface of the coordinate space and the classification coordinates displayed on the floor surface of the coordinate space are displayed with the set initial values.

In the data display method according to the present invention, the data having the time information and the classification information is represented by a graphic, and the graphic is provided with the time coordinate on the wall surface in the depth direction of the screen and the classification coordinate on the floor surface in the width direction. The arrangement is performed based on the time information and the classification information of the data in the coordinate space, and the arranged figure is displayed from a specific position in the coordinate space as a viewpoint.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the data display method of the eighth aspect, the viewpoint position is arbitrarily moved in the coordinate space.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a data display device according to the present invention. Reference numeral 101 denotes a database management unit that manages a database. The data feature detection unit 102 captures a data identifier from the database management unit 101 in accordance with a user's instruction, and creates a date, time, and size of the data.
Detect attributes, classifications, reduced images and content. The data model creation unit 103 creates a three-dimensional data model whose display mode is determined based on the data identifier, size, attribute, reduced image, and content obtained by the data feature detection unit 102. The calendar model creation unit 104 creates a three-dimensional calendar model whose display form is determined based on the period for displaying data, and the classification model creation unit 105 creates a three-dimensional classification model based on the classification for displaying data. . The data model arranging unit 106 arranges the data model obtained by the data model creating unit 103 in a three-dimensional coordinate space defined by a calendar model and a classification model, corresponding to the data creation date and the classification to which the data belongs. , Three-dimensional coordinate values of the data model are determined. The display unit 107 displays and outputs the results arranged by the data model arranging unit 106. The input unit 108 receives a user's instruction of display contents and a period during which data is displayed, and a classification.

Here, a display mode in the data display system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a third embodiment of the present invention displayed on a display device.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a dimensional coordinate space. The Z-axis direction represents the date and time, and the calendar model 201 corresponding to the date and time is represented by a rectangle, and is arranged on the Z-axis of the three-dimensional coordinate space and represents a certain period. Although only a part is shown in the figure, the date and time are written together at predetermined intervals on the calendar model. The X-axis direction represents the classification, and the classification model 202 corresponding to each classification is represented by a rectangle with the classification name described therein, and is arranged at predetermined intervals on the X-axis in a three-dimensional coordinate space. Each data model 203 is arranged at a corresponding position in a grid defined by the calendar model 201 and the classification model 202 in accordance with the creation date and time and the classification of the data model. The data model 203 is represented by a rectangle, and the data model 203 is arranged parallel to a plane orthogonal to the Z axis, and a reduced image of the data is displayed on the front.

Next, the structure of display information for displaying various models will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 601 denotes a calendar display table for displaying a calendar model. The table 601 stores information relating to a period for displaying data in the calendar model creation unit 104.
The start date / time 603 and the end date / time 605 of the period, and the start coordinate 604 and the end coordinate 606 in the three-dimensional coordinate space of the calendar model corresponding to the start date / time 603 and the end date / time 605, respectively.

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 701 denotes a classification display table for displaying a classification model.
05 is a table in which information on classification for displaying data is stored.
2, a classification identifier 703, a classification name 704 written together with the classification model, and coordinates 705 of the position of the center of the classification model in the three-dimensional coordinate space.

In FIG. 8, reference numeral 801 denotes a data display table for displaying a data model, which stores information on each data used in the data model creation unit 103. Data identifier 802, data creation date and time 8
03, thickness magnification of model representing data size 80
4, an attribute 805 indicating the type of data, a pointer 806 to reduced image data indicating the content of the data, identifiers 807 of classifications to which the data belongs, coordinates of a position in the three-dimensional coordinate space of the center of the data model 808, a pointer 809 to an application processing unit for displaying and editing data.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described according to a flowchart with reference to the drawings.

First, the processing target period and classification (plural) are obtained from the input unit 108, and the processing is started. When the period and the classification are not input by the user, the processing is started for the predetermined period and the classification.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the calendar model creation process. First, the designated period is acquired from the database management unit 101, and is input to the calendar model creation unit 104 (S901). In the next step S902, the total number of days A in the designated period is calculated. In S903, it is checked whether or not the total number of days A is greater than a predetermined threshold M (S903).
Is set (S904). For example, M = 100. If not, the number of days D of the period is set to the total number of days A (S905). Next, a rectangular parallelepiped calendar model is created in S906, the date drawing surface of the calendar model is divided into regions by the number of days D (S907), and the date is drawn in each region (S907).
908). First, it is checked whether the creation of the calendar model for the entire designated period has been completed (S909). If the creation has been completed, the calendar model data is input to the data model arranging unit 106 in S910, and the processing ends.

