Systems and Methods for Using a Three-Dimensional, First Person Display to Convey Data to a User

Abstract

Systems and methods according to various embodiments enable a user to view three-dimensional representations of data objects (“nodes”) within a 3D environment from a first person perspective. The system may be configured to allow the user to interact with the nodes by moving a virtual camera through the 3D environment. The nodes may have one or more attributes that may correspond, respectively, to particular static or dynamic values within the data object's data fields. The attributes may include physical aspects of the nodes, such as color, size, or shape. The system may group related data objects within the 3D environment into clusters that are demarked using one or more cluster designators, which may be in the form of a dome or similar feature that encompasses the related data objects. The system may enable multiple users to access the 3D environment simultaneously, or to record their interactions with the 3D environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, using a computer processor, a sequence of time-dependent data values;   mapping the sequence of time-dependent data values to an attribute of a three-dimensional object that is available to appear in views of a three-dimensional environment, wherein a presentation of the attribute at a particular point in time corresponds to the time-dependent data value mapped to it at that particular point in time;   generating a first view of the three-dimensional environment at a first point in time, wherein the first view of the three-dimensional environment includes a first perspective of the three-dimensional environment from a first location, and wherein the first view includes computer generated graphics;   receiving user input indicating a second location in the three-dimensional environment and a second perspective for viewing the three-dimensional environment from the second location, wherein the user input corresponds to a second point in time later than the first point in time;   based on the user input, generating a second view of the three-dimensional environment at the second point in time, wherein the second view of the three-dimensional environment includes a second perspective of the three-dimensional environment from the second location, and wherein the second view includes computer generated graphics.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional environment is rendered on a two-dimensional display. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional environment is rendered in a virtual reality display. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional environment is rendered using holograms. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer generated graphics of the first view of the three-dimensional environment and the computer generated graphics of the second view of the three-dimensional environment are presented to a user as superimposed on a portion of a real-world environment in which the user moves, and wherein the user input is generated through one or more sensors configured to track the user's motion. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the user input comprises receiving navigation information through a keyboard. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional object is included in the first view and the second view, wherein the attribute of the three-dimensional object in the first view is based on a value in the sequence of time-dependent data values corresponding to the first point in time, and wherein the attribute of the three-dimensional object in the second view is based on a value in the sequence of time-dependent data values corresponding to the second point in time. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional object is included in the first view and the second view, wherein the attribute of the three-dimensional object in the first view is based on a value in the sequence of time-dependent data values corresponding to the first point in time; wherein the attribute of the three-dimensional object in the second view is based on a value in the sequence of time-dependent data values corresponding to the second point in time; and wherein an appearance of the attribute in the first view is visibly distinct from an appearance of the attribute in the second view. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sequence of time-dependent data values corresponds to values for a field in a set of time-stamped, searchable events. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sequence of time-dependent data values corresponds to values for a field in a set of time-stamped, searchable events, and wherein the field is included in a late-binding schema. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sequence of time-dependent data values correspond to a metric for evaluating performance of a real-world object represented in the three-dimensional environment by the three-dimensional object. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sequence of time-dependent data values correspond to a metric for evaluating performance of a host or virtual machine in an information technology environment, and wherein the three-dimensional object represents the host or virtual machine. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sequence of time-dependent data values comprise sensor readings. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , the three-dimensional object includes a cube, a hexahedron, a rhombohedron, a prism, a pyramid, a sphere, a cone, or a cylinder. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the three-dimensional object includes a visual property of the three-dimensional object. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the three-dimensional object includes a shape, color, size, height, width, or depth. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the three-dimensional object includes a material, lighting, texture, transparency, pulsing, or beaconing. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the three-dimensional object includes a sound. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a second three-dimensional object is included in the first view of the three-dimensional environment and the second view of the three-dimensional environment, wherein a second attribute of the second three-dimensional object in the first view is based on a value in a second sequence of time-dependent data values corresponding to the first point in time; and wherein the second attribute of the second three-dimensional object in the second view is based on a value in the second sequence of time-dependent data values corresponding to the second point in time. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising causing a display in the first view of the three-dimensional environment and in the second view of the three-dimensional environment of a clustering object, wherein the clustering object includes at least a portion of the three-dimensional object and at least of a portion of another three-dimensional object. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising causing a display in the first view of the three-dimensional environment and in the second view of the three-dimensional environment of a clustering object, wherein the clustering object contains the three-dimensional object and a second three-dimensional object, and wherein the first location corresponding to the first view of the three-dimensional environment is outside the clustering object, and wherein the second location corresponding to the second view of the three-dimensional environment is inside the clustering object. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising causing a display in the first view of the three-dimensional environment and in the second view of the three-dimensional environment of a clustering object, wherein the clustering object includes a dome or a sphere, and wherein the clustering object contains the three-dimensional object and at least a second three-dimensional object. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising causing a display in the first view of the three-dimensional environment and in the second view of the three-dimensional environment of a clustering object, and wherein the clustering object has an attribute that changes based on states of three-dimensional objects in the clustering object. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising causing a display in the first view of the three-dimensional environment and in the second view of the three-dimensional environment of a clustering object, and wherein the clustering object pulses or produces a beacon signal based on states of three-dimensional objects in the clustering object. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a first clustering object and a second clustering object, each of the first clustering object and the second clustering object containing other objects, and each of the first clustering object and the second clustering object available for viewing in the three-dimensional environment; and   generating a third clustering object, the third clustering containing the first clustering object and the second clustering object, the third clustering object available for viewing in the three-dimensional environment.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a first clustering object and a second clustering object, each of the first clustering object and the second clustering object containing other objects, the first clustering object associated with a state based on states of the objects that it contains, the second clustering object associated with a state based on the states of the objects that it contains, and each of the first clustering object and the second clustering object available for viewing along with a visual indication of their associated states during navigation of the three-dimensional environment;   generating a third clustering object, the third clustering object containing the first clustering object and the second clustering object, the third clustering object associated with a state based on the states of the first clustering object and the second clustering object, and the third clustering object available for viewing along with a visual indication of its associated state during navigation of the three-dimensional environment.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a sequence of views of the three-dimensional environment, wherein the sequence of views is generated based on navigation input received from a user for navigating the three-dimensional environment, wherein the sequence of views includes the first view and the second view, and wherein at least one of the views includes the three-dimensional object and its attribute.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 recording a sequence of views of the three-dimensional environment, wherein the sequence of views is generated based on navigation input received from a user for navigating the three-dimensional environment, wherein the sequence of views includes the first view and the second view, and wherein at least one of the views includes the three-dimensional object and its attribute; and   after recording the sequence of views, replaying the sequence of views.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing display of a sequence of views of the three-dimensional environment, wherein the sequence of views is generated based on navigation input received from a user for navigating the three-dimensional environment, wherein the sequence of views includes the first view at the first point in time and the second view at the second point in time, and wherein at least one of the views includes the three-dimensional object and its attribute; and   after causing display of the sequence of views of the three-dimensional environment, replicating the mapping of the sequence of time-dependent data values to the attribute of the three-dimensional object over a new time period while enabling the user to navigate the three-dimensional environment during the new time period to generate an alternative sequence of views of the three-dimensional environment that differs from the sequence of views of the three-dimensional environment.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing display, to a first user, of a sequence of views of the three-dimensional environment, wherein the sequence of views is generated based on navigation input received from the first user for navigating the three-dimensional environment, wherein the sequence of views includes the first view at the first point in time and the second view at the second point in time, and wherein at least one of the views includes the three-dimensional object and its attribute; and   concurrently with the display to the first user of the sequence of views of the three-dimensional environment, enabling a second user to navigate the three-dimensional environment and generate an alternative sequence of views of the three-dimensional environment that differs from the sequence of views displayed to the first user.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving user input corresponding to selection of the attribute; and   causing display of data used to derive the sequence of time-dependent data values mapped to the attribute.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving user input corresponding to selection of the three-dimensional object; and   causing display of information about the three-dimensional object or causing display of underlying data used to generate the sequence of time-dependent data values mapped to the attribute of the three-dimensional object.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving user input specifying a marker that calls attention to the three-dimensional object or an aspect of the three-dimensional object; and   causing display of the marker.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving user input, from a first user navigating the three-dimensional environment, that specifies a marker that calls attention to the three-dimensional object or an aspect of the three-dimensional object; and   causing display of the marker to a second user navigating the three-dimensional environment.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional object is included in the first view and the second view, wherein the attribute of the three-dimensional object in the first view is based on a value in the sequence of time-dependent data values corresponding to the first point in time, wherein the attribute of the three-dimensional object in the second view is based on a value in the sequence of time-dependent data values corresponding to the second point in time, and wherein the method further comprises:
 displaying in the second view a tracer corresponding to a presentation of the attribute from the first view.   
     
