Identifying the positioning in a multiple display grid

• US 10,061,552 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Quirk, Aaron J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US14/951,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20170147271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 345 1, 345 3, 345 7, 345156-184, 345443, 345473, 345633, 715784, 348 1401, 348 77, 463 13, 463 17, 463 32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/02 Networking aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/042 for monitor identification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In an approach for determining relative positioning in a multiple display grid, a processor receives positioning information from sensors operably affixed to at least a first display and a second display. A processor analyzes the positioning information to determine a relative positioning between at least the first display and the second display. A processor generates an extended display on the at least the first display and the second display, based on the analyzed positioning information.

Claims

1. A method for determining relative positioning in a multiple display grid, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, positioning information from, sensors at least, a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor operably affixed to at least a first display, at least, a fourth sensor and a fifth sensor operably affixed to a second display, at least, a sixth sensor and a seventh sensor operably affixed to a third display, and, at least, an eighth sensor and a ninth sensor operably affixed to a fourth display;

analyzing, by one or more processors, the positioning information to determine a relative positioning and orientation between, at least, the first display, the second display, the third display, and the fourth display by creating sensor pairing associations between the first sensor and the fourth sensor, the second sensor and the sixth sensor, and the third sensor and the eighth sensor;

generating, by one or more processors, an extended display on at least the first display, the second display, the third display, and the fourth display, based on the analyzed positioning information; and

adjusting, by one or more processors, images on the extended display, based on the positioning of the sensors, wherein the images on the extended display are arranged dynamically and seamlessly without user intervention.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensors are selected from the group consisting of near field communication (NFC) devices, radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, Bluetooth devices, accelerometers, and gyroscopes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the positioning information comprises:

constructing, by one or more processors, a graph that represents the relative positioning of at least the first display, the second display, the third display, and the fourth display, based on the sensor pairing associations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two displays are selected from the group consisting of computer monitors and television monitors.

5. A computer program product for determining relative positioning in a multiple display grid, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive positioning information from, sensors at least, a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor operably affixed to at least a first display, at least, a fourth sensor and a fifth sensor operably affixed to a second display, at least, a sixth sensor and a seventh sensor operably affixed to a third display, and, at least, an eighth sensor and a ninth sensor operably affixed to a fourth display;

program instructions to analyze the positioning information to determine a relative positioning and orientation between, at least, the first display, the second display, the third display, and the fourth display by creating sensor pairing associations between the first sensor and the fourth sensor, the second sensor and the sixth sensor, and the third sensor and the eighth sensor;

program instructions to generate an extended display on at least the first display, the second display, the third display, and the fourth display, based on the analyzed positioning information; and

program instructions to adjust images on the extended display, based on the positioning of the sensors, wherein the images on the extended display are arranged dynamically and seamlessly without user intervention.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the sensors are selected from the group consisting of near field communication (NFC) devices, radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, Bluetooth devices, accelerometers, and gyroscopes.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein program instructions to analyze the positioning information comprise:

program instructions to construct a graph that represents the relative positioning of at least the first display, the second display, the third display, and the fourth display, based on the sensor pairing associations.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the at least two displays are selected from the group consisting of computer monitors and television monitors.

9. A computer system for determining relative positioning in a multiple display grid, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors, one or more computer readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive positioning information from, sensors at least, a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor operably affixed to at least a first display, at least, a fourth sensor and a fifth sensor operably affixed to a second display, at least, a sixth sensor and a seventh sensor operably affixed to a third display, and, at least, an eighth sensor and a ninth sensor operably affixed to a fourth display;

program instructions to analyze the positioning information to determine a relative positioning and orientation between, at least, the first display, the second display, the third display, and the fourth display by creating sensor pairing associations between the first sensor and the fourth sensor, the second sensor and the sixth sensor, and the third sensor and the eighth sensor;

program instructions to generate an extended display on at least the first display, the second display, the third display, and the fourth display, based on the analyzed positioning information; and

program instructions to adjust images on the extended display, based on the positioning of the sensors, wherein the images on the extended display are arranged dynamically and seamlessly without user intervention.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the sensors are selected from the group consisting of near field communication (NFC) devices, radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, Bluetooth devices, accelerometers, and gyroscopes.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein program instructions to analyze the positioning information comprise:

program instructions to construct a graph that represents the relative positioning of at least the first display, the second display, the third display, and the fourth display, based on the sensor pairing associations.