If the creation of the calendar model has not been completed for the entire period, the start date, the end date, the start coordinates, and the end coordinates are reset in S911, and the calendar model creation process is repeated.

In the above embodiment, the calendar model is divided according to the number of days in the period, but the number N of data corresponding to the designated period may be used. If N is greater than a predetermined threshold M, the period is divided. For example, M = 1
00, and can be determined as an appropriate number of data to display the data model at a time.

Next, the classification model creation processing will be described with reference to FIG.

A class identifier and a class name corresponding to the specified class are obtained from the database management unit 101 (S1).
001) Input to the classification model creation unit 105. At this time, if there is no data corresponding to the specified classification, the classification may be omitted. Next, the classification model creation unit 105 calculates the coordinates of the center of the classification model such that the classification models are arranged at regular intervals on the X-axis according to the order in which the classification models are arranged for each classification (S1002). Next, S10
In step 03, a rectangular parallelepiped classification model is created based on the calculated coordinates. In S1004, a classification name corresponding to the created classification model is drawn. It is checked whether or not all specified classification models have been created (S1005). If all the classification models have been created, the classification model is input to the data model arranging unit 106 (S1006). If there is an uncreated classification model, the process is repeated.

Next, the data model creation processing will be described with reference to FIG.

An identifier of data corresponding to the designated period and classification is fetched from the database management unit 101 and input to the data feature detection unit 102 (S1101). The data feature detection unit 102 detects the data creation date and time, data size, attribute, pointer to the reduced image, classification, and pointer to the application processing unit from the obtained data identifier (S1102), and the data model creation unit 103. To enter. The data model creation unit 103 calculates a thickness magnification according to the attribute based on the size of the data (S110).
3). For example, in the case of document data, the thickness magnification is calculated according to the number of pages. Next, in step S1104, a data model of a rectangular parallelepiped is created, and a reduced image is drawn in front of the rectangular parallelepiped by, for example, texture mapping (S110).
5). In S1106, it is checked whether or not a data model has been created from all the acquired data model identifiers, and the three-dimensional display data of the created data model is input to the data model arranging unit 106 (S1107).

Next, the data model arranging process will be described with reference to FIG.

In the data model arranging section 106, S120
In step 1, the calendar model is arranged at the position of the already calculated three-dimensional coordinates. Next, a classification model is arranged in S1202. Next, the coordinate of the Z axis is calculated from the creation date and time of the data model having the creation date and time corresponding to the period of the arranged calendar model (S1203). Further, X-axis coordinates are calculated from the classification identifier to which the data model belongs (S120).
4). Based on the above coordinate values, the data model is arranged at a position on the grid defined by the calendar model and the classification model (S1205). Note that there may be a plurality of classification identifiers to which the data model belongs. In such a case, the same data model is arranged at a plurality of positions. Next, it is checked whether or not the placement processing of all data models corresponding to the period of the calendar model has been completed (S1206). If there is an unprocessed data model, the placement processing is repeated. When the arrangement processing is completed, the viewpoint is set to a position set in advance by the viewpoint changing unit 109, for example, a position seen as shown in FIG. The display unit 107 displays the three-dimensional space where each model is arranged (S1207), and ends the processing.

In the data model arranging process, when the calendar model is divided into a plurality of periods and a plurality of calendar models exist, only the first period may be performed. In this case, the viewpoint changing unit 109 may set and display the viewpoint at a position where the model in the first period can be seen as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

Here, in this embodiment, a method of accessing data by moving a viewing viewpoint and a method of displaying data as viewed from different angles will be described.

The input unit 108 receives a user's instruction to change the viewpoint. The instruction to change the viewpoint is made by the viewpoint changing unit 109.
The position of the viewpoint in the three-dimensional coordinate space is changed, and displayed on the display unit 107.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining a state in which the operator's viewpoint is moved in a three-dimensional coordinate space displayed on the display device of the present invention.

