Computerized method and system for generating a display having a physical information item and an electronic information item

• US 20060195331A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cluts, Jonathan C., Goldthwaite, Flora P., Hendrickson, Gregory L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/581
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods and systems for generating a display, for instance, on an integrated message board, the display having at least one physical information item and at least one electronic information item are provided. The physical information item may include, by way of example only, a tagged physical object, hand-written data, and/or data obtained through touch or voice recognition. Methods and systems for integrating physical information items and electronic information items in a single display location are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a display having at least one electronic information item and at least one physical information item, the method comprising:

receiving the at least one electronic information item;

receiving the at least one physical information item;

determining if the at least one physical information item obstructs a view of the at least one electronic information item; and

if the at least one physical information item does not obstruct the view of the at least one electronic information item, displaying the at least one electronic information item and the at least one physical information item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the at least one physical information item does obstruct the view of the at least one electronic information item, the method further comprises reorienting the at least one electronic information item such that the view is not obstructed.

3. A computer programmed to perform the steps recited in claim 1.

4. A computer-implemented method for generating a display having at least one electronic information item derived from a physical information item, the method comprising:

providing a display;

receiving an indication that a physical information item has been received at a first location on the display, the physical information item having a tag indicative of information associated with the physical information item;

accessing the information associated with the physical information item; and

displaying an electronic information item in a second location on the display, the electronic information item derived from the information associated with the physical information item.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the display comprises a networked display,

wherein receiving an indication that a physical information item has been received at a first location on the networked display comprises receiving an indication that a physical information item has been received at the first location on the display, the physical information item having a tag including an identifier stored therein, and

wherein the method further comprises transmitting a query over a network to determine a source of the physical information item based upon the identifier stored in the tag.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving an indication that a physical information item has been received at a first location on the display comprises receiving an indication that a hand-written physical information item has been received at the first location on the display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein accessing the information associated with the physical item comprises converting the hand-written information item into the electronic information item.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving an indication that a physical information item has been received at a first location on the display comprises receiving an indication that a physical object has been received at the first location on the display.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining if at least one additional electronic information item is displayed on the display;

if at least one additional electronic information item is displayed on the display, determining if the physical object is obstructing a view of the at least one additional electronic information item; and

if the physical object is obstructing the view of the at least one additional electronic information item, reorienting the at least one additional electronic information item such that the view is not obstructed.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining if the information associated with the physical item is indicative of an event for which attendance is requested; and

if the information associated with the physical item is indicative of an event for which attendance is requested, comparing the event information with at least one electronic time management system to determine attendance availability.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein if attendance availability is determined, the method further comprises providing one or more user-selectable indicators, selection of which indicates whether attendance is planned.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving user input that attendance of the event is planned; and

populating the electronic time management system with the event information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying the event information in proximity to the physical information item.

14. A computer programmed to perform the steps recited in the method of claim 4.

15. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for generating a display having at least one electronic information item derived from a physical information item, comprising:

code for providing a display;

code for receiving an indication that a physical information item has been received at a first location on the display, the physical information item having a tag indicative of information associated with the physical information item;

code for accessing the information associated with the physical item; and

code for displaying an electronic information item in a second location on the display, the electronic information derived from the information associated with the physical item.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, further comprising:

code for determining if the information associated with the physical item is indicative of an event for which attendance is requested; and

if the information association with the physical item is indicative of an event for which attendance is requested, code for comparing the event information with at least one electronic time management system to determine attendance availability.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein if attendance availability is determined, the computer-readable medium further comprises code for receiving user input that attendance of the event is planned and code for populating the electronic calendar with the event information.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17, further comprising code for displaying the event information in proximity to the physical information item.