APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR PRESENTING IMAGES IN A MULTIPLE DISPLAY ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080148184A1
• Filed: 09/20/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Robert Pedersen II
• Inventors: Davis, Abel
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for presenting images in a multiple display environment. The present invention includes a computer-readable medium with instructions for receiving from a primary user a selected portion from a primary screen, where the selected portion is one of an image and a portion of a program. The selected portion is then displayed on one or more secondary screens. The primary user is presented with a tool to compose the secondary screen, and can also see the secondary user'"'"'s input to the system. The invention also includes dynamically updating the secondary screen in response to changes in the program that result in a change in the display on the primary screen. Also disclosed is a multi-screen laptop computer ideally suited for multi-screen presentations, and a dual-monitor display device which can be easily connected to a computer to facilitate multi-screen presentations.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for:

displaying output on a plurality of screens, the instructions comprising;

receiving from a primary user a selected portion from a primary screen, the selected portion comprising one of;

an image displayed on the primary screen; and

a portion of a program displayed on the primary screen; and

displaying on one or more secondary screens the selected portion from the primary screen received from the primary user, wherein the selected portion is separate from the source of the selected portion.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the selected portion from the primary screen is a portion of a program displayed on the primary screen, displaying on one or more secondary screens the selected portion from the primary screen further comprising dynamically updating a display on one or more secondary screens in response to a change in the display of the selected portion of the program displayed on the primary screen.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising presenting the primary user with a primary screen selection tool on the primary screen, the primary screen selection tool comprising a user-responsive graphical user interface (GUI), the primary user making a selection of the selected portion using a capture tool of the primary screen selection tool.

4. The computer-executable instructions of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving from a secondary user input from one of the one or more secondary screens; and

displaying the input on the primary screen selection tool on the primary screen.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a first pointer is associated with the primary screen and a second pointer is associated with one of the one or more secondary screens, the instructions further comprising:

displaying the first pointer on the secondary screen in response to the first pointer positioned within a captured program area of the primary screen, the first pointer configured to respond to input from the primary user associated with the primary screen;

displaying the second pointer in the primary screen selection tool on the primary screen, the second pointer configured to respond to input from a secondary user associated with the secondary screen.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, further comprising displaying on the one or more secondary screens a last image on a presentation view area of the primary screen selection tool as a static image on the one or more secondary screens in response to the primary user activating a private mode selection feature.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, further comprising instructions for placing the selected portion from the primary screen in a clip area of the primary screen selection tool, displaying on one or more secondary screens the selected portion from the primary screen received from the primary user further comprising displaying on the one or more secondary screens the selected portion in response to the primary user dragging the selected portion from the clip area to a presentation view area of the primary screen selection tool, the selected portion further displayed in a location on the one or more secondary screens corresponding to a location on the presentation view area containing the selected portion.

8. A system for displaying output on a plurality of screens, the system comprising:

a primary screen configured to receive input from a primary user;

a secondary screen configured to receive input from a secondary user;

a processor and memory;

an input module configured to receive from the primary user a selected portion from the primary screen, the selected portion comprising one of;

an image on the primary screen; and

a portion of a program displayed on the primary screen;

a display module configured to display on the secondary screen the selected portion from the primary screen received from the primary user, wherein the selected portion is separate from the source of the selected portion;

a primary screen selection tool, the primary screen selection tool comprising a user-responsive graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on the primary screen, the primary user making a selection of the selected portion using a capture tool of the primary screen selection tool.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the selected portion from the primary screen is a portion of a program displayed on the primary screen, the display module further configured to dynamically update the display on one or more secondary screens in response to a change in the display of the portion of the program displayed on the primary screen.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a secondary input module configured to receive from the secondary user input from the secondary screen;

the input module of claim 8 further configured to receive from the primary user input from the primary screen;

the display module further configured to display the input from the primary screen and input from the secondary screen on a presentation view area of the primary screen selection tool.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a first pointer module configured to respond to input from the primary user;

a second pointer module configured to respond to input from a secondary user associated with the secondary screen;

the display module further configured to display the second pointer on the presentation view area of the primary screen selection tool, the primary screen selection tool displayed on the primary screen, and display the first pointer on the secondary screen in response to the first pointer positioned within a captured program area of the primary screen, the captured program area defined by the primary screen selection tool;

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a private mode module configured to cause the secondary screen to display a last image on the presentation view area as a static image on the secondary screen in response to a primary user selecting a private mode selection feature.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the primary screen is a first screen of a laptop computer, the secondary screen is a second screen of a laptop computer, the first screen comprising a tablet screen coupled to an interior face of an upper-chassis, the second screen comprising a tablet screen coupled to an exterior face of the upper chassis.