The arrows in the figure indicate the movement of the viewpoint, and by proceeding in this way, the contents of the data can be confirmed one after another. Further, as the data model gets closer to the data model, the content of the data is zoomed and enlarged, so that a content that can only be seen from a distance can be accurately displayed. Further, by changing the angle of oblique viewing from above, it is possible to confirm the contents of another data model that is hidden behind some data models and cannot be seen when viewed from the front.

FIG. 4 is a display example when viewed from the side.

Data on a specific date can be searched. FIG. 5 is a display example when viewed from directly above. You can see the temporal distribution in each category.

Next, in this embodiment, the operation when data is accessed by moving the viewing point is shown in FIG.
3 will be described.

First, when an instruction to change the viewpoint is input by the user at the input unit 108, the instruction to change the viewpoint is input to the viewpoint changing unit 109 as a viewpoint change instruction. The viewpoint changing unit 109 captures a viewpoint change instruction (S130).
1) The viewpoint position is changed from the current viewpoint position (Xi, Yi, Zi) to, for example, (Xi ', Yi', Zi ') (S1302). When there are a plurality of calendar models, it is checked whether or not the calendar model is in the field of view by changing the viewpoint.
Here, a part of the three-dimensional coordinate space determined by the calendar model and the classification model is referred to as a calendar model space. The distance D2 between the center position of the calendar model space and the viewpoint position is calculated (S1303), and a predetermined threshold T is compared with D2 (S1304). If D2 is smaller than T, the calendar model space is Since it enters the field of view, the data model arrangement processing described in FIG. 12 is performed (S
1305). Next, the display unit 107 displays the three-dimensional space in which the models are arranged (S1306), and ends the processing.

In this way, data can be displayed and searched from various angles. Further, when the target data model is directly instructed, for example, by clicking with a mouse, the original data is accessed using the data identifier in the table shown in FIG. 8 and the pointer to the application processing unit is set. Can be used to display or edit the original data.

When the viewpoint is changed, for example, the screen is not switched from the display example viewed from the side to the display example viewed from directly above, but rather from the destination of the viewpoint. The middle screen may be displayed as an animation to indicate to the user that the viewpoint is being changed.

As described above, in the data display method of this embodiment, the data stored in the database is arranged and displayed on the three-dimensional coordinate space composed of axes of the date and time of data creation and the classification of data. In addition, since the content is displayed as a reduced image, the user can grasp individual data at a glance, and can intuitively grasp the temporal relationship of each data.

[0049]

According to the data display method of the present invention, a figure representing the contents of data is displayed in a coordinate space composed of a wall surface and a floor surface based on time information and classification information of the data. The operator can grasp each data file three-dimensionally at a glance, and at the same time, can grasp the temporal and categorical positioning of the data file intuitively.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data display method according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein a reduced form of a data content is displayed on a graphic representing the content of the data, so that the data need not be opened each time. Thus, the contents of the data can be roughly grasped, and the data manipulation and the data search can be easily performed by the operator.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data display method according to the first or second aspect, wherein data and a graphic are linked, and if an arbitrary graphic is selected, the content of data linked to the graphic is displayed. The operation of opening the data by the operator is simplified, and the contents of necessary data can be displayed quickly.

According to the data display method of the fourth aspect, in the data display method of the first to third aspects, the data is provided with page information, and a predetermined thickness is displayed on the figure corresponding to the page information. Without opening the data and checking the number of data pages, or checking the number of data pages numerically,
By looking at the thickness of the figure, the number of data pages can be roughly grasped directly by the operator.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the data display method according to the first to third aspects, the calendar is displayed on the wall in the depth direction of the screen by using the calendar information for the time coordinate. Then, that is, in relation to a schedule or the like, the temporal and categorized positioning of data can be grasped intuitively.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the data display method of the first to fifth aspects, a display range of time coordinates displayed on a wall surface of the coordinate space and a floor surface of the coordinate space are displayed. Since the display range of the classification coordinates is specified, the temporal position of the data and the
Since the display is narrowed down to a range required by the operator, the operator can easily and speedily check required data and data located before, after, right and left of the data.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the data display method according to the first to sixth aspects, wherein a time coordinate displayed on a wall surface of the coordinate space and a classification coordinate displayed on a floor surface of the coordinate space are displayed. Since the initial display is set in advance, the temporal or categorical coordinate space intended by the operator can be displayed at any time, and the visual position of the operator in the coordinate space does not get lost.

