Robert K Berger

US Patent:

51481545, Sep 15, 1992

Filed:

Dec 4, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/622821

Inventors:

Michael T. MacKay - Vallejo CA
Robert J. Berger - Menlo Park CA
Robert Duffy - Milpitas CA
Ted E. Langford - Fremont CA

Assignee:

Sony Corporation of America - Park Ridge NJ

International Classification:

G09G 302

US Classification:

340712

Abstract:

The present invention provides apparatus and methods for a multi-dimensional user interface for use in audio visual production. A display system including a central processing unit (CPU) is coupled through appropriate input/output (I/O) circuitry to input devices, such as a keyboard, digital pad and/or track ball as well as a display device. The CPU is further coupled to a hard disk drive for the storage of programs and data, and is also coupled to a network through which the CPU may communicate with a variety of system resource devices such as editors, music synthesizers, graphics generators, scheduling resources, audio enhancement resources, etc. A user viewing the interface on the display may utilize one of the input devices, such as by way of example, the keyboard, to select, incorporate or otherwise integrate the various system resources to develop a unified multi-media production. The user interface of the present invention includes a control frame which in practice substantially fills all of the display screen of the display and is consistent for all user applications. The control frame is comprised of control panels which surround a variety of subwindows and acts as a consistent control area for all users of the interface.