ON-DEMAND GROUPWARE COMPUTING

• US 20080028321A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Waltermann, Rod D., Weksler, Arnold S., Peterson, Nathan J., Kelso, Scott E., Mese, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The collaborative sharing of resources on demand based on proximity, within a group or network of computers. Broadly contemplated herein the “tiling” of a collection of logically adjacent individual graphical desktops in a virtual desktop. In such a setting, the action of dragging a window or icon off of one desktop and onto another would effectively transfer user interactability, and/or perceived ownership of the object, to the desktop where the window or icon graphically “lands”.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an arrangement for affording, at an originating computer in a group of connected computers, a transfer of an object to at least one target computer in the group;

an arrangement for effecting a transfer of an object from an originating computer to at least one target computer via a graphical manipulation conducted at the originating computer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for affording a transfer acts to transfer an object to at least one target computer while retaining processing capability at the originating computer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for affording a transfer acts to transfer an object, along with a capability to process the object, to at least one target computer.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for effecting a transfer comprises a visual depiction of group topology provided at the originating computer.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said visual depiction comprises a map indicating functional interconnections between computers in the group.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said arrangement for effecting a transfer acts to accommodate a drag and drop of a graphical representation of an object within said visual depiction of group topology.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for effecting a transfer comprises a menu for choosing a target computer.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for effecting a transfer acts to effect a functional interconnection with a target computer via accommodating a drag and drop of a graphical representation of an object in a predetermined direction off-screen.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said arrangement for effecting a transfer acts to provide labelling corresponding to at least one target computer.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said visual depiction of group topology includes color-coding to represent at least one target computer.

11. A method comprising the step of transferring, from an originating computer in a group of connected computers, an object to at least one target computer in the group via a graphical manipulation conducted at the originating computer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said transferring step comprises transferring an object to at least one target computer while retaining processing capability at the originating computer.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said transferring step comprises transferring an object, along with a capability to process the object, to at least one target computer.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said transferring step comprises employing a visual depiction of group topology provided at the originating computer.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the visual depiction comprises a map indicating functional interconnections between computers in the group.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said transferring step comprises accommodating a drag and drop of a graphical representation of an object within the visual depiction of group topology.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein said transferring step comprises employing a menu for choosing a target computer.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein said transferring step comprises effecting transferring an object to a target computer via accommodating a drag and drop of a graphical representation of an object in a predetermined direction off-screen.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the visual depiction of group topology includes color-coding to represent at least one target computer.

20. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps, said method comprising the step of transferring, from an originating computer in a group of connected computers, an object to at least one target computer in the group via a graphical manipulation conducted at the originating computer.