RETURNING PASSED OBJECTS IN A SURFACE BASED COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT USING A VIRTUAL BUNGEE

• US 20090150816A1
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: CHAKRA, AL, LYLE, RUTHIE D., CANNON, ULYSSES LAMONT
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/42 Systems for two-way working , e.g. conference systems H04N1/32 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention discloses a solution for a surface based computing device to return passed objects. That is, software of the surface based computing device can permit software objects appearing within a display of a surface based computing device to be passed among users positioned about the surface based computing device. The surface based computing device can also include software maintaining linkages between passed software objects and return positions defined for each of the passed software objects. Further software can be configured to automatically return at least one of the passed software objects from a current position on the display to an associated return position responsive to an occurrence of a return object event relating to that passed software object. Visual representation of the linkages can be optionally shown on the surface based computing device and the passing objects can be optionally animated.

Claims

1. A method for handling software objects within a surface based computing environment comprising:

within software executing upon the surface based computing device maintaining an association between a software object displayed upon the surface based computing device at a current position and a return point;

detecting an occurrence of a return object event; and

automatically passing the software object from the current position to the return point based upon the occurrence.

2. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

manipulating the software object using at least one surface based computing device command triggered by a user input, wherein during the manipulating step, the software object is moved from an original position to the current position.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the return point is the original position, and wherein the return object event results from an expiration of a configurable duration for which the software object is permitted to remain in the current position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the return point is associated with an application executing upon the surface based computing device, and wherein the current position is associated with a different application executing upon the surface based computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the return point represents a storage location external to the surface based computing device, and wherein the passing of the software object automatically removes the software object from a user accessible storage location of the surface based computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the passing step is an animated step, which show the software object traveling within the display between the current position and the return point.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

showing a visual link upon the display between the return point and the software object when located at the current position.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing an interface option to hide the visual link.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said visual link is color coded to indicate a collaboration characteristic associated with the software object.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user entered command from at least one of the controlling user and the possessing user, wherein said user entered command initiates the return object event.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a duration for the software object to be returned, wherein the return object event is initiated upon an expiration of the established duration.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

showing a visual link upon the display between the return point and the software object when located at the current position; and

a defined time before the expiration, visually indicating by altering a presentation characteristic of the visual link that the established duration is about to expire.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically detecting a user possessing the software object or a user owning the software object leaving an area proximate to the surface based computing device, wherein the return object event is initiated upon the detection.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of claim 1 are performed by at least one machine in accordance with at least one computer program stored in a computer readable media, said computer programming having a plurality of code sections that are executable by the at least one machine.

15. A surface based computing device comprising:

software permitting software objects appearing within a display of a surface based computing device to be passed among users positioned about the surface based computing device;

software maintaining linkages between passed software objects and return points defined for each of the passed software objects; and

software configured to automatically return at least one of the passed software objects from a current position on the display to an associated return point responsive to an occurrence of a return object event relating to that passed software object, wherein the software is stored in a machine readable medium and comprises a set of programmatic instructions which are configured to be executed by the surface based computing device.

16. The surface based computing device of claim 15, wherein the software that maintains the linkages is configured to visually present a representation of the linkages upon the display to show which return points correspond to which passed software objects.

17. The surface based computing device of claim 16, wherein an option is provided to hide the representation of the linkages, and wherein the passing of the software objects is an animated process that shows the software objects traveling across the display, and wherein when shown, the linkages are animated to show cords expanding and contracting, wherein said cords are attached between the passed software objects and the corresponding return points.

18. A virtual bungee for a surface based computing environment comprising:

an association between a software object appearing within a display of surface based computing environment and a return point, wherein upon an occurrence of a return object event, the software object is automatically moved from a current position to the return point, wherein the association is recorded within software stored in a machine readable medium, said software being accessible by a surface based computing device.

19. The virtual bungee of claim 18, wherein the virtual bungee is able to be visually shown upon the display, wherein the virtual bungee is connected to the software object located at the current position and to the return point, wherein a user selectable option exists to show and hide the visual representation of the virtual bungee.

20. The virtual bungee of claim 18, wherein the software object to which the virtual bungee is attached is able to be passed among users of the surface based computing device, which alters a current position of the software object on the display but which does not alter the return point, wherein the passing of the software object is animated.