Sending A Document For Display To A User Of A Surface Computer

• US 20090091539A1
• Filed: 10/08/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seacat, Lisa A., Do, Lydia M., Nesbitt, Pamela A.
• Application Number:
  US11/868,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20090091539A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for sending a document for display to a user of a surface computer, the surface computer comprising a surface, surface computer capable receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, that include: registering at least two users with the surface computer, the users including a sender and a receiver; allocating to each registered user a portion of the surface for interaction between the registered user and the surface computer; receiving, from the sender, a user selection specifying a document; receiving, from the sender, a sending instruction to send the selected document to the receiver for display; and rendering, in response to receiving the sending instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

Claims

1. A method of sending a document for display to a user of a surface computer, the surface computer comprising a surface, surface computer capable receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, the method comprising:

registering at least two users with the surface computer, the users including a sender and a receiver;

allocating to each registered user a portion of the surface for interaction between the registered user and the surface computer;

receiving, from the sender, a user selection specifying a document;

receiving, from the sender, a sending instruction to send the selected document to the receiver for display; and

rendering, in response to receiving the sending instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising rendering, in response to receiving the user selection, the contents of the selected document on the sender'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface, wherein rendering contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface further comprises removing the contents of the selected document from the sender'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, from the sender, a retrieving instruction to retrieve the document from the receiver; and

removing, in response to receiving the retrieving instruction, the contents of the selected document from the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein rendering, in response to receiving the sending instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface further comprises:

receiving, from the receiver, an acceptance instruction specifying that the receiver is ready to receive the document; and

rendering, in response to receiving the acceptance instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving, from the sender, a sending instruction to send the document to the receiver for display further comprises receiving, from the sender, an identifier for the receiver.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the receiver is authorized to view the selected document, wherein rendering, in response to receiving the sending instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface further comprises rendering the contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface if the receiver is authorized to view selected the document.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the sender or the receiver is a remote user.

8. A surface computer for sending a document for display to a user of a surface computer, the surface computer comprising a surface, surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, the surface computer comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

registering at least two users with the surface computer, the users including a sender and a receiver;

allocating to each registered user a portion of the surface for interaction between the registered user and the surface computer;

receiving, from the sender, a user selection specifying a document;

receiving, from the sender, a sending instruction to send the selected document to the receiver for display; and

rendering, in response to receiving the sending instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

9. The surface computer of claim 8 wherein:

the computer memory has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of rendering, in response to receiving the user selection, the contents of the selected document on the sender'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface; and

rendering contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface further comprises removing the contents of the selected document from the sender'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

10. The surface computer of claim 8 wherein the computer memory has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

receiving, from the sender, a retrieving instruction to retrieve the document from the receiver; and

removing, in response to receiving the retrieving instruction, the contents of the selected document from the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

11. The surface computer of claim 8 wherein rendering, in response to receiving the sending instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface further comprises:

receiving, from the receiver, an acceptance instruction specifying that the receiver is ready to receive the document; and

rendering, in response to receiving the acceptance instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

12. The surface computer of claim 8 wherein:

the computer memory has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of determining whether the receiver is authorized to view the selected document; and

rendering, in response to receiving the sending instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface further comprises rendering the contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface if the receiver is authorized to view selected the document.

13. A computer program product for sending a document for display to a user of a surface computer, the surface computer comprising a surface, surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, the computer program product disposed in a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

registering at least two users with the surface computer, the users including a sender and a receiver;

allocating to each registered user a portion of the surface for interaction between the registered user and the surface computer;

receiving, from the sender, a user selection specifying a document;

receiving, from the sender, a sending instruction to send the selected document to the receiver for display; and

rendering, in response to receiving the sending instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of rendering, in response to receiving the user selection, the contents of the selected document on the sender'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface, wherein rendering contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface further comprises removing the contents of the selected document from the sender'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

receiving, from the sender, a retrieving instruction to retrieve the document from the receiver; and

removing, in response to receiving the retrieving instruction, the contents of the selected document from the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein rendering, in response to receiving the sending instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface further comprises:

receiving, from the receiver, an acceptance instruction specifying that the receiver is ready to receive the document; and

rendering, in response to receiving the acceptance instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein receiving, from the sender, a sending instruction to send the document to the receiver for display further comprises receiving, from the sender, an identifier for the receiver.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of determining whether the receiver is authorized to view the selected document, wherein rendering, in response to receiving the sending instruction, contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface further comprises rendering the contents of the selected document on the receiver'"'"'s allocated portion of the surface if the receiver is authorized to view selected the document.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a recordable medium.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a transmission medium.