14. The system of claim 13, the laptop computer further comprising:

a power actuator configured to start the laptop computer in response to a user activating the power actuator, the power actuator disposed on an exterior portion of a laptop chassis;

a screen actuator configured to switch the primary screen to the second screen of the laptop computer in response to the user activating the screen actuator, the screen actuator disposed on an exterior portion of the laptop chassis; and

one or more speakers disposed on one or more exterior portions of the laptop chassis;

an indicator configured to indicate that the primary screen is the second screen.

15. The system of claim 13, the laptop further comprising a polypropylene cover coupled to the upper-chassis and configured to cover the second screen, the upper-chassis further comprising an upper track and a lower track configured to guide the polypropylene cover along the length of the upper and lower track, the upper-chassis further comprising a housing configured to receive the polypropylene cover.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising an infra-red stylus, the infra-red stylus emitting a beam of infra-red light, the interior face of the upper-chassis further comprising one or more of charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors, the laptop further comprising an infra-red detection module configured to determine a position on the first screen of the beam of infra-red light and an infra-red stylus housing.

17. The system of claim 8, further comprising a dual-monitor display unit, the dual-monitor display unit comprising:

a dual-display chassis comprising a screen-portion chassis and a base-portion chassis, the base-portion chassis configured to support the dual-monitor display unit;

a first screen coupled to the screen-portion chassis of the dual-display chassis;

a second screen coupled to the screen-portion chassis of the dual-display chassis opposite the first screen;

a monitor connector configured to connect a first screen to a monitor connection port of a computer;

a dual-screen adapter configured to connect a second screen to a universal serial bus (USB) port of the computer.

18. A method for displaying output on a plurality of screens, the method comprising:

receiving from a primary user a selected portion from a primary screen, the selected portion comprising one of;

an image on the primary screen; and

a portion of a program displayed on the primary screen;

displaying on one or more secondary screens the selected portion from the primary screen received from the primary user, wherein the selected portion is separate from the source of the selected portion, further comprising;

in response to receiving from the primary user a selected portion from the primary screen comprising a portion of a program displayed on the primary screen, dynamically updating a display on one or more secondary screens in response to a change in the display of the portion of the program displayed on the primary screen such that the image of the selected program on the secondary screen is identical to the image of the selected program on the primary screen;

in response to receiving from the user a selected portion from the primary screen comprising an image on the primary screen, displaying on one or more secondary screens a static image of the selected portion from the primary screen.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising presenting the primary user with a primary screen selection tool on the primary screen, the primary screen selection tool comprising a user-responsive graphical user interface (GUI), the primary user making a selection of the selected portion using a capture tool of the primary screen selection tool.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving from a secondary user input from one of the one or more secondary screens; and

displaying the input on the primary screen selection tool on the primary screen.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein a first pointer is associated with the primary screen and a second pointer is associated with one of the one or more secondary screen, further comprising:

displaying the first pointer on the secondary screen in response to the first pointer positioned within a captured program area of the primary screen, the first pointer configured to respond to input from the primary user associated with the primary screen;

displaying the second pointer in the primary screen selection tool on the primary screen, the second pointer configured to respond to input from a secondary user associated with the secondary screen.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying on the one or more secondary screens a last image on a presentation view area of the primary screen selection tool as a static image on the one or more secondary screens in response to the primary user activating a private mode selection feature.

23. The method of claim 18, the method executed on a laptop computer, wherein the primary screen is a first screen of a laptop computer, the secondary screen is a second screen of a laptop computer, the first screen comprising a tablet screen coupled to an interior face of an upper-chassis, the second screen comprising a tablet screen coupled to an exterior face of the upper chassis, the laptop computer further comprising:

a power actuator configured to start the laptop in response to a user activating the power actuator, the power actuator disposed on an exterior portion of a laptop chassis;

a screen actuator configured to switch the primary screen to the second screen of the laptop computer in response to the user activating the screen actuator, the screen actuator disposed on an exterior portion of the laptop chassis; and

one or more speakers disposed on one or more exterior portions of the laptop chassis;

an indicator configured to indicate that the primary screen is the second screen.

24. The method of claim 23, the laptop further comprising a polypropylene cover coupled to the upper-chassis and configured to cover the second screen, the upper-chassis further comprising an upper track and a lower track configured to guide the polypropylene cover along the length of the upper and lower track, the upper-chassis further comprising a housing configured to receive the polypropylene cover.

25. The method of claim 18, the method executed on a computer in electrical communication with a dual-monitor display unit, the dual-monitor display unit comprising:

a dual-display chassis comprising a screen-portion and a base portion, the base portion configured to support the dual-monitor display unit;

a first screen coupled to the screen-portion chassis of the dual-display chassis;

a second screen coupled to the screen-portion chassis of the dual-display chassis opposite the first screen;

a monitor connector configured to connect a first screen to a monitor connection port of a computer;

a dual-screen adapter configured to connect a second screen to a universal serial bus (USB) port of the computer.