     
         36 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing software instructions, which when executed by one or more processors cause performance of operations of:
 receiving, using a computer processor, a sequence of time-dependent data values;   mapping the sequence of time-dependent data values to an attribute of a three-dimensional object that is available to appear in views of a three-dimensional environment, wherein a presentation of the attribute at a particular point in time corresponds to the time-dependent data value mapped to it at that particular point in time;   generating a first view of the three-dimensional environment at a first point in time, wherein the first view of the three-dimensional environment includes a first perspective of the three-dimensional environment from a first location, and wherein the first view includes computer generated graphics;   receiving user input indicating a second location in the three-dimensional environment and a second perspective for viewing the three-dimensional environment from the second location, wherein the user input corresponds to a second point in time later than the first point in time;   based on the user input, generating a second view of the three-dimensional environment at the second point in time, wherein the second view of the three-dimensional environment includes a second perspective of the three-dimensional environment from the second location, and wherein the second view includes computer generated graphics.   
     
     
         37 . An apparatus comprising:
 a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that receives, using a computer processor, a sequence of time-dependent data values;   a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that maps the sequence of time-dependent data values to an attribute of a three-dimensional object that is available to appear in views of a three-dimensional environment, wherein a presentation of the attribute at a particular point in time corresponds to the time-dependent data value mapped to it at that particular point in time;   a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that generates a first view of the three-dimensional environment at a first point in time, wherein the first view of the three-dimensional environment includes a first perspective of the three-dimensional environment from a first location, and wherein the first view includes computer generated graphics;   a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that receives user input indicating a second location in the three-dimensional environment and a second perspective for viewing the three-dimensional environment from the second location, wherein the user input corresponds to a second point in time later than the first point in time;   a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that, based on the user input, generates a second view of the three-dimensional environment at the second point in time, wherein the second view of the three-dimensional environment includes a second perspective of the three-dimensional environment from the second location, and wherein the second view includes computer generated graphics.