Digital whiteboard collaboration apparatuses, methods and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9430140-B2
Application number	US-201213478994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2012
Priority date	May 23, 2011
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

The DIGITAL WHITEBOARD COLLABORATION APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“DWC”) transform user multi-element touchscreen gestures via DWC components into updated digital collaboration whiteboard objects. In one embodiment, the DWC obtains user whiteboard input from a client device participating in a digital collaborative whiteboarding session. The DWC parses the user whiteboard input to determine user instructions, and modifies a tile object included in the digital collaborative whiteboarding session according to the determined user instructions. The DWC generates updated client viewport content for the client device. Also, the DWC determines that client viewport content of a second client device should be modified because of modifying the tile object included in the digital whiteboard. The DWC generates updated client viewport content for the second client device after determining that the content of the second client device should be modified, and provides the updated client viewport content to the second client device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A digital collaborative whiteboarding processor-implemented method, comprising:
storing a digital whiteboard including content of a collaborative digital whiteboarding session, the content of the collaborative digital whiteboarding session including data associated with a first object and a second object, wherein,
the first and second objects are each one of a video, an image, a drawing, and text, and
the data includes location data of the first and second objects within the digital whiteboard;

in response to a query identifying a first client viewport specification for a client viewport associated with a client device, selecting client viewport content for the client device by querying the stored content of the collaborative digital whiteboarding session to identify a first set of one or more objects, including the first object, associated with location data indicating the first set of one or more objects are within the client viewport of the client device according to the first client viewport specification, wherein the client viewport according to the first client viewport specification includes a first portion of the digital whiteboard including at least a portion of the first object and wherein the client viewport according to the first client viewport specification does not include a second portion of the digital whiteboard, the second portion of the digital whiteboard including the second object;
obtaining user whiteboard input from the client device;
identifying a user instruction based on the user whiteboard input;
modifying the client viewport specification associated with the client device from the first client viewport specification to a second client viewport specification, according to the identified user instruction; and
in response to modifying the client viewport specification, selecting updated client viewport content by querying the stored content of the collaborative digital whiteboarding session to identify a second set of one or more objects, including the second object, associated with location data according to the second client viewport specification, wherein the client viewport according to the second client viewport specification includes the second portion of the digital whiteboard including at least a portion of the second object;
wherein the selected updated client viewport content for the client device further includes a map of the digital whiteboard, the map including indications of the position in the whiteboard of the client viewport of the client device connected to the whiteboarding session and a second client viewport of a second client device connected to the whiteboarding session, wherein position of the client viewport is different from the position of the second client viewport.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying an object included in the digital whiteboard that is part of the digital collaborative whiteboarding session.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining that client viewport content of a second client device should be modified because of modifying the object included in the digital whiteboard; and
selecting updated client viewport content for the second client device after determining that the client viewport content of the second client device should be modified by querying the stored content of the collaborative digital whiteboarding session to identify one or more objects associated with location data indicating the one or more objects are within a client viewport of the second client device; and
providing, to the second client device, the updated client viewport content for the second client device.

4. The digital collaborative whiteboarding processor-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the client viewport specification associated with the client device includes one of modifying the shape of the client viewport, modifying zoom level of the client viewport, modifying aspect ratio of the client viewport, and modifying position of the client viewport.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user whiteboard input includes data on a touchscreen gesture performed by the user.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the client device is one of: a multi-user touchscreen device; and a mobile touchscreen-enabled device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user instruction further includes a tile object modification instruction.

8. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising;
modifying an object of the digital collaborative whiteboarding session; and
storing the pre-modified object and the modified object, of the digital collaborative whiteboarding session, as different versions of the object;
wherein the updated client viewport content for the client device further includes a time/version-evolution animation of the versions of the object.

9. A digital collaborative whiteboarding system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory disposed in communication with the processor and storing processor-executable instructions to:
store a digital whiteboard including content of a collaborative digital whiteboarding session, the content of the collaborative digital whiteboarding session including data associated with a first object and a second object, wherein,
the first and second objects are each one of a video, an image, a drawing object, and text, and
the data includes location data of the first and second objects within the digital whiteboard;

in response to a query identifying a first client viewport specification for a client viewport associated with a client device, select client viewport content for the client device by querying the stored content of the collaborative digital whiteboarding session to identify a first set of one or more objects, including the first object, associated with location data indicating the first set of one or more objects are within the client viewport of the client device according to the first client viewport specification, wherein the client viewport according to the first client viewport specification includes a first portion of the digital whiteboard including at least a portion of the first object and wherein the client viewport according to the first client viewport specification does not include a second portion of the digital whiteboard, the second portion of the digital whiteboard including the second object;
obtain user whiteboard input from the client device;
identify a user instruction based on the user whiteboard input;
modify the client viewport specification associated with the client device from the first client viewport specification to a second client viewport specification, according to the identified user instruction; and
in response to modifying the client viewport specification, selecting updated client viewport content by querying the stored content of the collaborative digital whiteboarding session to identify a second set of one or more objects, including the second object, associated with location data according to the second client viewport specification, wherein the client viewport according to the second client viewport specification includes the second portion of the digital whiteboard including at least a portion of the second object;
wherein the selected updated client viewport content for the client device further includes a map of the digital whiteboard, the map including indications of the position in the whiteboard of the client viewport of the client device connected to the whiteboarding session and a second client viewport of a second client device connected to the whiteboarding session, wherein position of the client viewport is different from the position of the second client viewport.

10. A non-transitory proc

Assignees

• Reuschel Jeffrey Jon
• Mason Steve
• Thorp Clarkson Sheppard
• Haggerty Ammon
• Haworth Inc

Inventors

• Reuschel Jeffrey Jon
• Mason Steve
• Thorp Clarkson Sheppard
• Haggerty Ammon

Classifications

• G09G2370/025

  LAN communication management · CPC title

• G06F3/1454

  involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay · CPC title

• G09B19/00

  Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass (teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26) · CPC title

• G06F2203/0383

  Remote input, i.e. interface arrangements in which the signals generated by a pointing device are transmitted to a PC at a remote location, e.g. to a PC in a LAN · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title