Portable presentation system and methods for use therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9727207-B2
Application number	US-201715417320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 1, 2004
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A distributed digital content collaboration method and system, the method comprising the steps of storing collaboration session data for at least one collaboration session, the collaboration data including data objects displayable on display surfaces, identifying unused display surfaces associated a collaboration system, sending display identifiers to at least a subset of the unused display surfaces, wherein the display identifiers are presented on the display surfaces as display identification codes for associated surfaces, receiving user input via a user interface identifying at least one of the display identifiers associated with a first display surface, determining that the identified display identifier matches the display identifier sent to the first display surface and, in response to the determination, configuring the first display surface with the processor to facilitate content collaboration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system supporting distributed digital content collaboration, the system comprising:
at least a first electronic display that provides display surface;
a computer system having a user interface, a processor and a database linked to the processor, the database storing collaboration session data for at least one collaboration session, the collaboration data including data objects displayable on display surfaces, the processor linkable to the at least a first electronic display and programmed to perform the steps of:
identifying unused display surfaces including a first display surface on at least a portion of the first electronic display;
sending an identifier to each of the unused display surfaces, wherein the identifiers are presented on the display surfaces as display identification codes for associated surfaces, the identifiers including a first identifier associated with the first display surface;
receiving user input via the user interface indicating at least the first identifier;
determining that the received identifier matches the first identifier sent to the first display surface; and
in response to the determination, configuring the first display surface to cooperate with the processor to facilitate content collaboration.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of detecting user input from the user interface indicating a specific collaboration session and distributing session data associated with the specific collaboration session to the first display surface for presentation.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the system includes a plurality of electronic displays and wherein each of the electronic displays presents an independent display surface.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the processor identifies unused display surface on each of the plurality of displays and sends unique identifiers to each of the unused display surfaces for presentation on those surfaces.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein at least a second display surface is remotely located from the first display surface and wherein a second user interface is useable to associate the second display surface with the specific collaboration session, the processor further programmed to distribute the session data associated with the specific collaboration session to the second display surface for simultaneous presentation of the session data on the first and second display surfaces.

6. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
at least a second display surface that is remotely located from the first display surface; and
a second user interface useable to associate the second display surface with the specific collaboration session,
wherein the session data associated with the specific collaboration session is distributed to the second display surface, and
wherein the session data is presented on the second display surface simultaneously with presentation of the session data on the first display surface.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the display identifiers persist on the display surfaces after the first display surface is configured to facilitate content collaboration.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further programmed to receive user input identifying more than one display identifier and wherein the processor configures the display surfaces associated with each display identifier indicated via the user interface with the processor to facilitate multi-surface content collaboration.

9. The system of claim 1 including receiving the user input identifying at least one display identifier from a device other than the first display surface.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the device other than the first display surface includes a hand held portable device.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the display surfaces includes an independent display device with an independent display surface.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a subset of the data objects include application windows.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a subset of the data objects include annotations added to a display surface.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least a first electronic display includes an electronic whiteboard.

15. The system of claim 1 for use with a plurality of electronic displays, each electronic display presenting at least one display surface, the processor further programmed to perform the steps of presenting a distinct display identifier on each of the plurality of display surfaces, receiving user input via the user interface indicating at least a subset of the display identifiers, determining that the received identifiers match a subset of the identifiers presented on the display surfaces and, in response to the determination, configuring the display surfaces associated with the received identifiers to cooperate with the processor to present content to a user.

16. A distributed digital content collaboration method comprising the steps of:
storing collaboration session data for at least one collaboration session, the collaboration session data including data objects displayable on display surfaces;
identifying unused display surfaces associated a collaboration system;
sending display identifiers to at least a subset of the unused display surfaces, wherein the display identifiers are presented on the unused display surfaces as display identification codes for associated unused display surfaces;
receiving user input via a user interface identifying at least one of the display identifiers associated with a first display surface;
determining that the identified display identifier matches the display identifier sent to the first display surface; and
in response to the determination, configuring the first display surface with a processor to facilitate content collaboration.

17. The method of claim 16 further including the steps of detecting user input from the user interface indicating a specific collaboration session and distributing session data associated with the specific collaboration session to the first display surface for presentation.

18. The method of claim 17 for use with a plurality of electronic displays, each of the electronic displays presenting at least a one independent display surface.

19. The method of claim 18 further including the steps of identifying unused display surface on each of the plurality of displays and sending unique identifiers to each of the unused display surfaces for presentation on those surfaces.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of presenting the display identifiers on the display surfaces includes persistently presenting the display identifiers on the display surfaces after the first display surface is configured to facilitate content collaboration.

21. The method of claim 16 further including the steps of receiving user input identifying more than one display identifier and configuring the display surfaces associated with each display identifier indicated via the user interface with to facilitate multi-surface content collaboration.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of receiving the user input identifying at least one display identifier includes receiving the user input identifying at least one display identifier from a device other than the first display surface.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of receiving the user input identifying at least one display identifier includes receiving the user i

Assignees

• Steelcase Inc

Inventors

• Dunn Michael H
• Hutchinson Ian G
• Hildebrandt Peter W

Classifications

• H04N7/15 Primary

  Conference systems · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title

• G09B5/08

  providing for individual presentation of information to a plurality of student stations · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• H04N9/3197

  using light modulating optical valves · CPC title