With Apple patenting number of methods in 3D environment and the talk of iPad 3 being in 3D, the a 3D desktop interface to an otherwise 2D operating system is gaining traction. This is the latest patent is coming from Microsoft, which recently received a patent for what it describes as a "method and apparatus for providing a three-dimensional task gallery computer interface." In summary, this is an interface intended to help you better manage multiple tasks on your desktop. IMO it is still designed for Desktop PC and not mobile devices but, the patent suggests this could be done in a 3D environment with a floor, walls and a ceiling.

Furthermore, you'd be able to group multiple windows at various spots in the "room," which would let you rely on your spatial memory to easily find a given task - with the room getting deeper and deeper to accommodate more tasks.

In the patent's claims, the only means described for navigating around that room is a set of icons that would adjust to suit the 3D environment so theoretically the icons can also be in 3D to further enhance the 3D experience. However the 3D icons are not something that can be patented as it is already used so it is left out.

It is also reported that there is an element of Kinect here that would extrapolate that it could easily be adapted to accommodate gesture controls as well. Hit up the source link below for plenty more line drawings where this one came from.

Claims
What is claimed is:

1. A method of generating a display on a computer screen in a computer system, the method comprising:

defining a three-dimensional space comprising a floor, two side walls, a ceiling and a front wall;
displaying movement of a task comprising an image of at least one application window for a program running on the computer system, the movement of the task such that the task moves downward along one of the two side walls in response to movement of an input device;
displaying the task reaching an intersection of the one of the two side walls and the floor and displaying the task remaining on the one of the two side walls at the intersection while continuing to receive indications of movement of the input device; and
determining that the movement of the input device after the task reaches the intersection is more than a certain distance and in response to said determining displaying movement of the task from the one of the two side walls to the floor.

2. A method of generating a display on a computer screen in a computer system, the method comprising:

Displaying a window within a three-dimensional environment;
displaying at least one button icon with the window such that the button icon moves with the window in all three dimensions when the window is moved in the three-dimensional environment and such that the button icon gets smaller when the window is moved away from a camera position in the three-dimensional environment and such that the button icon tilts as the window tilts but during the tilt operation the icon button is simultaneously resized such that the button icon remains a constant size in pixels on the computer screen.

3. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

defining two tasks within a displayed three-dimensional environment, the two tasks each comprising at least two windows, wherein defining the two tasks comprises defining respective locations of the two tasks in the three-dimensional environment;
displaying the three-dimensional environment such that one of the two tasks is displayed and the other of the two tasks is not displayed;
receiving an instruction to move a window from the displayed task to the task that is not displayed wherein the displayed task thereby becomes a source task and the task that is not displayed thereby becomes a destination task;
moving a virtual user through the three-dimensional environment so that both the source task and the destination task are displayed; and
displaying animated movement of the window from the source task to the destination task.

Comments

Bykebin @ Tuesday, May 31, 2011 12:40 AM

Do you know what intel's patenets are related to this 3D semiconductor?

By Salar Golestanian @ Tuesday, May 31, 2011 1:56 AM

I assume you are referring to this post in the science section http://salargolestanian.com/BLOG/Science.aspx on tri-gate technology - These CPUs will probably be used in 2012 new lower power CPUs rather than desktop versions where the requirements for low heat release is much higher for smartphone devices.

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These are various Salar Golestanian Blog some long and some short about the latest topics that interest me about Technology, Design, Mobile or Desktop Internet and all that is within its jurisdiction. Probably the best place for these would have been in SalarO.com, However, some Blogs have less of a commercial or corporate genra, so here they are placed in my personal site. These Blogs help me explain a little more then normally allowed in the 140 character real estate of Twitter posts. They may also link you to the actual news or site that expands further on my comments.