POI Stack Navigation in Virtual Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Navigation in virtual environments, particularly those with numerous Points of Interest (POI) stacks, disrupts user attentiveness due to the need for reorientation when switching between different operating logics, such as from crosshair-based scroll views to list-based selections, which is problematic especially in contexts like road traffic.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that maintain a single operating logic for navigating both in virtual environments and POI stacks, automatically scaling the representation to ensure POIs maintain a minimum size and distance, and combining POIs into new stacks as needed to prevent information overload, allowing seamless navigation and selection within the same intuitive logic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple operating logics are used for navigating virtual environments and POI stacks, then comprehensive functionality is achieved, but user attentiveness deteriorates due to reorientation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by implementing a single operating logic that serves multiple functions: it handles both virtual environment navigation and POI stack selection uniformly. The selection tool operates consistently across different contexts, eliminating the need for users to switch between different interaction modes while maintaining comprehensive navigation functionality.
2Loss of information
If POI stacks are displayed in high-density areas, then information completeness is improved, but visual clarity deteriorates due to overlapping POIs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the contradiction by transitioning from a two-dimensional map view to a three-dimensional POI stack representation. When POIs overlap in the 2D map view, they are stacked vertically in the 3D dimension, allowing all POIs to be displayed simultaneously without overlapping. The selection tool can then navigate through this vertical stack to select individual POIs, maintaining both information completeness and visual clarity.
3Measurement precision
If POI size is increased for better visibility, then detection accuracy is improved, but screen space utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves POI representations from the 2D map plane into the 3D vertical dimension as stacks. This allows the map view to maintain its original scale and screen space utilization while POIs are displayed as vertically stacked elements that can be selected through the 3D stack interface, preserving both detection accuracy and efficient screen space usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the POI selection process into two distinct phases: first, selecting the general location on the map, and second, selecting the specific POI from the vertical stack at that location. This segmentation allows the interface to optimize for both map overview and detailed POI selection without requiring increased POI size in the map view.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for resolving and operating POI stacks in a virtual environment displayed on an image screen surface, automatically scales, upon selecting a first POI stack with a first quantity of POI's contained in the POI stack, the representation of the virtual environment such that POI's contained in the first POI stack are displayed on the image screen surface such that individual POI's, when correctly positioned in the virtual environment, maintain a minimum size and a minimum distance to respective neighboring POI's, and, if the minimum distance cannot be maintained, a partial quantity of the quantity of POI's of the first POI stack is combined in at least one second POI stack on the basis of the respective position of the individual POI's in the virtual environment. A corresponding system is also described.