Displaying information

• US 20070033539A1
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Thielman, Jeffrey, Blythe, Michael, Gorzynski, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/197,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033539A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Embodiments of displaying information are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for displaying information, comprising:

a first screen region adapted to receive first input from multiple operators;

a second screen region adapted to receive second input from a single operator during a time interval; and

a controller operable to control display of the information and to transfer the display of the information between, said first screen region and said second screen region according to the first input or the second input.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a third screen region adapted to receive third input from a second single operator during a second time interval.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said controller includes a configuration to transfer display of the information between, said first, second and third screen regions.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a third screen region adapted to receive input from only a sub-set of said multiple operators.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said third screen regions is operably coupled to said controller and wherein said controller controls display of the information, and transfer of the display of the information between, said first, second and third screen regions.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said first, second and third screen regions are touch sensitive, wherein said first input, second input, and third input include, respectively, first touch input, second touch input, and third touch input, and wherein said controller is configured to detect said first touch input, said second touch input, and said third touch input and to manipulate the information based on said first touch input, said second touch input, and said third touch input.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said controller is configured to display the information on said first screen region based on said second touch input received in said second screen region.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said first screen region is adapted to receive touch input to control a fixture positioned external to said system.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the information is displayed in said second screen region by said controller responsive to said first input from said first screen region.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said first screen region and said second screen region each include a configuration to detect touch input with the configuration including one chosen from detecting resistively, capacitively, and optically.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said first screen region and said second screen region are touch enabled and each comprise one of a liquid crystal display, a PDP and a projection screen, wherein a first display comprises said first screen region and a second display comprises said second screen region and wherein said system further comprises one of a single touch enabled overlay that extends over each of said first display and said second display and a single touch enabled device that extends below each of said first display and said second display.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said touch enabled device comprises a plurality of cameras positioned below said first and second displays.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein a single display comprises said first screen region and said second screen region.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said second screen region is positioned on a substantially horizontal table top and wherein said first screen region is positioned on a substantially vertical projection display.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said first screen region is positioned on a substantially horizontal table top and extends substantially across an entire surface area of said table top, and wherein an entirety of said first screen region is touch enabled.

16. A display system, comprising:

a touch enabled display surface including,

an individual area configured to receive first input from a single user, and

a shared area adapted for receiving second input from multiple users; and

a controller operably coupled to said individual area and to said shared area and controlling display of data on said individual and shared areas based on the first input or the second input to said individual or said shared areas.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said touch enabled display surface includes an input detection system positioned between said individual and shared areas and said users.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said touch enabled display surface includes an input detection system positioned opposite said individual and shared areas from said users.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said input detection system comprises a plurality of cameras positioned to detect an object on said display surface.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising a second individual area configured to receive input from a second single user, wherein said controller is operably coupled to said second individual area and controls display of data on said individual, said second individual and said shared areas based on instructions input to any of said individual, said second individual and said shared areas, wherein said second individual area is positioned remote from said individual and said shared areas.

21. A method, comprising:

projecting an image onto a surface, the image visible on the surface, said image defining a shared portion and an individual portion; and

manipulating the shared portion of said image by ones of multiple operators and manipulating the individual portion of said image by an individual one of said multiple operators.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said image includes a plurality of individual portions, each of said plurality of individual portions touch enabled by a corresponding individual operator, wherein an individual operator may cause movement of display of information from their corresponding individual portion of said image to said shared portion of said image.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said manipulating said shared portion of said image comprises touch-enabled manipulating.

24. A multi-operator computer, comprising:

means for projecting an image to a display surface;

means for receiving touch-enabled input on said display surface from multiple operators; and

means for distinguishing said touch-enabled input from each of individual ones of said multiple operators and for controlling said image projected to said display surface based on said touch-enabled input from individual ones of said multiple operators.

25. The computer of claim 24 wherein said means for receiving touch-enabled input defines a shared region for input from said multiple operators, and defines a plurality of individual regions each adapted for receiving touch-enabled input from said each individual ones of said multiple operators.

26. The computer of claim 24 wherein said means for receiving is a touch sensitive surface positioned on said display surface.

27. The computer of claim 24 wherein said means for receiving is chosen from one of a camera system positioned below said display surface and a touch sensitive surface.

28. A computer readable medium, comprising:

code to display a shared region to receive input from multiple operators;

code to display an individual region to receive input from an individual operator;

code to manipulate displayed first data in said shared region based on first input by said individual operator in said individual region; and

code to manipulate displayed second data in said individual region based on second input by said individual operator in said individual region.

29. The medium of claim 28 further comprising code to provide an image in said shared region, and wherein said image is changed based on manipulation of said displayed first data in said shared region based on said first input by said individual operator in said individual region.

30. The medium of claim 28 further comprising code to provide an image in said individual region, and wherein said image is changed based on manipulation of said displayed second data in said individual region based on said second input by said individual operator in said individual region.