US 12,260,499 B1
Three-dimensional display of genealogical information
Michael D. Charbonnet, New Orleans, LA (US); Derrick W. Charbonnet, Ocean Springs, MS (US); M. Dean Charbonnet, Jr., New Orleans, LA (US); Laura T. Charbonnet, New Orleans, LA (US); and Clark R. Charbonnet, New Orleans, LA (US)
Filed by Michael D. Charbonnet, New Orleans, LA (US); Derrick W. Charbonnet, Ocean Springs, MS (US); M. Dean Charbonnet, Jr., New Orleans, LA (US); Laura T. Charbonnet, New Orleans, LA (US); and Clark R. Charbonnet, New Orleans, LA (US)
Filed on Mar. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/120,763.
Application 18/120,763 is a continuation of application No. 18/107,271, filed on Feb. 8, 2023, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/308,172, filed on Feb. 9, 2022.
Int. Cl. G06T 17/00 (2006.01); G06F 3/04817 (2022.01); G06F 3/0482 (2013.01)
CPC G06T 17/005 (2013.01) [G06F 3/04817 (2013.01); G06F 3/0482 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer implemented method for creating a three-dimensional graphics display from genealogical family tree data, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a genealogical family tree data set comprising biographical information on multiple individuals to a computer processing and memory device comprising software for input, processing, and display of information; wherein the biographical information concerning each individual comprises chronological information about when the individual lived or is living, and information regarding the genealogical relationship of the individual to at least one other individual in the family tree data set;
(b) the software associating the biographical information of each individual in the family tree data set with a virtual three-dimensional icon for each individual;
(c) the software generating a three-dimensional genealogical data set by assigning coordinates for the position of each icon in a coordinate system consisting of orthogonal X, Y and Z dimensions, thereby defining a three-dimensional display array incorporating the X, Y and Z dimensions; wherein:
(i) the Z dimension is a time dimension covering a range of dates extending backward in time from the present date to a specified date in the past;
(ii) the X and Y dimensions comprise arbitrary units;
(iii) the software assigns a first Z coordinate value corresponding to a date of birth of the individual represented by the icon, and a second Z coordinate value corresponding to a date of death of the individual represented by the icon or the current date if the individual represented by the icon is currently living; wherein the first and second Z coordinate values define a position and length for each icon in the Z dimension;
(iv) the software assigns the X and Y coordinate values for each icon so as to avoid overlap of the icons in the three-dimensional display array; and
(v) the X and Y coordinates for each icon are assigned relative to X and Y coordinates of a home person designated by a user or by a default setting in the software;
(d) the software encoding the three-dimensional genealogical data set in a three-dimensional graphics display computer code to form a graphics display data set; and
(e) the software displaying an image of at least a portion of the icons from the graphics display data set on a graphics display device in communication with the computer processing and memory
device; wherein the image reflects the perspective of a viewer that is virtually present within a virtual space encompassing the three-dimensional display array, and the perspective of the image changes in real time in response to navigational inputs of the user.