Displaying Personalized Documents To Users Of A Surface Computer

• US 20090094561A1
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• 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:
  US11/868,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20090094561A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for displaying personalized documents to users 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 a plurality of users with the surface computer; assigning, to each registered user, a portion of the surface for interaction between that registered user and the surface computer; selecting a user profile for each registered user; creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user; and rendering the personalized display content for each registered user on that user'"'"'s assigned portion of the surface.

Claims

1. A method of displaying personalized documents to users 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 a plurality of users with the surface computer;

assigning, to each registered user, a portion of the surface for interaction between that registered user and the surface computer;

selecting a user profile for each registered user;

creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user; and

rendering the personalized display content for each registered user on that user'"'"'s assigned portion of the surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises filtering repository content of the content repository in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user and filtering rules.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises dynamically generating at least a portion of the personalized display content in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user and dynamic content generation rules.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the content repository is a document shared by one of the plurality of users; and

creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises creating the personalized display content for that registered user from the shared document.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the surface computer functions as a restaurant table;

the content repository is a restaurant menu; and

creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises creating a personalized menu in dependence upon dietary preferences contained in the user profile selected for that registered user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user profile is retrieved from a portable computing device placed on the surface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user profile is retrieved from a database accessible to the surface computer through a network.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user profile is stored in data storage of the surface computer.

9. A surface computer for displaying personalized documents to users 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 a plurality of users with the surface computer;

assigning, to each registered user, a portion of the surface for interaction between that registered user and the surface computer;

selecting a user profile for each registered user;

creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user; and

rendering the personalized display content for each registered user on that user'"'"'s assigned portion of the surface.

10. The surface computer of claim 9 wherein creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises filtering repository content of the content repository in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user and filtering rules.

11. The surface computer of claim 9 wherein creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises dynamically generating at least a portion of the personalized display content in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user and dynamic content generation rules.

12. The surface computer of claim 9 wherein:

the content repository is a document shared by one of the plurality of users; and

creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises creating the personalized display content for that registered user from the shared document.

13. The surface computer of claim 9 wherein:

the surface computer functions as a restaurant table;

the content repository is a restaurant menu; and

creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises creating a personalized menu in dependence upon dietary preferences contained in the user profile selected for that registered user.

14. A computer program product for displaying personalized documents to users 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 a plurality of users with the surface computer;

assigning, to each registered user, a portion of the surface for interaction between that registered user and the surface computer;

selecting a user profile for each registered user;

creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user; and

rendering the personalized display content for each registered user on that user'"'"'s assigned portion of the surface.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises filtering repository content of the content repository in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user and filtering rules.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises dynamically generating at least a portion of the personalized display content in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user and dynamic content generation rules.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein:

the content repository is a document shared by one of the plurality of users; and

creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises creating the personalized display content for that registered user from the shared document.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein:

the surface computer functions as a restaurant table;

the content repository is a restaurant menu; and

creating, for each registered user from a content repository, personalized display content for that registered user in dependence upon the user profile selected for that registered user further comprises creating a personalized menu in dependence upon dietary preferences contained in the user profile selected for that registered user.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a recordable medium.

20. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a transmission medium.