Apparatus and method for interacting with a simulated 3D interface to an operating system operative to control computer resources

Abstract

A computer system including computer resources, an operating system operative to control said computer resources; and a 3D interface enabling a user to interact with the operating system and operative to provide a plurality of display representations of at least a portion of the computer resources from a corresponding plurality of different viewpoints.

1 . A computer system comprising: 
 computer resources;    an operating system operative to control said computer resources; and    a 3D interface enabling a user to interact with the operating system and providing at least one screen display image including a representation of at least a portion of the computer resources, therein substantially all of said representation is three-dimensional.    
     
     
         2 . A computer system comprising: 
 computer resources;    an operating system operative to control said computer resources; and    a 3D interface enabling a user to interact with the operating system and operative to provide a plurality of display representations of at least a portion of the computer resources from a corresponding plurality of different viewpoints.    
     
     
         3 . A computer system according to    claim 1    wherein said 3D interface comprises: 
 a 3D motion simulator operative to provide a multiplicity of views of a 3D representation of the computer resources as seen from a corresponding multiplicity of viewpoints within the 3D representation of the computer resources; and  
 a viewpoint selection receiver operative to receive a multiplicity of selected viewpoints from a user of the computer system,  
 wherein the 3D motion simulator generates views corresponding to said selected viewpoints.  
 
     
     
         4 . A computer system according to    claim 3    wherein said 3D motion simulator is operative to generate said multiplicity of views in real time.  
     
     
         5 . Operating system apparatus useful in conjunction with a population of computer systems each having a different configuration of computer resources, the apparatus comprising: 
 an operating system operative to control said computer resources; and    a 3D interface enabling a user to interact with the operating system and operative to provide, for each specific computer system having a specific computer resource configuration, at least one 3D display representation of at least a portion of said specific computer resource configuration.    
     
     
         6 . Apparatus according to    claim 5    wherein said computer resource configuration includes at least one software resource.  
     
     
         7 . Apparatus according to    claim 5    wherein said computer resource configuration includes at least one hardware resource.  
     
     
         8 . Apparatus according to    claim 5    wherein said 3D interface comprises: 
 a 3D motion simulator operative to provide a multiplicity of views of a 3D representation of the computer resources as seen from a corresponding multiplicity of viewpoints within the 3D representation of the computer resources; and  
 a viewpoint selection receiver operative to receive a multiplicity of selected viewpoints from a user of the computer system,  
 wherein the 3D notion simulator generates views corresponding to said selected viewpoints.  
 
     
     
         9 . A system according to    claim 1    wherein said computer resources include applications.  
     
     
         10 . A system according to    claim 3    wherein said viewpoints comprise at least two viewpoints within a 3D representation of at least one of said applications.  
     
     
         11 . A system according to    claim 1    wherein said computer resources have a logical structure and wherein said 3D representation comprises a 3D representation of said logical structure.  
     
     
         12 . A system according to    claim 11    wherein said logical structure comprises a hierarchy.  
     
     
         13 . A computer system comprising: 
 computer resources;    an operating system operative to control said computer resources; and    a 3D interface enabling a user to interact with the operating system and providing a sequence of screen display images together generating a 3D representation of substantially all of said computer resources.    
     
     
         14 . A system according to    claim 1    wherein said computer system comprises: 
 a first computer which includes said operating system; and  
 a second computer which comprises said 3D interface.  
 
     
     
         15 . A system according to    claim 14    wherein said first computer comprises a server.  
     
     
         16 . A system according to    claim 14    wherein at least some of said computer resources are located in said first computer.  
     
     
         17 . A system according to    claim 15    wherein at least some of said computer resources are located in computers served by said server.  
     
     
         18 . A main computer system for controlling a plurality of computer resources residing in at least one second computers, the main computer apparatus comprising: 
 electronic storage apparatus including: 
 a computer resource database storing information regarding relationships between the plurality of computer resources; and  
 an operating system accessing said computer resource database in order to manipulate said plurality of computer resources and including a computer resource transfer unit operative to transfer at least one computer resource from said at least one second computers to said electronic storage apparatus.  
   
     
     
         19 . A system according to    claim 18    wherein said electronic storage apparatus comprises at least one of the following electronic storage devices: 
 a ROM; and  
 a RAM.  
 
     
     
         20 . A method for interacting with an operating system operative to control computer resources, the method comprising: 
 providing at least one screen display image including a representation of at least a portion of the computer resources, wherein substantially all of said representation is three-dimensional; and    receiving at least one user input provided by a user relative to said at least one screen display image and interacting with the operating system based on said at least one user input.    
     
     
         21 . A method for interacting with an operating system operative to control computer resources, the method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of display representations of at least a portion of the computer resources from a corresponding plurality of different viewpoints; and    receiving at least one user input provided by a user relative to at least one of said plurality of display representations and interacting with the operating system based on said at least one user input.    
     
     
         22 . A method for interacting with an operating system useful in conjunction with a population of computer systems each having a different configuration of computer resources, wherein the operating system is operative to control the computer resources, the method comprising: 
 providing, for each specific computer system having a specific computer resource configuration, at least one 3D display representation of at least a portion of said specific computer resource configuration; and    receiving at least one user input provided by a user relative to at least one of said plurality of display representations and interacting with the operating system based on said at least one user input.    
     
     
         23 . A method for interacting with an operating system operative to control computer resources, the method comprising: 
 providing a sequence of screen display images together generating a 3D representation of substantially all of said computer resources; and    receiving at least one user input provided by a user relative to at least one of said sequence of screen display images and interacting with the operating system based on said at least one user input.    
     
     
         24 . A method for interacting with a plurality of computer resources residing in at least one secondary computers, through a main computer, the method comprising: 
 providing a computer resource database in the main computer which stores information regarding relationships between the plurality of computer resources; and    transferring at least one computer resource, selected by a user reliant on said computer resource database, from said at least one secondary computers to said main computer.