According to the data display method of the present invention, the data having the time information and the classification information is represented by a graphic, and the graphic is provided with the time coordinate on the wall surface in the depth direction of the screen and the classification coordinate on the floor surface in the width direction. In the coordinate space, the data is arranged based on the time information and the classification information of the data, and the arranged figure is displayed from a specific position in the coordinate space as a viewpoint. At the same time, it can be grasped at a glance, and at the same time, the temporal and categorized positioning of the data file can be grasped intuitively.

According to the data display method of the ninth aspect, in the data display method of the ninth aspect, the viewpoint position of the operator is arbitrarily moved in the coordinate space. Can be operated while visually perceiving, and the data can be operated as if the operator himself moved in the coordinate space.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a data display device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a three-dimensional coordinate space displayed on a display device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state where an operator's viewpoint is moved in a three-dimensional coordinate space displayed on the display device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example when FIG. 3 of the present invention is viewed from the side.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a display example when FIG. 3 of the present invention is viewed from directly above.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of display information for displaying various models of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of display information for displaying various models of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of display information for displaying various models of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a calendar model creation process of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a classification model creation process of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a data model creation process of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a data model arrangement process according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a process of accessing data according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 101 Database management unit 102 Data feature detection unit 103 Data model creation unit 104 Calendar model creation unit 105 Classification model creation unit 106 Data model placement unit 107 Display unit 108 Input unit 109 Viewpoint change unit 201 Calendar model 202 Classification model 203 Data model

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FIG06F 15/62 P (72) Inventor Atsushi Ono 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Sharp Corporation (72) Invention Person Yasushi Obuchi 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Sharp Corporation

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A storage means for storing a plurality of data having time information and classification information, and a coordinate space generation means for generating time coordinates on a wall surface in a depth direction of a screen and classification coordinates on a floor surface in a width direction of the screen. And graphic generating means for generating a graphic representing the content of the data, wherein the graphic is displayed in a coordinate space formed by the wall surface and the floor surface based on the time information and the classification information of the data. A data display method characterized by the following. 2. The graphic generating means includes a reduced image generating means for reducing and displaying the contents of the data, and in a coordinate space formed by the wall surface and the floor surface, based on time information and classification information of the data, 2. The data display method according to claim 1, wherein the reduced image is displayed. 3. A link means for associating the data with a graphic generated by the graphic generating means, and a graphic selecting means for selecting a graphic displayed in the coordinate space, wherein the graphic selecting means By selecting any shape,
3. The data display method according to claim 1, wherein the contents of the data associated by the link means are displayed. 4. The data display method according to claim 1, wherein the data includes page information, and the graphic displays a predetermined thickness corresponding to the page information. 5. Using calendar information for the time coordinates,
5. The data display method according to claim 1, wherein a calendar is displayed on a wall surface in a depth direction of the screen. 6. A coordinate designation unit for designating a coordinate range of the time coordinate and the classification coordinate, wherein the designation unit designates a display range of a time coordinate displayed on a wall surface of the coordinate space, and a floor of the coordinate space. 6. The data display method according to claim 1, wherein a display range of classification coordinates displayed on the surface is specified. 7. An initial setting means for setting an initial value of the time coordinate and the classification coordinate, wherein the time coordinate displayed on a wall surface of the coordinate space with the initial value set by the initial setting means; 7. The data display method according to claim 1, wherein the classification coordinates displayed on the floor surface of the coordinate space are displayed. 8. A data having time information and classification information is represented by a graphic, and the graphic is represented in a coordinate space having a time coordinate on a wall surface in a depth direction of the screen and a classification coordinate on a floor surface in a width direction of the screen. A data display method comprising: arranging a figure based on information and classification information; and displaying the arranged figure with a specific position in the coordinate space as a viewpoint. 9. The data display method according to claim 8, wherein the viewpoint position is arbitrarily moved in the coordinate space.